Course for international guest/part time students

Faculty

Faculty of Science

Organization

TTK Department of Physical Chemistry

Code

kemkink17em

Title

Chemical kinetics

Usual semester

Autumn

Published semester

2026/27/1

ECTS

2

Language

en

Learning outcomes

Competencies: a) Knowledge Knowledge of the fundamental concepts of kinetics from the formal kinetic (macroscopic) level to the molecular level dynamic description. Knowledge of the basic concepts of reaction dynamics. b) Ability Ability to use the knowledge in other fields of chemistry for the interpretation and calculation of kinetic, reaction dynamic, or related phenomena (e.g., fluctuations, transport processes, chemical reactions, etc.). Attitude Responsive to problems present in the area of technical or scientific areas where the questions related to kinetics, dynamics and reaction dynamics or connecting subjects arise. d) Autonomy and responsibility Capability to form independent opinion and cooperation with experts of other fields.

Course content

Reaction rate. Reaction order, rate constant, half-life. Differential and integrated rate equations. Kinetic description of first- and second-order reactions. Complex reactions: consecutive, parallel, and equilibrium reactions. Steady-state approximation, Bodenstein principle. The temperature dependence of the reaction rate. Arrhenius equation, activation energy. Molecular, atomic, and radical reactions. Wall effect. Specific characteristics of solution reactions. Chain reactions. Explosions, p-T diagram of explosions. Combustion, flame, detonation. The kinetics of heterogeneous chemical reactions. The order of surface reactions and diffusion-controlled reactions. Homogeneous catalysis. Kinetic description of catalytic and autocatalytic reactions. Kinetics of enzyme reactions, Michaelis-Menten mechanism. Promoter and inhibitor. Heterogeneous catalysis. Adsorption and activated adsorption. Non-thermal activation processes. The energy of the photon. Photochemistry. Sensitization, photosynthesis, photography. Basic radiochemistry. Fundamentals of molecular dynamics. Collisions and reactive collisions. Cross-section. Collision theory. Transition State Theory and its thermodynamic formulation. Applications of the Transition State Theory. Reaction dynamics. Experimental reaction dynamics. Potential energy surfaces. The trajectory method. Theory of unimolecular reactions. Reactions in the condensed phase.

Assessment method

Oral exam

Bibliography

P.W. Atkins, ’Physical Chemistry’ Oxford Univ. Press, 1990. M. J. Pilling, P. W. Seakins, ’Reaction Kinetics’, Oxford, University Press, 1995. R. D. Levine és R. B. Bernstein, Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Chemical Reactivity, Oxford University Press, 1987. N. E. Henriksen, F. Y. Hansen ‘Theories of Molecular Reaction Dynamics’ Oxford University Press, 2008.

Programmes of the course