Course overview
Organic chemistry - involving carbon bound to itself and other elements - is fundamental to life on earth and also crucial to many industries. This course covers the central aspects of structure and reactivity of organic molecules that prepare students for STEM careers. It is designed for students majoring in chemistry but is also suitable for those focussing on biological, medical, environmental or material sciences. The language of organic chemistry is based on visual and logical arguments which are readily accessible to a wide range of students. The theory component builds up an understanding of chemical reactivity and structure, as well as synthetic methods. These concepts underpin the manufacture of our medicines and materials. The laboratory component provides a vital practical training with a strong focus on developing skills to control chemical reactivity, synthesise and isolate molecular targets, characterise their structure and properties, and then to report and apply this knowledge to disciplinary and grand challenges.
Course learning outcomes
- explain chemical reactivity on the basis of structure and electronic arguments, including consideration of isomerism and stereochemistry
- exploit principles ochemical reactivity for the synthesis of new organic compounds, and propose synthetic routes to a variety of molecules, starting from simple precursors
- As part of a team or individually, design, conduct, analyse and interpret results of an experiment, and effectively communicate these in written reports and other formats
- Predict likely spectral characteristics of given molecular species; solve the structures of unknown molecules using appropriate spectroscopic techniques (principally NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry)
- Gain an understanding and appreciation for how fundamental organic chemistry impacts on biological, environmental and industrial processes.