Weekly Bulletin

WEEKLY BULLETIN

CHEM351 F2025

WORK IN PROGRESS
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THIS NEWSLETTER IS UPDATED ON FRIDAY EACH WEEK DURING THE SEMESTER WITH ITEMS THAT RELATE TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN CHEM351F25:

Here is a link to the big picture view of the semester as a whole : course calendar (remember that teaching is a dynamic process and sometimes things have to change!)

CHEM351F25 wk10, Nov 3-7 2025

CHEM351F25 MT was WED OCT 29th. Grading is now underway but with >750 students, a small grading team with other teaching commitments and a 351 deferred MT, we don't expect to have grading complete until after the semester break (Nov 10-14).

For those who missed the MT, see here CHEM351F25 MT absence / deferred application to report your absence (within 48 hrs) and apply for a deferred MT.
Remember that you are required to email supporting documentation to the course coordinator that is sufficient to allow for us to make an informed decision etc.
If there is no supporting documentation, then the application will be deemed incomplete and will not be processed.
Please make sure that you read ALL the information related to the application as there are important items there. It maybe Nov 3rd before you get a follow up email about the deferred MT.
CHEM351F25 deferred MT runs WED Nov 5th 19:00-21:00. Like the regular MT, the deferred MT covers all lecture materials up to and including IR, CAL 1-3, laboratory up to an including models, plus working knowledge of prerequisites.

CAL TUTORIALS (SA204)

No food or drink in SA204 (especially at the student desktop PCs).
Start to work on spectroscopy (a significant part of 351), and a topic that requires practice and skill development.
There are Moodle activities on each of the spectroscopic methods (IR, MS, NMR as well as other related skills (e.g. IHD, counting H and C types)
Reviewing etext Ch13 is also strongly recommended... (practice materials there too)
For more information see the CAL tutorial section of the course website.
The full F25 CAL assignment schedule is here (including dates and coverage).

LABORATORY

A reminder that your acetaminophen report is due (ALL students) to the appropriate D2L Dropbox by midnight, Saturday Nov 1st, 2025 (one PDF file, single submission).
For the experiment this week, you will be performing the synthesis of aspirin. As per the Chem 351 student laboratory manual, you are required to:
- (1) complete the pre-lab quiz (5 min) in Moodle (available from 06:00 the day before your laboratory session). The deadline is 30 mins. before the scheduled start time of your laboratory session and
- (2) submit your pre-lab summary (4-5 sentences, 100 (or less) of your own words) as a PDF file to the appropriate D2L Dropbox by 30 mins. before the scheduled start time of your laboratory session
- Make sure you :
  - have and wear your laboratory safety coat
  - have and wear your laboratory safety glasses
  - are dressed appropriately, see poster
  - work in a fumehood
  - remove your gloves before you leave the laboratory
  - use your laboratory notebook and remember to submit a paper copy your laboratory notes before leaving the laboratory session.
The synthesis of acetaminophen report (3 page template) PDF is due to the D2L Dropbox by Saturday Nov 1st at midnight for ALL students (one PDF file, single submission).
For more information see the laboratory section of the course website.
The full F25 experimental schedule is here.

LECTURE topics (with etext links & including review list of previous weeks):

This is written based on L02 in-person progress but this will help also L01 students keep track of where they should be. Dr Causton's L03 might be navigating a slightly different path in his "story".

(Nov 10-14)	F25 Semester break (no classes)
Wk 10 (Nov 3-7)	Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), shielding, magnetic anisotropy Characteristic chemical shifts, "levels" of information in H-NMR, integration, coupling patterns, coupling constants and the n+1 rule Other issues in H-NMR : "accidental equivalence", typical coupling constants (J), complex coupling patterns 13C-NMR : comparison with H-NMR, typical 13C chemical shifts, interpreting 13C spectra Corresponds to content video modules 13A-D & TBA (D2L content folder, videos/templates will added when they are available and keeping pace with in-person L02, but posted after L02 occurs)
Wk 9 (Oct 27-31)	Mass spectrometry : basis and terminology isotope patterns (esp. for Cl & Br), molecular ion and molecular weight. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), basic principles, chemical shift, shielding Corresponds to content video modules 12, 13A, 13B and TBA (D2L content folder)
Wk 8 (Oct 20-24)	Alkane reactions: Radical substitution for the halogenation of alkanes : Related systems (allylic and benzylic). Spectroscopy : Background. Overview of the spectroscopic methods (MS, IR, H-NMR, 13C-NMR) : What do each of them tell you ? Deducing structures. Infra-red spectroscopy : basic principles, important absorptions Corresponds to content video modules 09, 10, 11 (D2L content folder)
Wk 7 (Oct 13-17)	Monday Oct 13th, THANKSGIVING, UofC closed, no classes Alkanes : alkanes and cycloalkanes : isomers, physical properties related to structure (intermolecular forces), thermodynamic stability of alkanes (linear vs branched). Alkane reactions: Radical substitution for the halogenation of alkanes and related systems (allylic and benzylic). Review oxidation states (not covered in lectures : should be first yr / high school review, template / worksheet provided facilitate the review) Corresponds to content video modules 08A, 08B (D2L content folder)
Wk 6 (Oct 6-10)	Rationalising acidity and basicity at the molecular level by looking at factors that affect these properties contd : the nature of the atom the H is attached to (electronegativity, size, charge, effect of hybridisation), stabilisation due to resonance and / or inductive effects. Minor factors: solvation and steric effects. Application of acidity / basicity principles to reactions based on pKa. Review Hydrocarbons : types of hydrocarbon, saturation and unsaturation. Alkanes : alkanes and cycloalkanes : isomers, physical properties related to structure (intermolecular forces) Corresponds to content video modules 07A, 07B, 07C, 08A (D2L content folder)
Wk 5 (Sept 29-Oct 3)	Mastering mechanisms : Curly arrows : make them talk to you !The families of reaction mechanisms. Formal charges (assigning and recognising based on structures and curly arrows). Acidity and basicity : review definitions, Ka and pKa etc. The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. The acidity ladder. Rationalising acidity and basicity by looking at factors that affect these properties at the molecular level : The nature of the atom the H is attached to (electronegativity, size, charge, effect of hybridisation), stabilisation due to resonance etc. Corresponds to content video modules 06A, 06B, 07A, 07B (D2L content folder)
Wk 4 (Sept 22-26)	Bonding in alkanes, alkenes and alkynes. Resonance - implications of structure, recognising and ranking resonance contributors Resonance - contd: examples of "resonance in action" Mastering mechanisms : Curly arrows : make them talk to you ! Corresponds to content video modules 04B, 05, 06A (D2L content folder)
Wk 3 (Sept 16-20)	Continue: bond properties, molecular geometries, acidity and pKa, molecular geometries (using VSEPR) What happens at the molecular level when atoms interact to form bonds ? Electron density animation of 2 interacting H atoms -> H₂ How do covalent bonds form and what are molecular orbitals ? Bonding and anti-bonding orbitals. Why no He₂ ? Bonding in organic systems : hybridisation for hydrocarbons, and then heteroatom systems. (Flash animation for visualising hybridisation). Corresponds to content video modules 03B, 03C, 03D, 04A (D2L content folder)
Wk 2 (Sept 9-13)	Chemistry 351 concept map (the big picture connecting the concepts together). The language of organic chemistry: "text and symbols", examples. Definitions of key terms: functional group, nucleophile, electrophile, leaving group, electronegativity, resonance. Drawing line diagrams. Curly arrows. Structure and Bonding: etext Ch1 : The relationship of structure and function. Atomic structure and terminology. Bonding, bond types. Corresponds to content video modules 02A, 02B, 03A (D2L content folder)
Wk 1 (Sept 3-6)	Introduction to Organic Chemistry I. Overview of course components, using TopHat etc. What to expect, what to do, what not to do etc. How to work for your personal success. Our expectations. What is organic chemistry ? What makes it difficult, how are we going to tackle it ? CHEM351F25 lectures start Wed Sept 3rd 2025. Corresponds to content video modules 00 & 01 (D2L content folder)

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