JOSÉ MARÍA BARBEITO
Chemical Playground
Doing chemical experiments is one of my favorite activities. Growing crystals out of solutions gives me a way to experiment with changing crystalline structures and unique compounds.
Bromine Synthesis
Despite the risks, I decided to synthesize liquid bromine out of common household pool chemicals. Bromine is dangerously toxic and the reaction produces chlorine gas, so the majority of preparation was focused on safety measures. In the end, I gathered almost 1 mol of pure liquid bromine, at a 78% yield.
Crystal Growing
Growing crystals out of solution has been a long-time interest. Taking several months to grow, each crystal has a unique structure, hinting at it's molecular complexity.
Compounds used: Copper Sulphate, Potassium Ferricyanide, Sodium Thiosulphate, Nickle Chloride, and Sodium Chloride
Limonene Extraction
Fun fact: the molecule that gives oranges and lemons their signature scent is the exact same molecule. The only difference between the two is the direction of the chiral center.
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After learning about the chiral difference between Limonene (R) and Limonene (S), I decided to extract some from a large volume of orange peels using steam extraction and distillation.
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I also aimed to prepare the orange peel in two methods, determining whether finely dicing them or purifying them would lead to a better yield, as I had read several research papers with opposing conclusions.
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The final result: just under 100 mL of pure limonene oil.
