FALL 2005
CHEM 315:  SYNTHETIC ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Library Project 1
This project is designed to give you some experience with reading, interpreting and writing about original research in synthetic organic chemistry.

 A.     The requirements for this project are:
 

  1. Choose an article on organic synthesis from a current issue (last two or three years) of a chemical journal. The article must be an original research report (not a review article). The article may deal with the synthesis of a specific molecule or class of molecules or with development of new synthetic methods, but the main focus of the work must be synthesis rather than theory or reaction mechanisms.
  2. Write a 4-5 page paper explaining your understanding of the article.  Be sure to deal with the following points:
    1. The primary goal of the work.
    2. The reasons the authors gave for doing this work.
    3. Who funded the research?
    4. Ways in which this work conforms or does not conform to methods discussed in class.
    5. Your evaluation of the quality of the work and what new insights it provided you into the process of organic synthesis.
    B.     Schedule for completion:
  1. On or before Monday, September 194, submit a photocopy of your chosen article.
  2. Your paper is due by 5:00 PM on Wednesday, October 5.
     
Library Project 2
This project is designed to give you a second experience with reading and interpreting original research reports that deal with organic synthesis, and with making an oral presentation of a scientific study.

    A.     The requirements for this project are:

  1. Choose another article on organic synthesis from a current issue (last two or three years) of a chemical journal.  Again, the article must be an original research report (not a review article).  The article may deal with the synthesis of a specific molecule or class of molecules or with development of new synthetic methods, but the main focus of the work must be synthesis rather than theory or reaction mechanisms.  This must be a different article from the one you used for Library Project 1, but the work reported may be related to the first article.
  2. Prepare and give a 10 min. oral presentation that gives an overview of the study described in your article and an explanation of the goals and reasons for doing the work, as well as its primary contributions to the synthetic organic literature.
  3. Submit a one page written abstract of your presentation.
  4. Read the articles chosen by other class members and be prepared to comment on their presentations and ask questions.


    B.     Schedule for completion:

  1. On or before Friday, November 25, submit a photo copy of your chosen article. I will make copies of articles and distribute them to other members of the class on Wednesday, November 30.
  2. On December 9, make your presentation.
  3. On or before December 12 (last day of class), submit your abstract.