6 EC
Semester 2, period 5
5112KATA6Y
Catalysis has a huge impact on our lives. Every process in our cells involves catalysts, and more than 90% of the products that we use on a daily basis would be impossible without it. This course explains the basics of catalysis and its connection to sustainable chemistry, using hands-on examples. The lectures and excercises cover catalyst synthesis, characterisation, and testing, as well as the basics of kinetic analysis and modelling. Among other subjects, we cover the elementary reactions of ligand-metal complexes, reactions at surfaces and catalysis by metalloenzymes. The lectures are coupled to five lab days where students synthesise homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts and test these in different reactions. In addition to these, there is a one-day computer practicum.
G. Rothenberg, 'Catalysis: Concepts & Green Applications', second edition, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2017, ISBN 978-3-527-34305-8.
This is a new and updated paperback edition. If you own a copy of the first edition you can use that, but if you're buying a copy buy the second edition. It has 50 additional exercises and is updated with the latest developments.
lab instructions are available via the course Canvas site.
The course includes lectures, tutorials, homework assignments, and lab days. In the lectures, the students learn the basics and can ask questions relating to the material they read at home. In the tutorials, the students get the chance to practice the theory in exercises with a teacher that explains the methodology and techniques for problem solving. The lab days give the students a taste of the real experimental work in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, which is very much like what they woudl do if they choose to work as researchers in a chemical company.
Activiteit | Aantal uur |
Hoorcollege | 26 |
Laptopcollege | 4 |
Practicum | 34 |
Tentamen | 3 |
Werkcollege | 12 |
Zelfstudie | 89 |
Programme's requirements concerning attendance (OER-B):
Additional requirements for this course:
Participation in the lab sessions is mandatory the course. Participation in the lectures is highly encouraged. Results from previous years show a clear correlation between the number of lectures and tutorials attended and the final course mark.
| Item and weight | Details |
|
Final grade | |
|
1 (100%) Tentamen |
This is a closed book exam. You may use only pen/pencil, paper and a simple calculator. The course Canvas site includes a folder with exams from previous years, several with detailed solution manuals. Students are encouraged to practice using these exams.
The manner of inspection will be communicated via the digitial learning environment.
Once the exams have been graded, viewing times and location will be announced via Canvas. We also post on Canvas a detailed solution manual, which students can use for comparison and feedback.
Exercises in the different aspects of catalysis. These assignments are not marked, but history shows a strong correlation between the handing in of homework assignments and the final course grade.
The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl
The updated course schedule is available on Datanose and on Canvas.
We assume that you have a basic knowledge of physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and organic chemistry, at the level of 3rd-year students.
In general, our aim is to give all the lectures in English. In some cases, depending on the students, some of the lectures can be given in Dutch. All lecturers are fluent in both languages. Students may write their exams in English or Dutch.