B2008 - PHYSICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Academic Year 2024/2025

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Photochemistry and Molecular Materials (cod. 9074)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has acquired knowledge of the general strategies of synthesis, purification and characterization of bioconjugates and radical reactions that lead to the oxidation of organic and biological materials, the main mechanisms of antioxidant action and the relationship between structure and antioxidant activity.

Course contents

1) Structure and properties of free radicals. Stability of radicals, BDE. Main radical reactions and radical species involved.

2) Reaction of auto-oxidation. Initiation (photochemistry, thermal, redox), propagation (HAT, addition), termination. Non-radical reactions of hydroperoxides. Oxidation of biological molecules and drugs.

3) Antioxidants. General characteristics and mechanisms of action (preventive and chain-breaking). Phenols as antioxidants, phenoxy radicals. BDE of the phenolic bond. Kinetic aspects of autoxidation inhibited by phenols. Constant of inhibition. Catalytic antioxidants (aromatic amines, nitroxides). Natural and synthetic antioxidants.

4) Measure the antioxidant activity. Methods based on inhibited autoxidation: measurement of O2 consumption, peroxide formation, conjugated dienes, consumption of oxidizable probes. Approximate methods: ORAC, DPPH, ABTS.

5) EPR spectroscopy. Mechanism of operation and interpretation of the spectra. Spin trap.

6) Oxidative stress in biological systems. Natural antioxidant defenses. Ferroptosis.

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture notes and material uploaded to Virtuale.  

 

Teaching methods

The lectures will involve the use power-point presentations. Problem solving sessions will be carried out for the student to gain acquaintance with the numeric treatment of chemical problems.

Assessment methods

The learning assessment takes place through a final exam, in which the acquisition of the knowledge and the expected abilities is verified by an oral exam.

Teaching tools

Multimedia material will be presented, such as slides, movies, animations and three-dimensional visualization of atoms, molecules and materials.

The multimedial material utilized during the lectures will be made available for download from the teacher's web site.

Students are asked to report any needs to the teacher via private mail. This will allow the teacher to evaluate which teaching support tools are most adequate to make the course accessible to all students.

Office hours

See the website of Riccardo Amorati