Catalysis, Bioinorganic and Supramolecular Chemistry
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| CHEM3063 | Chemistry | 3 | 20 | Full Year UK |
- Code
- CHEM3063
- School
- Chemistry
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Full Year UK
Summary
Transition metal chemistry. The physical methods used to study the geometric and electronic structure of transition metal centres. Metalloproteins involved in dioxygen transport, electron transfer, photosynthesis, reactions in the oxygen cycle and dinitrogen fixation. The chemistry of small molecule analogues of the active sites of metalloproteins. Supramolecular chemistry of metal-organic complexes containing multiple metal centres. The construction of metal-organic complexes such as helicates, grids, cages, knots, rotaxanes and catenanes and their application for guest binding and as the basis for molecular machines. The synthesis and characterisation of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).
This module increases the student's knowledge and understanding of:
(a) heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis 
(b) catalyst promotion and the concept of catalytic cycles.
The physical basis of the structure-property relationships of heterogeneous catalysts is explained and the link between various organo-transition metal complexes and homogenous catalysis is explored. Comparisons between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis are highlighted. A review of the 18- and 16- electron rules and fundamental metal-centred bond-forming and bond-breaking reactions is undertaken and applied to several catalytic cycles. The influence of catalyst design in homogeneous catalysts, with respect to choice of metal ion and ligands, is discussed relating to product selectivity, in particular chirality. A qualitative appreciation of scale up for industrial application
Target Students
BSc/MSci Chemistry OR Medicinal and Biological Chemistry OR Chemistry and Molecular Physics OR Natural Sciences AND for Level 3 students.Available to Exchange Students subject to approval by Module Convenor.
Classes
- One 1-hour workshop each week for 2 weeks
- One 1-hour tutorial each week for 4 weeks
- Two 1-hour lectures each week for 20 weeks
Assessment
- 100% Exam 1 (3-hour): Second re-assessment: If a further re-assessment is allowed by satisfying the conditions of Undergraduate Course Regulation 19, the form of the further re-assessment for this module will be 100% coursework.
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
Students should understand coordination chemistry in the context of macrocyclic, supramolecular and bioinorganic chemistry. Students should gain an appreciation of the importance of metals in biological systems, and be able to explain the relationship between the structure of the active centres of metallo-proteins and enzymes and their biological functions. Students should also understand the role that metal centres play in controlling the structure and function of both discrete supramolecular systems and metal-organic frameworks.This module aims to provide a framework for understanding the action of heterogeneous catalysts in terms of adsorption/desorption processes and for understanding catalyst promotion in terms of chemical and structural phenomenon and also describes a wide variety of homogeneous catalytic processes based on organo-transition metal chemistry.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding. At the end of this module the student should be able to:
1. Recognise the roles of metalloproteins and metalloenzymes in controlling key biological processes.
2. Apply key concepts in transition metal chemistry to the properties of the active sites of metalloenzymes.
3. Discuss the physical methods that can be used to probe the geometric and electronic structures of transition metal centres in proteins.
4. Assess the structure-function relationships that control the reactivity and catalysis achieved by the metal centres involved in dioxygen transport, electron transfer, photosynthesis, reactions in the oxygen cycle and nitrogen fixation.
5. Relate the chemical properties of complexes incorporated into supramolecular systems, metal organic frameworks, metalloproteins and metalloenzymes to the electronic structure of the metal centre.
6. Understand the role that transition metal centres can play in the rational design and chemistry of supramolecular assemblies, and metal organic frameworks.
7. Appreciate the different experimental techniques that can be employed to characterise these systems and the information that can be determined by each technique.
Intellectual Skills; Apply the above knowledge and understanding to a range of inorganic complexes relevant in biological and supramolecular chemistry. Transferable/ Key Skills; Written communication skills.
The physical basis of chemisorption and physisorption, describe catalytic activity and selectivity based on the chemisorption properties of metal catalysts, relate kinetics of catalysed reactions to proposed mechanisms using the Langmuir isotherm, describe the structural features of various heterogeneous catalysts, understand the action of electronic and structural catalyst promoters and be able to relate the above principles and phenomena to case studies of (i) methanol synthesis (ii) ammonia synthesis; our understanding of how the variety in the nature of an organo-transition metal complex can influence the steps in a homogeneous catalytic cycle, appreciate the importance of selectivity in catalysis, be able to describe homogeneous catalytic cycles (such as alkene hydrogenation and oxidation, carbonylation reactions (Monsanto Process), alkene oligomerisation (SHOP) and polymerisation (Ziegler Natta), discuss considerations for scaling up a process for industrial application.
Intellectual Skills: Application of the above to a variety of real-life catalytic processes. Transferable/Key Skills: Problem-solving, written communication skills.