Student-Designed Synthesis of Diarylamines as an Active Learning Strategy in Organic Chemistry

In advanced Organic Chemistry courses, students often acquire knowledge of chemical reactivity mainly through the theoretical study of established synthetic transformations. While this approach provides a solid conceptual foundation, it may limit the development of key competencies such as scientific literature search, decision-making in synthetic design, and experimental planning.

This work presents a learning activity implemented within the framework of the Bachelor’s Degree Final Project in Chemistry, involving four undergraduate students working individually. After introducing a synthetic methodology for the preparation of diarylamines, students were tasked with identifying a target compound of interest based on its properties, industrial relevance, or presence in the scientific literature.

Each student selected a compound and developed a synthetic proposal supported by bibliographic research, justifying the choice of starting materials, reaction conditions, and overall feasibility. The proposed strategies were subsequently implemented in the laboratory. Students were supported through periodic tutorials and evaluated using a rubric addressing literature search, synthetic reasoning, and experimental execution.

Learning outcomes were assessed through rubric-based evaluation and a post-activity student survey. All students developed viable synthetic proposals, and most successfully carried out the experimental work. Survey responses indicated increased confidence in literature consultation and synthetic planning.

Although limited by the small sample size, the results suggest that this active-learning approach fosters student engagement and strengthens the connection between theoretical knowledge and practical application in Organic Chemistry.