Chemistry MChem

This module gives an introduction to the chemistry of the main group elements, using the periodic table as the underpinning framework for understanding this chemistry, and develops students’ analytical chemistry skills including volumetric and spectrophotometric techniques applied to materials that are familiar in everyday life.

An Introduction to Organic Chemistry consisting of lectures, workshops and laboratory classes assessed continuously by an online
quiz, two class tests and a final exam

This module builds on the thermodynamics and kinetics that students have studied prior to University. Learning is supported by both problem-solving workshops and undertaking experiments in the laboratory

This module will provide an introduction to a variety of spectroscopic techniques. Students will explore the theory underpinning various spectroscopic methods, how they are put into practice when acquiring spectra, and the interpretation of spectra to identify unknown substances.

The aim of this module is: (i) to equip students with the basic quantitative transferable skills required for the first year of a Chemistry degree programme. (ii) to broaden a student’s perspective of chemistry whilst developing their general transferable skills focusing on communication and employability. The overarching learning outcome is for students to have the key skills that will equip them to perform well in the rest of their chemistry degree programme.
Quantitative Key Skills will be taught using a lecture/workshop format involving problem solving classes, using computers where necessary. General Key Skills will involve a series of lecture-based presentations given by staff from the Department of Chemistry and the Careers Service together with a database workshop and small group tutorials. Extensive use of online platforms will be made.

This module will introduce the area of medicinal chemistry and the underpinning cellular biology where it is applied. The course will delve into the chemical aspects of molecular and cellular biology and the processes that allow life to exist, and subsequently discuss the key cellular targets of interest to a medicinal chemist in the drug design process. This material will form the foundations needed to progress onto higher years of medicinal chemistry where modern case studies and the principles of pharmacology will be looked at in greater depth.

The module covers a wide variety of topics in the area of innovative chemistry for energy and materials. This will act as an introduction to these areas to enable the student to pursue their interests to a deeper level independently, and to provide a foundation level knowledge in materials and electrochemistry, to be expanded in subsequent core and optional chemistry modules.

The module introduces the descriptive coordination and organometallic chemistry and the concepts underpinning our understanding of this chemistry.

This module shows how an understanding of the symmetry properties of molecules can be applied to the understanding of spectroscopic selection rules and bonding.

This module is the core Organic Chemistry module for Year 2 Chemistry students. It introduces important carbon-carbon bond forming reactions within a mechanistic and synthetic framework, together with exposure to a selection of stereochemical issues.

The module presents a unified approach to the synthesis and characterisation of organic and inorganic compounds, introducing a range of synthetic techniques, experiments and analytical methods.

This is a practical module in which students learn the practice of taking physical measurements, the critical analysis and evaluation of experimental data, the application of measurements to the study of chemical phenomena and the dissemination of results.

This module expands on the fundamentals of Physical Chemistry that were introduced in Year 1. The principles and applications of thermodynamics, kinetics and spectroscopy are covered in detail with more emphasis on derivation of key results than in Year 1. Quantum mechanics is developed from the basic principles and mathematical description of quantum phenomena. It is applied to describe bonding in small molecules and in solids, and is linked to spectroscopy via detailed description of molecular energy levels and the possible transitions between these permitted by quantum mechanics.

This module aims to (i) further develop the quantitative skills of a student, (ii) introduce students to the Chemistry Key Skill of Molecular Modelling, and (iii) maintain student development of general transferable and employability skills. The overarching learning outcome is that students will gain the necessary key skills to perform well in their chemistry degree programmes. By the end of the module students will have improved their ability to perform and apply mathematical techniques to problems in kinetics, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics and molecular symmetry. They will have developed abilities to employ force-field and Quantum Chemistry techniques in Molecular Modelling using the Spartan package. They will also have further developed their range of transferable and employability skills, including written and oral communication and team working.

This module introduces students to the fundamental principles that underpin modern medicinal chemistry.

This is an introductory module that aims to illustrate the fundamental theoretical principles of selected instrumental analytical techniques (NMR spectroscopy, mass-spectrometry, atomic spectroscopy, separation and hyphenated techniques) in the context of their roles in industrial and academic research, to include chemical and pharmaceutical analysis.

This module introduces the basic concepts of sustainability and sustainable development, particularly in relation to their technological underpinnings. The module will address the role of chemistry in relation to broad societal, environmental and developmental questions. The module also gives a fundamental understanding of the principles and technologies in Green Chemistry and the generation of Renewable Energy and Chemicals.

Organic functional materials are of increasing global importance with applications in energy, medicine and electronics. This module will highlight how functional organic materials such as high-performance polymers, crosslinked polymers and composites, and porous materials can be designed for specific applications. The module will also explain how advanced characterisation methods (including scattering techniques, gas sorption, size exclusion chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis, tensile measurement, and electron microscopy) are used in the development of modern materials. Additionally, this module will provide an introduction to polymers, outlining aspects of polymer synthesis, properties and characterisation. Some of the history, importance, and current issues of polymeric materials – such as sustainability – will be discussed to provide an understanding of the wider context. CHEM241 will be useful to chemists who wish to develop a deeper understanding of how organic compounds can be designed to provide functional materials

This module is designed to give students experience of communicating in a variety of media and in a variety of contexts. It will also introduce students to contemporary issues in education, and educational practice. This will be achieved by seminars, interactions with educational professionals, and the design and delivery of enrichment materials, utilising the existing and highly successful outreach activity within the school.

This module will give students a broad, interdisciplinary, background in catalysis across the traditional divides within chemistry.

An extension of second year organic chemistry, covering pericyclic reactions, rearrangements and fragmentations, radical reactions, some important palladium-catalysed coupling reactions and the uses of phosphorous, sulphur and selenium in synthetic chemistry.
Some core physical-organic concepts are introduced along with revision of basic mechanisms.

The aim of this module is to extend a student’s knowledge of physical chemistry, in particular to demonstrate the understanding of electrochemical cells, surfactants and colloids, and the quantum mechanical description of chemical bonding.

This module builds on the fundamental inorganic chemistry that students have studied previously to give an appreciation of the science underpinning the development of modern materials. It will discuss the fundamentals of crystalline and disordered solids, and magnetism; methods for synthesising materials; characterisation techniques; applications of inorganic materials; and the link between the chemistry, structure and function of materials.

In this module, students will carry out a bespoke collection of advanced experiments in three of the areas of Organic, Inorganic, Physical or Computational Chemistry

This module is taken by year 3 MChem students in the 2nd semester. Students will be assigned mini research projects based on their project preference and potential projects offered by academic staff. Students carry out these projects in research labs for 9 weeks.

During the first semester students will participate in a group research-based mini-project directed by a real-world industrial problem from a range of industrial sectors. This will be facilitated by the module staff and other colleagues from the institution and wider industry. Students will supplement this activity through an employability portfolio and reflective activities looking at job application exercises, interview preparation techniques and project preparation. Students will engage in a literature review looking forward to their second semester, where students will be assigned an extended experiment on a synthetic (organic or inorganic), physical (catalysis, electrochemistry, surface science, modelling, nanoparticles) or other types of project, according to their own interests. However, the project does not necessarily have to be research or laboratory based, although these would be expected to cover the majority of cases. School outreach projects and some development projects may be available.

​This module will focus on energy conversion processes found in nature. Energy as a commodity is described as "reducing power" or as "high energy electrons" and the concept of nutrient or fuel is introduced. Biological energy conversion processes are discussed from an evolutionary perspective, and it is described how they have contributed to the current composition of the planet’s atmosphere and crust. Sustainability issues will become apparent when comparing the time scales of biogenic fuel accumulation and human consumption of fuel. 

This module provides the scientific and technical foundation to understand the utilisation of biomass and other renewable feedstocks in the emerging renewable chemicals industry. Most of the reactions and processes studied are currently used in biorefineries and other industries and in this module we will further explore newest development and future outlook in the production of renewable chemicals and materials within the circular economy.

The module presents the synthesis and reactivity of the most important classes of heterocyclic compounds and shows case studies drawn from major drug classes.

The research internship is designed to give students the experience of working in a research environment or setting that is quite different from any project work that they undertake in the laboratories in the Department of Chemistry. It should provide an insight into how students may apply skills and experiences later in their career; whether working abroad, in industry or in any other scientific setting.

Further Analytical Chemistry provides the students with a knowledge of the principles of structural elucidation and application of various spectroscopic and spectrometric analytical techniques for identification and structural characterization of small molecules. This module will include the fundamental principles of selected instrumental analytical techniques (solution NMR spectroscopy, mass-spectrometry, separation and hyphenated techniques) in the context of their application for structural analysis in synthetic organic chemistry and catalysis.

The aim of this module is to develop the skills necessary to undertake independent chemical research. Students carry out a research project of their choice in an area that is presently active in the department and that is aligned with our research clusters in Chemical Models, Chemistry of World Health, Energy and Interfaces, Materials Chemistry, and, Organic Chemistry and Catalysis. This is delivered by becoming a member of a research group led by academic staff of the Department of Chemistry and by carrying out experimental or theoretical/computational work as a member of that research group.

This module will develop and extend the knowledge of modern organic synthesis to prepare students for a career as a specialist chemist or for a PhD programme

The chemical properties of crystalline inorganic materials underlie much of current technology, from the constituent materials of lithium ion batteries to those of LED lighting and photovoltaic devices. The functional properties of these materials depend on the chemistry of the bulk and surfaces of these crystalline solids. In this module we will investigate the structural and electronic properties of both the bulk and surfaces of inorganic crystalline solids, revealing the importance of materials chemistry in modern life.

Interfaces are ubiquitous in science and daily life, ranging from batteries to antimicrobial coatings. This is an advanced module that introduces the student to modern electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques and their applications in interface characterisation. Emphasis is given to those techniques, which are currently most important to chemical research both in industry and academia. At the end of the module, students should be able to understand the basic physical principles of these techniques and be able to decide which combination of techniques is best employed to tackle a particular problem of interface characterisation.

Advanced materials and technologies in medicine are increasingly important multidisciplinary, global science. This is an introductory module aims to provide students with the essential knowledge required to understand the rapidly advancing field of advanced materials for medicine, in particular Nanomedicine and therapeutics, and healthcare technologies for medical diagnostics. Following some introductory lectures, students will undertake self-directed learning alongside lectures to examine leading published research related to the design of advanced nanomedicines and clinical trials.
This module will be useful chemists who wish to develop a deeper understanding of colloid materials, gain a detailed insight into the advanced synthetic approaches used to produce nanomedicines, explore technological approaches for therapeutics and diagnostics, and broaden their knowledge of pharmacology concepts.

In part 1 the course will revise key concepts and models of electrode interfaces before covering in detail examples of electrochemical interfaces for energy conversion including electrocatalysis for hydrogen production, carbon dioxide conversion; and also the principles light driven energy conversion. In part 2 the electrochemical principles of energy storage systems and the principles of design and operation of the current state-of-the-art and the potential future battery technologies. The course revises and builds on the contents of core inorganic and physical chemistry modules from years 1 and 2.