Modules

Prerequisites

Contents

Bonding in coordination compounds; dative bonds; Hydration, solvation, hydrolysis, Olation and oxolation; Nomenclature of complexes; Isomery; Pearson’s concept of hard and soft acids and bases; Mass action law and complex stability Structures of coordination compounds: Symmetry, Coordination numbers and polyhedra, Valence shell electron pair repulsion concept, Solution vs. solid state; Electronic structure: Ligand field, Low and high spin, Molecular orbital theory, σ-, π-, (and φ-) bonds, Jahn-Teller effect, Electronic terms and spectra, Charge transfer; NMR spectroscopy; EPR spectroscopy; SQUID magnetometry Complex stability and reactivity: Chelate and macrocyclic effects, bands, Redox chemistry, Marcus theory, Non-innocent ligands, NO chemistry, Ligand activation; Organometallic Chemistry: Fundamental reactions Actinide chemistry: Fundamentals; Redox chemistry; Actinyl ions and cation-cation interactions; Separation chemistry; Bond analysis MOF chemistry | Fundamentals | Applications Radioactivity: Nuclear stability and types of radiation; interaction of radiation and matter; natural and anthropogenic radioactivity Nuclear fuel cycle: Uranium mining and processing; Enrichment; Nuclear energy generation and reactor concepts; Reprocessing; Nuclear waste disposal Applications: Nuclear medicine; Radioecology; Nuclear weapons; Isotope production

Learning outcomes

Participation in this module allows students to identify coordination compounds (complexes), assign correct nomenclature and derive structures from it. Students will be able to derive electronic and spectroscopic properties from the molecular structures and to understand and predict periodic trends within the periodic table fo the elements. This includes analyzing chemical bond properties and applying the derived understanding to current questions in materials chemistry, separation science, or in (radio)pharmaceutical contexts. Further, participation in the module will enable a student to evaluate the stability of atomic nuclei based on sound theoretical foundations. They will be able to understand and predict which type of radiation (α, b+/-, ε, γ,) is to be expected based on a given nuclear composition and how these types of radiation interact with matter. The latter can then be applied for radiation shielding as well as detection. The student will be capable of assessing the chemical properties of radioactive elements particularly relating the specialties separating the chemistry of heavy elements from their lighter homologues (relativity, spin-orbit coupling). The student will understand how these chemical properties affect processes in the context of a nuclear fuel cycle. The students will be enabled to understand physical principles of nuclear fission and fusion and how these processes can be applied for the generation of electricity. This will include general processes in the nuclear fuel cycle from mining and raffination to reprocessing and final disposal of nuclear wastes.

Assessment

Module examination: oral exam of 20 min duration