About the lecture

In the seventh mini-lecture, we discuss the production and purification of ethanol, focusing on its role as an alcohol found in alcoholic beverages and as a fuel (Topic 7.2.3). Ethanol is produced through fermentation of sugars using yeast, which produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. The fermentation process requires specific conditions, including an optimal temperature range, a slightly acidic pH, and anaerobic conditions. To purify ethanol, filtration is used to remove insoluble matter, and fractional distillation is employed to separate ethanol from water based on their different boiling points. The lecture also touches on the reactions of ethanol, including dehydration to form unsaturated hydrocarbons, complete combustion to release energy, and oxidation to carboxylic acids.

About the lecturer

Noha graduated from the School of Pharmacy in Egypt and obtained her MSc and PhD in the field of Medicinal Chemistry. She worked in teaching and research across a number of universities in Egypt and the UK. She joined the department of Natural Sciences at Chester as a lecturer in June 2018. Noha’s main focus of research activity is the discovery and development of novel small active molecules as drug candidates to compact disease with primary interest in cancer research. Her research interests include: the selective apoptosis induction in cancer cells; protein-protein interactions as cancer drug target; and the development of kinesin inhibitors as anticancer agents. At the University of Chester she teaches Chemistry Fundamentals II and Analytical Chemistry.