NKEK26001U Physical Organic Chemistry

Volume 2026/2027
Education

MSc Programme in Chemistry

MSc Programme in Chemistry with a minor subject

Content

The Physical Organic Chemistry course covers structure and mechanisms in organic chemistry further in details, with an emphasis on physical organic chemistry.

The major topics are:

  • Nucleophilic substitution (at sp2, at sp3, types, leaving groups, anchimeric assistance, carbocations)
  • Addition/elimination/rearrangement/isomerization
  • Chirality, asymmetric synthesis and catalysis
  • Concerted pericyclic reactions (cycloadditions, sigmatropic rearrangements, FMO theory, electrocyclization)
  • Radical reactions (reaction patterns, stability, substituent effects)
  • Sustainable chemistry (CO2 capture, CO2 valorization, plastic chemical recycling)

 

And special topics related to the above topics.

The teaching will to a large extent follow the themes in the teaching book chapters, but additional literature will be used to support each topic. The additional literature will mainly be classic and contemporary articles and concepts in organic chemistry. When possible and appropriate, examples from the teachers' own research will be used as examples of applied physical organic chemistry. Each topic will be introduced by the lecturer followed by discussions in the class. Exercises for each chapter will be handed out and discussed in class based on the questions from the textbook or independently prepared quiz.

Learning Outcome

After passing the course, the student should be able to:

Knowledge:

  • Describe reactions using physical organic chemistry.
  • Justify selectivities between products on the basis of physical organic chemistry.

 

Skills:

  • Apply the theory to solve practical problems in organic chemistry and elucidate the mechanisms of the desired and undesired reactions.

 

Competencies:

  • Explain and discuss the above topics.
  • Analyse reactions on the basis of physical organic chemistry.

See Absalon

Basic competencies in physical chemistry, quantum chemistry, inorganic chemistry are necessary as well as intermediate competencies in organic chemistry and organic synthesis (equivalent to NKEB21000U Grundlæggende organisk kemi (KemiOrg), NKEB10007U Organisk kemisk syntese (OrgSyn), and NKEB23001U Videregående organisk syntese (VidOS)).

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
The teaching is divided into lectures by the teacher (and invited lecturers), student presentations of research papers and exercises (solved by the students at home – discussed on the class). Special topics and own experiences will be included when appropriate in the context
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 42
  • Preparation
  • 139
  • Theory exercises
  • 24,5
  • Exam
  • 0,5
  • Total
  • 206,0
Written
Oral
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 20 minutes (no preparation time)
Examination prerequisites

Submission and approval of all weekly assignments, 7 in total

Aid
No aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners
Re-exam

Same as the ordinary exam.

 

All non-approved weekly assignments must be submitted no later than 3 weeks before the re-examination, and approved no later than 2 weeks before the re-examination.

Criteria for exam assesment

Adequate and profound presentation and explanation of the topics in the written and oral examination will result in the grade 12. Basic understanding of the topics and the ability to explain them in the context of presented problems is sufficient for passing the course.