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CH20177: Organic chemistry 4 for visiting students

[Page last updated: 05 August 2021]

Academic Year: 2021/2
Owning Department/School: Department of Chemistry
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Intermediate (FHEQ level 5)
Period:
Semester 2
Assessment Summary: EX 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • EXAM (EX 100%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites: In taking this module you cannot take CH20149 AND take CH20150
Aims: To provide the student with a working knowledge of important classes of organic transformations and illustrate how the rate and mechanism of a chemical reaction can be understood in terms of the chemical structure of molecules. To show how experimental kinetic data may be used to elucidate chemical reaction mechanisms.

Learning Outcomes: After studying this Unit, students should be able to:
* Describe the synthetic chemistry of carbocations, anions and radical species and describe some of the mechanisms involved in their reaction.
* analyse experimental rate data for first- and second-order reactions;
* describe how the involvement of a reaction intermediate may be deduced;
* discuss the stereochemistry of aliphatic nucleophilic substitution;
* describe the effects of added ions upon SN1 substitutions;
* discuss the role of ion pairs in unimolecular solvolyses;
* determine the pH of a buffer solution;
* describe the effect of pH on the rates of acid or base catalysed reactions;
* distinguish general catalysis from specific catalysis by acids or bases;
* describe the features of nucleophilic catalysis;
* rationalise the reactivity of molecules using stereoelectronic principles.

Skills: Problem solving (T, F, A), Data Analysis (T, F, A), Independent working (F), Group working (F).

Content: Aliphatic nucleophilic substitution: 1st & 2nd order kinetics, competing reactions; Deduction of reaction mechanism, evidence for intermediates; Stereochemical evidence for the SN2 mechanism; Evidence for the SN1 mechanism: consecutive reactions, common-ion effect, solvolysis, ion pairs; Acid/base catalysis: solvent levelling, buffers, specific & general catalysis; Nucleophilic catalysis. Review of basic stereochemistry principles. The importance of stereoselective synthesis. Diastereomers and diastereoselective synthesis. Conformation of cyclohexanes - the importance of stereochemistry to reactivity - carbohydrates. Stereochemistry and mechanism. Frontier Molecular Orbital Theory and stereoelectronic effects. Aspects of the chemistry of carbocations, carbanions, radicals, carbenes, nitrenes, and arynes.

Programme availability:

CH20177 is only available to visiting/exchange students


Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2021/22 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2022/23 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2021/22.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.