Chemistry with a Professional Placement - BSc (Hons)

This module introduces and revises the basic concepts of chemistry that underpin our understanding of the stability of matter. This starts with introducing atomic and molecular structure, with a focus on understanding the electronics of bonding in the molecular compounds around us. You will then study the laws governing the behavior of gases and origins of other interactions that hold solids and liquids together, alongside describing some of their basic properties such as conductivity, viscosity, and the way in which ions behave in solution. In the final aspect of this module we cover the critical role thermodynamics plays in determining the stability of matter, including the fundamental laws of thermodynamics and the importance of equilibrium in reversible reactions.

Find out more about CH308

This module reintroduces the basic concepts of organic chemistry that are vital in understanding pharmaceutical and biological substances. You will study the basics of the chemistry of carbon, the element critical to underpinning life, including its basic building blocks and functional groups. We also cover the mechanisms by which basic organic reactions including elimination, substitution and oxidation processes occur. This module concludes with studying aromatic compounds and chirality, which crucially influence how organic molecules interact within living systems.

Find out more about CH309

Chemistry in context

Using an organic chemistry perspective, you will study the fundamentals of biochemistry, the chemistry of life, including enzyme reactions, protein chemistry, DNA, lipids and carbohydrates. These topics are underpinned by the role chemical phenomena such as thermodynamics and intermolecular interactions play in a biological context. We then explore the nature and discovery of drugs, how they work, and the potential effects of their misuse.

Find out more about CH314

Chemistry in context:

In this module, you will study particular cases in which disasters occur (for example, explosions, volcanic eruptions, exposure to chemical warfare agents and accidents in the chemical industry), either as a result of human participation or in the natural course of events. We will explore how science, and in particular chemistry, is integral to the understanding and mitigation of such events. You will then focus on an aspect particular disaster and give a short oral presentation on it alongside a written report and press release. Note: this module constitutes the writing component required by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Find out more about CH315

Introduction to the concept of programming languages, and to Fortran 90 in particular.

Introduction to the UNIX operating system: including text editors, the directory system, basic utilities, the edit-compile-run cycle.

Introduction to Fortran 90, including the use of variables, constants, arrays and the different Fortran data types; iteration (do-loops) and conditional branching (if statements).

Modular design: subroutines and functions, the intrinsic functions.

Simple input/output, such as the use of format statements for reading and writing, File handling, including the Fortran open and close statements, practical read/write of data files. The handling of character variables.

Programming to solve physical/chemistry problems.

Find out more about CH316

This module will introduce you to core scientific chemical concepts including chemical equations and stoichiometry, kinetics and activation energies for reactions in solutions and acid and base chemistry. You will learn the theoretical background and terminology needed to understand these core concepts, along with the mathematical skills required by a practicing chemist. Hands-on laboratory experimentation is a key component of this module, teaching you the basic methodology used for understanding the physical chemistry of reactions, with a particular focus on their kinetics and thermodynamics. As part of this you will be taught how to effectively use fundamental laboratory equipment and instrumentation (Lab component).

Find out more about CH320

In this module you will be introduced to the key concept of periodicity and how, through a deeper knowledge of the periodic table, chemists are able to understand and predict the chemical properties, reactivity and compounds formed by the elements. You will also be introduced to redox chemistry, which plays a key role in the reactivity of the elements and the forms in which they are found.

This module also has a significant focus on experimental chemistry. You will therefore complete a set of laboratory practicals, enabling you to develop the laboratory skills and knowledge to work safely in an experimental environment and carry out fundamental organic and analytical chemistry procedures, including basic spectroscopy. This will be supplemented by teaching you the essentials of laboratory safety awareness and the skills needed to write scientific reports, including ways to clearly present data arising from experiments. To enable you to achieve this you will learn, through examples of physical science applications, the basic mathematics required to understand, plot and analyse graphical information, including differentiation and integration. This will be supported by lessons in how to use simple computer programs for drawing molecular and crystal structures and carry out basic calculations on the energy levels of chemical systems (Lab component.)

Find out more about CH382

Trace Analysis:

Trace analysis: definitions, methods and problems. Sampling, storage and contamination. Quality control. Random and systematic errors; statistical treatment of data. Accuracy and precision. Signal/noise ratio. Sensitivity and detection limits. Choice of methods for trace analysis.

Units, dimensions, exponentials and logarithms:

Decimal places and significant figures. Units and dimensions: SI units, dimensional analysis. Manipulation of exponentials and logarithms. Power laws. Exponential decay and half-life. Beer-Lambert law, Arrhenius equation, Boltzmann distribution, Gaussian functions.

Chemical Arithmetic:

Balancing chemical equations. Amount of substance, molar quantities, concentration and volumetric calculations, gravimetric analysis, gas pressures and volumes.

Equilibrium calculations, strong and weak electrolytes. pH, acid-base equilibria, buffer solutions. Solubility. Chemical kinetics: reaction rates, rate constants and orders of reaction.

Probability and Statistics:

Elementary probability, probability spaces, Venn diagrams, independence, mutual exclusion, expectation. Quantitative treatment of the effect of evidence: Bayes’ Theorem and conditional probability Samples and populations, mean, standard deviation, moments, standard error. Probability distributions: binomial, normal, poisson. Limiting cases. Use of normal tables. Significance testing and confidence limits. Hypothesis testing. The chi-squared test. A brief look at probability-based arguments used by expert witnesses, recent controversies and challenged convictions. Regression and correlation

Laboratory work:

Analysis of alkaloids by HPLC

Accelerant analysis by gas chromatography

Analysis of metal cartridge cases and counterfeit coins using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Determination of copper by atomic absorption spectroscopy

Quantifying substances in a mixture using UV-visible spectroscopy

Isolation & purification of caffeine from tea leaves

Find out more about PS512

You will study organic reactions and materials encountered in organic chemistry in depth. In particular, you will look at the organic chemistry of functional groups such as alcohols, ethers, carbonyl, amines and alkyl halides. You will also look at carbon-carbon forming reactions and strategies for synthesising target molecules. (Lab component.)

Find out more about CH504

You will develop an understanding of the theory and application of techniques for chemical identification. You will study symmetry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gas chromatography (GC), mass spectrometry (GCMS), infrared and Raman spectroscopy, spectrophotometry/fluorimetry, basic diffraction methods and electron spin resonance.

Find out more about CH506

Chemistry in context

Plastics, Liquid Crystals and Organic LEDs are ubiquitous in everyday life; your smartphone, tablet or television screen is likely an Organic LED. Here, the chemistry of these common materials is explored. Specifically, the structure and nomenclature of organic and inorganic macromolecules are covered, as well as polymer syntheses. The physical, chemical and mechanical properties of polymers, liquid crystals and light emitting materials are dissected and device structure of organic LEDs is deconvoluted.

(Lab component.)

Find out more about CH530

The speed (kinetics) and energetics (thermodynamics) of a reaction are of central importance in chemistry. Here, we use thermodynamics and kinetics to predict whether a particular reaction would take place and its likely product yield. We also cover equilibrium constants, electrochemical cells, colligative properties, including elevation and depression of melting and boiling points, zero, first, second and third order reaction kinetics and statistical thermodynamics. Experiments are included to help to cement understanding. (Lab component.)

Find out more about CH531

This module will deepen your understanding of the fascinating world of quantum mechanics and symmetry. We explore how this gives rise to quantisation and selection rules, and go on to apply this to spectroscopic methods to understand structure and bonding including: rotational (microwave) spectroscopy, vibrational (IR and Raman) spectroscopy and electronic transitions (UV-vis, PES). The lab course will give you hands on experience of some of these quite abstract concepts, and will allow you to apply your spectroscopic skills to real chemical problems. (Lab component.)

Find out more about CH532

The arrangement of atoms and defects in a solid governs its properties. Here, we cover the crystal structures and phase diagrams of solid materials. Bonding in solids is discussed, including metallic, ionic and molecular crystals, band theory, defects and non-stoichiometry. You will be introduced to the synthesis, properties and applications of a wide range of materials and their solid state reactions. Applications covered include catalysis, energy materials such as fuel-cells and Li-ion batteries, superconductivity and semiconductors and nanomedicine. (Lab component.)

Find out more about CH533

Here, you will explore the chemistry of the d- and f-block elements, including their electronic and colour properties as well as their magnetic behaviour, both in lectures and workshops and also practically through a lab component. Environmental chemistry is of growing importance and this module will also equip you to understand environmental concerns such as toxicity, bioavailability and environmental mobility. (Lab component.)

Find out more about CH534

Students spend a year (minimum 9 months) working in an industrial or commercial setting, applying and enhancing the skills and techniques they have developed and studied in the earlier stages of their degree programme. The work they do is entirely under the direction of their industrial supervisor, but support is provided via a dedicated Placement Support Officer within the School. This support includes ensuring that the work they are being expected to do is such that they can meet the learning outcomes of the module.

Find out more about PS591

Students spend a year (minimum 9 months) working in an industrial or commercial setting, applying and enhancing the skills and techniques they have developed and studied in the earlier stages of their degree programme.

The report required for this module should provide evidence of the subject specific and generic learning outcomes, and of reflection by the student on them as an independent learner.

Find out more about PS592

Chemists and physicists are now playing an important role in the growing field of materials research. More recently, there has been a growing interest, driven by technological needs, in materials with specific functions and this requires a combination of physics and chemistry. For example, new materials are needed for the optics and electronics industry (glasses and semiconductors). The aim of this module is to introduce students to this area of modern materials and associated techniques. Examples of the topics that might typically be covered are: Crystals and crystallography; Molecular materials; Glasses; Magnetism and Magnetic Materials; Multiferroics; X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS).

Find out more about PS604

Here, you will be introduced to a variety of modern techniques used to understand the structure, properties and potential applications of materials. Analytical techniques include: atomic emission/absorption spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), ion chromatography, mass spectrometry and gas chromatography (GCMS), electro-analytical chemistry, optical microscopy, electron microscopy.

Find out more about CH604

Here, you will undertake a lab-based research project. You will choose one of three areas: Computational Chemistry, Solid-State Chemistry or Synthetic (Organic) Chemistry. You will then independently plan and execute your experiments or simulations (computational chemistry) with guidance from an academic supervisor. The module provides framework research training.

Find out more about CH620

‘Nanoscience will sculpt the scientific landscape of the 21st century.’ Here, you will be exposed to the synthesis of nanomaterials spanning nanoparticles, nanorods and porous architectures. You will learn how to control their shape, size, functionalisation and stabilisation. Solid-state reactions are introduced as well as high-pressure synthesis to prepare novel materials. The wealth of applications and potential applications of nanomaterials will be covered spanning: catalysis and quantum dots to nanomedicine. You will also synthesise nanomaterials in our chemistry laboratory. (Lab component.)

Find out more about CH622

The nature of chemical bonding changes as you move across and down the periodic table. In this module, you will study how and why this bonding changes and how we can use our understanding of this to understand the structure and reactivity of many classes of compounds. This is coupled to advanced analytical techniques for probing these often complex and flexible structures. The concepts developed then feed into the reactivities underpinning modern Organometallic catalysis, moving from pure fundamentals to application and showing how they let us understand the cutting edge of modern research and industrial syntheses.

Find out more about CH623

A key component to chemical education is the exposure to more advanced aspects of chirality, and chemical transformations towards the synthesis of simple targets. Concepts relating to the synthesis of natural and unnatural target molecules through organic chemical transformations are essential to the students’ chemical repertoire. In-depth exposure to chirality, exposure to asymmetric chemical transformations, carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions, and their application in targeted small molecule synthesis will be covered.

Find out more about CH624

The module lectures will cover the following topics:

• Historical methods

• DNA sample collection, processing and storage

• DNA theory

• DNA databases and statistical interpretation

• Quality Assurance, management and control

• Legal aspects

• Forensic case studies

• Future trends

Find out more about PS637

Physics and chemistry of fires and explosions:

Fire and arson – occurrence and importance. Combustion – definitions. Thermodynamics and enthalpy. Flammability limits, flash point, fire point, ignition temperature. Pyrolysis of wood and plastics. Fuels and accelerants. Propagation and spread of fires. Sampling and laboratory analysis of fire scene residues.

Explosions – definitions. Vapour phase and condensed phase explosions. Detonation and deflagration. High and low explosives. Primary and secondary high explosives. Molecular design of explosives. Survey of important explosives. Stoichiometry, oxygen balance, gas volumes, thermodynamics and enthalpy. Sampling and laboratory analysis of explosives residues. Preventative detection of explosives in contexts such as airports.

Fires:

Fire dynamics. Propagation and spread of fires – flames, fire types, flashover. Fire investigation. Forensic Science Service procedures at the scene. Damage observation and assessment. Fire and smoke patterns. Sources of ignition. Injuries and fatalities. Evidence recovery: sampling and laboratory analysis. Establishing the origin : the seat of the fire. Finding the cause: natural, accidental, negligent or deliberate? Indicators of arson. Evidence procedures. Case studies.

Explosions:

Control of the explosion scene and procedures for recovery of evidence. Damage observation and assessment. The work of the Forensic Explosives Laboratory. Identification of explosives: organics and inorganics. Bulk analysis. Trace analysis of explosives: recovery, extraction and analysis of samples. Physical evidence: detonators. Preventative detection. Precursor identification. Explosives evidence in court: legal definitions and procedures. Terrorism. Case studies.

Find out more about PS601