270074 VO Thermally-photochemically induced reactions (2025S)

The aim of the course is to provide students with the foundation to identify, design, and develop new research programs in synthetic organic chemistry. While the central theme is pericyclic reactions, the course also covers key aspects of catalyst and reagent design, emphasizing their role in modern synthesis.
Students can expect the following course structure:
1. Fundamentals Review: The course begins with a refresher on essential organic chemistry concepts, focusing on equilibria and molecular orbital theory, to ensure a solid theoretical foundation for the second block.
2. Core Topics: The main part of the course is divided into two components:
o Introduction to Pericyclic Reactions: Students will explore the different subclasses of pericyclic reactions, including cycloadditions, electrocyclizations, sigmatropic rearrangements, and cheletropic reactions.
o Advanced Applications: Selected case studies will illustrate how pericyclic reactions contribute to diverse areas of synthetic chemistry, with connections to catalyst and reagent design.
The course combines lectures, literature analysis, and collaborative problem-solving sessions, encouraging students to critically evaluate reaction mechanisms. By the end of the course, students should be able to design solid research proposals.