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CHEM 211

Main Group Chemistry

3.00 units · Undergraduate

Fall 2026

Topics

  • Main-group inorganic and organic chemistry
  • atomic structure and periodic trends
  • quantum and bonding models
  • diatomic and polyatomic molecular orbitals
  • VSEPR
  • molecular shape and symmetry
  • stereochemistry and chirality
  • main-group compounds
  • inorganic and organic synthesis.

Readings

  • Required: Housecroft, Inorganic Chemistry, 6th edition, Pearson (e-text access needed for assessed readings). Required for chemistry majors: Clayden, Greeves and Warren, Organic Chemistry, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press; selected chapters provided in onQ. Required: laboratory manual.
Fall 2025

Topics

  • structures, formal charges, oxidation state, hypervalency, VSEPR, coordination geometry, inorganic
  • Diffraction and spectroscopy methods (basic theory and instrumentations)
  • Molecular orbital theory Part I (XY diatomic molecules, polyatomic molecules lacking π bonding)
  • Chirality (definition, chiral centres, isomerism, labels, optical rotation, asymmetric synthesis, polymers)
  • Conformational analysis (conformations, rotational barriers, cyclic compounds, polycyclic compounds)
  • Delocalization and Conjugation (alkenes, isomerization, aromaticity, polyenes, conjugation, colour)
  • Molecular orbital theory Part II (π bonding in polyatomic molecules)
  • Group 13 (boron hydrides, halides, inert pair effect, Lewis acid-base adducts, aluminium)
  • Diffraction &
  • Spectroscopy
  • Chirality

Readings

  • Listed material: Inorganic Chemistry (4th or 5th edition) by Housecroft & Sharpe
  • Listed material: Organic Chemistry (2nd edition) by Clayden, Greeves & Warren Intended Student Learning Outcomes
  • Listed material: 7. Perform laboratory experiments using main group molecules given a written procedure. Approximate Course Timeline Week Topic Readings from Housecroft 4/5th edition Readings from Clayden 2nd edition 1&2 Intro & Review 1 1 & 2
  • Listed material: 3 Diffraction & Spectroscopy N/A Follow Lecture notes
  • Listed material: 5 VB theory 2 and 5 4 6 MO theory part I 2 and 5 4 7 Chirality 3.8 and 19.8 14 8 Conformational analysis
  • Listed material: 16 9 Delocalization 13.8 and 14.4 7 and pages 723-735 10 Group 13 and Pnictogens 13 and 15
Sources