Entry requirements

120 credits with 60 credits in chemistry including 15 credits in organic chemistry. 15 credits at Master's level. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• predict and explain the structures and stereochemistry of transition metal complexes,
• analyse and compare properties of common ligand types used in coordination and organometallic complexes and how they affect metal-ligand interactions, e.g. in terms of denticity, hapticity, sigma- and pi-bonding,
• describe and explain the bonding in d-metal complexes and the 18 electron rule,
• account for general catalysis principles and explain the meaning of various terminology associated with catalytic efficiency,
• apply knowledge of fundamental organometallic reactions to construct catalytic cycles, and predict and compare selectivity of common transition metal catalysed reactions,
• perform risk assessments for experiments and document laboratory work in the form of a lab journal,
• plan and use appropriate experimental setups for various reactions involving transition metal complexes, including purification and characterisation of products.

Content

The theory of structure, bonding and reactivity of transition metal compounds. This includes different ligand types, bonding modes, ligand substitutions and reactivity. The roles of ligands in fundamental organometallic reactions important for catalysis (e.g. oxidative addition, reductive elimination, insertion reactions and beta-hydride elimination. The principles of catalysis, including how its efficiency is measured (e.g. turnover number and turnover frequency), the relative advantages and disadvantages of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis and how to distinguish them experimentally. Notable catalytic reactions, such as various C-C (e.g. Suzuki-Miyaura or sigma-bond metathesis) and C-heteroatom bond forming reactions (e.g. Buchwald-Hartwig or Chan-Lam reactions), hydrogenation.

Instruction

Lectures, seminars, laboratory exercises.

Assessment

A written examination at the end of the course (7 credits). Practical exercises in the laboratory, including pre-lab sessions, seminars and written reports (3 credits).

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.

Other regulations

This course cannot be included in a degree together with the courses 1KB464 or 1KB441.