Context

Organic Chemistry is a fascinating branch of Chemistry that deals with the study of molecules containing carbon. One class of organic compounds you probably haven't heard of, but that plays a significant role in many chemical reactions, is Acyl Halide.

Acyl halides are organic compounds derived from carboxylic acids by replacing the hydroxyl function (-OH) with a halogen function (Cl, Br, I, F). Their names usually take the form of "halo" followed by the name of the original carboxylic acid, with the ending -oyl. For example, chloroacetic acid produces ethanoyl chloride under correct conditions.

However, these names may seem strange even to students familiar with IUPAC nomenclature for organic compounds. But don't worry, a part of this project will focus on demystifying the nomenclature of acyl halides!

And why are we studying acyl halides, you may ask? Well, they are used in various acylation reactions in organic chemistry. For example, the Friedel-Crafts reaction, one of the most important acylation reactions, uses an acyl halide and an aromatic compound to synthesize aromatic ketones.

Acyl halides also play an important role in the pharmaceutical industry and are used in the production of various medications. This leads us to the important connection between chemistry and medicine, demonstrating the direct application of what we are learning in the real world.

Therefore, we will not only learn chemistry in this project, but we will also have a glimpse into the pharmaceutical industry and see how chemical compounds are used in practice.

Practical Activity

Activity Title:

"Acyl Halide: Nomenclature, Preparation, and Application in the Pharmaceutical Industry"

Project Objective

The objective of this project is for students to learn how to name acyl halides, understand how they are prepared, and their applications in the pharmaceutical industry. Additionally, an important skill to be developed is the effective communication of complex scientific concepts and results through the preparation of a well-structured report.

Detailed Project Description

The project requires a group of 3-5 students to work together. The project should last at least 12 hours of work per student, divided according to the team's convenience over a period of two weeks.

Part 1: Nomenclature

Students must study and understand the nomenclature of acyl halides. To do this, they must create a "Guide to the Nomenclature of Acyl Halides", where they should identify and name 15 different acyl halides. In this guide, students must define the acyl halide, how they are named (naming rules), and present examples, along with their structures. Additionally, they must explain the reasons behind the naming rules.

Part 2: Preparation

Students must investigate and understand how acyl halides are prepared from carboxylic acids. They should illustrate this with at least three examples, showing the corresponding chemical reactions.

Part 3: Application in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Students should research how acyl halides are used in the pharmaceutical industry. They should find at least three examples of commercially available medications that are synthesized using acyl halides. For each example, they should explain the role of the acyl halide in the synthesis of the medication and discuss the benefits of using this compound.

Required Materials

1. Internet access for research.
2. Organic Chemistry books.
3. Chemical structure drawing software (e.g., ChemDraw or free online software)

Activity Steps

1. Divide students into groups of 3-5.
2. Each group should start by researching acyl halides and their nomenclature.
3. Students should compile their findings into a "Guide to the Nomenclature of Acyl Halides".
4. Next, students should study the preparation of acyl halides and illustrate with examples.
5. Finally, students should investigate the application of acyl halides in the pharmaceutical industry, providing specific examples of medications.
6. All information collected during the project should be consolidated into a report.

Project Deliverables

Each group must deliver:

1. A "Guide to the Nomenclature of Acyl Halides", which will be a separate deliverable.
2. A report that will include:

• Introduction: An overview of the project, including objectives and the relevance of acyl halides.
• Development: Here, students should discuss the theory of acyl halides, how they are prepared, and their applications in the pharmaceutical industry. They should also detail the process they followed to carry out the project, including challenges encountered and how they overcame them.
• Conclusions: Learnings and conclusions from the project.
• Bibliography: Research sources.

The report should reflect the group's work as a whole, demonstrating collaboration and equitable division of work among group members. It should be well-structured and provide a clear and coherent discussion of the concepts and results presented.

Thus, the practical activity of the project connects with the report writing. The group's research and discussion on the nomenclature, preparation, and application of acyl halides form the basis for report writing. Additionally, the report allows students to demonstrate their communication and synthesis skills, presenting complex information clearly and understandably.