Fundamentals of Chemistry

Overview

STAFF

NAME CONTRIBUTION

Dr A. C. Marr a.marr@qub.ac.uk
Module Co-ordinator
General Chemistry - 18 Lectures; Skills Workshops – part 1, Essential Calculations for Practical Chemistry
Dr P. C. Marr p.marr@qub.ac.uk
Skills workshop – Laboratory Skills parts 1 and 2
Prof. P. Stevenson p.stevenson@qub.ac.uk
Organic Chemistry: Functional Group Chemistry 15 Lectures, 5 Seminars Organic Chemistry Laboratory
Dr P. Dingwall p.dingwall@qub.ac.uk
Organic Chemistry Laboratory
Dr M. Swadzba-Kwasny Swadzba-kwasny@qub.ac.uk
Skills workshop – Scientific writing and researching skills.

Course content

General Chemistry - Elements, Atoms, ions, electrons and the periodic table. This course aims to give an introduction to the fundamental principles of atoms from the chemists’ viewpoint. Starting from a simple model and using the results of quantum mechanics a more appropriate model of the atom is presented. From this model trends in atomic and ionic properties which enable us to explain differences and similarities and predict the properties of different elements can be deduced. The following topics are covered:
* The Basics: Element, The periodic table, atom, mole.
* The Atom: The Bohr Atom.
* The Electron: Wave-Particle Duality and The Schrödinger Wave Equation, Probability Density, Radial Distribution Function, Orbitals, Quantum Numbers, s and p Orbitals, Phase, d Orbitals.
* More than One Electron: Filling orbitals, The aufbau principle, The Pauli Exclusion Principle, Hund’s rules, Penetration, Shielding, Effective Nuclear Charge, Slater’s Rules, Size.
* Trends: Ionization energy, Electron attachment enthalpy (affinity), Electronegativity, Ionic radii, Polarizability and polarizing power, Hydration enthalpies, Redox potentials. General Chemistry - Structure and Bonding. This course introduces some important theories of bonding. Theories of bonding are discussed in some detail for discrete molecules. The discussion of bonding in molecular species centres on the valence bond and molecular orbital theories. Intermolecular forces between molecules are also discussed.
* Introduction to bonding: Discussion of types of structure and common bonding theories, examples of representative structures.
* Homonuclear Diatomic Molecules: Interatomic distance and covalent radii, Potential energy curves, attractive and repulsive forces, bond energy and enthalpy. Lewis structures, filled shells, the octet rule. Wavefunction, introduction to valence bond theory and molecular orbital theory, Valence bond theory: ionic and covalent contributions, resonance; Molecular orbital theory: molecular orbitals, linear combinations of atomic orbitals, orbital overlap, bonding and antibonding orbitals, MO diagrams, some shapes of MO’s, labelling MO’s, examples of simple MO diagrams, bond order.
* Heteronuclear Diatomic Molecules: Lewis structures, valence bond approach, Molecular orbital theory, energy matching, symmetry, non-bonding orbitals; electronegativity, electric dipole moments, carbon monoxide, isoelectronic molecules.
* Polyatomic Molecules: Metal complexes and covalent polyatomics, coordination number, common geometries, molecules obeying the octet rule, valence bond theory, expanding the octet, hybridization (sp, sp2, sp3), formal charge, single, double and triple carbon-carbon bonds, molecular shapes; molecular orbital theory: ligand group orbitals; comparison of VB and MO, macromolecules, fullerenes, proteins and hydrogen bonding.
* Intermolecular Forces: Van-der-Waal forces, strength of forces.
* Introduction to solids with extended structures: metals and semi-metals, ionic solids and covalent solids. Only covered if time permits. ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: Functional Group Chemistry
* Draw structural formula to represent organic compounds, identify isomers and convert structural formula to molecular formula.
* Identify common organic functional groups, name organic compounds containing these groups, and predict their chemistry and reactivity.
* Recognise nucleophiles, electrophiles and bases and identify which chemistry these species participate in. Appreciate the importance of acidity and basicity in organic chemistry
* Sketch substitution, elimination and addition mechanisms and appreciate the importance of ‘mechanism’ in rationalising organic chemical reactions. * Suggest reagents for interconverting one functional group into another. * The functional groups which will be used to illuminate these outcomes are alkanes, alcohols, amines, alkyl halides, alkenes, alkynes, carbonyls compounds including aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters and amides.
SKILLS WORKSHOPS:
* Scientific writing and researching skills
* Laboratory skills
* Essential calculations for practical chemistry
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY:
* 3 x 3 hours laboratories with associated write-ups.

Learning Objectives

Students will become familiar with chemical descriptions of matter. What matter is made up of, how it can be organised into the periodic table and how we can start to understand it from a scientific perspective. They will learn about organic compounds and how they can be prepared, named and reacted.

Skills

Learners are expected to demonstrate the following on completion of the module:
* Ability to write and predict atomic structure and properties.
* Ability to explain and understand bonding.
* Ability to recognise functional groups in organic chemistry and name compounds.
* Ability to suggest reagents, mechanisms and reactions in organic chemistry.
* Ability to demonstrate fundamental skills in laboratory practice and associated calculations.

Assessment

Assessment:
Skills workshops 5%
Organic Laboratories 45%
Class test 50%

Course Requirements:
Practical report submission 66 %
Coursework veto 40%