Rayane Moreira

This course is an introduction to the structure, properties, reactivity, and spectroscopy of organic molecules, as well as their significance in our daily lives. We will first lay down the groundwork for the course, covering bonding, physical properties of organic compounds, conformational analysis, stereochemistry, and kinetics and thermodynamics of organic reactions. We will then move on to the reactions of alkanes, alkyl halides, alcohols and ethers, alkenes, and alkynes, emphasizing the molecular mechanisms that allow us to predict and understand chemical behavior. The central focus of the course will be the use of fundamental chemical principles to predict and understand molecular behavior; weekly problem sets and problem solving sessions will be used to foster both mechanistic and synthetic thinking. Additionally, student-led presentations will address the role organic molecules play in biology, industry, society, and the environment.

This course will provide an introduction to organic laboratory techniques and experimental design through a progression of structured, inquiry-based, and student-designed experiments. Emphasis will be placed on the synthesis, purification, and characterization of organic compounds, but we will also carry out an inquiry-based mechanistic study of organic reactivity. Students will gain experience with reaction setup, liquid-liquid extraction, distillation, recrystallization, column chromatography, GC/MS, NMR and infrared spectroscopy, and other common synthetic and analytical methods. In the last weeks of the semester, students work in small groups to design and execute a mini-project of their own.

In this course we will examine how interaction between matter and energy governs chemical reactions and other chemical processes. Largely through the lens of chemical thermodynamics, we will gain both qualitative and quantitative insight into a range of chemical changes, building predictive capabilities within the overlapping topics of thermochemistry, intermolecular forces, solution equilibria, electrochemistry, acids and bases, and nuclear reactions. Assignments will include in-class, small group, and self-guided problem solving, three cumulative problem sets, and a presentation on a topic of the student's choice. Students will also be registered in NS-0219, the laboratory section of this course

In this lab, we will explore experimentally quantitative aspects of chemical equilibrium, thermochemistry, and kinetics, alternately following and preceding coverage of these topics in the classroom. Emphasis will be placed on experimental design, accuracy and precision of measurement, data analysis, and on using the power of experiment to shed light on fundamental behaviors of chemical substances. After exposure to a toolbox of experimental techniques, including familiarization with a range of instrumentation and experience analyzing individual and pooled class data, students will work in small groups to carry out a project of their own design. Students taking this laboratory are required to enroll in the corresponding classroom component of the course (NS-0203)

This semester we will explore organic structure, reactivity, and spectroscopy through the study of aromatic molecules, carbonyl compounds, nitrogen-containing compounds, pericyclic reactions, and radical chemistry. The emphasis will be on organic mechanism and synthesis, along with relevance of the chemistry to biology, medicine, society, and environment. By the end of the semester you will have a solid intuitive sense of how organic molecules react and how to manipulate them in the lab. Just as importantly, we will strive to understand the importance of the field of organic chemistry in the past, present, and future. Prerequisite: Organic Chemistry I. Keywords:Chemistry organic