OVERVIEW

The course develops the fundamentals topics of Chemistry, with particular attention to applications and technological aspects. It is organized according to a learning path that starts from the model of the atom, then describes chemical bonds, gases, liquids and solids, their reactions and properties. The main concepts of thermodynamics, equilibrium and kinetics will allow students to evaluate the transformations of matter and the bases of chemical processes and technologies. The course will continue with and introduction to coordination compounds, organic (macro)molecules and main functional groups in organic chemistry.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Fundamental chemical knowledge required to describe the structure and behavior of materials and to address the interpretation of natural, environmental and technological processes.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with the ability to understand and critically deal with chemical issues concerning structures and properties of materials and their technological applications, in relation to the atomic structure, types of bonding, thermal effects, reaction rate and spontaneity of chemical reactions, chemical and physical equilibria.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

describe and exemplify atomic models, atomic, ionic and molecular structures;

describe the characteristic of states of matter;

describe examples of state diagrams;

analyze and solve quantitative problems on stoichiometry, essential thermodynamic, chemical kinetics, electrochemistry and equilibrium composition of reaction mixtures;

interpret the main properties of materials in technological applications and natural processes;

evaluate the behavior of solutes in aqueous solutions;

hypothesize the behavior of a chemical system upon chemical reactions in different conditions, by using the aquired skills;

compare structure, names and properties of organic molecules;

describe organic macrocolecules and coordination compounds.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures, exercises and problem analysis and solving during class hours.

Students with valid certifications for Specific Learning Disorders (DSA), for disabilities or other educational needs, are invited to contact the teacher and the School/Department disability representative at the beginning of the course to agree on any teaching methods that, in compliance with the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning methods.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Fundamentals: the nomenclature of inorganic compounds (oxides, anhydrides, hydroxides, acids, salts),  chemical reactions (double replacement and redox reactions), stoichiometry.

Atomic structure: atomic models, quantum numbers, orbitals, electronic structure of elements. Periodic table and properties. Fundamentals of nuclear chemistry. Chemical bonds: covalent, ionic, metallic bonds, intermolecular forces. An introduction to organic chemistry: hybridization of atomic orbitals in Carbon atom, hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes and alkynes), functional groups, basic chemistry of polymers.

Gases: the gas laws, ideal and real gases, volume of gases in the chemical reactions. Solids: structures of solids and their properties; metallic, ionic, molecular crystals, network covalent solids.

Fundamentals of Thermodynamics: Internal energy and laws of thermodynamics, Enthalpy, Entropy, Gibbs Free Energy and spontaneity of reaction. Chemical equilibria: reaction at equilibrium, the equilibrium constant, Gibbs Free Energy and equilibrium in homogeneous systems, changes in equilibrium. Acids and Bases and aqueous equilibria: pH calculation (strong and weak acids and bases, salt solutions), buffers. Solubility. Physical equilibria: phase diagrams. Chemical kinetic: reaction rate, Arrhenius’s law. Electrochemistry: galvanic cells, electrolytic cells.

The main functional groups in Organci Chemistry, classification of organic compounds, properties and IUPAC nomenclature rules. Single bonds: alkanes, alkyl halides, alcohols, ethers, amines. Double bonds: alkenes, aldeydes, ketons, carboxylic acids and derivatives. Triple bonds: alkynes. Aromatic compounds: benzene. Synthetic polymers and structure /properties relationship. Macromolecules of biological interest: carbohydrates (with examples of monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides), amnio acids and proteins, lipids (tryclycerides). Nucleic acids. Fundamentals on coordination compounds.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lecture notes. Course material and slides available in Aulaweb.

Bibliography: 

General Chemistry: M.S.Silberberg, Chimica, McGraw Hill ed.(available in English); P.Atkins, L.Jones, Fondamenti di chimica generale, Zanichelli ed. (also availbale in English);  R.H.Petrucci, W.S.Hartwood, F.G.Herring, Chimica generale, principi e moderne applicazioni, Piccin ed. (available also in English).

Organic Chemistry: J.Smith Fondamenti di Chimica Organica, McGraw Hill ed., o J.McMurry, Fondamenti di Chimica Organica, Zanichelli; o T.Poon, Introduzione alla Chimica Organica, EdiSES.

Exercises: Chimica per Ingegneria (italian).

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written exam with optional oral exam. Student who have passed the written test with a grade higher than, or equal to, 18 may decide whether to accept the grade of the written test or take an oral exam on the scheduled days. In the latter case the final grade will result from the grade average of written and oral exams.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

At the end of the course, the student must have acquired the basic knowledge necessary to understand and deal with issues concerning: chemical reactions and processes, structures and properties of organic and inorganic materials, their technological applications.

The written exam will evaluate the student's ability to describe and exemplify fundamental concepts of chemistry reported in the course program, to apply concept to the solution of quantitative problems concerning stoichiometry, thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium reactions and chemical processes, to interpret phase diagrams, to describe and compare structures and properties of inorganic and organic compounds and materials proposed as esamples. Evaluation parameters will be the correctness of the numerical results, the completeness and quality of the exposure, the appropriate use of the specialized lexicon.