lab 3 - Reaction Conditions Author Amber Bellafiore Lab...

Reaction Conditions
Author: Amber Bellafiore
Lab Partner: Tracey Beyer
Instructor: Zhen Li
Chem 104A Section 17
Date Work Performance: Sept 10 th and 17th
Date Report Submitted: Sept 24 th
Abstract:
The result of the lab showed that the optimal conditions for the reaction were for
there to be 7 pumps of anhydride. All other factors tested showed no difference between
the different variations tested and the control. To achieve these results, the technique of
thin layer chromatography was used.

Introduction
The synthesis of chemicals is a fundamental procedure in chemistry. This process
involves many steps including running the chemical reaction, separating out un-reacted
materials, and the separation of the reacted solution. In this specific experiment, the
factors affecting yield of a reaction were tested. Temperature, reaction time, the amount
of anhydride and the amount of the catalyst were the factors that were varied, each
independently, to see which condition would maximize the percent yield. To achieve this,
each student team was assigned one variable to test (ours was time), a control test, and a
black test in which the variable (time) is set at zero. Throughout all tests, our constants
were temperature, amount anhydride and the amount of catalyst. In test tubes ferrocene
was added with H
3
PO
4
and anhydride and the reaction was run at different times (15, 20,
25, 30, 35 minutes). After the solution has reacted the solid was collected and stored and
dried. Once dried a thin layer chromatography or TLC was preformed to determine what
was preset in the solid. To achieve this the solid was dissolved in toluene. On the TLC