GATE Chemistry Syllabus 2027, Detailed Topic-Wise PDF

Topics

Sub-topics

Verbal Aptitude

• Basic English grammar: tenses, articles, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, verb-noun agreement, and other parts of speech.

• Basic vocabulary: words, idioms, and phrases in context.

• Reading and comprehension.

• Narrative sequencing.

Quantitative Aptitude

• Data interpretation: data graphs (bar graphs, pie charts, and other graphs representing data), 2D and 3D plots, maps, and tables.

• Numerical computation and estimation: ratios, percentages, powers, exponents, logarithms, permutations and combinations, and series.

• Mensuration and geometry.

• Elementary statistics and probability.

Analytical Aptitude

• Logic: deduction and induction.

• Analogy.

• Numerical relations and reasoning.

Spatial Aptitude

• Transformation of shapes: translation, rotation, scaling, mirroring, assembling, and grouping.

• Paper folding, cutting, and patterns in 2D and 3D.

Sections

Topics

Structure

Postulates of quantum mechanics, operators, commutation relations, expectation values, wave function, Schrödinger equations, Born interpretation, Dirac bra-ket notation, particle in 1D/2D/3D box, tunnelling, harmonic oscillator, rotational motion, hydrogen and hydrogen-like atoms, multi-electron atoms, variational method, perturbation techniques, Born-Oppenheimer approximation, Valence Bond Theory, LCAO-MO theory, hybridization, Molecular Orbital Theory (MOT), Hückel theory.

Group Theory

Symmetry elements and operations, group postulates, classes, reducible and irreducible representations, molecular point groups, symmetry selection rules, symmetry of vibrational modes, symmetry-adapted LCAO, construction of hybrid orbitals.

Spectroscopy

Atomic spectroscopy, Russell-Saunders coupling, term symbols, rotational, vibrational, electronic and Raman spectroscopy, Gaussian and Lorentzian line shapes, Beer-Lambert law, Einstein coefficients, Jablonski diagram, transition moment integral, oscillator strength, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (chemical shift and nuclear coupling).

Equilibrium

Laws of thermodynamics, thermochemistry, Gibbs-Helmholtz relation, Maxwell relations, Gibbs-Duhem equation, Van't Hoff equation, spontaneity, entropy, partial molar quantities, thermodynamics of mixing, chemical potential, fugacity, activity, activity coefficient, chemical equilibrium, effect of temperature and pressure on equilibrium constant.

Solutions

Ideal and non-ideal solutions, Raoult's law, Henry's law.

Electrochemistry

Standard electrode potential, electrochemical cells, Nernst equation, potentiometric and conductometric titrations, ionic mobility, conductivity, Kohlrausch's law, Debye-Hückel limiting law, Debye-Hückel-Onsager equation.

Phase Equilibria

Phase rule, Clausius-Clapeyron equation, one-component and two-component phase diagrams, fractional distillation, azeotropes, eutectics.

Statistical Thermodynamics

Microcanonical, canonical and grand canonical ensembles, Boltzmann distribution, partition functions, thermodynamic properties, statistical mechanics of ideal gases.

Kinetics and Reaction Dynamics

Elementary, parallel, opposing and consecutive reactions, steady-state approximation, reaction mechanisms, unimolecular reactions, potential energy surface, transition state theory, polymerization kinetics, catalysis, enzyme catalysis, kinetic isotope effects, fast reaction kinetics, diffusion-controlled reactions, photophysical processes, quantum yield, quenching.

Surfaces and Interfaces

Physisorption, chemisorption, Langmuir, Freundlich and BET isotherms, Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism, surface tension, viscosity, self-assembly, colloids, micelles and macromolecules.

Sections

Topics

Main Group Elements

Shapes and structures of molecules using VSEPR postulates. Hydrides, halides, oxides, oxoacids, nitrides, and sulfides—shapes and reactivity. Structure and bonding of boranes, carboranes, silicones, silicates, boron nitride, borazine, and phosphazenes; electron counting in polyhedral boranes and isolobal analogy. Allotropes of carbon, phosphorus, and sulfur. Industrial synthesis of NH₃, H₂SO₄, and HNO₃. Chemistry of noble gases and interhalogen compounds. Acid-base concepts and principles (Lewis, Brønsted, HSAB, and acid-base catalysis).

Transition Metals

Coordination chemistry—structure and isomerism; theories of bonding (VBT, CFT, and MOT); metal-metal multiple bonds; energy level diagrams in various crystal fields; CFSE; applications of CFT; Jahn-Teller distortion; electronic spectra of transition metal complexes; spectroscopic term symbols; selection rules; Orgel and Tanabe-Sugano diagrams; nephelauxetic effect and Racah parameter; charge-transfer spectra; magnetic properties of transition metal complexes; Ray-Dutt and Bailar twists; reaction mechanisms including kinetic and thermodynamic stability, associative, dissociative substitution, and redox reactions.

Lanthanides and Actinides

Recovery, periodic properties, spectral properties, and magnetic properties.

Organometallics

18-electron rule; metal-alkyl, metal-carbonyl, metal-olefin, metal-carbene complexes, and metallocenes. Fluxionality in organometallic complexes. Types of organometallic reactions. Homogeneous catalysis—hydrogenation, hydroformylation, methanol to acetic acid process, olefin metathesis, and Wacker oxidation. Heterogeneous catalysis—Fischer-Tropsch reaction and Ziegler-Natta polymerization.

Bioinorganic Chemistry

Ion (Na⁺ and K⁺) transport, oxygen binding, transport and utilization, electron transfer reactions, nitrogen fixation, and metalloenzymes containing magnesium, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, copper, and zinc.

Solids

Crystal systems and lattices, Miller planes, crystal packing, crystal defects, Bragg's law, ionic crystals, structures of AX, AX₂, and ABX₃ compounds, spinels, band theory, metals and semiconductors, zeolites, and their applications.

Instrumental Methods of Analysis

UV-visible, fluorescence, and FT-IR spectrophotometry; NMR and ESR spectroscopy; mass spectrometry; atomic absorption spectroscopy; Mössbauer spectroscopy (Fe and Sn); X-ray crystallography; electroanalytical methods including cyclic voltammetry and ion-selective electrodes; thermoanalytical methods including TGA, DTA, and DSC.

Sections

Topics

General Concepts

Structure dependence on properties such as basicity and acidity. Role of aromatic stability on the physical properties of organic compounds.

Stereochemistry

Chirality and symmetry of organic molecules with or without chiral centres and determination of absolute configuration and optical purity. Relative stereochemistry, homotopic, enantiotopic and diastereotopic atoms, groups and faces. Conformational analysis of acyclic and cyclic compounds. Geometrical and optical isomerism. Configurational and conformational effects, atropisomerism, neighbouring group participation, stereoselective and stereospecific synthesis, enantiomeric excess.

Reaction Mechanisms

Basic mechanistic concepts and energy profile diagrams, kinetic versus thermodynamic control, Hammond's postulate, Curtin-Hammett principle, determination of reaction mechanisms, solvent effects in substitution and elimination reactions, Hammett and Taft equations.

Types of Reactions

Nucleophilic and electrophilic substitution reactions (aromatic and aliphatic), addition reactions, elimination reactions, reactive intermediates (carbocation, carbanion, carbene, nitrene, aryne and free radicals), molecular rearrangements, Barton decarboxylation, Barton-McCombie reaction and Hunsdiecker reaction.

Organic Synthesis

Synthesis, reactions and selectivity of alkenes, alkynes, arenes, alcohols, phenols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, nitriles, halides, nitro compounds, amines and amides. Uses of Mg, Li, Cu, B, Zn, P, S, Sn and Si reagents, coupling reactions, olefin metathesis, multistep synthesis, retrosynthetic analysis, green chemistry, asymmetric synthesis, protection and deprotection, enolate chemistry, stereoselective additions and asymmetric aldol reactions.

Oxidation

Oxidation of alcohols, peracid oxidation, oxidation of alkenes to diols, ozonolysis, hydroboration-oxidation, Sharpless and Jacobsen epoxidation, Sharpless asymmetric hydroxylation.

Reduction

Catalytic hydrogenation, metal-based reductions, hydride transfer reagents including NaBH₄, LiAlH₄, DIBAL-H, Luche reduction, L-selectride and K-selectride.

Pericyclic Reactions and Photochemistry

Electrocyclic, cycloaddition and sigmatropic reactions, Diels-Alder reaction, Claisen and Cope rearrangements, FMO analysis, Woodward-Hoffmann rules, photochemistry of alkenes, arenes and carbonyl compounds, photo-oxidation, photo-reduction, Di-π-methane rearrangement, Norrish type-I and II reactions, Paternò-Büchi reaction, Photo-Curtius and Wolff rearrangements, Barton and Hofmann-Löffler-Freytag reactions.

Heterocyclic Compounds

Nomenclature of mono- and bicyclic, mono- and di-heteroatomic compounds. Structure, preparation, properties and reactions of furan, pyrrole, thiophene, pyridine, indole, quinoline and isoquinoline.

Biomolecules

Structure, properties and reactions of mono- and di-saccharides, amino acids, peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, steroids, terpenoids, carotenoids and alkaloids.

Experimental Techniques in Organic Chemistry

Optical rotation (polarimetry), thin-layer, column, HPLC and GC chromatography, and applications of UV-visible, IR, NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry in structural determination of organic molecules.

Particular

Details

Exam Mode

Computer-Based Test (CBT)

Exam Duration

3 Hours

Language

English

Total Marks

100 Marks

Types of Questions

MCQs, MSQs & NATs

Sections

General Aptitude (GA) & Chemistry

Marks Distribution

General Aptitude: 15 Marks

Chemistry: 85 Marks

Negative Marking

Applicable only for MCQs: 1/3 mark deducted for each incorrect 1-mark MCQ and 2/3 mark deducted for each incorrect 2-mark MCQ. No negative marking for MSQs and NATs.