Una reacción multicomponente verde en el laboratorio de química orgánica

In this century, chemists find themselves with a new challenge. They need to efficiently generate materials to maintain quality of life, but they have to do so reducing the negative effects on the environment and human health. Teaching green chemistry is fundamental to promote future scientists who can create safely and efficiently non-toxic products and processes in the way for a sustainable future. The use of a multicomponent reaction, as the Passerini reaction, for the generation of new molecules as drug candidates, is described here as an experiment for undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory. It is a fast, efficient and simple process which generates a complex product using simple reactants in one step. Different metrics were determined in order to measure how environmentally friendly this reaction is, in the conditions tested. The student will be able to discuss: green chemistry, development of bioactive molecules, diversity-oriented synthesis, multicomponent reactions, and chemistry in aqueous solution.