Introduction to Physical Chemistry

This text provides an introduction to physical chemistry, covering the fundamentals of thermodynamics, kinetics, electrochemistry, transport and catalysis. The content of this text is delivered as one-semester course in the second year at Griffith University (Nathan, Australia) and intended for students in the disciplines of chemistry, biochemistry, engineering and neighbouring disciplines.

Table of Contents
I. Physico-chemical data and resources
1 Periodic table of the elements
2 Resources and databases
3 Units and constants
4 Summary of important formulae and equations

II. Thermodynamics
1 Motivation, revision and introduction of basic concepts
2 Free energy
3 Properties of real systems
4 Exercises

III. Mixtures and phases
1 Why do or don't things mix
2 Liquids
3 Phase equilibria
4 Thermodynamic aspects of phase transitions
5 Mixtures of volatile liquids
6 Exercises

IV. Solutions of electrolytes
1 Fundamental concepts
2 Electrochemical reactions
3 Electrolytes in solution
4 Exercises

V. Molecules in motion
1 Transport processes
2 Molecular motion in liquid solutions
3 Exercises

VI. Kinetics
1 Introduction
2 Reaction rates, rate constants and orders of reaction
3 Rate equations
4 Determination of the rate law
5 Temperature dependence of reaction rates
6 Linking the rate laws with reaction mechanisms
7 Polymerisation kinetics
8 Collision theory
9 Reactions in solution
10 Diffusion control
11 Transition state theory
12 Exercises

VII. Catalysis
1 Homogeneous catalysis
2 Heterogeneous Catalysis
3 Methods to investigate surfaces and surface processes
4 Exercises

VIII. Mathematical appendix
1 Basic algebra and operations
2 Differentials
3 Integration
4 Data visualisation and fitting

IX. Solutions to exercises

X. Bibliography

XI. Index