B.Sc (Chemistry)

This course is designed to provide a survey of general, inorganic and physical chemistry for students in sciences and allied science majors. Students enrolled in this course will have the opportunity to learn about atoms, atomic structure, chemical compounds, reactions and stoichiometry, electrons in atoms, Periodic Table and atomic properties. The main objective of this course is to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the basic theories, laws, processes and reactions in chemistry. It is also aimed at developing an appreciation for the relationship between chemistry and our environment. The fundamental principles of general chemistry will be reinforced during lectures and tutorial sessions.

The course seeks to enable students acquire basic laboratory skills for the techniques of crystallization, melting and boiling point determination, simple and fractional distillation, steam distillation, refluxing, liquid-liquid extraction, paper, thin-layer and column chromatography.

The course introduces students to basic ideas on nomenclature, structure, physical properties, synthesis and chemical properties of alkynes, ethers, alcohols, and epoxides, The course will also include the treatment of the structure of benzene including simple treatment of the concept of resonance and aromaticity, nomenclature of benzene and its simple derivatives, electrophilic aromatic substitution of benzene, and synthesis of simple derivatives of benzene with specific orientation, ortho-para and meta directors.

This course is the second part of CHE 203. The course focusses on principles of chemical equilibrium, acid and bases, and acid-base equilibra. It also deals with ionic solutions and their properties (conductance properties, molar conductivity, Kohlrausch’s law, electrolytes, Ostwald dilution law, drift speed, ion mobility and conductivity) and thermodynamics of electrolytes, kinetics and transport properties (thermodynamic functions of formation and activity coefficients, ionic strength, Debye-Huckel limiting law, diffusion in liquids and Fick’s laws).

The course introduces students to qualitative organic analysis and structural elucidation processes involving techniques of preparation, separation, purification and identification of organic compounds.

This course offers to students the basic knowledge in structure, physical properties, synthesis and chemical properties of amines. Topics to be discussed in this course will include introduction to stereochemistry, chirality of compound containing one and two asymmetric centres, carbohydrates (monosaccharides, basic ideas of nomenclature), simple chemistry of sugars, proteins (classification, amino acids, peptides), determination of protein structure, nucleic acids, nucleosides and nucleotides, and synthetic polymer.

This course focusses on a detailed study of the representative elements (Groups 1-VIII) and their compounds, involving both theoretical and descriptive approaches. Topics treated in this course include the periodic properties of the main group elements (structures, properties, and reactions) of their compounds, non-metallic elements and the chemistry of their oxides hydroxides, halides nitrites, as well as, the noble gases, oxy-acids of non-metals and their reduction potentials.

This course is a continuation of CHE 103 with emphasis on problem solving and presenting graphical data while exploring solution properties, kinetics, electrochemical series, equilibrium, acid–base and complexometric titrations, identification of cations and anions, and gravimetric analysis involving separation methods.

This course introduces students to the basic laboratory techniques of separation, purification and identification of compounds of binary and tertiary mixtures. The course will also offer students the techniques involved in spectroscopic methods for the identification and total synthesis of simple organic compounds.

This course aims at providing students with an understanding of the fundamental laws describing matter and energy, and the techniques needed to probe chemical systems. Topics to be covered in this course would include simple treatment of introductory quantum chemistry concepts such as blackbody radiation, electromagnetic spectrum, photoelectric effect, wave-particle duality, the Schrödinger’s equation, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, wavefunctions, particle in a box, the Bohr hydrogen atom; as well as, applications of quantum mechanics involving: rotation and vibration of molecules, atomic structure and spectroscopy, and molecular spectroscopy. An appreciable mathematical background would aid in understanding basic concepts in this course.

The course presents a broad survey of the phenomena of isomerism, optical isomerism due to independent asymmetric carbon atoms, and stereoisomerism of compounds containing identical asymmetric carbons atoms. Topics to be discussed will include asymmetry of inorganic elements, alkenes, alkylidene, cycloalkanes, spirans and biphenyls; dissymmetry of restricted rotation and molecular overcrowding; enantiomers; symmetry elements; racemic modification; epimerization; and resolution. Other relevant topics such as absolute and relative configuration; Rectus and Sinister system; stereochemistry of simple derivatives of cyclopropane, cyclobutane, cyclopentane, decalins; and acyclic and cyclic systems will also be discussed.

This course presents an overview of the basic principles, techniques, and applications associated with solid materials. It also emphasizes frontier research in nanoscience and nanotechnology and on intellectual interactions within the nanotechnology community. Topics include fundamentals of the synthesis, structure and properties of inorganic solids, thin films, and nanoscale materials, to be complemented with case studies of modern applications of inorganic materials; selected topics such as catalysis, molecular and nanoparticle-based computing, telecommunications, materials for microelectronics, and materials for information technology, alternative energies, superconductivity, biomedical technologies, and information storage will be discussed. Techniques for characterization and analysis of materials on the nano and atomic level will also be introduced.

This course introduces students to an in-depth study of the function and structural moiety of organic macromolecules of biological relevance. Topics to be discussed in this course will revolve around classification carbohydrates, stereoisomerism in carbohydrates, polyfunctional chemistry of simple sugars, cellulose and its derivatives, enzymatic glycogen hydrolysis, conversion of ATP to ADP, and proteins.

This course covers various aspects of spectroscopy particularly, electronic spectroscopy of atoms, ions and complex molecules, vibrational, rotational and laser spectroscopy, as well as, spectral interpretation and analysis of samples using molecular spectroscopic tools. Broadly speaking, it provides a general overview of the concepts of absorption, emission, vibration, rotation, resonance and electron spin. Instrumental methods covered in this course will include UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence, infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometry.

This course introduces students to current developments in analytical instrumentation and their applications to solve problems in materials, environmental, and biological chemistry. Topics covered will include optical spectroscopies, chromatographic separations, mass spectrometry, electrochemistry, optical and force microscopies and potentially NMR. In addition, the course will emphasize how to select an analytical method appropriate to the problem at hand, how to optimize the signal to noise ratio obtained by a measurement, and the quantitative analysis of experimental data.

Simple aromatic compounds functional group interconversions, Aromatic carbocycles: Condensed aromatics, Classification, nomenclature, nature of bonds, reactions of naphthalene, anthracene and phenanthrene. Synthesis of polynuclear aromatics-Haworth, Elbs, Anthraquinones synthesis, graphite, diamond and fullerenes.
Heteroaromatics: definition, nomenclature aromaticity and structural characteristics of 5- and 6- membered rings, reactions, synthesis of 5-and 6-membered monocyclics and benzocondensed heteroaromatics, sources, synthesis and reactions of hetero-condensed heteroaromatics.

Behaviour of solutions . definition of terms and the Phase rule. Single component systems. The Clausius-Claygperon Equation. Chemical potential. Binary phase systems. Liquid-liquid phase equilibria. Partition laws. Solid-liquid phase equilibria. Solid-solid phase equilibria.
Ternary phase diagrams. Partially miscible and completely miscible liquid-liquid systems. Differential-Batch distillation analysis.

The atmosphere-structure and property. Entropy pollution. Temperature inversion and air pollution episodes. Atmospheric photochemistry, Depletion of stratospheric ozone and Green house effect. Freons. Natural versus polluted air, pollution-industrial and energy related. Acid rain. Monitoring of air pollutants (Nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, carbon oxides, photochemical smog), Water-quality criteria. Entrophication. Industrial waste, water pollution from heavy metals and organochlorines etc. Municipal waste water-primary, secondary etc treatment. Microoganisms in water purification and disposal of treated waste water. Waste and waste management especially industrial and municipal.

(a) Organic Dyes and pigments: Organic compounds and colour, absorption of radiation by molecules, Azo dyes-synthesis and methods of applications, polymethyne dyes-synthesis,use as dyes, sensitisers in photography, phenyl methyne and azamethyne dyes-synthesis and uses, textiles, polymer, indicator and printing purposes, Carbonyl dyes (indigo anthraquinone, natural dyes), polyaza 18 annulene dyes.
(b) Nucleic acids: Structure and nomenclature, biological function, degradation, properties of nucleic bases, nucleosides and nucleotides, seldom bases and RNA-conformation, nucleoside and nucleotide conformations, phosphorylation, cyclophosphate, synthesis of mono-, deoxyribo-and ribo-nucleotides, synthesis of oligonucleotides

Definition of coordination entity, central atom(nuclear atom), ligands (mono and polydentate), chelate. Nomenclature, stereochemistry, isomerism, (geometric, optical, ionisation, hydration, linkage and coordination), stability and reactivity of coordination compounds. Stability reactions of coordination compounds(SN1, SN2). Bonding in coordination compounds(crystal field theory, valence bond theory, ligand field theory).The molecular orbital theory(bond order, magnetism, multiplicity), the spectrochemical series, Jahn Teller effect. Preparation of coordination compounds. Metal carbonyls.

Liquid-solid and liquid-liquid interfaces. Surface and interfacial non-ions. Adsorption and orientation at interface. Surface activity, rate of adsorption, The Gibbs adsorption equation, Classification of surfactant and the physical properties of surfactant solutions. Micelle formation and the structure of Micelles (adhesion and cohesion). The physical state of molecular films and the factors influencing the physical state of molecular films.