PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY

1. Basic principles of quantum mechanics:

   • Postulates
   • operator algebra
   • exactly solvable systems: particle-in-a-box, harmonic oscillator and the hydrogen atom, including shapes of atomic orbitals
   • orbital and spin angular momenta
   • tunneling

2. Approximate methods of quantum mechanics:

   • Variational principle
   • perturbation theory up to second order in energy
   • applications.

3. Atomic structure and spectroscopy:

   • term symbols
   • many-electron systems and antisymmetry principle
   • Chemical bonding in diatomics
   • elementary concepts of MO and VB theories
   • Huckel theory for conjugated π-electron systems
   • Chemical applications of group theory
   • symmetry elements
   • point groups
   • character tables
   • selection rules

4. Molecular spectroscopy:

   • Rotational and vibrational spectra of diatomic molecules
   • electronic spectra; IR and Raman activities - selection rules
   • basic principles of magnetic resonance

5. Chemical thermodynamics:

   • Laws, state and path functions and their applications
   • thermodynamic description of various types of processes
   • Maxwell's relations
   • spontaneity and equilibria
   • temperature and pressure dependence of thermodynamic quantities
   • Le Chatelier principle
   • elementary description of phase transitions; phase equilibria and phase rule
   • thermodynamics of ideal and non-ideal gases, and solutions

6. Statistical thermodynamics:

   • Boltzmann distribution
   • kinetic theory of gases
   • partition functions and their relation to thermodynamic quantities - calculations for model systems

7. Electrochemistry:

   • Nernst equation, redox systems, electrochemical cells
   • DebyeHuckel theory
   • electrolytic conductance - Kohlrausch's law and its applications
   • ionic equilibria
   • conductometric and potentiometric titrations

8. Chemical kinetics:

   • Empirical rate laws and temperature dependence
   • complex reactions
   • steady state approximation
   • determination of reaction mechanisms
   • collision and transition state theories of rate constants
   • unimolecular reactions
   • enzyme kinetics
   • salt effects
   • homogeneous catalysis
   • photochemical reactions

9. Colloids and surfaces:

   • isotherms and surface area
   • heterogeneous catalysis
   • Stability and properties of colloids

10. Solid state:

    • Crystal structures
    • Bragg's law and applications
    • band structure of solids

11. Polymer chemistry:

    • Molar masses
    • kinetics of polymerization

12. Data analysis:

    • Mean and standard deviation
    • absolute and relative errors
    • linear regression
    • covariance and correlation coefficient.

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

• IUPAC nomenclature of organic molecules including regio- and stereoisomers
• Principles of stereochemistry:
  • Configurational and conformational isomerism in acyclic and cyclic compounds
  • Stereogenicity, stereoselectivity, enantioselectivity, diastereoselectivity and asymmetric induction
• Aromaticity: Benzenoid and non-benzenoid compounds - generation and reactions
• Organic reactive intermediates:
  • Generation, stability and reactivity of carbocations, carbanions, free radicals, carbenes, benzynes and nitrenes
• Organic reaction mechanisms involving addition, elimination and substitution reactions with electrophilic, nucleophilic or radical species. Determination of reaction pathways
• Common named reactions and rearrangements - applications in organic synthesis
• Organic transformations and reagents:
  • Functional group interconversion including oxidations and reductions
  • Common catalysts and reagents (organic, inorganic, organometallic and enzymatic)
  • Chemo, regio and stereoselective transformations
• Concepts in organic synthesis:
  • Retrosynthesis, disconnection, synthons, linear and convergent synthesis, umpolung of reactivity and protecting groups
• Asymmetric synthesis:
  • Chiral auxiliaries, methods of asymmetric induction - substrate, reagent and catalyst controlled reactions
  • Determination of enantiomeric and diastereomeric excess
  • Enantio-discrimination
  • Resolution - optical and kinetic
• Pericyclic reactions - electrocyclisation, cycloaddition, sigmatropic rearrangements and other related concerted reactions
• Principles and applications of photochemical reactions in organic chemistry
• Synthesis and reactivity of common heterocyclic compounds containing one or two heteroatoms (O, N, S)
• Chemistry of natural products:
  • Carbohydrates, proteins and peptides, fatty acids, nucleic acids, terpenes, steroids and alkaloids
  • Biogenesis of terpenoids and alkaloids
• Structure determination of organic compounds by IR, UV-Vis, 1H & 13C NMR and Mass spectroscopic techniques

• Chemistry in nanoscience and technology
• Catalysis and green chemistry
• Medicinal chemistry
• Supramolecular chemistry
• Environmental chemistry