Duration
30h Th, 15h Pr, 5d Labo.
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course aims at introducing the fundamentals of organic chemistry to students and to help them realize its crucial importance in our everyday life.
After a brief recall of the atomic structure and the nature of chemical bonds, the main classes of organic compounds (alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alkyl halides, aromatics, alcohols, ethers, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids and their derivatives, amines) will be examined in terms of nomenclature, molecular structure, electronic features, and reactivity. From these core notions, the most common types of organic reactions and their underlying rationales will be discussed. A special attention will be devoted to stereochemical aspects of the transformations under study.
To illustrate this course, we shall perform experimental demonstrations to explain the role of organic compounds and materials in multiple objects from our everyday life (alcohol breath testers, soaps and detergents, plastic wrapping, epoxy glues,...).
Sessions of practical laboratory work will be organized to illustrate the key-notions of the course and to acquaint students with the basic techniques of synthesis, purification and characterization of organic compounds.
More specifically, experimental work will be devoted, on one hand, to the main techniques used to isolate and purify organic compounds and, on the other hand, to the synthesis of diverse organic products and their characterization through various analytical techniques, such as melting point determination, thin layer chromatography, or spectroscopic methods.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
At the end of this course, students should be able:
- to identify and to name the main functions of organic chemistry,
- to predict the evolution of various physico-chemical properties of organic compounds according to their structures,
- to determine the outcome of the main organic reactions and to propose a plausible mechanism for them,
- to propose suitable reagents and catalysts for achieving a given organic transformation.
In addition, laboratory sessions in small groups will help the students to develop more general skills, such as team working, problem solving, finding information in the technical literature, critically analyzing experimental data, improving their oral and writing skills, etc.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
The prerequisite for this course implies a good knowledge of basic general chemistry, as it is taught, for instance, in the chemistry course intended for the first block of the bachelor in Engineering Sciences, civil engineer orientation (CHIM9272 and CHIM9273).
In particular, notions relatives to structure and matter, chemical reactions, and chemical equilibria should be mastered even if, during this course, these fundamental concepts and the relevant chemical vocabulary will be briefly recalled every time they are needed.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Twelve lessons of 150 minutes each will be given during the second quadrimester. Exercise sessions (15 h) and practical laboratory work (5 d) will complement and illustrate the theoretical course.
Participation in practical work is mandatory. Any absence must be justified by a medical certificate or another appropriate document. For security reasons, access to the laboratory is allowed only to students in possession of a lab coat and a pair of goggles.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
Face-to-face course, see above for details.
Recommended or required readings
Reference Textbooks:
- Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry, John McMurry, 7th International Edition, Brooks/Cole: Belmont, CA, 2011
- Essential Organic Chemistry, Paula Yurkanis Bruice, 3rd Edition, Pearson: Montreal, 2015
Each laboratory session should be prepared in advance using the laboratory manual and the lecture notes relative to the topic under study. The students might be questioned about their current laboratory work or about the content of previous sessions.
Assessment methods and criteria
A written examination lasting 4 h will be organized during the session of June. It will cover the whole course content. The practical work is inseparable from the teaching unit and is compulsory. Students who have not participated in these activities and/or who have not submitted the required reports within the allocated time or in the prescribed form will not be allowed to present the written examination. Participation into the practical laboratory sessions will account for 20% of the final mark.
The evaluation of the laboratory sessions takes into account:
- the preparation of each session (read the laboratory notes or the manual, revise the related theoretical notions),
- the behavior in the laboratory (respect of the schedule and of the safety instructions, answers to the questions of the teaching assistant, care brought to performing the experiments,...),
- the laboratory notebook (all the experimental observation and results must be clearly and precisely reported and discussed),
- any preliminary quizz or written report pertaining to the experiments carried out.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
Contacts
Lionel Delaude
Institut de chimie organique
Bâtiment B6a, local 3.70c
Tel: (04) 366-3496
E-mail: l.delaude@ulg.ac.be
Assistant in charge of the exercise sessions:
Sylvestre Dammicco
Cyclotron Research Centre
Tel: (04) 366-2334
E-mail: sdammicco@ulg.ac.be