Concise Synthesis of Valproic Acid for Undergraduate Lab Use
Start Date
April 2025
Location
3rd floor - Library
Abstract
The goal of this project is to synthesize a natural product with known medicinal uses as an anticonvulsant known as valproic acid in a manner which can be done in one to two undergraduate laboratory sessions. Students following this lab procedure will experience the excitement of creating synthetically interesting small molecules while refining their technical skills in multiple purifications and characterization. The general synthetic scheme follows Fischer esterification of malonic acid to diethyl malonate, followed by the dialkylation at the alpha carbon via substitution of small alkyl halides, and completed through conversion back to a carboxylic acid to subsequently be decarboxylated. The project has seen progress; however, the methods of the experiment are still in need of improvement such that the overall time needed to synthesize valproic acid in a mostly pure manner can be reduced.
Concise Synthesis of Valproic Acid for Undergraduate Lab Use
3rd floor - Library
The goal of this project is to synthesize a natural product with known medicinal uses as an anticonvulsant known as valproic acid in a manner which can be done in one to two undergraduate laboratory sessions. Students following this lab procedure will experience the excitement of creating synthetically interesting small molecules while refining their technical skills in multiple purifications and characterization. The general synthetic scheme follows Fischer esterification of malonic acid to diethyl malonate, followed by the dialkylation at the alpha carbon via substitution of small alkyl halides, and completed through conversion back to a carboxylic acid to subsequently be decarboxylated. The project has seen progress; however, the methods of the experiment are still in need of improvement such that the overall time needed to synthesize valproic acid in a mostly pure manner can be reduced.
