KJM-MENA9110 – Inorganic Structural Chemistry

Course content

What characterizes the structure of periodic, crystalline materials? How do we describe structure, and what means do we have to understand it? How can structure aid us in the understanding of reactions and phase transitions in functional inorganic materials?

KJM-MENA9110 is an advanced course in inorganic structural chemistry. You will build a fundamental understanding of crystallography as a field, and how diffraction as a technique is used to determine the structure of periodic inorganic compounds. We investigate and describe imporant inorganic structure types. We use structural topology and the bond valence method to understand the formation of the structures we investigate. Finally, you get an introduction in visualization of structures and structural relationships, based on relevant databases and software.

The course gives a foundation in the understanding in the chemistry of inorganic solid compounds, which enables you to follow the state of the art in the field.

Learning outcome

After completing this course, you:

  • Understand how we can use databases (International Tables for Crystallography) to collect information about structure and symmetry
  • Have obtained fundamental knowledge on powder diffraction and how we use diffraction angles and intensity to determine simple crystal structures
  • Understand how you can describe connectivity patterns between atoms and their coordination polyhedra chemically, mathematically and graphically
  • Have obtained knowledge on valence rules to predict bonding patterns in structures of elements and binary compounds
  • Understand how to identify close-packed arrangements of atoms or molecules, and how to recognize polytypes. You also know how to use this to identify patterns of hole-filling in close-packed binary compounds, and how to identify structural series in light of their composition
  • Have obtained fundamental understanding on the origin of ionic radii as a concept, and how this can be used to predict structures. You also know how when this concept does not provide reasonable predictions.
  • Know how you can use bond valence to analyze and predict crystal structures
  • Can analyze variations in composition and structure in important complex structure types, using the perovskite structure as the archetypical example.
  • Have a basic understanding of complex crystallography, exemplified by incommensurate structures and quasicrystals

Admission to the course

PhD candidates from the University of Oslo should apply for classes and register for examinations through?Studentweb.

If a course has limited intake capacity, priority will be given to PhD candidates who follow an individual education plan where this particular course is included. Some national researchers’ schools may have specific rules for ranking applicants for courses with limited intake capacity.

PhD candidates who have been admitted to another higher education institution must?apply for a position as a visiting student?within a given deadline.

KJM1121 – Inorganic Chemistry, 2500, KJM3120 – Inorganic Materials Chemistry (discontinued), MENA1001 – Materials, Energy and Nanotechnology, MENA2000 – Fundamental structure of solid materials and MENA3100 – Characterization of Materials or equivalent courses

Overlapping courses

Teaching

The teaching includes 36 hours of lectures and 24 hours of seminars. In addition, you must familiarize yourself with a topic you choose together with the course coordinator. Below you see suggestions for relevant topics:

  1. Translational and rotational symmetry:?what are these, and how are they combined in crystal structures.
  2. Matrix calculations, additions, inversions, and multiplication. The properties of matrices.
  3. Other topic chosen in agreement with the course coordinator.

Based on what you learn, you will make a written or oral presentation that will be discussed with the course coordinator?and fellow students. The form of the presentation will be decided by the course coordinator at the beginning of the semester. The presentation must be approved before you can sit the final exam.

The first lecture is mandatory. If you are unable to attend, the student administration at the Department of Chemistry has to be informed in advance. If you fail to register as an active student for the course in either of these ways, you will lose access to the course for the given semester.

Examination

  • Final written exam which counts 100 % towards the?final grade.

This course has a mandatory (written or oral) presentation, which must be completed and approved before the final exam.

It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following courses:?KJM-MENA5110 – Inorganic Structure Chemistry, KJM5110 – Inorganic Structural Chemistry (continued), KJM9110 – Inorganic Structural Chemistry (continued)

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English. You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.

Resit an examination

Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a?postponed exam?at the beginning of the next semester.

New examinations?are offered at the beginning of the next semester for students who do not successfully complete the exam during the previous semester.

We do not offer a re-scheduled exam for students who withdraw during the exam.

More about examinations at UiO

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.

Last updated from FS (Common Student System) Dec. 22, 2024 8:13:00 AM

Facts about this course

Level
PhD
Credits
10
Teaching
Spring

The course may be canceled if less than 5?students apply.

Examination
Spring
Teaching language
Norwegian (English on request)

Contact

Department of Chemistry