3 ECTS credits
90 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1015659BNR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.

Semester
2nd semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Enrollment Requirements
Due to specific risks and security issues, students must have successfully passed ‘Organic Chemistry: Structural Aspects' and 'Organic Chemistry: Reactivity' before they can enroll for ‘Organic Chemistry: Methods of Synthesis’.
Taught in
English
Faculty
Faculty of Science and Bio-engineering Sciences
Department
Chemistry
Educational team
Steven Ballet (course titular)
Guido VERNIEST
Activities and contact hours
26 contact hours Lecture
26 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
Course Content

The next chapters are discussed during the lectures:

Retrosynthesis I: basic concepts
Retrosynthesis II; chemoselectivity and protecting groups
Retrosynthesis III: regioselectivity
Retrosynthesis VI: C-C disconnections
Aldol reactions - enols and enolates
Synthesis and reactions of beta-dicarbonyls
Enolates, enamines and aza-enolates

Practical exercises

The first laboratory exercises consist of the separation, purification and identification of two or three unknown compounds in a mixture or start with a Grignard reaction. The following synthesis subjects vary from year to year, depending on the supervisor. Examples are:  a malonate synthesis (beta-methylphenylalanine), a phase transfer-catalyzed alkylation of (diphenylmethylene)glycine ethyl ester, an oxidation reaction (indene to 2-indanone, followed by a Strecker-type synthesis (2-aminoindane-2-carboxylic acid).

Course material
Handbook (Recommended) : Organic Chemistry, Clayden, Greeves, Warren and Wothers, 2de, Oxford University Press, 9780199270293, 2012
Handbook (Recommended) : Spectrometric identification of organic compounds, R.M. Silverstein and F.X. Webster, 6th Ed, Wiley, 9780470616376, 2014
Handbook (Recommended) : Reactions and syntheses in the organic chemistry laboratory, L.F. Tietze and Th. Eicher, 2de, University Science Books, 9783527338146, 2015
Handbook (Recommended) : Vogel's textbook of practical organic chemistry, Vogel, 3rd Ed, Longman, 9780582462366, 1996
Handbook (Recommended) : Techniques and experiments for organic chemistry, Addison Ault, 3rd ed, Allyn and Bacon Inc, 9780935702767, 1998
Course text (Required) : Organic chemistry: methods of synthesis, Powerpoint presentations, personal lecture notes and course (Dienst uitagven VUB), Verniest, VUB, 2220170007328, 2020
Additional info

Laboratory exercises: In an introductory session the basic concepts of industrial toxicology and lab safety are taught. Additionally, some elemental techniques are shown (glassware, reflux setup, distillation, extraction, filtration, evaporation, crystallisation, cleaning)


Because this course is an English course in a Dutch curriculum, measures for language support (equivalent to 6 hours of lecture) are foreseen.

The laboratory exercises are compulsory. 

Learning Outcomes

Algemene competenties

This course introduces the student to the methodology of designing organic synthesis pathways via retrosynthesis, and brings further knowledge of important synthetic reactions. 

This is situated within the bachelor target: to introduce the student in a main area in chemistry.

The laboratory exercises aims at the practical application of the theoretical part of the course. 

The learning targets are threefold:

  • learning the techniques of isolation (extraction) and purification (crystallization, distillation) and of the characterization of unknown compounds by spectroscopic techniques. 
  • to learn the techniques for performing typical organic reactions.
  • to learn and to implement safety aspects associated with experimental organic chemistry is a continuous concern in these sessions.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 80% of the final mark.
Written Exam determines 20% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • oral exam with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 80% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • written exam with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 20% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Oral exam with written preparation on theoretical aspects

A retrosynthetic and additional exercise constitute the written exam.

The final score is composed as follows: Score Theory x4 + score Lab practical x1. 
 

For the evaluation of the practicals, the following categories and attitudes are quoted: reports, answer to questions during the exercises, preparation, performance in the laboratory, including correct experimental setup, cleanliness and organisation. Students who are illegitimately absent cannot retake the practical exercises and are quoted pro rata the amount of missed exercises. Students who were illegitimately absent on two practical sessions are excluded from the exam. There is no possibility to redo the practical exercises in the 2nd examination session (August/September). 

 
Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Chemistry: Default track (only offered in Dutch)