A practical and didactic sequence of experiments was proposed to illustrate the stereochemistry concept, optically active compounds, resolution of racemates, and use of the NMR technique, including 2D-COSY for identification of organic compounds, on a laboratory course for undergraduate students. The sequence was: extractions of racemic ibuprofen and chiral naproxen from commercial tablets; syntheses of diastereoisomeric amides reacting chiral (S)-(-)-α-methylbenzylamine with (±)-ibuprofen; separation and determination of absolute configuration of amides by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and GC analysis, and hydrolysis of amides to obtain (+)- and (-)-ibuprofen.

Um novo ent-dinorlabdano (-)-13(R)-14,15-dinorlabd-8(17)-eno-3,13-diol foi isolado a partir do óleo de copaíba comercial juntamente com dois outros dinorditerpenos conhecidos. A configuração absoluta destes dinorditerpenos foi determinada pela primeira vez através de síntese partindo do ácido (-)-3-hidróxi-copalico isolado do mesmo óleo.

A novel ent-dinorlabdane (-)-13(R)-14,15-dinorlabd-8(17)-ene-3,13-diol was isolated from commercial copaiba oil along with two known dinorlabdanes. The absolute configuration of these dinorditerpenes was established for the first time through synthesis starting from known (-)-3-hydroxycopalic acid, which was also isolated from the same oleoresin.

A synthesis of artificial sweetener dulcin starting from nitrobenzene was elaborated for undergraduate organic laboratory course. Paracetamol and phenacetin, both physiologically active analgesic compounds, were also prepared as intermediates. Besides a large scope of discussion subjects related with organic synthesis, interesting lectures about analgesics and sweeteners may also be performed in this project. The advantage of this project is the adaptability according to the conditions offered by the course, i.e., convenience and/or availability of time and reagents.