James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2022

CH3320 - Syntheses and Mechanism in Organic Chemistry

Subject Description

Organic chemistry is the study of compounds based on carbon. These compounds can exist as simple hydrocarbons or combined with other elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus or halogens. These types of compound are extremely important as they are produced by living organisms or manufactured synthetically. The range of organic chemistry is our lives is enormous and includes pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paints, food, explosives and petrochemicals and this will be important for our future prosperity. In this subject you will learn the basic principles of organic chemistry including mechanism and reactivate intermediates as well as relevant spectroscopic methods. Specific themes will include a review of nucleophilic and electrophilic chemistry; enols and enolates, reactions with the carbonyl group, oxidation/reduction, reactive intermediates, and physical organic chemistry. The practical component of the course will be geared towards providing the student with synthetic skills and purification techniques that will allow them to successfully complete model chemical reactions.

Learning Outcomes

• analyse chemical reactions in terms of their mechanism and the transformations undertaken
• describe the basic principles governing the reactivity of organic compounds
• describe characteristic reactions of aliphatic and aromatic compounds
• analyse spectroscopic and mass spectral data to identify complex unknown organic compounds
• employ basic synthetic methodology and purification techniques to produce and characterise typical organic compounds
• describe the influence of organic chemistry on biomedicine

Subject Assessment

• Written > Examination (centrally administered) - (60%) - Individual
• Performance/Practice/Product > Practical assessment/practical skills demonstration - (40%) - Individual

Note that 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.

Assumed Knowledge:  Students should have taken first year subjects that contain some organic chemistry.

Inadmissible Subject Combinations:  CH2101, CH2102, CH2310, CH3101

Availabilities