Organic materials in the undergraduate laboratory: Microscale synthesis and investigation of a donor-acceptor molecule

A series of experiments for undergraduate courses (e.g., organic, physical) have been developed in the area of small molecule organic materials. These experiments focus on understanding the electronic and redox properties of a donor-acceptor molecule that is prepared in a convenient one-step microscale reaction. The resulting intensely colored material exhibits an electronic transition in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and is indicative of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). The ICT and redox properties are investigated with conventional analytical techniques and are understood with the use of density functional theory. These experiments illustrate the importance of organic materials in areas such as solar energy conversion. As a result of these experiments, students are exposed to a number of important chemical concepts as well as useful physical and theoretical methods used by experts in the field.