Mark M Green (Polytechnic Institute of New York University, USA)
For several years, at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, beginning students of organic chemistry have learned many of the fundamental structure and reactivity properties of organic chemistry based on biologically and industrially important polymers ranging from cellulose and starch to polyethylene, polypropylene, polyesters and nylon 6,6. We’ve discovered that the study of these polymers, and the monomers they are derived from, expand on and introduce new concepts that capture the students’ interest, as we’ve not encountered before over long years of experience in teaching sophomore organic chemistry. With this approach, students are introduced to, and learn, in rigorous detail, the contextual importance of many of the most important concepts that form the basis of the sophomore organic chemistry course. A text has been created using polymers as part of its approach, “Organic Chemistry Principles in Context” with another existing text “Organic Chemistry Principles and Industrial Practice” of special interest to chemical engineering students.
