The Fascination of Crystals and Symmetry
- MOOC
- English
- Chemistry
About this course
Course Summary
In this course, we will provide you with a basic introduction into crystallography. The focus is placed upon the symmetry elements, which occur in crystals. The arrangement of the atoms inside the crystal needs a more detailed description than the overall shape of the crystal (morphology). We want to show you how symmetry is classified in a hierarchical way. We want our students to gain the ability to discover symmetry on their own.
What will I learn?
At the end of the course you will ...
be aware of the similarities between the patterns on wallpaper and the structures of crystals.
be able to classify the innumerable appearances of crystals into the seven different crystal systems.
know how to find crystallographic data and how to analyze it regarding symmetry.
understand the description of infinite framework structures (i.e. MOFs) via a topology approach.
understand the relationship between the structure and the properties of a material. Ex.: Why is diamond so hard and the explanation of phenomena such as ferroelectricity?
What do I have to know?
Basic knowledge in chemistry (atoms, simple molecules).
Workload
- approx. 3 hours per week
Do I get a certificate?
Students participating in this course can earn the official Statement of Participation.
Requirements for receiving the Statement of Participation are to watch 80% of the lecture videos as well as complete 80% of the quizzes.
Course instructors
Michael Sartor
Chemist, Department of Chemistry, University of Hamburg
Born 1984 in Hamburg, he began his studies in Chemistry in 2003. In the summer of 2008 he spent a semester at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Nantes (France).
In 2009 he completed his diploma thesis in the group of Prof. Till Opatz at the Institute of Organic Chemistry on the subject: “Auxiliary-Controlled Syntheses of Chiral Derivatives of Pyrrolidine and Piperidine”.
Since 2010 he is a member in the research group of Michael Fröba at the Institute of Inorganic and Applied Chemistry. For his research he makes use of his skills in the synthesis of organic molecules. He assembles them into “metal-organic frameworks”. These porous solids are envisioned to find an application in the separation and storage of various substances.
Michael Fröba
Chemist, Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Hamburg
Michael Fröba studied chemistry in Würzburg and Hamburg and received his doctorate in 1993 from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, where he worked with Prof. W. Metz on graphite intercalation compounds. From 1994 to 1996, he was a Feodor Lynen research fellow in the group of Dr J. Wong at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. After his habilitation at the University of Hamburg in 2000, he was appointed as an Associate Professor for Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. From 2001 to 2007 he was Full Professor for Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Giessen, and since 2007 he holds a chair for Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Hamburg, with a strong focus on solid-state and materials chemistry.
