Ateneo - UPO

The course aims to provide students with the chemical-physical knowledge necessary for the study of chemical, biological, biotechnological and pharmaceutical systems.

Material provided by the lecturer and uploaded on DIR platform.

Students can also consult:

Peter William Atkins, Julio de Paula “Elementi di chimica fisica” Zanichelli 2018 ISBN. 978-88-08-22068-4


Marc R. Roussel "A Life Scientist's guide to physical chemistry"
Cambridge University Press
ISBN 978-0-521-18696-4

Knowledge and understanding: to acquire solid knowledge of the fundamental aspects of the chemical-physical properties underlying the investigation of systems of biotechnological, biological and pharmaceutical interest.
Applied knowledge and understanding: to acquire the ability to evaluate, in the light of the notions learned during the course, which are the most suitable chemical-physical methods for the study of certain systems.
Communication skills: to acquire and use an appropriate vocabulary in relation to the topics and techniques covered in the course.
Making judgements: ability to critically analyze the elements related to physical chemistry in complex and realistic problems.

Basic knowledge of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.

Lectures will be held in the classroom with the use of slides, videos, and case studies. When possible, for certain specific topics, the “flipped classroom” approach will be experimented with. The teaching materials used during the lectures (in PDF format) will be made available on the DIR platform.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The examination consists of an oral assessment covering the topics discussed in class.

The first question involves the discussion on a topic chosen by the student. During the presentation, the examiner may ask the student to elaborate on specific points. This will be followed by two or three additional questions selected at random from a question bank.

Students will be assessed not only on their knowledge of the subject matter, but also on their ability to develop reasoned arguments, draw connections between concepts and areas of knowledge, and use appropriate terminology.

Radiation–matter interactions

Electronic spectroscopies: absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy, including steady-state and time-resolved measurements and anisotropy, in both liquids and solids, with a brief overview of nanotechnology- and biotechnology-based formulations and additives.

Vibrational spectroscopies: infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy.

Circular dichroism.

Study of solid–liquid, solid–gas and liquid–liquid interfaces. Definition of dispersed and colloidal systems. Classification based on dispersed particle size; surface tension. Optical, electrical and kinetic properties of colloidal systems and their stability. Techniques for determining particle size in dispersed systems: dynamic light scattering (DLS), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Scanning probe microscopy. Surfactants and liposomes and their physicochemical properties. Nanomaterials and nanoparticles for biotechnological and biomedical applications. Examples of nanoparticle applications in medicine: drug delivery and theranostics.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge of the main physicochemical methods used to investigate systems of biotechnological and pharmaceutical interest and will be able to assess their potential and applicability.