CHEM1061: MOLECULES IN ACTION

• A-level or equivalent in Chemistry.

• None.

• Core Chemistry 2 (CHEM2012)

• To present the chemical factors behind topical issues.

• Origins of the Elements: nuclear chemistry, uses of radioactivity, polymorphism.
• Beautiful and nasty molecules: neurotoxins, chemical-warfare agents, legal and illegal drugs of abuse.
• Molecules and light: light sources, visible spectrum, colour reception of the eye, colour mixing, composite colours, pigments; luminescence, fluorescence, phosphorescence.
• Chemistry in Perspective: the importance (breadth, financial/economic and societal) and relevance of the chemical industry and their broad context.
• Physics and chemistry of water: Electronic structure of a water molecule, models of water, interactions between water molecules, origins and consequences of hydrogen bonds, super-cooled and superheated water, the structure of ice, industrial water purification and wastewater treatment.
• Two assignments. Guidance on essay writing, literature searching and what constitutes plagiarism

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Explain the fundamentals of nuclear chemistry and demonstrate a basic comprehension of how elements form in stars and why abundances of elements differ.
• Explain radioactivity and describe applications in, e.g., dating, medicine, energy generation and labelling.
• Explain the concept of polymorphism and describe the structure and some applications of different allotropes of elements such as carbon, phosphorus and oxygen.
• Describe the basic pharmacology of certain well known biologically active molecules.
• Present some of the common chemical carcinogens, mutagens and teratogens, with a basic comprehension of how current chemotherapy agents work.
• Explain the structures and properties of fullerenes and the history of their discovery.
• Explain qualitatively how molecules emit and interact with light and describe how these mechanisms are applied.
• Develop an appreciation of the economic importance of chemistry, together with an indication of its scale.
• Give an overview of the broad classes of chemicals and materials made commercially worldwide and the relative amounts of each produced.
• Develop an appreciation of global water resources and water purification..
• Explain the relationship between the structure of water and its properties.
• Describe and rationalise the phase diagram of water.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Produce a scholarly essay of an area of relevant literature

Key Skills:

• Demonstrate skills in scientific writing.

• Lectures are used to convey concepts.
• Assignments allow students to present information in their own words, synthesising ideas and demonstrating their ability to communicate effectively in written form.

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