Course

Unit I

Nuclear ChemistryNuclear structure, mass and charge, mass defect, binding energy, stability rules, magic numbers, nuclear quantum numbers, nuclear parity and statistics, models of nucleus, shell model, liquid drop model, , semi empirical mass equation, equations of radioactive decay and growth, half-life, average life determination of half-lives, nuclear reactions, energetics of nuclear reactions, types of nuclear reactions, spontaneous and induced fission, neutron capture cross sections- critical size principle and working of nuclear reactor. Numerical problems relevant to each session.

Unit II

Radiation ChemistryRadioactive elements, decay kinetics, parent-daughter decay relationships, radioactive equilibrium – transient and secular equilibrium, alpha and beta decay, gamma emission, Radiochemical methods – measurement of radioactivity, measurement of radiations – ionization chamber, proportional counter, the Geiger counter,scintillation counter, semiconductor detectors. Applications of nuclear and radiation chemistry, isotope dilution analysis – activation analysis, radioactive tracers, radiometric titrations, radiation dosimetry, hydrated electron.

Unit III

Inorganic materials IAlkali and alkaline earth metals, their compounds, crown ethers and cryptands as complexing agents for alkali metal ions, Be and Mg compounds, boron cage compounds, boron hydrides, structure and bonding, 3-centre-2- electron bonds, styx numbers, the importance of icosahedral frame work of boron atoms in boron chemistry, closo, nido and arachno structure, carboranes, metallocene carboranes, applications of boron clusters, B-N compounds, interstitial compounds, metal carbides, nitrides and hydrides, fullerenes, functionalized fullerenes, C-nanotubes.

Unit IV

Inorganic materials IIInorganic chains and polymers, rings, cages, and clusters, sulphur-nitrogen compounds, polymeric sulphur nitride, isopoly anions, heteropoly anions, Keggin and Dawson polyoxometallates, borazines, metal clusters, nature of Si-Si bonds, silicates, silicates with zero-, one-, two- and three-dimensional structures, structure of elemental P, phosphonitrilic compounds, polymers with P-N bonds, interhalogen and pseudo halogens, intercalation chemistry, intercalation in layered materials like graphite, xenon fluorides & other xenon compounds.

Unit V

Chemistry of f-block elementsThe lanthanides and actinides, stable oxidation states, the lanthanide and actinide contractions, the f-orbitals, spectral and magnetic properties – comparison with inner transition and transition metals, separation of lanthanides, use of lanthanide compounds as shift reagents, photo-emission of lanthanide compounds, organometallic compounds of lanthanides and actinides and their structural features, reactions of lanthanide and actinide compounds, mineral sands of south west India – Ilmenite, Monazite, etc.

TEXTBOOKS1.H J Arnikar, Essentials of Nuclear Chemistry, 4th revised edition, New Age International (P) Limited publishers, 2015.2.H J Arnikar, Nuclear Chemistry through Problems, New Age International Publishers.3.J. Huheey, Inorganic Chemistry: Principles of Structure and Reactivity, 4th edition, 2006.4.F.A. Cotton, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, Wiley; 6th Edition edition (22 April 1999)5.J.D. Lee Concise Inorganic Chemistry, Oxford University Press, 5th edition, 2008REFERENCES1.Gregory R. Choppin, Jan-Olov Liljenzin and Jan Rydberg, Radiochemistry and Nuclear Chemistry (Third Edition), Elsevier, 20022.Walter D. Loveland, David J. Morrissey, Glenn T. Seaborg, Modern nuclear chemistry, A JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., PUBLICATION, 2017.3.Shriver and Atkins’ Inorganic Chemistry, Oxford; 5 edition, 2009.