Applied Organic Chemistry with Lab

A.Y. 2023/2024
9
Max ECTS
96
Overall hours
SSD
CHIM/06
Language
English
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide the student with a good knowledge of the main industrial sectors where synthetic organic chemistry is relevant. Some meaningful examples are presented and thoroughly discussed during the theoretical part of the course. Several intermediates and compounds with industrial relevance will be prepared and characterized during the laboratory activities.
Expected learning outcomes
Students will take advantage of this course, as it will provide a general overview of the industrial applications of synthetic organic chemistry. Among the five selected industrial applications dealt with in the theoretical course (pharma, agro, catalysis, renewable energies and nanotech), the student will get information about modern trends for each sector, and will become ready to consider each of them for his/her future working experiences.
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
As to the frontal/Seneci's part, the course aims to provide the student with a good knowledge of the main industrial sectors where synthetic organic chemistry is relevant. Some meaningful examples are presented and thoroughly discussed during the theoretical part of the course. Several intermediates and compounds with industrial relevance will be prepared and characterized during the experimental/laboratory module.
The students will take advantage of this course, as it will provide a general overview of the industrial applications of synthetic organic chemistry. Among the four selected industrial applications dealt with in the theoretical course (pharma, agro, renewable energies and nanotech), the student will get information about modern trends for each sector, and will become ready to consider each of them for his/her future working experiences.
As to course frontal sub-modules - Seneci (6 CFUs),
Pharmaceutical research - 24 hours: identification of a target, discovery of hits and leads, structural optimization of active leads, synthetic strategies on a large scale. Identification of kinesins as anticancer targets through chemical genetics, development of MK-731 as an anticancer compound. Identification of kinase inhibitors using fragment-based drug discovery, development of AT519 as an antitumor compound. Discovery of statins as drugs against hypercholesterolemia, development and commercialization of fluvastatin-LescolTM. Discovery of beta-lactams and cephalosporins, industrial synthesis of ceftibuten.
Agro research - 6 hours: herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. Field use, industrial and environmental issues. Rational design and synthesis of neonicotinoid insecticides, development and commercialization of imidacloprid.
Energy and Environment - 12 hours: renewable energy sources, hydrogen economy, greenhouse effect, carbon sources. CO2 capture, storage and conversion to MeOH. Methanol fuel cells, dye-sensitized solar cells. Complexes of Ru and organic ligands as dye-sensitizers.
Nanotechnology - 6 hours: definitions, physical and chemical phenomena at the nano-scale, industrial applications. Fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene: synthesis using physical and organic-chemical methods, covalent and noncovalent functionalization, properties.

As to the laboratory/Perdicchia's module (3 CFUs), the laboratory experiences will include the synthesis of organic molecules useful for industrial applications, their purification and characterization using simple analytical techniques.
Prerequisites for admission
Organic Chemistry II and II, and BSc Organic Chemistry lab, all successfully passed
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons - Seneci, bibliographic searches, support material - pdf files on ARIEL; mp4 recordings available if and when needed on the AOC Website on ARIEL; teamwork (organization in groups, assembly of a ppt presentation, delivery of the same to fellow students/Professor), critical evaluation of colleagues'/groups' efforts.
Lab module - Perdicchia, conception and execution og lab experiments and writing of a final Report .
Teaching Resources
As to the frontal/Seneci's part, the material presented during the course (20 ppt presentations, saved as pdf files - all shown slides from frontal lessons) is made available to students on the course's ARIEL site; 20 mp4 recordings dealing with the same lessons can be made available through ARIEL if and when necessary. This material will be enough to properly prepare the exam; additional material is also provided for student on the ARIEL site/course page.

As to the laboratory/Perdicchia's part, the needed information/material for each experimental reaction will be provided during the laboratory period by Prof. Perdicchia.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The AOC course is made by a frontal part/module (Prof. Seneci, 6 CFUs), and by a laboratory module (Prof. Perdicchia, 3CFUs).

As to the frontal/Seneci part, the final grade will result from two contributions. A final, written assay lasting two hours (which could be splitted in two one hour, intermediate essays around half (1st) and end of the course (2nd) will consist of 1-2 open questions and 3-4 multiple choice questions, and will count for the large majority of the final grade.
In addition, the students will be asked to create a few small groups (4-6 members, depending on the total number of students), which will have to select from literature one (or more than one) paper dealing with one, or more than one topics of the AOC course. This will be the foundation of a PowerPoint presentation, to be assembled and delivered to the Professor and the other students by each group; the presentation will be evaluated globally (choice of subject/example, completeness and quality of slides) and individually (the contribuion/speech of any group member). Such evaluation will count for an additional increase of the total Seneci's grade, ranging between 1 and 3 points depending on group and individual performances.

As to the laboratory part/Perdicchia, the final grade will be generated fron the results of the experiments/chemical reactions, and from the final Report requested to the student.

The final mark for AOC will eventually be made by merging the frontal/Seneci grade (66.6% weight) with the lab/Perdicchia grade (33.3%).
CHIM/06 - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - University credits: 9
Laboratories: 48 hours
Lessons: 48 hours