Substances and compounds. Chemical formulae. The mole. Atomic structure, aufbau, periodicals properties of elements. Covalent bond. VSEPR. Ionic bond. Van der Waals’s interactions. H bond. Metallic bond. Coordination bond. Oxidation state.Phase transitions. Thermochemistry. Solutions. Dispersions. Chemical equilibrium. Chemical kinetics. pH, autoprotolysis, buffers,. Complexation. Solubility product.Redox systems. Periods, groups and elements in the periodic table. Binary and ternary compounds
1.Bertini I., Luchinat C, Mani F. “Chimica”, C.E.A.Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, 2004
2.Bertini I., Mani F.; "STECHIOMETRIA. Un avvio allo studio della chimica"; CEA - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana;1998
Recommended textbooks:
3.Updated and free bibliographic material that the Teacher distributes during the Course
4.Atkins P., Jones L.; Chimica Generale; Zanichelli
5.Alessandri S. “Sintesi e discussioni su temi di Cimica Gnerale” Firenze University Press 2006
Required instruments:
6. Pocket Scientific Calculator
(1, 2, 4 and 5 can be lent from The Domiciliary Book Lending Service at the Faculty's Library)
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired:
Basic knowledge and know-how to understand chemical phenomena
Competence acquired (at the end of the course):
Basic competence related with chemical phenomena
Skills acquired (at the end of the course):
Recognising, understanding, exploiting, chemical phenomena; preparation of simple solutions and mixtures; interpretation of simple analytic results
Prerequisites
General requirements:
Full mastering of the Italian Language, written and spoken;
Knowledge of fundamentals in Mathematics and Physics;
Operational knowledge of the scientific calculations, including powers, logarithms and scientific notation
Courses to be used as requirements (required and/or recommended)
Required Courses :Mathematics, Physics, even if attended in the same period
Teaching Methods
Total hours of the course (including the time spent in attending lectures, seminars, private study, examinations, etc...): 225
Hours reserved to private study and other individual formative activities: 144
Contact hours for Lectures: 51
Contact hours for Laboratory and Stoichiometrics: 12
Contact hours for Stoichiometrics practice, Laboratory practice, field practice: 18
Seminars (hours): 9
Intermediate examinations: 6
Type of Assessment
Exam modality: written and oral examination
Course program
THEORETICAL MODELS 1
1. System, surroundings, univers. The matter, aggregation states, phases.
Atomic model of matter, electronic model of atom. The matter is discontinuous and quantized.
Mixtures (homogeneous, heterogeneous, gaseous). Pure substances (definite and constant composition within a certain range of conditions). Compounds. Elements. Definite proportions law, Multiple proportion law.
2. The International System. Mass, volume, quantity of substance, concentration, density. Measuring Unity. Molar mass, molar volume
MODEL SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS 1
3. A model system: H2O + CO2. Reactants products, chemical reactions, chemical equation, direct and inverse process. Reaction Quotient, equilibrium constant, dynamic equilibrium, simultaneous equilibria. H2CO3. First and following dissociations. Acidic constant.
4. Henry’s law. Gas solubility. The case of CO2 in the system under study
5. Acids and bases according to Arrhenius. pH. Indicators. System CO2+ H2O + CH2COOH. System CO2+ H2O + NaHCO3.
6. Autoprotolysis and the ionic product of water. Trend of pH scale. Acids and bases according to Bronsted e Lawry.
7. System CO2 + H2O + OH-. Basic constant.
8. System Ca2+ + CO32-. Product of Solubility.
9. Simultaneous equilibria in the model triphasic system: CO2(gas)/H2O(l)/CaCO3(s) in acidic, basic, neutral environment.
10. The system atmosphere + hydrosphere + solid carbonates, with reference to the model system under study and the chemistry of inorganic carbon. Influence of atmospheric CO2 on living marine organisms.
THEORETICAL MODELS 2
11. The atom: dimensions, mass, mass distribution, structure. Protons, neutrons, electrons. Atomic Number, mass number, conventions:
mass number Asymbolelectric charge.
Isotopes, relationship between number of protons and number of neutrons in stable nuclides, relationship between atomic mass number and actual atomic mass. The mass defect, the mass–energy equivalence (E=mc2), isotopic natural mixtures. Averaged molar atomic mass, atomic mass unity.
12. Electromagnetic radiation, quantization of energy and Particle-Wave Dualism frequency (wave length) and energy. Atomic and molecular spectra. Emission and adsorbance. Photo-electric effect. The harmonic oscillator. Stationary waves. Harmonics. Fundamental state. Wave functions, quantization, quantic numbers, atomic orbitals. Energy and geometry: dimension, shape, orientation. Spin.
13. Poly-electronic atoms, principle of minimal energy, Pauli’s exclusion principle, Hund’s rule, aufbau. Variation of orbital energy with Z, filling order, electronic configurations. The periodic system. The filling and half-filling of a level as stability criteria of the electronic configuration (noble gases, Cr, Mn).
14. Composition of universe, of the earth crust, of dry air, of sea water, of human body. Position within the periodic system of the related elements.
15. The energies of ionization, the electronic affinity, the electronegativity scales, the atomic and ionic dimensions within the periodic system framework. The external level fullfillmente as first criterion of ionic stability. Octet rule.
16. Electronic model of chemical bond. The electronic pair bond. Atomic and molecular binding orbitals (sigma and pi). Non binding orbitals, non-binding pairs. Hybrid orbitals sp, sp2, sp3.
17. The VSEPR model by Sidgwick and Powell, geometries (and hybridizations) from 2 to 8 pairs. Beyond the octet rule. The binding order. The formal charge, the delocalisation of pi-electrons, the limit structures. Meanings and limitations of the concept of resonance. The disposition of non-binding pairs. Hypervalence.
18. VSEPR. Example compounds:
19. The molecular orbital theory, binding orbitals, antibinding orbitals, non-binding orbitals, aufbau of H2, impossibility of He2.
20. The metallic binding as limit of electron delocalization. The metallic character as periodic property.
21. The polarization of bonds and of molecules. Polarization and electronegativity. The ionic bond as limit of polarization. The reticular energy and the Madelung’s constant. The oxidation state as approximated estimation of the polarization (all bonds are considered as ionic). The oxidation number. Periodic trend of the oxidation number. The Hydrogen bond. The Three-center two-electron bond. he cohordination bond.
MODEL SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS 2
22. Gas solubility, temperature and water hardness, referred to the systems under study and to technological applications.
23. La calcination and carbonate erosion.
24. (Recall of the major physical base and derived quantities and units). The energetic balance of processes. Entalpy, Entropy, Free Gibbs ‘ Energy, relationship with the reaction quotient and the equilibrium constant. Where the processes are directed to. Implications for the systems under study. Energetic balance of the mixing of two gases. Energetic balance of the solubilization of a gas. The peculiarity of CO2. Energetic balance of the solubilization of a ionic solid compound in H2O. Chemical bond and energy.
25. The speed of a reaction. Relationship with temperature. Implications for the systems under study. Effective collisions, activation energy, catalysis.
THEORETICAL MODELS 3
26. The gaseous state, PV = nRT. P = (n/V)RT. P/RT = n/V = molarity. Avogadro’s law. Dalton’s law, PTOT = PA + PB;, PA = nART/V, PB = nBRT/V. Kinetic theory, Ecin = (3/2)kT; k = R/NA. Real gases.
27. The liquid state, the amorphous state. Viscosity, surface tension. Cohesion, adhesion, capillarity, cavitation. Polar molecular liquids with/without H-bonds, non-polar molecular liquids, (metallic liquids, ionic liquids).
28. The solid state, the packing models. Ionic solids, molecular solids, solids with H-bonds, covalent solids, metallic solids.
29. Standard conditions and standard state, reference state and allotropes. Periodic trends of different bonds in pure elements and in their binary compounds with H, O, halogens, and their ternary compounds with H and O.
30. Phase transitions and phase diagrams. Triple point, critical point, supercritical fluid, superfluid He. Phase changes and bonds. Melting and boiling temperature and the periodic table. Saturated vapor pressure. Heating curve. Freezing curve.
31. Solutions. Processes, thermodynamics, equilibria solubility. Similia similibus solvuntur, solubility of ionic solids, solubility of molecular solids and liquids, insolubility of covalent solids. Solubility of metalls, alloys. Dispersions, suspensions, emulsions, foams, smokes, fogs colloids, flocculation, sols, gel.
32. Vapor pressure of solutions, the Vapor pressure components, Raoult’s law. Crysocopic lowering and ebullioscopic elevation. Osmotic pressure. Eutectic and azeotropic mixtures.
33. Acids and bases according to Lewis. Strong and weak acids and bases. Mono- and poly-functional acids and bases. Mixtures. Solvent leveling effect. Acid/base properties of elements and compounds within the framework of the periodic system.
34. Electrochemical systems, Redox reactions and equilibria. The separation of semireactions, the Daniell's battery. Inert electrodes, reference electrode, standard reduction potential, standard reaction potential. Relationship between standard reaction potential and Gibbs’ free standard energy. The case of substances showing many oxidation states. Redox properties of elements and compounds within the framework of the periodic system.
MODEL SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS 3
35. The periodic table and its zones: s, p, d, f. For each group, period and element of the periodic table: electronic configuration, natural state, abundance in nature, in the agroecosystem, in the biological systems; standard state, allotropes; electronegativity, oxidation states.
For each group, period and element of the periodic table: binary compounds with H, O, halogens; ternary compounds with H and O, especially carbonates, silicates, nitrates, phosphates, sulfates. For each substance: structure, kind of chemical bonds, polarity, formal charge and oxidation state of each single element, standard state.
For each element and its compounds: acid/base properties, redox properties, solubility; reactivity especially with water and the components of air, pure and polluted. Environmental and biological relevance, especially for humankind and plants. Technological and economic relevance especially in agricultural science and management.
36. Fundamental species
37. Fundamental processes