Syllabus for International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)

THEORETICAL

1. The atom

2. Chemical bonding

3. Chemical calculations

4. Periodic trends

5. Inorganic Chemistry

1. Introduction

2. Groups 1 and 2

3. Groups 13 – 18 and Hydrogen

4. Transition elements

5. Lanthanides and actinides 3

6. Coordination chemistry including stereochemistry

7. Selected industrial processes

6. Physical chemistry

1. Gases

2. Thermodynamics

3. Equilibrium

4. Electrochemistry

7. Chemical kinetics (Homogeneous reactions)

1. Rate law

2. Reaction mechanisms

8. Spectroscopy

1. UV/visible

2. Infrared

3. x-Ray

4. NMR

5. Mass spectrometry

9. Organic Chemistry

10. Polymers

11. Biochemistry

1. Carbohydrates

12. Analytical chemistry

EXPERIMENTAL

Inorganic Chemistry

 Reactions of s-block elements with water, oxygen and halogens, their color in flame tests.

 Stoichiometry, reactions and properties of binary non-metal hydrides.

 Common reactions of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur oxides (CO, CO2, NO, NO2, N2O4, SO2, SO3).

 Common oxidation states of p-block elements, stoichiometry of common halides and oxoacids (HNO2,

HNO3, H2CO3, H3PO4, H3PO3, H2SO3, H2SO4, HOCl, HClO3, HClO4).

 Reaction of halogens with water.

 Common oxidation states of first row transition metals (Cr(III), Cr(VI), Mn(II), Mn(IV), Mn(VII), Fe(II),

Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(I), Cu(II), Ag(I), Zn(II), Hg(I), and Hg(II) )and the color of these ions.

 Dissolution of these metals and Al, amphoteric hydroxides (Al(OH)3, Cr(OH)3, Zn(OH)2).

 Permanganate, chromate, dichromate ions and their redox reactions.

 Iodometry (reaction of thiosulfate and iodine).

 Identification of Ag+, Ba2+, Fe3+, Cu2+, Cl–, CO32–, SO42– .

Organic Chemistry

 Common electrophiles and nucleophiles.

 Electrophilic addition: addition to double and triple bonds, regioselectivity (Markovnikoff’s rule),

stereochemistry.

 Electrophilic substitution: substitution on aromatic rings, influence of substituents on the reactivity and

regioselectivity, electrophilic species.

 Elimination: E1 and E2 reactions at sp3 carbon centers, stereochemistry, acid-base catalysis, common

leaving groups.

 Nucleophilic substitution: SN1 and SN2 reactions at sp3 carbon centers, stereochemistry.

 Nucleophilic addition: addition to carbon-carbon and carbon-hetero atom double and triple bonds,

addition-elimination reactions, acid-base catalysis.

 Radical substitution: reaction of halogens and alkanes.

 Oxidations and reductions: switching between the different oxidation levels of common functional groups

(alkyne – alkene – alkane – alkyl halide, alcohol – aldehyde, ketone –  carboxylic acid derivatives, nitriles

– carbonates).

 Cyclohexane conformations.

 Grignard reaction, Fehling and Tollens reaction.

 Simple polymers and their preparation  (polystyrene, polyethylene, polyamides, polyesters).

Biochemistry

 Amino acids and their classification in groups, isoelectric point, peptide bond, peptides and proteins.

 Carbohydrates: open chain and cyclic form of glucose and fructose.

 Lipids: general formulae of triacyl glycerides, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.