Final Exam, Practical Exam & Laboratory Notebook

Information regarding the CHEM 233 final exam, practical exam and laboratory notebook has been posted to the course website's File Sharing page (finalinfo_233SU11.pdf). Please read this document carefully.

CHEM 233 Midterm Scores Posted

Your midterm score and lab report average score have been posted to Blackboard.  You will receive your midterm back during your next lab session.  For midterm exam and course grading stats, visit the Grades Summer 2011 page on the  CHEM 233 course website.

After you receive your midterm exam, carefully check for mistakes or addition errors.  If you believe there is a grading error, first consult your TA and if they agree then submit your exam for review according to the instructions in the handout (  exam_corrections.pdf)   posted on the  File Sharing Page   of the orgo labs website.  You must submit your exam by Friday, July 22 for it to be considered for corrections.  No exam will be accepted or corrections made after that date.

Finally, if you would like more information on your standing in the course or are concerned about your performance, please stop by during office hours (M,W; 3-5 p.m.) as soon as possible so that we can discuss strategies for improving your grade.  Little can be done at the end of the semester.  With over 300 points remaining in the course, however, you can still make significant improvements if you are not meeting your current goals.

Can I use the 4th edition of the CHEM 233 textbook instead of the 5th edition?

Since I am asked this question so often, I thought I'd post a response here. The answer is, yes. You may use the 4th edition of "Experimental Organic Chemistry: A Miniscale and Macroscale Approach." However, the page numbers and homework question numbers in the course manual refer only to the 5th edition. Therefore, you'll have to at least consult a 5th edition to make sure you are reading the correct sections and doing the correct homework questions. I will put a copy of the 5th edition on reserve in the Daley Library.

CHEM 233 To-Do List, Course Info & Syllabus

Welcome to CHEM 233  

As we approach the start of the summer 2011 semester, I want to welcome you to the course and also to give you a list of tasks that should be completed this week.  Most of these should be completed before the first lab session so that you are adequately prepared and do not fall behind.  One of the most important skills required for success in a large university laboratory course is your ability to seek out and follow directions carefully.  I encourage you to read all of the resources on the course website as well as on Blackboard that are discussed in the to-do list below.  If you have any questions, my door--and e-mail inbox--are open for business.  I'm looking forward to sharing my passion for the exciting world of organic chemistry with you.  This semester I aim not only to teach you the chemistry content and laboratory techniques that you require for your academic endeavors, but also to train you in the type of analytical thinking that is required for solving problems in a laboratory setting as well as the professional field to which you aspire.  While you may not want to be an organic chemist, the practical application of technical knowledge in a laboratory setting involves many general skills that  you will undoubtedly employ in your future careers.

Cheers,
Dr. Chad Landrie  

To Do List: 
1.  Become acquainted with the resources available on Blackboard   and on the course website ( www.chadlandrie.com).

2.  Purchase the  required texts and materials   for the course including the lab manual, lab notebook, textbook and goggles.  All of these items are available at the UIC bookstore.

3.  Carefully read the  course syllabus .  The syllabus can be found in the lab manual, downloaded from the course website's  File Sharing page  (www.chadlandrie.com) or downloaded from Blackboard.

4.  Review the principles of infrared spectroscopy as well as the common functional groups in organic chemistry.  During your first laboratory session, you will participate in an infrared spectroscopy primer (also in the lab manual) designed to review the principles of infrared spectroscopy and to demonstrate how this technique is used to identify functional groups in organic molecules.  If you are currently enrolled in CHEM 232, and have not encountered this analytical technique yet, you may want to begin working on the  IR Primer   as well as the pertinent sections in your lecture textbook before your lab.  You may also review lecture slides I've posted on spectroscopy on the File Sharing page (    spectroscopy_232_Lec1). The IR Primer  activity will not be collected or graded (a pre-lab notebook entry is not required); it's sole function is to provide you with the information you need for the first laboratory experiment the following session.  Be sure to ask your TA plenty of questions so that you get the information you need.  During the following lab session, you will learn how to collect IR spectra on one of our two spectrometers.  You will then use this technique on that day to identify unknown organic compounds.

5. Complete a prelab notebook entry before Lab One. A description of how to keep a laboratory notebook as well as the grading rubric that will be used to assess each entry can be found in the course manual.

Final Grades for CHEM 233 Posted

All of your course scores have been posted to Blackboard as well as your final grade. The course curve and other statistics have been posted on the Grades Spring 2011 page of the CHEM 233 course website. If you have questions or concerns about your final grade in the course, please stop by my office this week between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. I generally will not answer questions about grades through email. Also, you may pick up your notebooks from your TA. Unclaimed notebooks will be discarded.

It was great working with all of you this semester and I hope we were able to successfully teach you how to apply chemical knowledge to solving problems and analyzing data in the laboratory. This process--transforming theoretical knowledge to practical application--will be critical in your professional endeavors. If our investigation at the end of the semester on the preparation of cis-3-alkenoates sparked your interest in chemistry research, consider enrolling in my CHEM 333 course, Advanced Synthetic Organic Laboratory. This course is offered in the summer and spring semesters and engages students in authentic and contemporary research in synthetic organic chemistry. Previous work on the solid-supported reduction methods that was conducted by CHEM 333 students has been published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry--a major accomplishment for an undergraduate course. We are currently working on the synthesis of antiviral compounds with triazole ring systems through Cu-catalyzed alkyne-azide coupling reactions. If you'd like to know more about the course, visit the course website or stop by my office to chat.

Have a great summer! -Dr. L

Final Exam, Practical Exam & Laboratory Notebook

Information regarding the CHEM 233 final exam, practical exam and laboratory notebook has been posted to the course website's File Sharing page (finalinfo_233SP11.pdf). Please read this document carefully. If you qualify for a makeup exam and have already sent Dr. L an email, please send another.

Accessing UIC E-Journals On and Off Campus

Did you know that the UIC library subscribes to many online versions of academic journals such as Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal of Organic Chemistry, Organic Letters, Angewandte Chemie International, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and Journal of Chemical Education, just to name a few? To search for online subscriptions, direct your web browser to the UIC library website; click on the E-Journals tab; then search for the journal title. 

After you've found the publication you're interested in, simply follow the links to the website for the time range of interest. (Note that many online subscriptions are limited to a range of years and there are often different sources for different time ranges.) If you're on campus, you typically will not have to log in with your NetID. You can then bookmark the website for direct access next time. Once you are within the journal's website you can usually search for an article by year, volume, author and keyword. Most subscriptions also allow you to view and download a pdf version of the article.

As a UIC student or faculty member, you can also access online subscriptions from off-campus. The easiest way to do this is to follow the same instructions above. After clicking on the link to the journal from within the UIC library website, you will be asked to enter your UIC NetID and password. This process will connect you to UIC's proxy server so that the journal's website will "see" you as connecting from the UIC campus. Voila! The key here is you must go through the UIC library website each time.  If you do a lot of online research, this becomes tedious. An alternative is to add ".proxy.cc.uic.edu" to the end of any restricted website's URL. For example, the URL for The Journal of Organic Chemistry (JOC) is:


http://pubs.acs.org/journal/joceah


Since I already know that UIC has a subscription to JOC, I just enter the following into my browser's URL bar:


http://pubs.acs.org.proxy.cc.uic.edu/journal/joceah


Notice the ".proxy.cc.uic.edu" is entered right after the domain name (e.g., .org or .com), not at the end of the URL. An advantage of this method is that you can bookmark the proxy URL on your off-campus devices so that you don't have to go through the library website or enter the ".proxy.cc.uic.edu" each time. This method will only work, however, if UIC has a valid subscription for the site you're trying to access. 


Happy researching!

CHEM 233 Midterm Grades Posted

Your midterm score and lab report average score have been posted to Blackboard.  You will receive your midterm back during your next lab session.  For midterm exam and course grading stats, visit the Grades Spring 2011 page on the CHEM 233 course website.

After you receive your midterm exam, carefully check for mistakes or addition errors.  If you believe there is a grading error, first consult your TA and if they agree then submit your exam for review according to the instructions in the handout (exam_corrections.pdf) posted on the File Sharing Page of the orgo labs website.  You must submit your exam by Monday, March 28 for it to be considered for corrections.  No exam will be accepted or corrections made after that date.

Finally, if you would like more information on your standing in the course or are concerned about your performance, please stop by during office hours (M,W; 3-5 p.m.) as soon as possible so that we can discuss strategies for improving your grade.  Little can be done at the end of the semester.  With over 300 points remaining in the course, however, you can still make significant improvements if you are not meeting your current goals.

Dropbox as a File Server for CHEM 333, But Better

As a Mac aficionado and app addict, I have a keen sense as to whether a particular piece of software will increase my productivity and entertainment levels or whether it will just decrease my checking account balance. Not that it matters since I usually buy it anyway. What can I say? I'm a scientist.  Most of those "scientific" purchases, however, are disappointing; the software falls short of my expectations and many don't even deliver the utility they promise. When I do encounter a gem, there is usually an "ah, hah!" moment that justifies all the experimentation until that point. Enter Dropbox.


Given Dropbox's current popularity, I'm a little late in finding this one, but ecstatic nonetheless, especially since it's free.  Dropbox is essentially a web-based file hosting service, which provides you with 2 GB of online storage space. In its most modest application, users can upload and download files to their Dropbox folder through the Dropbox website using any web browser; there's no requirement to download any software.  The real power of the service, however, is unleashed when the Dropbox software is downloaded onto each of the user's computers. The software creates a folder called Dropbox on each computer where it is installed. All files placed or saved into that folder are then synchronized across all machines that also have the Dropbox folder installed. That's it! There are no special synchronization steps or instructions to remember.  Just use your Dropbox folder like you would any other and changes are instantaneously (well, almost) synchronized to all Dropbox folders on other machines.  Don't always have access to a computer? No problem; just download the iPhone or iPad app and you've got access to your files anywhere you go.  Dropbox even keeps track of past versions of each file, so that users can revert to older versions if they need.  Worried about losing your files in "the cloud" or when your internet connection is down? No need: All Dropbox files are saved locally on each machine.


As if that weren't enough, you can also share subfolders with other Dropbox members. I am currently using this function in my Advanaced Synthetic Laboratory class (CHEM 333). I set up a shared folder for each of my students where they can save their IR and NMR data files (we have a lot of them!). I can open their files directly from my computer's Dropbox folder, make changes or comments if I want, and then save the file. The changes are immediately available to everyone sharing that folder. You can even set preferences so that you're alerted when a change has been made to a file or folder you're sharing. It's been a great way to keep track of my student's progress in the lab.  It's also a much cheaper (read: free) alternative to setting up a file server, not to mention better.  So far it's worked like a charm and students have been quick to adopt the process.


There are lots of useful applications of Dropbox such as sharing pics with friends, URL links to files, and uploading PDF files to iBooks or PubMed on Tap on your iPad or iPhone.  My favorite so far though is the ability to sync my Bookends reference database and all attached PDFs, which allows me to access and update my reference literature everywhere I go. I just moved the Bookends database and associated Attachments folder to Dropbox and voila. Done!


If I've sold you, then give it a try. Click on the link below and start "Dropboxing" now. If you're on campus and need some assistance or want more information on the applications I mentioned above, send me an email or stop by my office; I'd be happy to help.


Start Dropboxing Now!

CHEM 233 Wednesday and Thursday Labs Cancelled

Snowpocalypse! All CHEM 233 labs are cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday (including afternoon labs) this week. These sections will complete lab 2 during the week of the midterm exam (March 9 & 10) during their regularly scheduled labs and will turn in their report for lab 2 the following week. Students missing their lab Wednesday or Thursday should make arrangements with their TA to turn in the report for lab one by this Friday, Feb 4. Friday labs are not cancelled and will meet as scheduled. 

ACD/Labs NMR Processor & ChemSketch

The academic version of the ACD/Labs NMR Processor is now available for free to students and instructors. It may be downloaded from the ACD/Labs website after creating a user account. This is great news for instructors and students alike. Instead of spending hours acquiring and processing student NMR data, I am now requiring my Advanced Organic Lab students to process their own FIDs. I anticipate that this software will reinforce concepts taught in class as students perform tasks such as Fourier transformation, phasing, peak picking, integration and proton assignment. The download also includes ChemSketch, an industry standard for drawing chemical structures. ChemSketch can be used simultaneously with the NMR Processor to make proton assignments as well as create professional quality spectral reports.


I have posted a short presentation on using the NMR Processor for my CHEM 333 students on the course website's File Sharing page. The instructions within are basic and only scratch the surface of the software's functionalities. What makes it a great application, however, is that you don't need to know much to create a professional looking spectrum in a matter of minutes.  CHEM 333 students should use the ChemSketch template (ACD_333nmrtemplate.sk2) that I've also posted on the File Sharing page when creating their reports. For a sample FID folder to practice with, download the file, ACD_samplefid.fid.zip, on the File Sharing page.


Although ACD/Labs software does not support Mac OS X, I have been using the processor and ChemSketch on my Intel iMac running Windows XP with the Parallels virtualization application. Parallels can be purchased from the UIC Webstore at a reduced price by UIC students and faculty. The only downside to this solution is that I have been unable to cut-and-paste into native OS X Microsoft Office apps like Work and Powerpoint.

CHEM 233: Organic Chemistry Lab I To Do List for Spring 2011

Welcome to CHEM 233 
As we approach the start of the Spring 2011 semester, I want to welcome you to the course and also to give you a list of tasks that should be completed in the coming weeks.  Most of these should be completed before the first lab session so that you are adequately prepared and do not fall behind.  One of the most important skills required for success in a large university laboratory course is your ability to seek out and follow directions carefully.  I encourage you to read all of the resources on the course website as well as on Blackboard that are discussed in the to-do list below.  If you have any questions, my door--and e-mail inbox--are already open and waiting to assist you.  I'm looking forward to sharing my passion for the exciting world of organic chemistry with you.  This semester I aim not only to teach you the chemistry content and laboratory techniques that you require for your academic endeavors, but also to train you in the type of analytical thinking that is required for solving problems in a laboratory setting as well as the professional field to which you aspire.  While you may not want to be an organic chemist, the practical application of technical knowledge in a laboratory setting involves many general skills that  you will undoubtedly employ in your future careers.

Cheers,
Dr. Chad Landrie 

To Do List:
1.  Become acquainted with the resources available on Blackboard and on the course website (www.chadlandrie.com).

2.  Purchase the required texts and materials for the course including the lab manual, lab notebook, textbook and goggles.  All of these items are available at the UIC bookstore. (The lab manual should be available in the bookstore by Thursday, Jan 6, 2011.)

3.  Carefully read the course syllabus.  The syllabus can be found in the lab manual, downloaded from the course website’s File Sharing Page (www.chadlandrie.com) or downloaded from Blackboard.

4.  Review the principles of infrared spectroscopy as well as the common functional groups in organic chemistry.  During your first laboratory session, you will participate in an infrared spectroscopy primer (also in the lab manual) designed to review the principles of infrared spectroscopy and to demonstrate how this technique is used to identify functional groups in organic molecules.  If you are currently enrolled in CHEM 232, and have not encountered this analytical technique yet, you may want to begin working on the IR Primer as well as the pertinent sections in your lecture textbook before your lab.  You may also review lecture slides I’ve posted on spectroscopy on the File Sharingpage (spectroscopy_232_Lec1). The IR Primer activity will not be collected or graded (a pre-lab notebook entry is not required); it's sole function is to provide you with the information you need for the first laboratory experiment the following session.  Be sure to ask your TA plenty of questions so that you get the information you need.  During the following lab session, you will learn how to collect IR spectra on one of our two spectrometers.  You will then use this technique on that day to identify unknown organic compounds.

Course Grades Posted

Your final exam score and course grade have been posted to Blackboard. As usual, the course stats can be viewed on the Grades Fall 2010 webpage. If you would like to discuss your grade, you may stop by my office on Monday or Tuesday (Dec. 13 & 14) between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  Final exams will not be returned; however, I can let you see your exam if you stop by. Have a great winter break and best of luck in all your academic endeavors.

Orgo Lab (CHEM 233) Final Exam

The final exam for CHEM 233 is on Monday, December 6 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in room 250 SES.  For more information, including the makeup exam policy, view the document finalinfo_233F10.pdf on the course website File Sharing page.

Orgo Lecture (CHEM 232) Final Exam

The final exam for CHEM 232 is on Friday, December 10 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. in room 250 SES.  For more information, including the makeup exam policy, view the document finalinfo_232F10.pdf on the course website File Sharing page.

Synthetic Challenge

Exam 3 and the final exam are approaching fast.  The focus of both of these exams will be on synthesis, which requires you apply all of the organic chemistry you've learned thus far. To help you prepare, I've posted two handouts on the course website File Sharing page (synthesis_689.pdf & synthesis_10112.pdf) that describe common synthetic strategies and provide several synthetic challenges for practice.  In order to encourage you to work on these, I am going to pull the synthesis questions for exam 3 and the final exam directly from these two handouts, with no modifications.  Start working on them early.  Don't procrastinate!  And try to have fun.  Once you've mastered these synthetic problems, you can finally say you're an organic chemist--if only for a semester.

CHEM 232 Exam 2 Graded, Scores Posted

The CHEM 232 exam two is graded and your scores have been posted to Blackboard.  The average was 51.5%, which I thought was very good considering the difficulty of this exam and the amount of material we covered.  Nice job!  For more statistics, including the exam curve and distribution, visit the  Grades Fall 2010 page   on the course website. I will update the clicker, OWL and quiz stats next week on Blackboard and the course website.

Your TA will return the exams during discussion section next week.  They will not return the exams before that time, so please don't ask. Look over your exam very carefully next week.  If you believe that there are grading or adding errors, follow the instructions in the document  exam_corrections.pdf , which can be found on the  File Sharing page   of the course website.  You must submit your exam by Monday, November 1 in order to have it reviewed for errors.   There was one ranking question that I thought was too difficult (rank in order of increasing rate of hydration), so I added three points to everyone's final exam score, which is reflected in the Blackboard score.  Do not submit a correction for that question.

Grades Posted

Your midterm score and lab report average score have been posted to Blackboard.  You will receive your midterm back during your next lab session.  For midterm exam and course grading stats, visit the Grades Fall 2010 page on the CHEM 233 course website.  Remember, there is no lab for sections meeting Monday, October 18.  Tuesday through Friday sections, however, will meet this week and will be completing Lab 7.

After you receive your midterm exam, carefully check for mistakes or addition errors.  If you believe there is a grading error, first consult your TA and if they agree then submit your exam for review according to the instructions in the handout (exam_corrections.pdf) posted on the File Sharing page of the orgo labs website.  You must submit your exam by Monday, November 1 for it to be considered for corrections.  No exam will be accepted after that date.

Finally, if you would like more information on your standing in the course or are concerned about your performance, please stop by during office hours (M,W 3-5 p.m.) as soon as possible so that we can discuss strategies for improving your grade.  Little can be done at the end of the semester.  With over 300 points remaining in the course, however, you can still make significant improvements if you are not meeting your current goals.

Exam 2, Review Session, Quiz 8

Exam 2 is on Monday, October 18 at 6:00 p.m. in room 250 SES.  Please arrive 10 minutes early to find your seat and relax to another stunning selection of music.  A sample exam has been posted on the course website's File Sharing Page (SampleEx2_SP09.pdf).  The format of Exam 2 will be similar to the sample and Exam 1; however, the questions will not be the same.  For example, you should know all of the mechanism covered in class so far.  You will be asked to write two mechanisms for Exam 2, but they will not necessarily be the same mechanisms that are on the sample exam.  In other words, do not rely solely on the sample exam to study.  Also review OWL homework, quizzes, clicker questions and lecture notes.  For additional practice, complete as many end-of-chapter questions in your textbook as possible.  A review session will be held this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in room 130 SES (check for a propped open door).  As before, the review session is student-driven.  Bring problems and questions that you would like to work out on the whiteboard with the class.  I will not be presenting or lecturing, only guiding and facilitating the discussion from the audience.  

Finally, per your vote in class today, the topic for next week's quiz will be predict-the-products.  This quiz (30 minutes) will be given during your discussion section as usual and will cover all of the reactions discussed in the course through this Thursday's lecture.

CHEM 233 Midterm Exam

Reminder: The CHEM 233 midterm exam (for all sections) is on Thursday, October 14 at 6:00 p.m. in room 250 SES.  Please arrive 10 minutes early to find your seat; a seating chart will be distributed that night.  Sample exams have been posted on the course website; however, I strongly encourage you to review the prelab lecture slides and the homework questions as well.  A makeup exam has been scheduled for Thursday, October 12 at 8:00 a.m. for students showing proof of enrollment in another course that meets during the exam. To arrange a makeup exam, please send me an e-mail no later than Tuesday, October 12 at 4:00 p.m.  You will be required to show proof of enrollment (e.g., a printed UIC schedule) before taking the makeup exam.