CHEM 332 Physical Chemistry II
This course builds on the foundations of gas kinetics and thermodynamics introduced in Physical Chemistry I. The mathematical framework for rate laws will be extended to complex reaction mechanisms involving chain reactions and applications will be emphasized in polymerization processes and gas phase reactions in the upper atmosphere. Statistical mechanics will be used as a bridge between the microscopic properties of matter and their bulk properties.
The spontaneity of chemical and physical processes will be explained by introducing the Second Law of
Thermodynamics and the Gibbs and Helmholtz energies will be used to probe the maximum work that
can be achieved by a chemical process. The chemistry of surfaces will be discussed regarding how atoms are deposited and grown on surfaces. Experimental methods for probing the composition and structure of surfaces will also be described. Finally, several case studies of how surface chemistry is applied to catalysis will be discussed.
Offered
Fall