The Chemistry of Cocaine (original) (raw)

Form and Function: An Organic Chemistry Module

This book is one in the series of Interdisciplinary Approaches to Chemistry (IAC) designed to help students discover that chemistry is a lively science and actively used to pursue solutions to the important problems of today. It is expected for students to see how chemistry takes place continuously all around and to readily understand the daily problems facing them and their environment. Contents include: (1) "Organic Chemistry"; (2) "Hydrocarbons"; (3) "Reactions of Hydrocarbons"; (4) "Alcohols: Oxidized Hydrocarbons"; (5) "Poisons and Chemical Warfare"; (6) "Aldehydes and Ketones"; (7) "Pesticides and Sex Attractants"; (8) "Esters and Acids"; (9) "Organic Bases: The Amines"; (10) "Polymers: The Linking of Molecules"; (11) "Photochemistry: Light and Heat"; and (12) "Drugs: From Aspirin to Hallucinogens". (KHR) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. interdisciplinary approaches g030A121217g C, (4) I'D LIKE I'd like to know what this whole show is all about before its out.

Semester-Long Course-Based Research Project in Second-Semester Organic Chemistry: Synthesizing Potential Lead Compounds for the Treatment of a Neglected Tropical Disease

Journal of Chemical Education

A semester-long research project for second-semester Organic Chemistry lab sections was developed. Student projects were based on preliminary data from faculty research that suggested the natural product neurolenin B to be a treatment for lymphatic filariasis. Students isolated neurolenins from the Central American plant Neurolaena lobata and proposed syntheses of previously unknown analogs using reactions learned in first-and second-semester Organic Chemistry. Using literature-based procedures, students ran reactions on neurolenins and analyzed their results by TLC and NMR spectroscopy. The semester culminated with a public poster session and final report using the Organic Letters template. Students in a total of five lab sections over three different semesters of the class completed this pilot course and 15 sections in the same time span conducted traditional lab experiments. Qualitative and quantitative assessment data were collected to demonstrate the efficacy of the course. Students did not self-select into the pilot sections, were demographically similar to those in the traditional lab sections, and performed at the same level in the lecture portion of the course. Survey results from all students (traditional and pilot) were compared and the students in the pilot sections showed higher levels of self-reported topic understanding, general motivation, and interest in organic chemistry.

Form and Function: An Organic Chemistry Module. Teacher's Guide

1978

Bruce Jarvis arrived at the University of Maryland in 1967, and many people feel that the chemistry department will never be the same again. Sometimes embarrassing to his older colleagues, his graphic explanations during classes and seminars (they have, at times, taken the form of short, costumed one-act plays) are eagerly awaited by his students and coworkers. The exuberance and inquiring mind of Bruce Jarvis have brought a new dimension to chemistry research and teaching activities at the university. PAUL MAZZOCCHI Paul Mazzocchi came to the University of Maryland in 1967. Since then he has established himself in the chemistry department not only as a good scientist and teacher (winner of the university's Excellence in Teaching Award) but also as a master storyteller. As a young boy growing up on the streets of New York, "Mazzoc" rapidly learned to cope with all of the vagaries of life. More mature now, he continues to bring to the chemistry classroom a certain wisdom, understanding, and humor that go beyond the subject itself. ROBERT HEARLE Robert Hear le came to the University of Maryland in 1970 after working as a research chemist. While at Maryland he taught in the Chemistry and Education Departments, assisted in supervising student teachers in science, and was part of the IAC development team. Bob is now teaching in the Prince George's County, Maryland, school system. His special fields of interest include analytical and organic chemistry and computer-assisted instruction, including the development of a computer-managed independent study program.

Medicinal Chemistry and the Pharmacy Curriculum

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2011

The origins and advancements of pharmacy, medicinal chemistry, and drug discovery are interwoven in nature. Medicinal chemistry provides pharmacy students with a thorough understanding of drug mechanisms of action, structure-activity relationships (SAR), acid-base and physicochemical properties, and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profiles. A comprehensive understanding of the chemical basis of drug action equips pharmacy students with the ability to answer rationally the "why" and "how" questions related to drug action and it sets the pharmacist apart as the chemical expert among health care professionals. By imparting an exclusive knowledge base, medicinal chemistry plays a vital role in providing critical thinking and evidence-based problem-solving skills to pharmacy students, enabling them to make optimal patient-specific therapeutic decisions. This review highlights the parallel nature of the history of pharmacy and medicinal chemistry, as well as the key elements of medicinal chemistry and drug discovery that make it an indispensable component of the pharmacy curriculum.

An epistemological inquiry into organic chemistry education: exploration of undergraduate students’ conceptual understanding of functional groups

This study sought to determine the levels of conceptual understanding of undergraduate students regarding organic compounds within different functional groups. A total of 60 students who were enrolled in the Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education of a Faculty of Education at a state university in Turkey and who had followed an Organic Chemistry Laboratory Course participated in the study. The data were collected using two tools: functional group worksheets and concept maps. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluations were used in analyzing the data. The findings showed that the students generally had low levels of understanding of concepts relating to functional groups, and they exhibited a considerable number of misconceptions. Considering the findings more fully, it was determined that students have remarkable misconceptions and low levels of understanding about certain topics regarding functional groups, including the physical properties of functional groups, intermolecular bonds, acidity and basicity, reduction and oxidation, stereoisomerism and structural isomerism, and aromaticity and aliphaticity, as well as other organic chemistry concepts (e.g. decarboxylation, oxyacide, and phenol). The results suggest that since students are unable to adequately comprehend the subjects of general chemistry, such as intramolecular and intermolecular bonds, acidity and basicity, oxidation and reduction and determination of molecular structures, they fail to accurately transfer their knowledge to learning about organic chemistry. In order to promote students’ understanding of functional groups and prevent related misconceptions, it is recommended that basic chemistry topics should be reinforced, and the relationship between students’ current knowledge and the new information to be learned in organic chemistry should be emphasized with the help of activities in which various forms of thinking are used.

Integrating Chemical Security into Chemistry Degree Programs in Argentina through an Interactive One-Day Course Addressing Illicit or Harmful Applications of Chemistry Knowledge

Journal of Chemical Education, 2019

The commitment and responsibility of new chemists is key for a world free of chemical weapons and illicit drugs, and for the development of ecofriendly technologies and a healthy environment. However, with a tight academic schedule for undergraduate and postgraduate students, it is difficult to find room for an appropriate discussion and debate about the dual use of the chemical sciences. Encouraged by the initiatives of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on education about the prevention of illicit purposes of chemistry, we have developed a one-day workshop, called the Itinerant Lecture, that covers theoretical aspects combined with activities to promote critical thinking among students. The main topics are presented in an engaging way that is open to discussion and includes activities such as fictional case analyses and roleplaying, which allow students to consider the problematic aspects of their roles as scientists. This workshop has been running for the last 5 years, with apparently very high acceptance by students and teachers in the chemistry field. The use of videos, role-playing, and an active-learning strategy for the topics becomes an excellent approach to introduce chemistry students and teachers to concepts such as professional responsibility and dual use of knowledge in the sciences and their implications in the production of chemical weapons and other illegal uses.