Plenty of time for experiments: a school laboratory with Cologne’s advanced chemistry course
On 23 February, eleven pupils from the advanced chemistry course at the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium in Cologne spent an exciting and hands-on day in the laboratories of the Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences.
The challenge of the day for the pupils was to synthesise acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a well-known painkiller, from salicylic acid and acetic anhydride. In class, they had already prepared thoroughly for the student laboratory session and had received a detailed handout from the department containing instructions for working independently, as well as important information on calculating yield.
Following an introduction to laboratory procedures and the relevant safety precautions at the Leverkusen campus, pairs of pupils worked at fully equipped workstations. From the analytical balance to the reflux condenser and the vacuum pump, they had access to all the equipment they needed to carry out the experiment in their own laboratory set-up. “At last, some proper teaching!” exclaims Mika Schilling, who was particularly impressed by the modern facilities in the university laboratory on the Leverkusen campus.
Student laboratory at the Leverkusen campus
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Laboratory day with the advanced chemistry class at the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium in Cologne (Image: Romy Wand, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium)
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The pupils worked in pairs at the fume cupboard, using all the chemicals and equipment they needed for the ASS synthesis. (Image: Romy Wand, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium)
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A pupil is looking at the green-glowing DC plate under the UV lamp. (Image: Romy Wand, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium)
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A pupil carefully crushes their sample on a watch glass before placing it in the drying cabinet. (Image: Romy Wand, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium)
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The pupils carry out the pricing of their products. (Image: Romy Wand, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium)
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A schoolgirl is preparing her DC record. (Image: TH Köln - Media Lab)
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A pupil presents his ice-cold product. (Image: Romy Wand, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium)
Following the successful synthesis, the product was isolated by vacuum filtration and dried in a drying cabinet. Purity was assessed using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and subsequent examination of the result under UV light. In addition, the pupils were able to characterise their product using infrared spectroscopy and determine its purity by saponification and back-titration.
The pupils worked their way through all the stages of the process independently and with great concentration. Only occasionally did they receive a little guidance and explanations from the faculty’s research assistants and their teacher, Romy Wand. “At last we had the time and the opportunity to carry out a complete synthesis from start to finish, including all the associated analytical methods, such as thin-layer chromatography and infrared spectroscopy.” That was a brilliant and interesting experience," said Henri Philippson at the end of the event – a view shared by the whole class.
During the lunch break, the Dean of Studies, Prof. Dr Dirk Burdinski, gave the advanced course students an insight into the degree programmes in Applied Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and answered numerous questions about studying and career paths.
“The visit to the TH Köln at the Leverkusen campus was not only extremely beneficial from an academic point of view, but also a valuable experience in terms of potential study and career choices,” said teacher Romy Wand. “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Prof. Dr Burdinski, Hans Hackradt, Eva Rausch and Nathalie Ritter for their dedication and excellent support. We are already looking forward to visiting again next year – perhaps on the topic of dyes.”
July 2026