Development of a Large-Enrollment Course-Based Research Experience in an Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory: Structure–Function Relationships in Pyrylium Photoredox Catalysts
Cole L. Cruz, Natalie Holmberg‐Douglas, Nicholas P. R. Onuska, Joshua B. McManus, Ian A. Mackenzie, Bryant Hutson, Nita A. Eskew, David A. Nicewicz
Abstract
Despite the recognized effectiveness of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), there are few examples of the development of a CURE-based course in a large-enrollment undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory. Herein, we describe the development and implementation of a series of undergraduate laboratory experiments centered around the synthesis and characterization of pyrylium salts in the context of photoredox catalysis. Pre- and post-survey data regarding the CURE features of collaboration, discovery, iteration, and student project ownership also highlight the strengths of the CURE implementation in this large-scale lab course.