Student Comments 2008: Oxidation of Cinnamyl Alcohol using Pyridinium Chlorochromate

When doing your final TLC plates comparing your fractions of products to the stock product, try to put as many as possible on one TLC slide.  The experimental product tends to separate into several spots, so it is difficult to decide which one is closest to the stock solution when they are all on different slides.  You should also come up with a systematic way to read the slides:  personally, I determined the Rf for the darkest of the spots for each experimental sample. --Sarah Perz

If you have perfume allergy, you may need to steer clear from this lab. After looking up safety data for this lab, I found that Cinnamyl Alcohol is an irritant to people with perfume allergy. At best, you should consult your professor if you are in fact allergic to perfumes. --Patrick Hughes

When pouring your experimental solution into the filtration device it is important that this is done slowly.  If poured too quickly, bubbles will form in between the sand and glass wool layers.  This then disrupts the filtration process because the liquid is not passing through all of the layers.--Allison Kolman

Since the GC shows that there is much leftover unreacted alcohol in the product, this could possibly be lessened to 50% the original amount. This would also make the lab "greener" and your product more pure, therefore making your professor happier with you! -Becki H.

When performing the TLC, your sample might not move from the starting line after a few trials. If this happens, ask your professor if you can proceed to the next step of adding Celite and ether.--Marie-France Likanje

In this lab you have to go a column chromatography. That process can be difficult, and is not as easy as paper chromatography. Make sure when doing the column chromatography that you are constantly paying attention while the experiment is being performed. -Andrea Prosperi

The TLC part of this lab was a somewhat tricky because it was hard to determine which spot is closest to the spot solution when they are all on different papers.  I had to keep looking at them to decide which one it would be.  Tamara Pike

If the solvent used in the TLC strips is not causing any movement of the samples, double check that you used the right solvent, for this experiment there are many chemicals used and lots of bottles, so READ the labels. Dont mix concentrated acid with explosives, lol.

- Ricardo Rodriguez

When putting together the dry-packed chromatographic column, make sure that you add enough sand to make a layer, but not enough to make a beach!!!  Too much sand impedes the draining and sacrifices product--K.S.