We performed the Diels Alder reaction with Anthracene and Maleic Anhydride

Student Hand Out 2009

+ The lab is a great experiment to reinforce the classroom instruction related to the Diels-Alder Reaction.

+ The experiment is a traditional synthesis experiment and lends itself to a classical lab report format.

+/- It is maybe too simple and straightforward, it needs an aspect of "problematization" to strengthen it.

- It is not a very environmentally friendly reaction both reactants and solvents.

- The product is very difficult to draw in two dimensions and visualize appropriately.

there certainly may be ways to explore a variety of reactants since the Diels Alder is such as popular reaction.

further reactions can be done to the anhydride Diels Alder product - hydrolysis and esterification, for example.

The 1H NMR analysis of the product was very interesting on several counts.

It definately is a challenging structure to verify given the level of spectroscopy instructions typically given in Organic Chemistry.

2009 1H NMR data

(The handout contains a highly fictitious 13N NMR table.

We are working on obtaining a more realistic 13C NMR data set.)

Photos 2009

Student Comments 2009