The Study of Molecular Asymmetry at Middlebury College

分子不对称性的研究正在被纳入四个不同级别的实验室课程中：在第一学期的介绍性有机实验室中，学生解析光学异构体并证明手性并使用旋光计测量光学纯度；在第二学期，他们合成对映体过量的仲醇并确定异构体比例；在先进的仪器实验室中，使用旋光计作为 HPLC 检测器，在手性 HPLC 柱上解析对映体； ( )-disparlure（吉普赛蛾信息素）的手性合成是在先进的有机实验室中进行的。 该设备还显着增强了手性合成方面的本科生研究。

The study of molecular asymmetry is being incorporated into the laboratory curriculum at four different levels: in the first semester introductory organic laboratory, students resolve optical isomers and prove chirality and measure optical purity using a polarimeter; during the second semester they synthesize secondary alcohols in enantiomeric excess and determine the isomeric ratios; in the advanced instrumental laboratories, enantiomers are resolved on a chiral HPLC column using the polarimeter as an HPLC detector; the chiral synthesis of (+)- disparlure, the Gypsy moth pheromone, is performed in an advanced organic laboratory. This equipment is also significantly enhancing undergraduate research in chiral synthesis.