This note endeavors to
provide an overview of the physical chemistry concepts and applications that are
most relevant to biological sciences. Topics covered includes: First Law of
Thermodynamics, Second Law of Thermodynamics, Free Energy and Chemical
Equilibria, The Statistical Foundations of Biophysical Chemistry, Physical
Equilibria, Electrochemistry, The Motions of Biological Molecules, Kinetics:
Rates of Chemical Reactions, Enzyme Kinetics, Molecular Structure and
Interaction: Theory and Biomolecules, Optical Spectroscopy, Magnetic Resonance
and Climate Change.
This
text follows the mainstream core principles of physical chemistry in a way that
highlights statistical thermodynamics with its applications. Starting with the
thermodynamics of ideal gases, it leads to the kinetic theory of gases and
detailed molecular behavior descriptions. The text also enters the domain of
chemical kinetics, describing reaction rates as they relate to many variables.
The book explores surface adsorption and transport phenomena, aiding in the
illustration of the comprehension of molecules in the behavior at the interface
and in motion. The book on physical chemistry was created for higher class
students. The book is a very rigorous approach to physical chemistry with clear
explanations and practical insights into molecular dynamics and thermodynamic
principles.
Author(s): Alberto Otero de la Roza, University of Oviedo
This textbook
takes a practical approach to physical chemistry by providing an application of
the fundamental principles in real settings. The first topics in this textbook
include the first and second laws of thermodynamics, Gibbs free energy, phase
equilibria, chemical equilibrium, electrochemical principles, quantum chemistry,
and statistical mechanics. It dwells on three-dimensional systems and the
time-dependent Schrödinger equation in which quite complex chemical dynamics can
be explained in further detail. It is especially for advanced learners and helps
them achieve theoretical knowledge as well as practical insights into the
behavior of chemical systems and their interactions in various environments.