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CHE-30080 - Module Specification
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

CHE-30080 - Synthetic Strategies in Organic Chemistry
Coordinator: Matthew O'Brien Tel: +44 1782 7 34371
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 734921

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

In this module you will expand your organic chemistry knowledge to explore advanced ideas and essential topics in modern organic synthesis at the forefront of real-world processes. Pericyclic reactions, asymmetric synthesis and organoelement chemistry will be discussed in detail, using examples from across the industrial spectrum. You will gain the skills to rationalise, predict and design advanced synthetic transformations and apply these both in a written examination and in an exercise designing new synthetic routes to pharmaceutically relevant molecules.

Aims
The module aims are:
- to build upon theories and concepts in Organic Chemistry introduced at Levels 4 and 5;
- to develop skills for the application of Organic Chemistry to the synthesis of high-value products including pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals;
- to develop analytical, problem solving and organisational skills.

Intended Learning Outcomes

provide mechanistic rationalisation for, and predict the outcome of, a range of important stereoselective reactions commonly used to create and control asymmetry and chirality in organic molecules.: 1,2
analyse and predict the stereospecific outcomes of a variety of pericyclic organic reactions according to the “conservation of orbital symmetry” (using both the Frontier-Molecular-Orbital approach and the Woodward-Hoffmann rules): 1,2
describe and explain how the bonding and electronic structure in a variety of main-group organoelement molecules influences the reaction chemistry displayed by these species: 1,2
apply knowledge gained of the chemical reaction types covered in the course to the planning and design of efficient syntheses of a variety of industrially important target molecules: 1,2

Study hours

Active Learning Hours:
Lectures: 18
Workshops: 6
Independent Study Hours:
Exam: 3
Synthesis Design Exercise: 21
Directed Independent Learning: 102

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Exam weighted 50%
In-person Exam - 3 hrs
An in-person, invigilated exam of 3 hr duration for 100 marks with a degree of choice and the ability to bring along a restricted number of pre-prepared paper notes.

2: Exercise weighted 50%
Synthesis Design Exercise
A scaffolded exercise incorporating synthetic strategy, route design and mechanistic understanding of multi-step synthetic sequences. Equivalent to 2500 words.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025