Molecular Photochemistry

Course manual 2019/2020

Study materials

Literature

• Photochemistry and Photophysics : Concepts, Research, Applications by Vincenzo Balzani, Paola Ceroni, and Alberto Juris, John Wiley & Sons, 2014. An on-line version is available for students when connected with the UvA network (VPN).

Objectives

• The student can describe the physical and chemical processes that molecules undergo when excited into electronically excited states: fluorescence, internal conversion, inter system crossing, reactions, e.g. isomerization and bond breaking, and electron and energy transfer processes
• The student can explain how the result of a photoexcitation event depends on the competition between the different processes that can occur in the excited state and their characteristic time scales
• The student can explain the principles of important experimental techniques in photochemistry: steady-state and time-resolved absorption and photoluminescence
• The student is able to recognize the basic principles of excited state chemistry and spectroscopy in research papers, and to critically evaluate the literature.
• The student can use the gained knowledge in photochemistry to applications in chemistry, physics and biology.

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Self-study
• Graded assignments
• Presentation/symposium
• Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis

The book of Balzani et al. is a very good introduction to photochemistry and can be studied mostly independently. In the lectures, we will highlight some aspects of the material, and address the parts that we as lecturers expect to be relatively  difficult. For each lecture a part of the book needs to be studied and assignments are given about this material. After the lecture, students peer-review the work of a classmate. Each student prepares a presentation about a topic to be discussed with the lecturers.

Learning activities

Attendance

This programme does not have requirements concerning attendance (TER part B).

Additional requirements for this course:

The assignments count for 50% of the grade, so it is important to hand them in. Late delivery cannot be accepted!

Attendance of all on-line sessions is strongly recommended. Attendance of the whole session in which the individual student presents her/his work is compulsory

Assessment

The assignments plus peer reviews during the course count for 50% of the grade. The individual presentation, which is followed by questions that test the learning goals, counts for the other 50%.

Inspection of assessed work

The assignments and peer reviews will be graded on-line.

Assignments

All assignments are individual and graded. Feedback in Canvas.

Fraud and plagiarism

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

Course structure

Timetable

The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.

Contact information

Coordinator

• prof. dr. A.M. Brouwer

Staff

• dr. R.M. Williams