Chemistry 331: Organic Chemistry, First Semester
Fall 2014, University of Delaware
Syllabus
Lecture:
Section 10 M,W,F 10:10a-11:00a, Brown Lab (BRL) 101
Section 11 M,W,F 11:15a-12:05p, Brown Lab (BRL) 101
Instructor:
Professor Donald A. Watson
204 Lammot duPont
dawatson@udel.edu
Office hour:
Wednesday 9a-10a and Thursday 11a-12p, Lammont DuPont Lab (LDL)
208, or by appointment (please request via email).
Recitators:
Kirk Shimkin
kshimkin@udel.edu
Discussion Sections:
Office hours:
Allen Pistner
apistner@UDel.Edu
Discussion Sections:
Office hours:
Website:
Section 021D, Tuesday, 5:00p-6:00p, Alison 221.
Section 023D, Thursday, 6:00p-7:00p, Alison 132.
Tuesday 1-2p, location 208 LDL.
Section 020D, Monday, 1:25p-2:25p, Spencer 114.
Section 022D, Wednesday, 8:00a-9:00a, Alison 131.
Friday 9-10a, location 208 LDL.
http://www.udel.edu/chem/dawatson/classes/Chem331_F14/Chem331_F14-home.html
Required Text: Organic Chemistry, Maitland Jones, Jr. and Steven A. Fleming
Molecular Models Required: HGS 1003 Organic Chemistry C-Set or similar.
(http://www.maruzen.info/hgs/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=4&products_id=4)
These should be available in the bookstore.
Grading:
Quizzes (6)
Problem Sets (6, done check only)
Discussion Section Attendance
Midterm Exams (2)
Final Exam
3% each (18% total)
2% each (12% total)
10%
15% each (30% total)
30%
Problem Sets: There will be six problem sets posted on the website approximately on the days indicated in the
table below. These will consist of both assigned problems from the text, as well as other problems. These problem
sets will be turned in during class on the due date. Late problem sets will not be accepted. Your answers will only
be graded for completeness (2 points for all answers attempted, 1 point for ~50-90% completion, 0 points for <50%
completion). No half points will be awarded. Please note, these are easy points that are in place to encourage you
to study... please take advantage of this. A key will be posted on the course website after problem sets have been
turned in. You are responsible for making sure that you understand the correct answers once the key is posted.
Answers will also be discussed in discussion sections. You are free to work in study groups when working on the
problem sets, but each person must turn in a hand-written answer set of their own creation.
Quizzes: There will be six short quizzes given in class on approximately the days indicated in the table below.
These will be closed book. Model set may be allowed and will be determined on a quiz-by-quiz basis. Make-up
quizzes will be handled according to university policy.
Discussion Sections: There will be discussion sections for this class. These TA lead sections will allow time to
work additional problems, ask questions and get more help. Attendance of your assigned discussion section is
required. Attendance will be taken. You are allowed two unexcused absences from discussions without penalty.
Beyond that, there will be a 1% deduction from your final course grade (up to 10% total). Again, these are very
easy points that are designed to help you to maximize your success... please take advantage. Also, be aware that
signing in a classmate who is not present will be considered academic dishonesty and will be treated accordingly.
Exams: Exams will held in class and will be closed book, closed note. Models will be allowed. Exams will cover
lecture material, problem sets, and assigned reading. Make-up exams will be handled according to university
policy.
Regrades: All requests for regrades must be submitted in writing within 24 hours of the material being
returned. Please note, the entire quiz or exam will be regraded – if grading errors are found the final grades may
be higher or lower than original score. Also note, photocopies may be made prior to returning exams. If answers
are altered, it will be obvious and provable (see below).
Approximate Class Outline (exact dates of topics may vary with class progress):
Week (Dates)
1 (8/27 – 8/29)
Monday 9/1
2 (9/1 – 9/5)
3 (9/8 – 9/12)
Friday 9/12
4 (9/15 – 9/19)
5 (9/22– 9/26)
Friday 9/26
6 (9/29 – 10/3)
7 (10/6 – 10/10)
Friday 10/10
8 (10/13 – 10/17)
Friday 10/17
9 (10/20 – 10/24)
10 (10/27 – 10/31)
Friday 10/31
11 (11/3 – 11/7)
12 (11/10 – 11/14)
Friday 11/14
13 (11/17 – 11/21)
Friday 11/21
14 (11/24)
Wed-Fri 11/26-11/28
15 (12/1 – 12/3)
Wednesday 12/3
TBA
Topic
Orbitals and Bonding
Labor Day, No Class
Alkanes, Alkenes, and Alkynes
Alkanes, Alkenes, and Alkynes con't
Quiz 1
Stereochemistry
Rings
Quiz 2
Alkyl halides, amines, ethers...
Substitution and Elimination Reactions
Quiz 3
Substitution and Elimination Reactions con't
Midterm 1
Electrophilic Additions to Alkenes
Quiz 4
Other Reactions of Alkenes
Radical Reactions
Quiz 5
Conjugated Pi-Systems
Midterm 2
Conjugated Pi-Systems con't
Thanksgiving, No Class
Conjugated Pi-Systems con't
Quiz 6
Final Exam
Reading
Ch 1
PS
Ch 2-3
PS 1 assigned 9/1
Ch 4
Ch 5
Ch 6
Ch 7-8
PS 1 Due
PS 2 assigned 9/15
PS 2 Due
PS 3 assigned 9/29
PS 3 Due
Ch 10
Ch 11
Ch 12
Ch 13
PS 4 assigned 10/20
PS 4 Due
PS 5 assigned 11/3
PS 5 Due
PS 6 assigned 11/17
PS 6 Due
Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Not only is such behavior unethical, but also
cheating in this class will result in you not learning material that will be critical to your chosen career path. Please
review the University of Delaware’s Academic Dishonestly Policy, which can be found at
http://www.udel.edu/stuguide/09-10/code.html#honesty.
Plagiarism is using someone else’s words or ideas without acknowledgment and most often results from uncited
quoting or paraphrasing. Plagiarism is a serious form of academic dishonesty. For more information, please see:
http://www.english.udel.edu/wc/student/handouts/plagiarism.html
Learning Goals: Students should gain a mastery of the introductory theory of the following topics: reactions of
polyenes; orbitals and bonding of organic molecules; structure and reactivity of alkanes, alkenes and alkynes;
stereochemistry; structure and reactivity of cyclic organic molecules; structure and reactivity of substituted alkanes;
substitution reactions of aliphatic organic molecules; elimination reactions of aliphatic organic molecules;
electrophilic reactions of alkenes; other reactions of alkenes; elementary radical reactions; structure and reactivity
of dienes and allyl systems.