Chemistry Enhanced Podcasts, Imperial College London.

General introduction and categories

Case study in asymmetry: The Asymmetric Strecker reaction

Modelling the relative and absolute stereochemistry involving C-C bond formation; the enol borinate system. The Ziegler-Natta Catalyst elaborated.

The non-classical norbornyl cation, the transition state model for nitration of pyridine. Case study 6 revisited; the transition state for the Diels Alder reaction both inside and outside a cavity.

Introduction to modelling with Molecular orbital theories; hierarchy of Hamiltonians and Basis sets used for such calculations. The origins of aromatic substitution by Henry Armstrong. Introduction to aromatic electrophilic nitration, using pyridine and pyridine-N-oxide as substrates.

Analysis of two case studies in molecular mechanics, the first involving the use of a chiral template to transfer chirality during the reaction between benzylamine and an ester to form an amide, and the second dealing with how a Diels Alder reaction is catalysed by occurring inside a cavitiy, or molecular anvil.

Completion of the basics of molecular mechanics by introducing the electrostatic term, and the various difficulties associated with it. Introducing the technique of geometry optimisation by expanding the energy function as a Taylor series, and derivation of the Newtoh-Raphson formula, and approximations such as the steepest descent and variable metric methods.

Update to the history of molecular modelling and visualization. Examples of nanobiotics, and Hydrogen storage materials, introduction to molecular mechanics, including the early days and the modern form of a force field.

Introduction to molecular modelling, including the historical aspects and the various categories which fall under the term.

Sigmatropic rearrangements, including hydrogen shifts and carbon shifts, the latter with retention or inversion of configuration at the migrating centre.

An overview of cycloaddition and elimination reactions, including examples of the Diels Alder reaction.

Mobius aromatic systems, with one (and most recently) two antarafacial modes as models for pericyclic reactions. Worked examples of electrocyclic reactions, including application of selection rules.

Orbital symmetry, and orbital correlation diagrams for pericyclic reactions. Mapping the orbital pattern of pericyclic transition states to aromatic species, including Benzene and Mobius transition state aromaticity

Organic Pericyclic reactions, covering their historical origins, definitions of the characteristic aspects of such reactions, a summary of the basic categories of pericyclic reaction, a section covering the theory and mechanism, and three lectures giving worked examples of electrocyclic, cycloaddition/elimination and sigmatropic reactions.

Introduction and Text

Bonding and Shape

The shape of ethane

Haloalkanes

Polyhalogenation

Alkenes