29th Ibero-American Chemistry Olympiad, Mexico, 2025. Organic Chemistry Experiment
29th Ibero-American Chemistry Olympiad, Mexico, 2025. Organic Chemistry Experiment
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.1153312611032
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Palavras-chave: analgésicos; testes pontuais; cromatografia em camada delgada; análise estatística; olimpíada de química
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Keywords: analgesics; spot tests; thin-layer chromatography; statistical analysis; chemistry olympiad
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Abstract: Within the framework of the Science Olympiads Program, organized by the Mexican Academy of Sciences, the Faculty of Chemistry, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and the Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Autonomous University of the State of Morelos (UAEM), the XXVI Ibero-American Chemistry Olympiad 2025 was held in both Mexico City and Cuernavaca, Morelos. As part of the examinations undertaken by upper-secondary-level students, an experiment integrating organic chemistry and analytical chemistry was conducted. In this experiment, students were required to identify three reference compounds—unknown to them—by means of spot tests. The compounds to be identified were acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol, and caffeine. After identifying these compounds, the students were required to determine, through thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis, the identity of two unknown samples provided to them. One of these samples corresponded to either Aspirinâ (acetylsalicylic acid) or Panadolâ (paracetamol). The second sample could correspond to Cafiaspirinaâ (acetylsalicylic acid + caffeine) or Saridonâ (paracetamol + caffeine). The results obtained by the students were highly satisfactory. In the evaluation of the results, particular emphasis was placed on the Rf values obtained by the participants and on assessing the precision with which this parameter was determined.
- Fernando León Cedeño
- Manuel Gudiño Negrete
- Eva Florencia Lejarazo Gómez
- Patricia Elizalde Galván
- Juan Carlos Hernández Chacón