Chemistry

CH 103: General, Organic, & Biological Chemistry

This introductory course to the chemical sciences is designed to demonstrate how chemistry affects our lives and communities. The course emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving development, which allow students to understand, evaluate, and respond to societal issues. Students will study key chemical concepts and principles from the perspectives of organic and biological chemistry. The course satisfies the Science Society with lab general education category but may not be used as a prerequisite for advanced courses in the Department. Four class hours and one two-hours laboratory per week.

CH 110: General Chemistry

Chemistry is the study of the material world. It is essential to the understanding of a wide range of scientific disciplines and is applicable to diverse career interests. Intended primarily for students majoring in the natural sciences, this course introduces the principles of chemistry. Major themes include the microscopic structure of matter and the role of energy, stability, and entropy as drivers of chemical change. Topics include: atomic structure, periodicity, chemical bonding, molecular structure and geometry, inorganic reaction classes, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, kinetic theory of gases and liquids, and intermolecular forces. Laboratory work will provide practice in basic measurements, liquid handling, experimental design, application of scientific method, and data processing and interpretation. Three class hours and one three-hour laboratory period per week.

CH 203: Organic Chemistry I

Organic chemistry focuses on the chemistry of carbon compounds and provides a basis for understanding much of the chemistry of the biological world around us. Lectures will focus on the properties of organic compounds, on the reactions of functional groups and reaction mechanisms. You will develop the critical thinking skills and knowledge necessary to understand, evaluate, and respond to major events, reports, and ideas using the key concepts and principles associated with organic chemistry. In the lab you will synthesize and analyze organic compounds with known molecular structure using fundamental laboratory techniques and report your experimental results. Three class hours and one three-hour laboratory period per week.

CH 211: Quantitative Analysis

Volumetric and gravimetric analysis. Introduction to instrumental analysis. Three class hours and one three-hour laboratory period per week.

CH 231: Inorganic Chemistry

This course will teach students about the field of Inorganic Chemistry which addresses some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Whether the problem involves making new materials to harness solar energy, drawing inspiration from nature to convert methane to methanol, or developing metal-based pharmaceuticals and catalysts, inorganic chemistry is fundamental to the solutions. This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamental principles of inorganic chemistry and expands upon what is learned in general chemistry by providing new ways of understanding electronic structure, bonding, and reactivity. In this course we will explore the entire periodic table (even carbon - as long as it's bound to a metal!). We will start by discussing about the properties of the nucleus, the origin of atoms and how they bond, and then apply our bonding models to transition metal chemistry. Additionally, we will devote class time to examining current research in order to learn what the big questions are in inorganic chemistry and what motivates leading researchers in this field. Three class hours and one three-hour laboratory period per week.

CH 304: Organic Chemistry II

Organic chemistry focuses on the chemistry of carbon compounds and provides a basis for understanding much of the chemistry of the biological world around us. Lectures will focus on the properties of organic compounds, on the reactions of functional groups and reaction mechanisms. You will develop the critical thinking skills and knowledge necessary to understand, evaluate, and respond to major events, reports, and ideas using the key concepts and principles associated with organic chemistry. In the lab you will synthesize and analyze organic compounds with known molecular structure using fundamental laboratory techniques and report your experimental results. Three class hours and one three-hour laboratory period per week.

CH 309: Biochemistry I

The morphological diversity of living things is fantastic. Nevertheless, many living systems are confined to aqueous environments, constant pressure and salt conditions, and little if any internal temperature fluctuations. Within these chemical restrictions all organisms must carry out chemical reactions that result in the sustenance and proliferation of life. In this course we will discuss the chemical reactions that often are shared among a vast number of organisms. We will start with an outline of the basic chemical environment of the cell and then describe the three-dimensional structures of proteins. We will consider how representative protein structures are assembled and how they perform their respective functions. Through the combined use of kinetic, structural, and genetic approaches, we will examine how enzymes carry out catalysis of chemical reactions within living systems. Three class hours and one three-hour lab per week.

CH 314: Instrumental Methods: Forensics

Intended for Chemistry or Biochemistry majors, this course will survey the major classes of chemical instrumentation. The focus of the course will be on applications in the field of forensic chemistry, but the general principles are relevant to anyone planning for careers involving laboratory work in the molecular sciences. The three main classes of instrumentations surveyed include: 1) Spectroscopic Methods such as UV-visible, infrared, Raman, fluorescence, and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), 2) Mass Spectrometry, and 3) Chromatographic Methods such as gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Samples preparation methods such as solid phase extraction (SPE) and headspace analysis will also be surveyed. The course will also examine forensic methods for the analysis of arson/fire debris, document analysis, bulk drugs, explosive residues, glass, paints, and toxicology (blood alcohol and drug metabolites in urine). Three hours of classes meetings plus one three-hour lab meeting per week. Counts as an advanced course towards the Chemistry major or as an elective course for the Biochemistry major. Course also counts as writing extensive (WEE) and ethical responsible actions (ERA) embedded skills within the Chemistry and Biochemistry majors. Offered alternate fall semester. Prerequisite: CH 211 Quantitative Chemical Analysis or permission of the instructor.

CH 323: Thermodynamics

This course covers the fundamental concepts of temperature, work, and heat. Specific topics include the Laws of Thermodynamics, gas laws, entropy, conditions of equilibrium, gas cycles, the Maxwell relations, chemical potential and equilibrium, Gibbs' phase rule, Clapeyron-Clausius equation, kinetic-molecular theory, and the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. Includes one lab per week.

CH 327: Medicinal Chemistry

This is a survey course designed to explore the design, development, and action of drugs. Concepts of biology, biochemistry, pharmacy, physiology, organic chemistry, pharmacology, etc. will be discussed with an emphasis on relating the chemical structure of a drug to its biological function. We will see how drugs are discovered and developed; how they get to their site of action; what happens when they reach the site of action; how the body gets rid of them, and what a medicinal chemist can do to avoid having the body eliminate them before they have produced their desired effect. The approaches discussed are those used in the pharmaceutical industry and elsewhere for the discovery of new drugs.

CH 332: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry

This course presents an overview of the physical/theoretical aspects relating to transition metal and main group chemistry, with emphasis on bonding, structure, thermodynamics, kinetics and mechanisms, and periodic relationships. Atomic structure, theories of bonding, symmetry, molecular shapes (point groups), crystal geometries, acid-base theories, survey of familiar elements, solid-state materials, nomenclature, crystal field theory, molecular orbital theory, isomerism, geometries, magnetic and optical phenomena, spectra, Tanabe-Sugano diagrams, synthetic methods, boron hydrides, organometallic compounds, cage structures, clusters, lanthanides, actinides. Three class hours and one three-hour laboratory periods per week.

CH 365: Quantum Theory & Spectroscopy

Introduces chemistry and physics students to principles of quantum theory with applications to material and chemical systems and spectroscopy. Topics include development of quantum theory, fundamental postulates, quantum theory of simple systems, quantum theory of molecules and extended systems, application of quantum theory to spectroscopy of atoms, molecules, and extended systems. Appropriate as an introduction to quantum theory for students of physics or as a physical chemical treatment for students of chemistry. Cross-listed between physics and chemistry.

CH 410: Biochemistry II

This course is a direct continuation of CH 309. We will continue investigating how protein and nucleic acid structures are suited for their function and concentrate on the regulation of catalyzed reactions. To demonstrate these principles, we will discuss representative allosteric regulatory systems, carbohydrate metabolism, chemical information transfer and utilization, and the regulation of these processes. Three class hours and one three-hour lab per week.

CH 441: Senior Seminar I

Introduction to topics at the “cutting-edge” of chemical research as presented in the chemical literature and departmental seminars. Course introduces strategies for researching the chemical literature and for preparing formal seminars, posters, and manuscripts (including reviews, research articles, and research proposals). Course culminates in the research and formal presentation of a contemporary topic of interest.

CH 442: Senior Seminar II