CHEMISTRY AND TECHNOLOGY OF F-BLOCK ELEMENTS

The course falls within the relevant training activities of the Master Study Programme in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies, which allow the student to deal with a chemical problem in its various articulations and with consistent use of the current technical-scientific language. The specific training objective of the course is to provide advanced knowledge of inorganic chemistry, in particular as regards the chemistry and technological applications of the elements of group 3 and of the lanthanide and actinide series. The course aims to develop skills that allow students to apply the elements of block f from a technological point of view in areas such as industrial chemical synthesis, energy conversion and advanced materials.

1. Knowledge and understanding.
I) Knowing the electronic structure of lanthanides and actinides in the main oxidation states.
II) Understanding the existing relationships between the electronic structure of the metal centres and the nature of the chemical bond in the compounds of block f.
III) Understanding the existing relationships between electronic structure of metal centres and spectroscopic and magnetic properties.
IV) Knowing the reactivity of the elements of the block f as a function of the electronic structure and of the coordination sphere.
V) Knowing the basic aspects of the nuclear chemistry of light actinides and understanding the fundamental aspects of nuclear energy production.
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding.
I) Being able to use the concepts learned to foresee and logically interpret the chemical-physical properties of a f-block complex.
II) Being able to propose coherent and feasible technological applications of f-block compounds.
3. Ability to judge
I) Being able to evaluate the chemical-physical effects induced by changes in the electronic configuration of metal centres and in the coordination sphere.
II) Being able to evaluate the fields of application of derivatives of f-block elements.
4. Communication skills
I) Being able to use the appropriate scientific-technical terminology and symbology to discuss the course contents.
II) Being able to interact constructively with the teacher and with the other students.
5. Learning skills
I) Being able to synthesize in an autonomous way the salient aspects of the concepts expressed in class.
II) Being able to make logical connections between the topics of the course.

The prerequisite is to have achieved the formative objectives of the Transition Elements Chemistry course provided in the Master Study Programme in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies. In particular, the student must have competences concerning the fundamental aspects of the coordination and organometallic chemistry of metal centres.

In relation to the training objectives and expected learning outcomes, shown in the relevant sections, the contents of the course can be divided as follows:
I) general characteristics of atoms and ions of the lanthanide series, electronic configurations. Oxidation states 0, +2, +3 and +4. Atomic and ionic radii. Comparison with group 3 elements.
II) Minerals containing lanthanides, extraction and purification. Binary compounds and salts. Alloys and their industrial applications.
III) Coordination and organometallic compounds of the lanthanide series. Characteristics of chemical bonding, coordination geometries, donor atoms. Applications in organic synthesis and in polymerization catalysis, with in-depth analysis concerning biodegradable polymers.
IV) Luminescence of the lanthanide compounds. Spin-orbit interaction. Emission spectra. Lifetimes. Antenna effect. Radiative and non-radiative decay. Technological applications.
V) Magnetism of lanthanide compounds and technological applications.
VI) General characteristics of the actinide series. Extraction and purification. Oxidation states. Binary compounds, salts and complexes. Enrichment of uranium.
VII) Use of uranium as a nuclear fuel. Plutonium production. Fission with slow and fast neutrons. Types of reactors. PUREX and UREX processes.
VIII) Thorium as a potential nuclear fuel. Types of reactors. Economic advantages and aspects related to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
IX) Laboratory: synthesis of a salt and of a coordination compound of europium. Preparation of a doped biodegradable polymer. Photoluminescence measurements.

For the study and the deepening of the theory:
I) S. Cotton, Lanthanide and Actinide Chemistry, Wiley, 2006.
II) J.-C. Bunzli, S.V. Eliseeva, Basics of Lanthanide Photophysics, Springer, 2010.
III) C. J. Burns, M. P. Neu, H. Boukhalfa, K. E. Gutowski, N. J. Bridges, R. D. Rogers in Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry II, chap. 3.3, Elsevier, 2005.
IV) K. J. Fisher in Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry II, chap. 4.1, Elsevier, 2005.
V) F. T. Edelmann in Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry III, chap. 4.01 - 4.02, Elsevier, 2007.
VI) C.-H. Huang, Rare Earth Coordination Chemistry, Wiley, 2010.
VII) W. D. Loveland, D. J. Morrissey, G. T. Seaborg, Modern Nuclear Chemistry, 2nd edition, Wiley, 2017.
VIII) Lecture notes and additional teaching materials available at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B6EkDs_UUlhBbjVNNkI5MVNqYkE?usp=sharing

The assessment of learning takes place through an oral test, which consists of a series of questions to which the student must respond by demonstrating to know and be able to expose the topics of the entire program (see the content section) with properties of language and use of scientific chemistry symbols. The oral exam lasts from 25 minutes to 35 minutes depending upon the clarity and consistency of the answers to the questions asked. There are at least three questions, the first on a chosen topic. A question must concern the chemistry and the technological applications of actinides.The exam sessions may be extended beyond the expiration of the session in case of high student numbers.

Teaching is organized in lectures including examples. The last lesson is conducted in the laboratory, with the synthesis and characterization of compounds closely related to content delivered frontally. In Google Drive, educational material is available and can be downloaded.

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Accessibility, Disability and Inclusion
Accommodation and support services for students with disabilities and students with specific learning impairments: Ca’ Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). In the case of disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.

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This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Climate change and energy" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development