Alan Shusterman

weekly schedule, alan@reed.edu, 503-517-7699, Rm. 408

time and location – MWF 10-10:50 AM, Rm. 301/203 (computer lab)

text – none, just handouts and web posts

attendance – required

Description

Chemistry 324 is a half-unit course in advanced organic chemistry. Chemistry 201 and 202 (or instructor’s consent) are prerequisites, which means 324 is normally taken by Reed College juniors and seniors majoring in chemistry.

The course emphasizes three areas:

  • Using molecular modeling to study critical species in chemical reactions
  • Learning to apply the standard theories of chemical reactivity (Woodward-Hoffmann, Fukui FMO, Dewar-Zimmerman) that chemists use in the description of pericyclic* reactions
  • Learning to read and understand the research literature

*A pericyclic reaction is one in which the transition state contains a cyclic array of forming and breaking bonds. Some of the pericyclic reactions covered in this class include cycloadditions (Diels-Alder, 3+2, “click”, photochemical 2+2), sigmatropic migrations (1,n-H) and rearrangements (Claisen, Ireland-Claisen, Cope, oxy-Cope, anion oxy-Cope), and electrocyclizations.

Chemistry 324 differs from Chemistry 343 (Adv. Synthetic Organic Chemistry) in that chemical reactions are studied from the physical side, rather than the synthetic. Instead of learning lists of reagents and experimental conditions, our focus is on thermodynamics, kinetics, isotope effects, reactivity models, and so on.

Assignments (2009)

See appropriate web page (or 324 Calendar) for distribution and due dates.

  • 8 journal articles to read and discuss in class (some written work may also be appended)
  • 8 homework sets
  • 2 take-home exams
  • 1 research project (includes written proposal and report, plus a private oral exam during Finals week)