From:
Paul Weller <wellerp**At_Symbol_Here**ELON.EDU>
Subject:
Re: [DCHAS-L] Kitchen microwaves in experiments?
Date:
Jan 25, 2023 19:46 UTC
Reply-To:
ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID:
<SN7PR07MB9800B5420539EBAB7C7D4DEADDCE9**At_Symbol_Here**SN7PR07MB9800.namprd07.prod.outlook.com>
In-Reply-To:
<37DA8BD7-D102-49B9-8BC8-129E3F84263C**At_Symbol_Here**uconn.edu>
Maybe this will assist with your perspective.
In the early to mid 1990’s we used household microwave units for organic reactions in research and lab experiments. At this time there was a debate about a “microwave effect” which was thought to change the
course of some organic reactions. ACS published a book about the field in 1997. Microwave-enhanced chemistry : fundamentals, sample preparation, and applications; AuthorsHoward M KingstonS J Haswell (Stephen John), 1954-
Print Book©1997 Washington, DC : American Chemical Society, ©1997.
We continued to use household microwaves for organic synthesis in teaching labs (inside a fume hood) until a routine run fused the Erlenmeyer flask to the microwave plate. Laboratory microwave units for organic
synthesis were developed soon after. We still use the household microwaves to heat water and for agarose. Elon did not have a written policy.
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
On Behalf Of Jessica Martin
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2023 8:32 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Kitchen microwaves in experiments?
Hello all,
I had a question come up from someone and wanted to get a perspective on this issue from the group here.
When I worked in 3 different molecular biology labs, we had a kitchen microwave available in the lab that we used in our work (it was labeled as “lab use only” so no one’s food was ever inside of it). From what I recall, we primarily used
this to quickly heat up agarose for PCR gels - so I can’t think of any other uses off the top of my head.
From what I can recall, I have NEVER seen a kitchen microwave inside of a chemistry lab. Also, as a chemist, I personally wouldn’t even know what I would use a kitchen microwave for in a chemistry lab since the work I did required quite
a bit of rather exacting control over temperature. Also, I worked with flammable liquids, so this just sounds dangerous (and pointless) to me to be putting that in a microwave. However, the person asking is thinking about it more in the context of educational
demonstrations.
Does anyone here have some sort of policy in place at their institutions on the use of kitchen microwaves, either in educational demonstrations or in actual research labs?
Best,
NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2018-2021)
Joint Safety Team, Founding Member (2018-2021)
Pinkhassik Group, Department of Chemistry (2016-2021)
University of Connecticut
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