ORC-30806 Structure and Reactivity

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

ORC-11806 Analytical Methods in Organic Chemistry; ORC-20306 Bio-organic Chemistry.

Continuation courses:

Research Methods in Organic Chemistry, MSc thesis ORC.

Contents:

This course comprises classroom lectures, tutorials and a short literature study, all devoted to the structure and reactivity of organic compounds, guided by organic reactions and their mechanisms. The following topics will be treated: radical substitution reactions, nucleophilic substitution reactions, electrophilic additions to carbon-carbon double bonds, beta-eliminations, electrophilic aromatic substitutions, additions of hydrides to carbonyls, reactions with phosphorus ylids, the chemistry of enols and enolates, pericyclic reactions. Furthermore there will be short intermezzo's about computational chemistry, stereochemical concepts (point groups, methods to prepare enantiopure compounds) and the Hammett equation.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- analyse organic reactions as listed above and propose logical mechanisms for them;
- predict reactivity of organic compounds towards reagents, within the framework mentioned above;
- construct logical synthetic routes for given compounds;
- analyse and predict the stereochemical course of organic reactions.
- analyse scientific literature on a topic within the framework of this course, and critically discuss it in a written report;
- perform simple computational chemistry studies.

Activities:

- studying the theory;
- solving problems/exercises;
- making a short literature study.

Examination:

The final mark is based on:
- the result of the written examination (75%);
- and the literature study (25%).
All parts have to be passed before the final grade can be given; the marks for the individual parts of this course will remain valid for 2 academic years. During the exam, all course material may be used ('open book exam').

Literature:

Organic Mechanisms: Reactions, Stereochemistry and Synthesis. Bruckner, Reinhard Harmata, Michael. Edited Michael Harmata, University of Missouri-Columbia. 2010, XXXII, 856p. 900 illus. ISBN 978-3-642-03650-7.