Organic chemistry involves the study of the compositional properties, reactions, preparation and structures of compounds containing carbon. Thus, the need for equipment in an organic chemistry laboratory brings with it the practicality needed to perform reactions and make observations about a particular reaction or process. Organic chemistry labs use different equipment, below are 14 important organic chemistry lab equipment.
1. Biology – XPS/X-ray photoelectron spectrometer
This is an analytical tool for studying electrical effects. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is performed with the aid of this tool. With this tool, the composition and chemical bonding of any material or surface can be studied. It helps identify elements found in metal-organic materials and powders.
2. Glassware
Glassware is primarily used for microscale work. The purpose of using glassware is distillation, reflux, and other organic chemistry laboratory procedures. Since ground glass joints are included in each piece of glassware, they are used to perform conical glassware more expensive than common glassware such as beakers and Erlenmeyer flasks.
3. Fixtures
Equipment used in organic laboratory chemistry is segmented because equipment can be secured to other equipment in different ways and vapors cannot escape from the equipment. There are various fixtures with different purposes. The two main types of grips are extension grips and three-finger grips. These clamps are used to hold devices and connect them to each other.
4. X-ray diffraction
To determine the properties of crystalline solids or minerals based on their atomic structure, X-ray diffraction is used. Diffraction occurs because of differences in the wavelengths of X-rays, which have very little angstroms, about the same as the distance between atoms in a crystalline solid.
5. Pipettes and droppers
As the name suggests, pipettes are used to transfer liquids to another glassware. They have rubber on one end and are mainly used to get water from small neck bottles. In organic chemistry, pipettes are used to carry and test liquids while trying out different chemical reactions. The name of the dropper is very clear. A dropper is used when the amount of liquid required needs to be very limited and precise. This is also necessary because if the amount of liquid is changed in any way, i.e. increasing or decreasing the process and experiments may be in vain, which may cause further delays in the process, reactions, etc. The dropper reduces measurement errors and makes it easier to add liquid point by point. Both of these are very important for performing organic chemistry laboratory processes.
6. Thermometer
Dating back to 1998, when mercury-free thermometers were brought to laboratory equipment for safety purposes, this shift was brought to organic chemistry labs. The temperature range of the current thermometer is -20° to 150℃. They are filled with red liquid to make reading easier. Sometimes experiments require the use of thermometers capable of reading temperatures above 150°C. Although they are used to measure temperature, thermometers used for testing and experimentation are not household products.
7. Chromatographic system effective liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
In organic chemistry, it is an analytical technique used to separate chemical components, which can be organic molecules or organic gases. Once they are detected, the next process is to learn about their existence. There are different retention methods for this process, including UV, diode array detection, and fluorescence detection. Refractive index and evaporative light scattering detection. Chromatography is used to study different compounds with the help of any of the detection methods mentioned above.
8. Laboratory scissor jack
The laboratory scissors jack is a very necessary equipment in the organic chemistry laboratory. It helps to lift and support different glassware, such as beakers, hotplates, distillation glassware, etc. Another purpose of the laboratory scissor jack is to provide support and surface tabletop at a specific height. In addition, it can be extended to various heights by turning a knob, and accessories such as support poles are also included. Another important purpose of the lab jack in chemical reactions is that it is used to control chemical reactions by specifically controlling the heat in the exothermic reaction when the exothermic reaction gets out of control.
9. Heating the mantle
Heated mantles are used in organic chemistry laboratories. There are two different types of mantles, fabric heated mantles and rigid heated mantles. The nice thing about a fabric heating mantle is that it's easy to attach and can fit different types of glassware, but the wire connection to the mantle isn't a solid body and can break easily with minor mishandling. For these reasons, the hard heating mantle was brought out. Even though they are expensive, they are reliable. The main advantage of this mantle is that it can also be used as a sand bath.
10. Stirring motor
In organic chemistry labs, there are different types of stirring motors. They are subtle in nature. Stirring motors are mechanical devices that house a large magnet under a thick, chemically resistant flat surface. The motor spins the magnet. Improper operation can cause damage to the stirring motor. If they fall, especially on the side, the shaft that controls the magnet may bend, causing the stirring motor to stop spinning. Water needs to be kept away from them as it will corrode the circuits. Wires are easily damaged; avoid dripping chemicals on them and keep them away from hot surfaces.
11. Stirring Heating Plate
Stirring hotplates are one piece of critical laboratory equipment with a heavy, large magnet placed beneath a flat, chemically resistant surface. There is a motor attached to it that makes the magnet spin. An electric motor is attached to the furnace and is used to provide heat to the solvent or reaction mixture at the desired temperature. Aluminum heating blocks can be placed on top of the unit to accommodate round bottom flasks and heat them fairly.
12. Transpose
In an organic chemistry laboratory, a transmission is a transformer used to control the power supply. Since the heating mantle and stirring Hot Plates have been mentioned above, and they work with electricity, the transmission is always connected to them, and it is not recommended to use electrical equipment without a transmission.
13. Tubing
Pipelines are another important piece of equipment in an organic chemistry laboratory. There are two types of tubes, Tygon tubes and vacuum tubes. Tygon tubing is a flexible tubing, while vacuum tubing is fairly rigid and thick-walled. The purpose of the flexible pipe is to supply water to and from the condenser. Whereas vacuum tubes are used to create vacuum by connecting a vacuum source with sidearm flasks or for setting up vacuum distillation. One important warning is never to connect the Tygon tubing to a vacuum source as it will collapse under low pressure.
14. Desktop glassware
Due to the lack of ground glass fittings, such glassware is much less expensive than reaction glassware (separating funnels are an exception). It is generally used to measure, store and process a reaction, not execute it. Bench glassware includes beakers, sidearms, flasks, graduated cylinders, separatory funnels, vials, stir bars, crystallization dishes, and many other types of equipment.
in conclusion
Organic laboratory chemistry equipment involves the various technical and mechanical equipment required to perform these processes. There are other types of these devices and equipment, used for different purposes. Also, an organic chemistry lab will have different equipment depending on the needs and level of a particular institution, which is an important point to consider. All of the above equipment needs to be handled with great care as this is a very delicate task that requires attention. Electrical equipment cords should be handled with great care when plugging and unplugging them, or they may be damaged by mishandling.
