The following syllabus provides a general guide to the topics to be discussed:

Chemistry of the elements: periodicity exemplified, descriptive chemistry of non-metallic groups VII, VI and V, silicates - structural variety, close packing geometries, transition metals, coordination chemistry - ligands, isomerism, stability, biological examples.

Intermolecular forces, states of matter, liquefaction, vapour pressure, molar heat capacity, phase diagrams (one component), melting, boiling, critical phenomena and lattice energies.

Solutions: solubility, phase diagrams of multicomponent systems, colligative properties, Raoult’s law, deviations from ideality, mp depression/bp elevation, osmosis.

Introductory kinetics: reaction rates - 1st, 2nd and 3rd order; molecularity, Arrhenius equation.

Advanced Kinetics: activation energies, elementary steps in reaction mechanisms, catalysis, Michaelis-Menten kinetics, radioactive decay (as an example of exponential decay).

Spectroscopy: absorption and emission of electromagnetic radiation, applications of spectroscopy, especially UV-Vis, AAS, IR & NMR, Beer-Lambert law, colorimetry. Biologically active compounds, chemical communication, drugs, synthesis and spectroscopy: drugs, pharmaceuticals and synthesis, reaction mechanisms, alcohols, ethers and carbonyl compounds, structural determination by spectroscopy.

Laboratory: Exercises illustrating the simpler principles of analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry. The apparatus used in the course is supplied by the RSC. Attendance at laboratory classes is compulsory.

Honours Pathway Option (HPO)

Students who take this option will undertake 9 additional lectures at a more advanced level. The HPO is designed for students with a strong interest in chemistry from school, Science Summer School, Olympiad or equivalent. It is expected that all students in the PhB or Honours degree programs enrolled in CHEM1201 will complete the HPO.

Proposed Assessment Honours Pathway Option: The standard course will count 90% towards the final grade and the HPO 10%.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of spectroscopy and use modern spectroscopic methods to deduce structures of simple organic molecules.
2. Be able to demonstrate an understanding of organic transformations and how they relate to structure.
3. Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the rates of chemical reactions, including the ability to predict a rate law from a mechanism or experimental data.
4. Be able to describe the properties of solids, understand cubic unit cells and demonstrate an understanding of their applications in inorganic compounds.
5. Be able to demonstrate an insight and understanding into the structure and bonding of transition metal compounds including isomerism and stereochemistry. Be able to use crystal field theory to rationalise the structure and properties of transition metal complexes.
6. Recognise the importance of metal ions in biological systems.
7. Be able to calculate and use the solution concentration units molarity, molality, mole fraction and weight-percent. Be able to understand the solution process and colligative properties.
8. Demonstrate well-developed laboratory based skills in the safe handling of chemicals and performing both qualitative and quantitative analyses.
9. Be able to communicate chemically relevant information in an appropriate manner.