Organic Chemistry

Full course description

The course builds on the knowledge obtained during the course Chemical Engineering and Chemistry and Biology Laboratory Skills and is recommended for courses within the Circular Chemical Engineering concentration. This course focuses on the basic concepts in the field of organic chemistry (i.e. structure & bonding and nomenclature). Furthermore, a logical review is provided of the reactivity of the most important functional groups, as applied in a selection of fundamental organic reactions. The second part of the course focusses on the understanding of material properties based on their chemical structure which is essential for the design of (recyclable) materials in a circular economy. Therefore, this course provides the theoretical basis on why and how atoms come together to form bonds, certain molecular structures and the properties of such (macroscopic) materials. Different types of materials are discussed in terms of their molecular and microstructure and the resulting macroscopic material properties. Finally, the course elaborates on the concepts of green chemistry and how, combined with reactor design (i.e. batch or flow-chemistry), the (organic) chemistry can be optimised to reduce use of toxic solvents and chemicals while maximising reaction efficiency.