Physical Organic Chemistry

The course gives an introduction to the fundamental chemical and physico-chemical methods used in the investigation of organic reaction mechanisms.

The following topics are covered:

Non-kinetic investigation methods of organic reaction mechanisms. Energetic conditions of organic reactions. Kinetics of elementary reactions. Kinetics of complex reactions. Transition states of chemical reactions. Structure-reactivity relationships. Isotope effects (isotope effects of chemical equilibria, theory of kinetic isotope effect, primary and secondary isotope effects, solvent isotope effect). Medium effects (effect of solvent on the reaction rate, specific solvation, empirical solvent parameters, salt effects).