DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED

BIOLOGY & CHEMICAL

TECHNOLOGY

Laboratory
For
Chemistry and Modern Living

Subject code:

ABCT1D01 2024-2025

Laboratory Manual
Practical Session Schedule

Time: Wednesday, 15:30 – 18:20

Venue: Y1315

Lab Report Submission Date

Deadline: 10th November 2024, 23:59 (Week 10)
Softcopy submission via Blackboard (Individual Report)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Bettelheim, F. A., Landersberg, J. M. Experimental Organic Chemistry.

Thomson Brooks/Cole, Belmont, CA: 2007
 Safety in Laboratory
1. Eye protection must be worn at all times in the laboratory. Wearing contact lenses is not recommended.

2. Lab coat should be worn at all times in the laboratory.

3. Eating and Drinking is not allowed in all the laboratories.

4. Mouth-pipetting is forbidden even for non-toxic liquids. Always use a pipette filler.

5. Smoking is strictly forbidden in all the laboratories.

6. Long hair should be properly tied up.

7. Avoid wearing loose attire such as tie, scarf, cravat or necklace.

8. Don't run in the laboratory. Sitting or kneeling on the floor can be very hazardous.

9. Do not wear sandals in the laboratory; shoes are more appropriate.

10. Wear plastic disposable gloves when you are handling corrosive or toxic chemicals. Wash your hands
regularly when working with chemicals, especially before you leave the laboratory.

11. Solids, oil and other toxic organic substances should not be discarded down the drain or into the sewer
system. Only water-soluble, non-hazardous laboratory chemicals may be flushed with large volumes of
water, into the drains.

12. Report all the accidents to your instructors immediately; these include cuts, chemicals in the eye, burns,
fires, explosions and all other types of accidents.
 Experiment 1A
Synthesis of Plastic Objects from Biopolymer

There is a surging demand for the development of biopolymers derived from biorenewable feedstocks and
fully compostable due to the awareness of environmental impacts from plastic pollution and declining oil
reserves. Among the biopolymers, polylactic acid (PLA) is considered as one of the most promising
biopolymers as it is sourced from both biorenewable feedstock and fully compostable. However, significant
transforming and isolating lactic acid from biomass is needed. The chemical complexity of the biomass
feedstocks will be lost during the transformation and processing. Hence, the development of biopolymers
with less need for transformation and processing is highly demanded e.g chitin or cellulose. In this
laboratory, you will try to synthesis biopolymers derived from the highly abundant biopolymers chitosan.

Procedure
1. Take 0.5g of chitosan mixed with 30 mL of 1% acetic acid in 50 mL flask.
2. Stir to dissolve chitosan.
3. Pour part of the mixture into the aluminum dish and placed it over the steam bath.
4. Wait until water and acetic acid is evaporated.
5. A thin film will be formed and can be peeled off from the aluminum foil.
 Experiment 1B
Synthesis of Nylon

Organic chemistry has played an important role to the advancement of modern society, from oil refinery,
pharmaceuticals and textiles to photovoltaic.
In this experiment, you will learn the synthesis of a man-made fiber-nylon. Nylon is a synthetic polymer
discovered by Wallace Carothers when he was working at DuPont. It was first commercially used in nylon
bristled toothbrush and was become enormously successful when marketed as women's stockings. During
the World War II, nylon was also needed to make war materials, like parachutes and ropes demand because
of its exceptional durability, heat-resistance and toughness. Today, nylon is no longer just limited to
woman’s stockings but also finds application in textile and automobile industries.

Figure 1. Advertisement of Nylon by Du Pont.

Key techniques:
(1) Learn the synthesis of nylon.

Safety Precautions (Please read carefully before starting the experiment)

Avoid direct contact of the skin, eyes and clothing with all the chemicals used in this experiment.
Procedure
1. Mixture A: To a 100 mL beaker, 1 g hexamethylenediamine is added which is then followed by
addition of 25 mLwater. Stir the solution to make sure the hexamethylenediamine solids are completely
dissolved. Then, 10 drops of 20 % NaOH and few drops of phenolphthalein is added to the
hexamethylenediamine solution.

2. Mixture B: To another 50 mL beaker, 19 mL hexane is added which is then followed by 1 mL

sebacoyl chloride. Ensure the solution is mixed well.

3. Carefully pour the mixture B to mixture A by the use of a glass rod so that to ensure the mixture B is
on the top of the mixture A.

4. A film will form at the interface. Use a spatula to loosen the film from the sides. Grasp the nylon films
in the center with forceps and slowly lift it, twisting as you lift.

5. A nylon rope will form as you continue to lift and twist. Continue the lift and twist until the reagents
have been exhausted.

6. Washed the nylon rope with water and dry it with a towel.

7. Unwind the dry nylon rope and test the strength of the nylon by pulling the ends of a piece.
 Exp 1 Report Sheet

Name: Date:
Student ID:
1. Draw the chemical structures of chitin and chitosan.

2. Suggest the natural source of chitin.

3. Give one sample of petroleum-derived plastics that is biodegradable.

4. How tough was the polymer that was formed?

5. Draw the structures of hexamethylene diamine and sebacoyl chloride

6. What is the by-products in this reaction?

-END-
 Experiment 2
Preparation of a Hand Cream

Introduction
Hand creams are formulated for softening skin and prevent dryness. The five basic ingredients in hand
cream formulations are i) water; ii) lanolin; iii) mineral oil; iv) steriac acid and v) triethanolamine. Water
provides moisture to skin. Lanolin, a wax that is obtained from sheep’s wool, helps the absorption by skin.
Mineral oil, consisting of high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons, provides spreadability. In order to allow non
polar substances, such as lanolin and mineral oil, could be distributed throughout the hand cream without
spreading out, an emulsifying agent is needed. An emulsifying agent must have nonpolar, hydrophobic
portions to interact with the oil and also polar, hydrophilic portions to interact with water. In this experiment,
the emulsifying agent is made from stearic acid and triethanolamine. When these two compounds are mixed,
they undergo as acid-base reaction to yield an ionic compound (a salt). This salt has a nonpolar section and a
charged section to act as a good emulsifying agent.
Besides the above five base ingredients, some hand creams also contain alcohols esters, and fragrance to
provide the desired texture and improve the odor of the hand cream.

Key techniques:

(1) Preparation of the emulsifier by acid-base reaction.

(2) The method of preparing a hand cream.
(3) Evaluate the function of the individual ingredients in the hand cream.

Safety Precautions (Please read carefully before starting the experiment)

Avoid direct contact of the skin, eyes and clothing with all the chemicals used in this experiment.
Procedure
Table 1. Recipes to Prepare Hand Creams.
Ingredients A1 A2 A3 A4

Water 25 mL 25 mL 25 mL 25 mL
Triethanolamine 1 mL 1 mL 1 mL
Propylene glycol 20drops 20drops 20drops
B1 B2 B3 B4

Stearic acid 5g 5g 5g 5g
Methyl stearate 0.5 g 0.5 g 0.5 g
Lanolin 4g 4g 4g 4g
Mineral oil 5 mL 5 mL 5 mL

1. For each sample in Table 1, assemble the ingredients in eight separate plastic cups (A1-A4 and B1-
B4).
2. To prepare sample 1, put A1 and B1 in a water bath, heat them until all ingredients melt.
3. When all ingredients melt, take away the cups and place on bench. Pour mixture B1 into mixture A1.
Stir the mixture for 5 min until you have a smooth uniform paste.
4. Repeat the same procedure in preparing the other three samples.

Characterization of the Hand Cream Preparations

1. Test the pH of the hand creams prepared using a wide-range pH paper.
2. Rubbing a small amount of the hand cream between your fingers, test for smoothness and
homogeneity.
3. Also note the appearance.
4. Record your observations on the Report Sheet.
 Exp 2 Report Sheet
Name: Date:

Characterization of the hand cream samples

Properties Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4
pH
Smoothness
Homogeneity
Appearance

Questions.
1. In comparing the properties of the hand creams you produced, ascertain the function of each of the
missing ingredients in the hand cream:
a. Mineral oil

b. Triethanolamine

c. Methyl stearate and propylene glycol

2. What evidence do you have from your preparation that suggests that the emulsifying agent is a necessary
component of hand creams?

3. Was the pH of all your samples of hand cream the same? Explain why there was a difference.

4. Give three other examples of common emulsions.

-END-