| Organic chemistry lab courses are obligatory in university courses in
chemistry, biochemistry, biology, pharmacy, physics, medicine and even in
some engineering science courses. Most of these courses are being carried out in
the traditional manner: Students learn basic experimental techniques of synthesis
and analysis as well as dealing with dangerous chemical substances. The efficiency
of a reaction is generally only looked at in terms of its stoichiometric yield.
Students don't learn to evaluate the overall efficiency of a chemical transformation
which is a direct measure of its sustainability. Procedures for possible
improvements of their efficiency are not taught in an explicit way.
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