Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

• CHEM-C 500 Introduction to Research (required 2 credits in the fall semester and 4 credits in the spring semester) Objectives and techniques of chemical research. Assignment to research problem to be completed during two semesters.
• CHEM-C 501 Chemical Instrumentation (4 cr.) Electronics as applied to chemical instrumentation; design and construction of instru­ments used in chemical research, analysis, recording, and con­trol; maintenance and practice in modification to meet special needs.
• CHEM-C 502 Spectroscopic Methods in Inorganic Chemistry (3 cr.) P: C361. Chemical applications of group theory and the elucida­tion of structure and bonding in inorganic molecules and com­plexes by vibrational, nuclear magnetic resonance, Mossbauer and electronic absorption spectroscopy.
• CHEM-C 503 Spectrometric Methods of Structure Determination (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing. Elucidation of molecular structure utilizing IR, UV, and NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and other methods.
• CHEM-C 505 Graduate Professional Development Seminar (1 cr.) Incoming graduate students will be exposed to three core areas: teaching skills, research skills and professional skills. Topics include classroom management for discussion/labs, grading, effective research habits and time management, CVs, ethics, library skills, grant writing, and making the most out of your PhD.
• CHEM-C 506 Biogeochemistry (3 cr.) The formation and processing of organic material in natural environments. Microbiology of sedi­ments. The global biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Geochemistry of organic materials. Organic geo­chemical evidence of evolutionary events.
• CHEM-C 509 Special Laboratory Problems (1-5 cr.) P: 8 credit hours of chemistry toward graduate degree, consent of instructor. P or C: 500-level lecture course in research field. Non-majors only. Participation in scientific research to gain understanding of its philosophy and techniques.

• CHEM-C 511 Advanced Analytical Methods I (4 cr.) Theory and prac­tice of analytical separation techniques and analytical spectros­copy; chromatographic methods of separation, fundamentals of gas and liquid chromatography, overview of spectroscopic in­strumentation, atomic and molecular spectroscopy for analysis.CHEM-C 512 Advanced Analytical Methods II (4 cr.) Theory and practice of electrochemical (potentiometric and voltammetric) methods of analysis; introduction to analytical chemistry of the elements and statistics for analytical chemistry.
• CHEM-C 540 Advanced Organic Chemistry (3 cr.) P: C362 and C342. Valence and molecule structure, electronic interpretation of organic reactions, stereochemistry.
• CHEM-C 543 Organic Reactions (3 cr.) Synthesis of organic compounds, degradation reactions, selected topics in organic reactions.
• CHEM-C 561 Atomic and Molecular Quantum Theory (3 cr.) P: Gradu­ate standing or consent of instructor. Elements of quantum theory, solution of elementary problems with chemical applica­tions, approximate methods, atomic structure, molecular sym­metry and normal vibrations, the molecular orbital description of molecules.
• CHEM-C 562 Computational Quantum Chemistry (3 cr.) P: C561 or consent of instructor. Electronic structure theory at the Har­tree-Fock and semiempirical levels, computer calculations on elementary systems, elements of group theory and linear vec­tor spaces, electron correlation, structure of potential surfaces.
• CHEM-C 565 Nuclear Chemistry (3 cr.) P: C360 or C361. Introduction to nuclear science covering the properties, structure, and reactions of nuclei. The energetics and kinetics of radioactivity are studied. Models presented include the liquid drop (macroscopic properties) and the shell (microscopic properties) models. Topics covered include: origin of the elements, nuclear power, biological effects of radiation, and radiocarbon dating.
• CHEM-C 566 Molecular Optical Spectroscopy (3 cr.) P: C561 or consent of instructor. Interaction of radiation with matter. Spectroscopic probes of the rotational, vibrational, and electronic structure of molecules. Advanced laser methods.
• CHEM-C 567 Chemical Statistical Mechanics (3 cr.) P: Graduate stand­ing or consent of instructor. Introduction to equilibrium and nonequilibrium many-body systems using ensemble tech­niques. Emphasis on molecular systems and systems undergo­ing chemical transformation or transport. Both qualitative and rigorous approaches.
• CHEM-C 568 Advanced Statistical Mechanics (3 cr.) P: C567 or consent of instructor. Selected topics such as pair correlation functions in classical liquids, laser and reaction-transport, nonequilibrium phenomena, critical phenomena, reaction rates, condensed media, NMR, precipitation and polymer kinetics, Green’s func­tion methods, and computational methods.
• CHEM-C 572 Computational Chemistry and Molecular Modeling (3 cr.) P: C571 or consent of instructor. Molecular modeling: com­puter models of molecules and their behavior in gas and con­densed phases; implicit and explicit solvation models; quantum and molecular mechanics; search strategies for conformational analysis, geometry optimization methods; information content from Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations. Statis­tics and chemometrics: multivariate statistics and experimental design, numerical methods, calibration and chemical analysis, optimization methods, artificial intelligence. Molecular design: de novo design techniques; quantitative structure activity rela­tionships (QSAR); comparative molecular field analysis (CoM­FA); docking; molecular diversity and combinatorial libraries.
• CHEM-C 581 Macromolecular Structure and Function (1.5 cr.) P: BIOC-B501 or consent of instructor. Molecular Biology and Physical Chemistry Review; Recombinant DNA Techniques; Heterologous Protein Expression Systems; Description and Measurement of Stabilizing Forces in Macromolecular Structure; Protein Secondary, Tertiary and Quaternary Structures: Circular Dichroism and Analytical Ultracentrifugation; Nucleic and Structure and Probing; Protein Structure Determination by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR); Protein Structure Determination by X-ray Crystallography; building and refinement of a Protein Structure from Crystallographic Data. Credit given for only one of the following: C581, B530.
• CHEM-C 582 Biomolecular Analysis and Interaction (1.5 cr.) P: BIOC-B501 or consent of instructor. Ligand Binding Models; Single Site Binding and Multiple and Competitive Site Binding; and Determination and Measurement of Binding Interactions and Antibody-based Interaction Methods. Credit given for only one of the following: C582, B531.
• CHEM-C 585 Structure and Function of Biological Membranes (1.5 cr.) Biochemistry and biophysics of lipids, membranes, and mem­brane proteins; fundamentals of membrane transport; interfa­cial catalysis; transmembrane signal transduction. Credit given for only one of the following: C585, B605.
• CHEM-C 588 Fundamentals of Biochemical Catalysis (1.5 cr.) General properties of  enzymes and basic principles of enzymatic reactions are discussed. Enzyme kinetics; inhibitor types, their importance and there effects on enzymatic reaction rates; and specificity of enzymes will be covered. Students will gain facility with thermodynamics, catalytic mechanisms, kinetics and binding equilibria as they apply to proteins. Credit given for only one of the following: C588, B540.
• CHEM-C 589 Enzyme Mechanisms (1.5 cr.) P: CHEM-C588 Enzyme mechanisms demonstrate how chemical principles are employed by living organisms. The course will cover several classes of enzymes, for example, hydrolases, phosphorylases, kinases, carboxylases, and transferases. Focus will also be placed on the roles of cofactors in catalysis. Credit given for only one of the following: C589, B541.
• CHEM-C 605 Biological Regulation (1.5 cr.) An informal lecture of the understanding of selected aspects of biochemical regulation, while reinforcing core concepts of biochemistry as discovery-based quantitative, molecular and chemical science.
• CHEM-C 611 Electroanalytical Chemistry (1.5-3 cr.) Theory and prac­tice of electrochemical techniques (such as cyclic voltammetry, chronocoulometry, stripping analysis, thin-layer electrochem­istry, and spectroelectrochemistry) used for analysis and for the characterization of inorganic and organic systems. (May be offered in alternate years.)
• CHEM-C 612 Spectrochemical Methods of Analysis (1.5-3 cr.) New instrumentation and techniques employed in spectrochemistry; in-depth treatment of commonly used spectrochemical meth­ods. (May be offered in alternate years.)
• CHEM-C 613 Mass Spectrometry and Stable Isotopes (1.5-3 cr.) Topics in mass spectroscopic instrumentation and applications and in the natural chemistry of the stable isotopes of C, H, N, O, S, and rare gases. (May be offered in alternate years.)
• CHEM-C 614 Chromatography (1.5-3 cr.) Theoretical and practical aspects of chromatographic methods of separation; fundamen­tals of gas and liquid chromatography, related instrumentation, and selected applications. (May be offered in alternate years.)
• CHEM-C 615 Bioanalytical Chemistry (1.5-3 cr.) Survey of modern ana­lytical techniques, including spectrochemical, electrochemical, and separation methods used in biochemical analysis and their applications. (May be offered in alternate years.)
• CHEM-C 616 Surface Analysis and Surface Chemistry (1.5 cr.) An over­view of the modern instrumental techniques of surface analysis will be presented, together with a survey of their applications to solve surface chemical problems. Topics include electron and ion spectroscopies, SIMS, LEED, thermal desorption spectros­copy, surface electron and ion microscopies, catalysis, micro­electronics fabrication, and corrosion.
• CHEM-C 619 Seminar: Analytical Chemistry (1 cr.) P: Consent of in­structor. Individual student seminars covering new methods or applications of chemical analysis or characterization. Required of all analytical chemistry majors.
• CHEM-C 620 Measurement Science (1-3 cr.) Topics related to measurement in the chemical sciences and interdisciplinary fields of science and engineering. Special attention to perspectives on advanced instrumentation and application of new hybrid techniques to areas such as biomedical, environmental, energy, or other areas of interest.
• CHEM-C 630 Structure and Bonding (3 cr.) P: C502 and C561. Applica­tions of quantum mechanics to the electronic and geometric structure of inorganic molecules. Advanced ligand field and molecular orbital theories. The Jahn-Teller effects and orbital symmetry studies of stereochemistry. Inorganic photochemis­try. (May be offered in alternate years.)
• CHEM-C 631 Chemical Crystallography (3 cr.) General understanding and hands-on laboratory experience in crystallography as analytical method. Topics include the physical and mathematical concepts applied in crystallography, the relation of physical and chemical properties to structural data, common crystallographic databases, refinement and visualization software, and publication-ready data reporting. Special topics include absolute structure determination, disordered structures, twinned structures, and powder diffraction.
• CHEM-C 632 Structure, Function, and Spectroscopy of Metal Ions in Biological Systems (3 cr.) Introduction to the field of bio­inorganic chemistry and spectroscopic methods for determin­ing structure/function relationship of metal ions in biology. Emphasis on oxygen carriers, metal ion transport and storage, as well as oxidoreductases involved in oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen metabolism. A discussion of electron transfer proteins, photosystems, and the role of metals in medicine will also be included.
• CHEM-C 633 Inorganic Chemistry of Main Group Elements (3 cr.) The syntheses, structure, and industrial application of compounds and materials in which main group elements play a major role. All elements except the d-block transition metals are included as main group elements. This includes the f-block lanthanides and actinides as well.
• CHEM-C 634 Transition Metal Chemistry (3 cr.) Survey of the prop­erties of the transition metals with emphasis on common oxidation levels, coordination geometries, and compounds with “classical” ligands; “hard” and “soft” acids and bases; d-orbitals and their energies in different geometries; formation constants and the Chelate Effect; the Jahn-Teller theorem; low-, inter­mediate-, and high-spin systems; mixed valency; metal-ligand multiple bonding, metal-metal bonds; coordination clusters and their biological relevance.
• CHEM-C 635 Mechanisms of Inorganic Reactions (3 cr.) Analysis of the experimental and theoretical basis for our understanding of the reactions associated with main group and transition metal ions and inorganic reagents in solution. Classes of reactions include ligand substitutions, redox reactions, electron transfer reactions, reactions within the coordination sphere of metal ions including catalysis by photochemical and electrochemical activation.
• CHEM-C 636 Organometallic Chemistry and Catalysis (3 cr.) Synthesis and reactivity of organo-main group and transition metal com­pounds, including application to organic synthesis. Predictive principles and generic C-C and C-H bond-forming reactions, in­cluding hydrogenation, coupling, addition to olefins or alkynes, and metatheses. These reactions are also extended to reactions on surfaces and solid-state processes.
• CHEM-C 637 Physical Methods in Structural Chemistry (3 cr.) Appli­cation of X-ray diffraction, dynamic NMR, and mass spectros­copy to structural and mechanistic problems throughout the periodic table, with emphasis on which techniques are optimal for particular questions, as well as the potential weaknesses of each.
• CHEM-C 638 Seminar: Inorganic Chemistry (1-3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Topics not ordinarily covered by regularly scheduled courses, such as boron hydrides, X-ray diffraction, metal-metal bonds, bioinorganic chemistry, platinum metals chemistry, inor­ganic photochemistry, etc. (May be offered in alternate years.)
• CHEM-C 639 Characterization of Paramagnetic Molecules (3 cr.) Definitions of diamagnetism, paramagnetism, magnetization and magnetic susceptibility; the Curie Law; orbital angular mo­mentum; the Van Vleck equation; zero-field splitting; exchange interactions in dinuclear and polynuclear metal clusters. Basic concepts of paramagnetic NMR; spin delocalization mecha­nisms and isotropic shifts; contact and dipolar contributions. EPR of transition complexes; g-value anisotropy as a function of coordination geometry.
• CHEM-C 643 Organic Natural Products (3 cr.) P: C540 and C543; or consent of instructor. Synthesis and chemical-physical analysis of the structure of alkaloids, antibiotics, bacterial metabolites, plant pigments, steroids, and terpenes. (May be offered in alternate years.)
• CHEM-C 644 Physical Organic Chemistry (1-3 cr.) P: C342 and C362. Application of physical-chemical techniques to the study of structure and mechanism of reaction of organic compounds.
• CHEM-C 648 Seminar: Organic Chemistry (1-3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Recent developments in such areas as sulfur com­pounds, heterocycles, stereochemistry, polymers, and synthe­sis. May be repeated.
• CHEM-C 668 Seminar: Physical Chemistry (1-3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Topics such as chemical applications of matrix algebra and group theory, digital computing techniques, solid state chemistry, high temperature processes, electrochemistry, theory of solutions, spectroscopy, and surface chemistry. May be repeated with different topics.
• CHEM-C 680 Introduction to Quantitative Biology and Measurement (1.5 cr.) Core topics in solution scattering methods, electron microscopy, light microscopy/ imaging, and biological mass spectrometry. Course focuses on the capabilities of each type of measurement: data analysis, sensitivity, resolution, quantitation, and limitations. Introduction to cutting-edge instrumentation available for use in thesis research, research findings or new approaches used in (C689).
• CHEM-C 681 Introduction to Chemical Biology I (1.5 cr.) Basic elements of chemical biology with a chemistry-centered focus. This course will cover peptide synthesis and ligation methods, oligonucleotide synthesis, diversity-oriented synthesis and combinatorial libraries, bio-orthogonal reactions, high-throughput screening methods and their use in drug discovery, and secondary metabolism. Credit given for only one of the following: C681, B680.
• CHEM-C 682 Introduction to Chemical Biology II (1.5 cr.) Basic elements of chemical biology applications and uses of technology. This course will cover microarray technology, protein labeling, chemical genetics, small molecule interactions with proteins/DNA, modulation of protein-protein interactions, RNA aptamers and molecular evolution. Credit given for only one of the following: C682, B680.
• CHEM-C 683 Advanced Nucleic Acid Biochemistry (1.5 cr.) Mechanis­tic analysis of nucleic acid metabolism; specificity and role of DNA polymerases and repair pathways; DNA replication and recombination mechanisms; RNA structural motifs and physical properties; RNA synthesis and processing in gene expression; catalytic RNA molecules; applications of RNA molecules. Credit given for only one of the following: C683, B601.
• CHEM-C 685 Advanced Macromolecular Structure and Interaction (1.5 cr.) Supplements and extends B503; emphasis on stabil­ity and folding mechanisms of proteins and nucleic acids and detailed thermodynamic analysis of binding interactions. Credit given for only one of the following: C685, B603.
• CHEM-C 686 Structural Methods (3 cr.) In biology, structure and function are intimately connected. The aim of this class is to demystify macromolecular structure determination. We will examine X-ray crystallography and EM image reconstruction in detail, solving structures and studying the theoretical underpinnings of each technique. Class will be computer and mathematics intensive. Credit given for only one of the following: C686, B604.
• CHEM-C 687 Seminar: Advanced Topics in Chemical Biology  (1-3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Topics vary yearly and include the fol­lowing: medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, natural products and biosynthesis, bioanalytical chemistry, glycobiology/glycomics, proteomics, metabolomics. Credit given for only one of the following: C687, B680.
• CHEM-C 688 Seminar in Biochemistry (1.5-6 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Topic: Introduction to Quantitative Biology and Measurement. General properties of  enzymes and basic principles of enzymatic reactions are discussed. Enzyme kinetics; inhibitor types, their importance and there effects on enzymatic reaction rates; and specificity of enzymes will be covered. Students will gain facility with thermodynamics, catalytic mechanisms, kinetics and binding equilibria as they apply to proteins.
• CHEM-C 689 Quantitative and Chemical Biology Journal Club (1 cr.) P: Permission from Instructor. Current literature in chemical biology, biological imaging, mass spectrometry and structural biology of biomolecules and biomolecular assemblies will be discussed. May be repeated for a maximum of 10 credits.
• CHEM-C 699 Independent Study in Quantitative and Chemical Biology (1 cr.) P: CHEM-C 680, CHEM-C 681, and selection as a QCB Fellow. An independent study internship in research are/organization selected by candidate, coordinated by QCB Director.
• CHEM-M 501 Fundamentals of Materials I: Making, Measuring, and Modeling (3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. The course will cover synthesis, crystal structure, energy band structure, electrical and optical properties of solid-state materials. Material systems to be covered include metals, semiconductors and insulators. The course will also introduce topics related to nanoscale materials chemistry, self-assembly, quantum confinement and plasmonics.
• CHEM-M 502 Fundamentals of Materials II: Nanoscale and Molecular Materials (3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Introduces nanoscale and molecular materials with an emphasis on nanoscale interactions, and structure-property relationships. Topics include, but not limited to, colloids and their self-assembly, interfacial and surface interactions, synthetic and biological polymers, liquid crystals, biological membranes and self-assembly in biological systems.
• CHEM-M 503 Supramolecular Chemistry (3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. A one-semester overview of supramolecular chemistry and molecular self-assembly. Fundamentals of host-guest chemistry and intermolecular forces, molecular recognition, ion binding, switches and molecular machines, hierarchical self-assembly.
• CHEM-M 608 Seminar: Materials Chemistry (1-3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Topics such as electrochemistry, biomaterials, polymers, solid state chemistry, computational chemistry, micro/nanofabrication, and environmental chemistry considered from the perspective of materials chemistry.

• CHEM-A 800 Seminar: Analytical Chemistry (1-2 cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• CHEM-B 800 Seminar: Chemical Biology (1-2 cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• CHEM-M 800 Seminar: Materials Chemistry (1-2 cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• CHEM-N 800 Seminar: Inorganic Chemistry (1-2 cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• CHEM-P 800 Seminar: Physical Chemistry (1-2 cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• CHEM-R 800 Seminar: Organic Chemistry (1-2 cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• CHEM-C 810 Research: Analytical Chemistry (arr. cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• CHEM-C 820 Research: Materials Chemistry (arr. cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• CHEM-C 830 Research: Inorganic Chemistry (arr. cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• CHEM-C 840 Research: Organic Chemistry (arr. cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• CHEM-C 860 Research: Physical Chemistry (arr. cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• CHEM-C 880 Research: Chemical Biology (arr. cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.
• CHEM-G 901 Research (6 cr.) This course is eligible for a deferred grade.