Learning objectives
At the end of the course, the student is expected to acquire knowledge and understanding of basic organic chemistry.
In particular, the expected learning outcomes are:
1. Knowledge and understanding of the main functional groups and applying them to the classification of simple organic molecules;
2. Knowledge, understanding and applying the structural representation of simple organic molecules to visualize them as objects in the three-dimensional space;
3. Knowledge and understanding of basic principles of organic reactions (chemical equilibria, structural theory, acids and bases, nucleophiles and electrophiles);
4. Knowledge and understanding of the relationship between the structure of simple organic molecules and their physical properties, in particular their solubility in aqueous or non-aqueous solvents;
5. Knowledge and understanding of the relationship between the structure of simple organic molecules and their reactivity;
6. Knowledge and understanding of general methods for functional group interconversion and applying them to simple manipulations of organic molecules;
7. Knowledge of the international rules for the nomenclature of organic compounds and applying them to unknown molecules, also solving simple exercises;
8. Communication skills of the course contents to specialized and non-specialized audience;
9. Understanding of the key role of organic chemistry in the study of biochemical and biological processes underlying the animal production sciences.
Prerequisites
To access the final test on Organic Chemistry it is necessary to acquire knowledge of General and Inorganic Chemistry (first module). The students will have the possibility to take the test on Organic Chemistry (second module) if they have passed the test on General and Inorganic Chemistry (first module).
Course unit content
The course aims to provide the students with basic knowledge of organic chemistry to understand the key connections between the molecular structure of organic compounds, their properties and their reactivity, as fundamentals for the study of biochemical and biological processes underlying the animal production sciences. Attention will be paid to general concepts of organic chemistry including the nature of chemical bonds, polarity and molecular geometry, acidity and basicity, nucleophilicity and electrophilicity, resonance, isomerism and chirality.
The second part of the course will be devoted to the description of the main classes of organic compounds according to their functional group (alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, alkynes, halo-alkanes, alcohols and diols, aldehydes, ketones, etc.) with emphasis placed on rules of nomenclature, physical properties and the main reactivity.
Last part of the course will be devoted to the chemistry of biomolecules including amino acids, peptides and proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids.
Full programme
COURSE OUTLINE
- Covalent bond and molecular structure
- Acids and bases
- Alkanes and cycloalkanes
- Alkenes and alkynes
- Chirality and molecular asymmetry
- Alkyl halides
- Alcohols, ethers and thiols
- Amines
- Aldehydes and ketones
- Carboxylic acids
- Carboxylic acid derivatives
- Amino acids, peptides and proteins
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids
- Nucleic acids
Bibliography
RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS (choose one of the following):
-W. Brown, T. Poon: Introduzione alla Chimica Organica, VI Edizione, EdiSES, Napoli, 2020.
-P. Y. Bruice:Elementi di Chimica organica, II Edizione, EdiSES, Napoli, 2017.
-J. Gorzynski Smith: Fondamenti di Chimica Organica, 3° Edizione, Mc Graw Hill Education, Milano, 2018.
As additional study tools, slides presented during lessons and copies of past examination tests will be uploaded in the Elly platform.
Teaching methods
The present course is carried out through frontal oral lessons (both theory and exercises) at the blackboard or making use of slides as additional teaching material (total 44 hours corresponding to 4+1CFU). Exercises dealing with manipulation of simple organic molecules will be proposed and will be solved at the blackboard. The exercise sessions are open to free discussion between students and teacher and these are considered an essential part of the course to:
-check applying knowledge and understanding of proposed contents;
-check the ability to master the acquired theoretical concepts and to apply knowledge in analyzing and solving simple problems of organic chemistry;
-check learning skills and communication skills.
The student is expected to read and study the contents of the lessons by him/herself by using a textbook, and applying this knowledge to solving exercises, including both the exercises made in classroom, and exercises in the textbook or study guides.
The teacher is available (on e-mail appointment) for further explanations about theory and exercises.
Many copies of past written tests are loaded and updated in the Elly platform to provide further tools in preparation of the final exam.
The additional teaching material (slides) is loaded on Elly platform; this material does not substitute the use of a textbook.
Assessment methods and criteria
Knowledge and learning of this subject will be assessed by a written test covering the contents of the program.
The written test (1 hour maximum length) consists of 4-5 questions (open-answer) having different score. The result is marked in thirtieth; a minimum of 18/30 is required as passing level. It contributes for the 50% of the final quotation for the General and Organic Chemistry course (consisting of two modules).
To access the written test, the student must register on-line (via ESSE3 portal) in the dates according to the official examination agenda.
No books, notes, nor web-related material are permitted during the examination; possible compensatory material will be allowed to students with DSA or BES, which will be agreed upon with the teacher at least one week before the examination.
The written exam is judged positive (> or equal to 18/30) when the student demonstrates knowledge and learning of the following contents:
-knowledge and understanding of the functional groups within simple organic molecules (as detailed in the Course outline);
-identification of carbon stereocenters and chirality within simple organic molecules;
-applying knowledge and understanding of the international rules for the nomenclature of organic compounds;
-applying knowledge and understanding in relating the structural properties and the reactivity of organic compounds;
-applying knowledge and understanding in relating the functional groups properties to the reactivity of simple organic compounds.
Other information
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2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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