Module Details

The information contained in this module specification was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change, either during the session because of unforeseen circumstances, or following review of the module at the end of the session. Queries about the module should be directed to the member of staff with responsibility for the module.
Title PRACTICAL CHEMISTRY WITH DATABASE SKILLS
Code CHEM375
Coordinator Dr A Steiner
Chemistry
A.Steiner@liverpool.ac.uk
Year CATS Level Semester CATS Value
Session 2017-18 Level 6 FHEQ First Semester 30

Pre-requisites before taking this module (or general academic requirements):

Normally, completion of year 2 of either an MChem or a BSc (Hons) Chemistry programme  

Aims

In this module, students will spend four weeks carrying out advanced experimental work in the areas of Organic, Organometallic and Physical Chemistry.

The general aims of the module are:

  • To give the student practical experience and understanding of advanced practical techniques for Organic, Organometallic and Physical Chemistry.
  • To develop appropriate techniques for each type of experiment
  • To show the use of appropriate characterisation techniques
  • To familiarise the student with the preparation of written reports
  • To establish a close link with aspects of the lecture material covered in the Yr 3 course

There is also a component on chemical database skills:

Chemical database skills and molecular modelling are becoming resouces now in common use by practicing chemical scientists. This part aims to introduce students to these skills through lectures and computer based workshop sessions. In this part, students will will attend six lectures and six practical sessions in chemical database skills and database skills. The general aims of this part are:

  • To establish a close link with aspects of the lecture material covered in the Yr 3 course
  • To introduce students to chemical database skills, including on-line searching of literature, citations, chemical reactions and structures.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to

  • Carry out advanced practical techniques in the areas of Organic, Organometallic and Physical Chemistry
  • Give a reasoned written exposition of experimental work and achievements
  • Make valid deductions from acquired data
  • Give comprehensible written accounts of experimental work
  • Demonstrate an understanding of shortcomings, experimental errors or weaknesses in data
  • Further develop their time management skills via coordination of the synthetic and analytical components of their experiments
  • Show that they understand the wider social or technological relevance of their work
  • Use scientific databases effectively for literature and citation searches.
  • Find relevant inf ormation from on-line chemical databases regarding chemical reactions and structures

Teaching and Learning Strategies

Laboratory Work -

Other -


Syllabus

1

Organic: Students carry out four organic experiments. The introductory experiment is designed to give them experience of both flash chromatography as a purification technique and also the identification of reaction products by NMR. Subsequently they carry out a Sharpless asymmetric hydroxylation of stilbene, a lipase resolution of a racemic alcohol, and a Heck reaction. The course is designed so that they carry out two of the major purification techniques in Organic Chemistry (recrystallisation and flash chromatography). The reaction products are fully analysed and the students are required to run their own 1H-NMR, IR, optical rotations and melting points. They are required to produce a written report for each experiment supplying the compounds they have made, full spectroscopic data and mechanistic details of the chemistry involved. Each practical is accompanied by a series of questions to which the student has to submit answers in their written report. The write-up of one major experiment consists of a word processed report including the usage of chemical drawing software.

Inorganic: Students are required to carry out four of five inorganic experiments. An introductory experiment is designed to give them basic experience in the handling of air-sensitive compounds and the use of inert atmosphere techniques. Subsequently they carry out two of three typical examples of preparative organometallic chemistry, including (i) the preparation of the classic iron sandwich compound, ferrocene, (ii) an arene- and phosphine-substituted molybdenum carbonyl complex, (iii) the oxidative addition of a chloroalkene to a nickel(0) complex prepared in situ by the reduction of hydrated nickel chloride. Finally they prepare a solid state compound, a superconducting mixed oxide. The students are required to characterise their products using a combination of analytical and spectroscopic techniques. A written report is required for each experiment and this includes both the description of experimental work and interpretation of the results. In addition, each experiment includes several questions, the answers to which are submitted for marking as part of the written report. The write-up of one major experiment consists of a word processed report including the usage of chemical drawing software.

Physical: Students carry out a minimum of three physical chemistry experiments. The first is a compulsory experiment in which the students measure the gas phase IR spectrum of an unknown, toxic gas, and interpret their results using spreadsheets to identify the gas and determine its molecular properties. The second instrumental experiment involves the use of sophisticated equipment, including cylic voltammetry, Bunsen flame spectroscopy or high vacuum. The final experiment is a computer based experiment on eith er thermal desorption or atmospheric kinetics. In all cases students have to produce a full written report on the experiment and be able to answer probing questions on the theoretical basis of the techniques.
2

Chemical database skills: Students will be introduced to scientific literature and databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, Beilstein and Gmelin. They will apply search strategies using logical search combinations in on-line searching with citation searching and downloading references into a unique personal reference database. Students will learn how to search for particular compounds, reactions and physical properties using chemical databases such as Beilstein/Gmelin Crossfire. The students will use crystallographic databases for structure based searching for compounds and downloading of 3D structures for molecular graphics work. The information gathered from two searches, includin g the use of Endnote to collect references, will be used in the word-processed reports of two preparative experiments. These word-processed reports will be used in the assessment


Recommended Texts

Reading lists are managed at readinglists.liverpool.ac.uk. Click here to access the reading lists for this module.
Explanation of Reading List:

Teaching Schedule

  Lectures Seminars Tutorials Lab Practicals Fieldwork Placement Other TOTAL
Study Hours       120

  12

132
Timetable (if known)              
Private Study 168
TOTAL HOURS 300

Assessment

EXAM Duration Timing
(Semester)
% of
final
mark
Resit/resubmission
opportunity
Penalty for late
submission
Notes
             
CONTINUOUS Duration Timing
(Semester)
% of
final
mark
Resit/resubmission
opportunity
Penalty for late
submission
Notes
Coursework  4 weeks  first  25  none  Students will be informed at start of course about marking deadlines and late submission penalties.  Assessment 1 
Coursework  4 weeks  first  25  none  Students will be informed at start of course about marking deadlines and late submission penalties.  Assessment 2 
Coursework  4 weeks  first  25  none  Students will be informed at start of course about marking deadlines and late submission penalties.  Assessment 3 
Coursework  during semester 1  First  25  none  Students will be informed at start of course about marking deadlines and late submission penalties.  Assessment 4 Notes (applying to all assessments) Organic laboratory Work marked in students presence to allow for immediate feedback or students lab book marked. Anonymous marking impossible.Organometallic laboratory Work marked in students presence to allow for immediate feedback or students lab book marked. Anonymous marking impossible.Physical laboratory Work marked in students presence to allow for immediate feedback or students lab book marked. Anonymous marking impossible. Chemical Database Skills 6 sets of assignment problems dealing with the use of databases, database skills (5 sets) and x-ray diffraction (1set). The information gathered from two searches, including the use of Endnote to collect references, will be used in the word-processed reports of one or two of the preparative experiments. This work is not marked anonymously