PHYSICAL METHODS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY Single channel
Chair (Coordinator) and Rapporteur: ALESSIA CIOGLI
Lecturers
Objectives
General expected learning outcomes
This course is designed to provide qualitative identification of organic compounds and mixtures, with emphasis on advanced techniques of separation, purification and spectral identification.
The student will experience the most important spectroscopic and analytical techniques used for structure elucidation, which will be useful for his employment in regulatory affairs and healthcare industries.
Specific expected learning outcomes
Understanding and interpretation of UV, FT-IR, proton and carbon-13 NMR spectra.
Structural elucidations of simple organic compounds starting from their raw formula and spectroscopic data. Starting from a mixture of a few known compounds, propose the most suitable chromatographic method based on the acquired knowledge.
Learning outcomes
Aims: understanding and interpretation of UV, FT-IR, proton and carbon-13 NMR spectra. Structural elucidations of simple organic compounds starting from their raw formula and spectroscopic data. Starting from a mixture of a few known compounds, propose the most suitable chromatographic method based on the acquired knowledge.
Prerequisites
For an easy understanding of the topics covered in the course, it is recommended that you have passed the Organic Chemistry I.
Programme
High-performance chromatographic techniques.
Theory and principles. Main application fields of chromatography. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). General aspects. Chromatographic parameters (capacity factors, selectivity, efficiency, resolution). Van Deemter equation. Chromatographic supports and their physico-chemical properties: surface chemistry, specific surface area, pore size and volume. Bonded-phases: chemistry and stability. Separation mechanisms: liquid-liquid, liquid-solid, normal-phase (NP), reversed-phase (RP). Ion-Exchange Chromatography (IEC). Paired-Ion Chromatography (PIC). Size-Exclusion Chromatography (SEC). Hydrophobic-Interaction Chromatography (HIC), Hydrophilic interaction Chromatography (HILIC). Elution mode: isocratic and gradient. Detectors.
UHPLC: General aspects. UHPLC stationary phases.
High-Resolution Gas Chromatography (HRGC). General aspects. Microbore and packed microcapillary columns.
Stereoselective and enantioselective separations. Direct and indirect approach. Main interactions between selector and selectands. Thermodynamics of enantiomers separation. Chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for HPLC and HRGC.
Infrared Spectroscopy (IR)
General aspects. Theory of Infrared Spectroscopy (IR). Main functional groups and typical IR absorptions of organic molecules. Basics of Fourier Transform IR (FT-IR) spectrum interpretation. Identification and structure elucidation of organic molecules by interpretation of FT-IR spectra.
Ultraviolet Spectroscopy (UV)
General aspects. Theory of Ultraviolet Spectroscopy (UV). Lambert-Beer law. Electronic transitions →*, n→*, n→*, →*. UV instrumentation and solvents. Typical UV absorbing of compounds featuring only bonds, of aliphatic compounds with n electrons and of compounds with electrons. Aromatic systems.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
General aspects. Theory of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Nuclear magnetic moment, spin number, angular momentum, magnetogyric ratio. Larmor precession. Relaxation processes: spin-lattice and spin-spin. Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry (1H-NMR). Important concepts and parameters in NMR. Instrumentation and sample handling. Chemical shift (diamagnetic anisotropy, bond anisotropic effect, ring-current effect, hydrogen bond, solvent polarity and magnetic anisotropy). Spin-spin coupling, multiplets, spin systems. Protons on heteroatoms. Exchangeable protons. Coupling of protons to other important nuclei. Chemical shift equivalence. Magnetic equivalence (spin-coupling equivalence). AMX, ABX, and ABC rigid systems with three coupling constants. Chirality. Vicinal and geminal coupling in rigid systems: Karplus correlations. Long-range coupling. Selective spin decoupling. Double resonance. Nuclear Overhauser Effect (NOE). Shift reagents. Carbon Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry (13C-NMR). Total spin decoupling spectra. Off-resonance spectra. Chemical shift equivalence. Correlation NMR spectrometry. DEPT and APT experiments. Variable temperature NMR. Basics of 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectrum interpretation.
Mass Spectrometry (MS)
Ionization systems: electron impact, chemical ionization, fast atom bombardment (FAB) – ESI – APCi – MALDI.
Analyzers: magnetic and electrostatic sectors, quadrupolar systems, ion trap, time of flight systems, orbitrap, tandem mass spectrometry.
Molecular ion, exact masses, isotopic abundance, isotopic clusters, elemental composition.
Typical fragmentation patterns in mass spectra, McLafferty rearrangement.
Books
Silverstein, Webster, Kiemle.Spectrometric Identification of Organic Compounds, 8th Edition.
Lessons mode
Lessons will be held in person.
Frequency
Attendance at the courses is compulsory.
For an easy understanding of the topics covered in the course, it is recommended that you have passed the Organic Chemistry I.
Exam mode
The written test focuses on the structural elucidation of an organic molecule starting from 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, FT-IR spectra.
The oral exam will give more attention to the chromatographic part and to the theory.
Example exam questions
Questions:
- Van Deemter equation
- PIC-RP-HPLC.
- UV spectra of alfa-beta unsaturated ketones
- NOE effect and 13C-NMR
Arguments
- High-performance
chromatographic techniques.
Theory and
principles. Main application fields of chromatography. - High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). General aspects.
Chromatographic parameters (capacity factors, selectivity, efficiency,
resolution). - Equation di Van Deemter. (2h)
- Chromatographic supports and their physico-chemical properties: surface
chemistry, specific surface area, pore size and volume. - Bonded-phases: chemistry and stability, synthesis of C18 stationary
phases. Separation mechanisms: normal-phase (NP), reversed-phase (RP). - Ion-Exchange Chromatography (IEC). Paired-Ion Chromatography (PIC).
Size-Exclusion Chromatography (SEC). Hydrophobic-Interaction Chromatography
(HIC), Hydrophilic interaction Chromatography (HILIC). - Elution
mode: isocratic and gradient. Detectors (UV, PDA, RI, ELSD, MS). - UHPLC:
General aspects. UHPLC stationary phases. - High-Resolution
Gas Chromatography (HRGC). General aspects. Microbore and packed microcapillary
columns. - Stereoselective
and enantioselective separations. Direct and indirect approach. Main
interactions between selector and selectands. Thermodynamics of enantiomers
separation. Chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for HPLC and HRGC. - Infrared Spectroscopy (IR)
General aspects.
Theory of Infrared Spectroscopy (IR). - Main functional groups and typical IR absorptions of organic molecules.
Basics of Fourier Transform IR (FT-IR) spectrum interpretation. Identification
and structure elucidation of organic molecules by interpretation of FT-IR spectra - Instrument and sample preparation
- Ultraviolet Spectroscopy (UV)
General
aspects. Theory of Ultraviolet Spectroscopy (UV). Lambert-Beer law. Electronic
transitions s→s*, n→s*, n→p*,
p→p*.
UV instrumentation and solvents. Typical UV absorbing of compounds featuring
only s
bonds, of aliphatic compounds with n electrons and of compounds with p electrons.
Aromatic systems. - Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
General aspects. Theory of Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance (NMR). Nuclear magnetic moment, spin number, angular momentum, magnetogyric
ratio. Larmor precession. - Relaxation processes: spin-lattice and spin-spin. Proton Magnetic
Resonance Spectrometry (1H-NMR). Important concepts and parameters
in NMR. Instrumentation and sample handling. Chemical shift (diamagnetic
anisotropy, bond anisotropic effect, ring-current effect, hydrogen bond,
solvent polarity and magnetic anisotropy). - Spin-spin coupling, multiplets, spin systems. AMX, ABX, and ABC rigid systems with three coupling constants.
Chirality. Vicinal and geminal coupling in rigid systems: Karplus correlations.
Long-range coupling. - Protons on heteroatoms. Exchangeable protons. Coupling of protons to
other important nuclei. - Chemical shift equivalence. Magnetic equivalence (spin-coupling
equivalence). Chirality. Selective spin decoupling. Double resonance. Nuclear Overhauser Effect
(NOE). Shift reagents. - Carbon Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry (13C-NMR). Total spin
decoupling spectra. Off-resonance spectra. Chemical shift equivalence. Correlation NMR
spectrometry. DEPT and APT experiments. - 2D-NMR: basic experiments
- Variable temperature NMR. D-NMR vs D-HPLC
- Basics of 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectrum
interpretation. - Mass Spectrometry (MS)
Ionization
systems: electron impact, chemical ionization, fast atom bombardment (FAB) –
ESI – APCi – MALDI.
Analyzers:
quadrupolar systems, ion trap, orbitrap. HPLC-MS: ESI and APCI sources coupled
with HPLC. Molecular ion, exact masses, isotopic abundance, isotopic clusters.
Typical
fragmentation patterns in mass spectra, McLafferty rearrangement.
Sustainability goals
- Academic year2026/2027
- Degree program to which the course belongsIndustrial pharmacy (Latina Campus)
- Lesson code1008213
- Year and semester3rd year - 2nd semester
- Activity typeBasic educational activities
- Academic areaDiscipline chimiche
- SSDCHIM/06
- Mandatory presenceNo
- Languageita
- CFU8 CFU
- Total duration64 hours
- Hours distribution64 classroom hours