Organic Chemistry Laboratory Techniques
The text covers most major laboratory techniques utilized in an organic chemistry laboratory. The book provides a detailed table of contents with links enabling easy movement within the text. There are a few topics that would enhance the book. Within the individual sections, the author describes appropriate safety related to the presented techniques. An overall safety section at the beginning of the textbook would be useful to help set the stage and review the important laboratory safety prior to starting any experiments. In addition, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra are provided for some of the techniques but there is no details about how to obtain an NMR or even an IR spectrum, which are key characterization techniques in organic chemistry.
To the best of my knowledge the book is highly accurate. The material presented in the text is well written, unbiased, and does not contain any obvious errors or inaccuracies. The images and equipment used were institution-specific but the author tries to make note, when appropriate, about how the piece of equipment available may differ and encourages the students to consult with their instructors.
The text is written in a manner that is relevant for most introductory organic chemistry courses. The techniques presented are universal methods for handling, purifying, heating, and analyzing organic chemicals. The textbook should not become obsolete in the next decade or so. As the text is already in a second edition, the author is willing and able to update as necessary.
The text is written in a manner that would be clear for a student enrolled in an organic chemistry course.
The author writes in a consistent manner in terms of terminology and language throughout the entire text.
The textbook is organized into appropriate sections devoted to the different organic chemistry laboratory techniques presented. Sections of the text can be easily assigned in advance of a laboratory course.
The overall organization of the text was presented in a logical and clear fashion. In a few sections, re-organization of the information may provide a greater clarity for the students. For example, on page 86, the author presents the visualization of TLC on the plate under UV light. A description of visualization of the plate under UV light does not appear until page 107. Either the material could be reorganized or at least a link provided to the later part of the section that explains the theory behind the visualization.
The text is a well organized pdf file. The file contains links that can be clicked to help navigate between techniques. One concern about an online laboratory manual file is use in a laboratory setting. Organic chemicals could be corrosive to an electronic device which leads to challenges with bringing cell phones, tablets, or computers into the lab. One useful part of the textbook is the summary pages. One might print these pages to bring to lab hence eliminating the potential risk of damage to the electronic device.
To the best of my knowledge, the book is free of grammatical errors.
Organic chemistry is a topic that does not involve discussion of race, ethnicity, or cultural backgrounds. The author does include images of students working in an organic chemistry laboratory and the students portrayed are visually diverse in terms of gender, possible age, and backgrounds.