SIPCAn (Separation, Isolation, Purification, Characterization, and Analysis): A One-Term, Integrated Project for the Undergraduate Organic Laboratory

SIPCAn, an acronym for separation, isolation, purification, characterization, and analysis, is presented as a one-term, integrated project for the first-term undergraduate organic laboratory course. Students are assigned two mixtures of unknown organic compoundsa mixture of two liquid compounds and a mixture of two solid compoundsat the beginning of the term, with the overall objectives to separate the mixtures, and isolate, purify, characterize, analyze, and ultimately identify the four unknown compounds. Through the SIPCAn project, students learn many of the fundamental operations and techniques of the undergraduate organic laboratory, including simple distillation, liquid–liquid extraction, recrystallization, melting and boiling point range determination, spectral analysis, and spectral interpretation.