Corso di laurea in Chimica e Tecnologie Chimiche

Mathematics
Physics
General and inorganic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Physical Chemistry

The course is not preparatory to future course

The course provides foundations on intermolecular interactions and phenomenological chemical kinetics with some hints on transport phenomena based on allotted time.

A: KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The acquisition of the classroom lectures should lead to knowledge and understanding of the following two topics:
1) intermolecular interactions from both a structural and energetic point of view.
2) basic concepts of chemical kinetics and chemical reactivity

B: ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
ability to solve exercises relating to the topics whose contents have been acquired under A.
ability to interpret data derived from experimental observations within a theoretical framework consistent with the topics developed under A.

C: AUTONOMY OF JUDGEMENT
Critically evaluate the results of calculations and experiments and determine their acceptability on the basis of the chemical/physical knowledge acquired

D: COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Mastery in the use of specialised chemistry-physics vocabulary and ability to expound effectively and linearly the key concepts of teaching

Intermolecular interactions. Short and long range interactions. Coulomb law. Ion-ion interactions. Madelung constant in ionic systems. Electric dipole. Ion-dipole interaction. Idration radius. Permanent dipole-dipole interactions. Keesom interactions. Free energy of interactions. Electric multipoles and their interactions. Induced dipole-dipole interactions. Atomic and molecular polarizabilities. Semiclassic treatment of London dispersive interactions. van der Waals solids and liquids. Total and repulsive interactions. The hydrogen bond. Role of dispersion forces in hydrogen bond adducts. Thermodynamic aspects of intermolecular interactions.
Trouton rule. Interactions strength in gas, liquids and solids. Crystalline, amorphous and polymeric materials. Material properties derived from atomic features. Hours: 12
Introduction to chemical kinetics. Relationships between kinetics and
thermodynamics. Intuitive examples on the kinetic control of reactions.
Operational definition of reaction rate. Kinetics and stoichiometry.
Relationship between reaction rate and stoichiometric coefficients. Hours: 4 .
Empirical reaction order. Relationship between reaction order and
stoichiometric coefficients. Methods to determine the kinetic law.
Isolation method. Method of the initial angular coefficients. Hours: 4
Elementary reactions. Molecularity. Kinetic equations for elementary
reactions. Relationship between reaction order and molecularity. Hours: 4
Integrated kinetic laws. Zero order reactions. First order reaction. Second
order reaction. Comparison between first and second order reaction.
Experimental problems in determining the correct order. Reactions close
to equilibrium. Relationship between semireaction kinetic constants and
thermodynamic one. Hours: 4
Radioactive decay as first order process. Radiation dating. Consecutive
reactions. Exact analytical solution. Stage determining the reaction rate. Hours: 2
Stationary state approximation. Temperature and reaction rate.
Arrhenius law. Genralized Arrhenius law. Hours: 4
Pre-equilibrium reactions. Third-order reaction. Negative activation
energy. Techniques to study ultrafast reactions. Flux techniques.
Relaxation methods. Hours: 4
First order competitive reactions. Thermodynamic control. Kinetic control.
Unimolecular reactions. Lindelmann-Hinshelwood mechanism. Hours: 4
Kinetics at surfaces: adsorption. Physisorption, chemisorption. Langmuir
isotherm. BET isotherm. Hours: 4
Catalysis and surfaces. Molina's mechanism for the stratospheric ozone
distruction. Ice as a catalyst. Hours: 2
Isosteric adsorption enthalpy. Adsorption rate. Sticking probability.
Desorption rate. Hours: 2
Enzyme as a catalysts. Lineweaver-Burk equations. Reactions catalyzed
by enzymes. Detailed example of enzymatic reactions. Serine proteinase:
action mechanism. Enzymatic inhibition (competitive, acompetitive, noncompetitive).
Detail example of linearization. Hours: 4

Lectures will be conducted in-person. 

 The teaching is carried out through lectures illustrating all the mathematical details of the various chemical-physical concepts through the commentary on the file of the handouts provided to the students. This methodology of solving and setting problems allows the development of a method of studying the concepts of physical chemistry. During the course we will make use of videos on youtube on topics that are not easy to apply in practice, the link of which is provided in the section dedicated to teaching material. Some lessons are held dedicated to the correct use of Excel for the treatment of experimental data through linear regression.

Teaching material published on Campusnet:

• Communication with students: email for specific questions

Exams will be in the face-to-face mode.

Student examination  is carried out as a written test. It includes 8 questions related to important concepts explained in the lectures and numerical exercises. Simple numerical elaboration of experimental data is also required. This includes the ability to make a manual linear best fit to a set of experimental data. The exam will last 120 minutes.

The final score is the average of the score of each exercise (from 0 to 5 points), normalized to 30/30. The average is integrated by the evaluation (from -3 to+3 points) concerning clarity of the written style, proper and rigorous handling of numerical and measurement units in the exercises. The needed formal steps to arrive at a final formula are also required.
The teacher may evaluate a test as insufficient when serious flaws are found on basic important concepts (extensively explained during the lectures) despite the correctness of other points. The exam is passed if the final score is within the 18-30 range.  In case the student will get a score equal or higher than 18/30  but will not accept the vote the exam test should be repeated entirely in a new session and no reference at all to the previous score will be given.

 

The teaching material is availbale on the web site.

Reccommended textbook are:

P. Atkins e J. de Paula, Chimica Fisica (V edizione italiana), Zanichelli, 2012.
D. A. McQuarrie e J. D. Simon, Chimica Fisica - Un approccio molecolare, Zanichelli, 2000.
J.H. Noggle, Physical Chemistry, Third Edition, HarperCollins College
Publishers, 1996.
G.K. Vemulapalli, Chimica Fisica, EdiSes, 1995.

Books of exercises for all Physiacl Chemistry courses:

Esercizi di Chimica Fisica (2° edizione), Alberto Gambi, Zanichelli, 2022.

Esercizi di Chimica Fisica con elementi di teoria, Sante Capasso, Editore indipendente, 2022.

A number of website are provided. In general wikipedia is a good source
of information provided that the student will check carefully against more
official sources the correctness of the concepts.
Important Links:
http://www.nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=784
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2007/ertlslides.pdf
Enzyme catalysis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR38o2Ec8b0&feature=related
Oscillatory reactions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belousov%E2%80%93Zhabotinsky_reaction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I8bnMUv08U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JAqrRnKFHo
Logistic map
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mappa_logistica
Ammonia synthesy
http://www.webalice.it/claudio.casalino/files/ProcessiInd_2012_2.pdf
http://online.scuola.zanichelli.it/scopriamolachimicafiles/
Schede/Zanichelli_Bagatti_Scopriamo_Cap09_S_Ammoniaca.pdf
Stratosferic ozone destruction
http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/environmentbook/stratosphericozone.html
https://www.google.it/search?q=lacche+per+capelli+anni+60&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:it:official&client=firefoxa&channel=fflb

Students with DSA or disabilities are asked to read the University's support (https://www.unito.it/servizi/lo-studio/studenti-e-studentesse-con-disabilita) and reception (https://www.unito.it/accoglienza-studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa) procedures, and in particular the procedures required for exam support (https://www.unito.it/servizi/lo-studio/studenti-e-studentesse-con-disturbi-specifici-di-apprendimento-dsa/supporto).