The aim of the course is to provide knowledge of the structure, reactivity and properties of complex molecules, with a special focus on biomolecules.
The course will provide an in-depth knowledge of the structure, reactivity and properties of complex molecules. It is developed through three successive steps: (i) classification and structure of functional groups characterizing the main classes of compounds in organic chemistry and bases on the chemistry of coordination compounds, (ii) reactivity and reaction mechanisms for the conversion of such classes of compounds, iii) description of structure, properties and reactivity of polyfunctional macromolecules of biological and biomedical / technological interest.
By the end of the course the student should be able to:
-describe the main functional groups and classes of compounds in organic chemistry (structure, nomenclature and isomerism), -describe the coordination compounds, -describe, with examples, (bio) macromolecules and polymeric structures, -explain the general mechanisms of reactions in organic chemistry, -evaluate, based on its chemical functional groups, the reactivity of an organic compound, -evaluate the macroscopic properties of simple and complex organic compounds in relation to their structure.
Lectures, exercises and discussion of chemical reactions and properties during class hours
Common functional groups in Orgnaic Chemistry, IUPAC nomenclature and classifications of main organic compounds. Single bonds: alkanes, alcohols, ethers, amines. Double bonds: alkenes, carbonyl compounds (aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and functional derivatives of carboxylic acids), imines. Triple bonds: alkynes and nitriles. Saturated cyclic compounds: cycloalkanes. Aromatic hydrocarbons: benzene and main derivatives. Organic compounds of nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus. Properties. Stereochemistry. Main organic reaction mechanisms: nucleophilic substitution, electrophilic addition, elimination, nucleophilic addition, nucleophilic acyl substitution, chemical reactivity of benzene. Synthetic polymers: polymerisation reactions and structure-property relations. Molecules of biological interest: carbohydrates (monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides), amino acids and proteins, lipids, DNA and RNA. Coordination compounds.
Lecture notes, aulaweb, Chemistry reference textbooks: J.McMurry, Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry; W.Brown, T.Poon, Introduction to Organic Chemistry, J.Wiley and Sons; J.G.Smith, Organic Chemistry, McGraw Hill
Ricevimento: By appointment. E-mail: Elisabetta.Finocchio@unige.it, phone: 010.3532919. Address: DICCA, Via all'Opera Pia 15, room II 16, 16145 Genova.
SANTINA BRUZZONE (President)
ELISABETTA FINOCCHIO (President)
GIANLUCA DAMONTE
GIANGUIDO RAMIS
1st semester
CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY - MOD. 1
Oral (partial) exam. The final exam result is the average mark of the two modules marks.
After completing this course, the student will be able to manage skills and operating method for the approach of problems related to properties and structure of biomolecules and their reactivity, focusing on their role in technological and biomedical applications.
The oral exam will verify the ability of the student to assign the correct name to simple and complex organic compounds, and to analyze and compare properties and structure of the main classes of compounds in organic chemistry (including polymers, biomacromolecules and complexes). During the exam, the student should also be able to discuss reaction mechanisms and products, describing them in general and critically analyzing specific problems. The correctness and completeness of the answers and also the quality of the exposure, with the use of the appropriate specialized lexicon, will be evaluated.
