Chemistry Outline

Chemistry Outline

Course Title: Foundations of Chemistry: Inorganic, Organic, and Biochemistry

Course Description: This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental principles of chemistry, spanning the breadth of inorganic, organic, and biochemistry. We will explore the structures, properties, and reactions of matter, with a focus on understanding how these concepts apply to different classes of compounds and their roles in biological systems.

Prerequisites: High school chemistry or equivalent.

Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

    Understand the basic principles of atomic structure, bonding, and molecular geometry.

    Describe the characteristic properties and reactions of inorganic, organic, and biochemical compounds.

    Explain the relationship between structure and function in molecules.

    Apply chemical principles to solve problems and predict the outcomes of reactions.

    Appreciate the importance of chemistry in everyday life and in various scientific disciplines.

Course Outline:

Module 1: Introduction to Chemistry

    1.1 Matter and Energy: States of matter, physical and chemical changes, energy transformations.   

    1.2 Atomic Structure: Protons, neutrons, electrons, isotopes, atomic orbitals, electron configurations.

    1.3 Periodic Table: Periodic trends, electronegativity, ionization energy, electron affinity.

    1.4 Chemical Bonding: Ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds, Lewis structures, molecular geometry, polarity.

Module 2: Inorganic Chemistry

    2.1 Main Group Elements: Trends in reactivity, common compounds and their applications (e.g., alkali metals, halogens, noble gases).

        2.1.1 s-Block Elements: Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metals   

        2.1.2 p-Block Elements: Boron Group to Halogens

        2.1.3 The Noble Gases

    2.2 Transition Metals: Coordination compounds, ligands, crystal field theory, applications in catalysis and materials science.

        2.2.1 d-Block Elements: Transition Metals

        2.2.2 Coordination Complexes and Ligands

        2.2.3 Applications of Transition Metals

    2.3 Acids and Bases: Arrhenius, Brønsted-Lowry, and Lewis definitions, pH, buffers, titrations.

        2.3.1 Acid-Base Theories

        2.3.2 pH and pOH Calculations

        2.3.3 Buffers and Titration Curves

    2.4 Redox Reactions: Oxidation states, balancing redox equations, electrochemical cells.

        2.4.1 Oxidation and Reduction

        2.4.2 Balancing Redox Reactions

        2.4.3 Electrochemical Cells and Applications

Module 3: Organic Chemistry

    3.1 Hydrocarbons: Alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, cyclic hydrocarbons, nomenclature, isomerism, reactions (e.g., combustion, addition, substitution).

        3.1.1 Alkanes: Saturated Hydrocarbons   

        3.1.2 Alkenes and Alkynes: Unsaturated Hydrocarbons

        3.1.3 Cyclic Hydrocarbons

    3.2 Functional Groups: Alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, amines, amides, structure and reactivity.

        3.2.1 Oxygen-Containing Functional Groups

        3.2.2 Nitrogen-Containing Functional Groups

    3.3 Stereochemistry: Chirality, enantiomers, diastereomers, optical activity.

        3.3.1 Isomers and Chirality

        3.3.2 Enantiomers and Diastereomers

        3.3.3 Optical Activity

    3.4 Spectroscopy: NMR, IR, and mass spectrometry, interpreting spectra to determine structure.

        3.4.1 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy

        3.4.2 Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy

        3.4.3 Mass Spectrometry

Module 4: Biochemistry

    4.1 Biological Molecules: Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, structure and function.

        4.1.1 Carbohydrates: Sugars and Polysaccharides

        4.1.2 Lipids: Fats, Phospholipids, and Steroids

        4.1.3 Proteins: Amino Acids and Polypeptides

        4.1.4 Nucleic Acids: DNA and RNA

    4.2 Enzymes: Catalysis, enzyme kinetics, mechanisms of enzyme action.

        4.2.1 Enzyme Structure and Function

        4.2.2 Enzyme Kinetics and Inhibition

    4.3 Metabolism: Metabolic pathways, energy production, catabolism and anabolism.

        4.3.1 Cellular Respiration and ATP Production

        4.3.2 Photosynthesis

        4.3.3 Metabolic Pathways and Regulation

Assessment:

    Homework assignments (problem sets)

    Quizzes

    Midterm exam

    Final exam

    Laboratory experiments (if applicable)

Recommended Texts:

    General Chemistry: Any standard general chemistry textbook (e.g., OpenStax Chemistry, Tro's Chemistry)

    Organic Chemistry: Paula Yurkanis Bruice, "Organic Chemistry"

    Biochemistry: Jeremy M. Berg, John L. Tymoczko, and Lubert Stryer, "Biochemistry"

This course outline provides a framework for a comprehensive introduction to chemistry. The specific topics and depth of coverage can be adjusted based on the level and interests of the students and the available time.