CH3101 - Chemical Kinetics and Mechanism
[Offered in even-numbered years]
| Credit points: | 03 |
| Year: | 2014 |
| Student Contribution Band: | Band 2 |
| Administered by: |
Offered in SP1, in even numbered years only
The mechanism of a chemical reaction is a detailed description of the processes occurring during the reaction. The understanding of mechanism gives a window on the underlying chemistry and can be used to manipulate chemical reactivity. Kinetic studies provide one of the most powerful methods of investigating reaction mechanisms. <i>Major topics to be covered are:</i> Reaction profiles. Rates of chemical reactions, including the measurement of reaction rates, determination of rate constants and order for a variety of reaction types, and the relationship between kinetics and mechanism. Mechanisms of inorganic reactions, including substitution and electron transfer processes, catalysis and photochemistry; thermodynamics of formation of transition metal complexes. Mechanism of organic reactions, including nucleophilic and electrophilic substitution, addition and elimination; factors affecting reactivity; techniques of studying mechanisms, including the kinetic isotope effect, labelling, stereochemistry, the nature of products and investigation of reactive intermediates by ESR, matrix isolation; organic photochemistry.
Learning Outcomes
- to provide students with the background theory of the thermodynamics and dynamics of chemical reactivity;
- to apply a range of techniques (including chemical kinetics, instrumentation) to the elucidation of reaction mechanism;
- to discuss important mechanistic pathways for inorganic and organic chemical reactions.
| Prerequisites: | (CH1001 OR CH1011) AND (CH1002 OR CH1012) |
| Inadmissible Subject Combinations: | CH2002 CH3004 CH2022 CH2032 CH3022 CH3032 CH5301 |
Availabilities | |
| Townsville, Internal, Study Period 1 | |
| Census Date 27-Mar-2014 | |
| Coordinator: | Dr Murray Davies |
| Lecturers: | Dr Murray Davies, Assoc. Professor Michael Oelgemoeller. |
| Contact hours: |
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| Assessment: | end of semester exam (70%); practical component (30%). |
Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.