Curriculum Information

This module is designed to develop and support the student’s application of fundamental concepts in the areas of organic, biological and analytical chemistry that underpin topics in the forensic sciences. Students will study the following:

1) Understanding organic molecules:

Using names and drawing structures to communicate about molecules (functional group recognition, concept of homologous series, nomenclature of organic compounds, drawing/representing organic compounds: molecular formula, condensed formula, full displayed structural formula, line diagrams).

The complexity of organic structures (structural isomers: positional, functional group and chain isomers. Stereoisomers: geometric and optical isomers (assigning/naming both E/Z and cis/trans for geometric isomers and R/S for optical isomers up to two chiral centres), their properties, how to draw, concept of diastereomers and meso compounds. Conformers of alkanes: importance in some reactions, Newman projects of different conformers, concept of steric hinderance).

How do organic molecules react/interact (Intermolecular forces: types and how they govern the physical properties of organic compounds. Fundamental reactions in organic chemistry: bond polarity, bond breakage/formation (homolysis, heterolysis), type of reagents (electrophiles/nucleophiles/radical), types of reactions (addition/elimination/substitution/rearrangement). Fundamental mechanisms in organic chemistry: non-polar (radical addition/substitution, chain reactions, the stability of radical species), polar (electrophilic addition reactions: importance of stability of carbocations in determining product, Markovnikov’s rule; SN1/SN2: factors affecting, e.g., solvent nucleophile, leaving group, steric factors; E1/E2: factors that govern choice of).

2) Molecules of significant Biological Importance

Carbohydrates: their structure and nomenclature, their stereochemistry, 2D representations of carbohydrates (Fisher Projections), hemiacetal formation, mutarotation and the anomeric effect, reactions of monosaccharides: oxidation and reduction of the carbonyl group etc.

Amino acids: their structure and chirality, properties and synthesis, the peptide bond and proteins (composition and biological role).

3) Fundamental Organic Analysis

Simple wet tests for functional group identification.

Elemental analysis, determination of double bond equivalency, UV-Vis spectroscopy (basic principles and interpretation of spectra), IR analysis (basic principles and interpretation of spectra primarily to identify characteristic functional groups), 1H and 13C NMR (basic principles and interpretation of spectra (number of signals/chemical shift/integration/splitting patterns) to elucidate full structures), mass spectrometry (basic principles and interpretation of spectra primarily for mass determination and fragment identification, introduction to concept of rearrangements of fragments). Multispectral analysis.

4) Fundamental laboratory skills

Extraction techniques e.g., liquid/liquid extraction, chromatography (e.g., thin layer chromatography), purification techniques e.g., recrystallisation, methods of analysis (e.g., chromatography, melting points), relevant data analysis and calculations. Safe laboratory practices.