Abstract: To establish a close connection between organic synthesis and instrumental analysis in training top-tier scientific students, this study designs a comprehensive experiment integrating synthesis with property characterization. Through hands-on training that spans material preparation and instrumental characterization, students are systematically guided to combine chemical knowledge and practical skills, enabling quantitative analysis and detection of toxic pollutants in complex environmental matrices. In this experiment, a covalent organic framework (COF) was utilized to extract polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the Yellow River water samples, followed by quantitative analysis via gas chromatography (GC). Throughout the process, students not only acquired proficiency in the synthesis and preparation of functional materials, but also successfully applied these techniques to develop an analytical approach for PAHs. By validating the methods with real environmental water samples, students gain a deep understanding of the critical role that functional materials and appropriate analytical methods play in environmental monitoring. This comprehensive open-ended experiment emphasizes the cultivation of students' practical abilities throughout the entire process, strengthening both foundational skills in chemical synthesis and theoretical thinking in method development and optimization. Driven by the analysis of actual environmental samples, the experiment encourages students to comprehensively apply their knowledge to instrumental analysis practice, fully leveraging the role of instrumental analysis as the “eyes of scientific research”. It helps students recognize the essential value of instrumental analysis in advancing interdisciplinary research and frontier exploration, gradually fostering a sense of responsibility to “apply knowledge for the benefit of society”. This lays a solid foundation for cultivating innovative top-tier students with both scientific literacy and social commitment. Furthermore, the experimental design promotes the integrated sharing and collaborative use of laboratory instruments and equipment, thereby improving the overall utilization efficiency of experimental instrument resources.

Key words: open-ended comprehensive experiment, covalent organic framework (COFs), gas chromatography (GC), solid phase microextraction (SPME), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)