Professors Dunn, Sipe; Assistant Professors Gilyot, Kreider-Mueller, Reichart.
Chair: Kevin M. Dunn
CONCEPTS TRACK
CHEMISTRY 103. (3) CHEMICAL CONCEPTS IN A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY. A topical study of the impact of the chemical practices of our technological culture on our society, with a concurrent examination of the philosophical basis on which scientific judgments can be soundly formed in societal applications. This course is intended for students with primary interests outside the sciences and does not satisfy prerequisite requirements for any other chemistry course. Prerequisite: none. Corequisite: none. Chemistry 151 laboratory may be taken concurrently or in a later semester if desired. Offered: staff permitting.
CHEMISTRY 104. (3) FROM CAVEMAN TO CHEMIST. This course develops the chemistry of materials along historical lines. We begin with the chemistry of fire and learn how to make fire by friction. Ashes from the fire are processed to produce potash. Limestone burned in the fire becomes lime. Lime and potash make lye; lye is used to make soap, and the process continues, building a miniature chemical industry from scratch. While not a laboratory course, students engage in projects in which they produce the materials discussed. Prerequisite: none.
CHEMISTRY 105. (3) TOXIC CHEMICALS IN SOCIETY. An introduction to selected topics in toxicology, pharmacology, and medicinal chemistry that are essential to an understanding of the role of chemicals in modern society and their impact on us as individuals and as a civilization. Considered in this course are the risks and consequences of contact with chemicals both intended and unintended, e.g., the use of pharmaceuticals and exposure to hazardous chemicals from industrial wastes. This course is intended for students with primary interests outside the sciences and does not satisfy prerequisite requirements for any other chemistry course. Prerequisite: none. Offered: spring semester if staff permits. chemistry
CHEMISTRY 106. (3) PROBLEMS IN THE ATMOSPHERE AND HYDROSPHERE. This course deals with current societal issues involving environmental problems and proposed remediation patterns. Topics may include global warming, ozone layer depletion, local air pollution, freshwater pollution, ocean dumping, issues of water allocation to users, and comparable topics that may present themselves to the public. In each case, the chemical background of the problem and its remediation schemes are explored, and social and political aspects of change are considered. Prerequisite: none.
CHEMISTRY 107. (3) CHEMISTRY AND ART. This course examines the interplay between chemistry and the visual arts. The chemistry involved in the process of making paper, paints, pottery, etchings, and photographs are explored through projects and experiments. Other topics include color theory and molecular spectroscopy, chemistry safety issues for artists, and the chemistry of art conservation. Prerequisite: none.
CHEMISTRY 108. (3) CHEMISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT. This course is a survey of the basic concepts of chemistry as applied to the environment and current environmental issues. Topics include current issues of water, soil and air pollution; reactions controlling natural chemical species in our environment; the fates of chemical species in the soil, water, and air; and the basic chemical principles behind production and consumption of energy. In addition, the course emphasizes evaluating data and making informed assessments about the issues discussed. This course is intended for students with primary interests outside of the sciences and does not satisfy the prerequisite for requirements for any other chemistry course. Prerequisite: none.
CHEMISTRY 110. (3) CHEMICAL CONCEPTS. A survey of the basic concepts of physical chemistry as a foundation for either systematic study of descriptive inorganic chemistry or continuing study of bonding theory in the context of organic chemistry. Some mathematical facility desirable. Prerequisite: none. Corequisite: none. Students electing Chemistry 110 to fulfill the laboratory science distribution requirement should also take Chemistry 151. Entering freshmen intending majors or careers related to chemistry and biochemistry should take Chemistry 110 and 151 in their first semester. Prerequisite: none. Offered: fall semester.
CHEMISTRY 221. (3) INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. A survey of the chemistry of the elements: their natural occurrence, extractive methods, physical forms, laboratory reactions and uses, and commercial and industrial uses, with some economic interpretation of the latter. Some attention is given to the abundance and exhaustion of resources and to ways in which current and future chemical research can alleviate expected scarcities. Prerequisite: Chemistry 110. Chemistry 152 laboratory may be taken concurrently. Offered: spring semester.
CHEMISTRY 230-231. (3-3) CHEMICAL BONDING AND ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. An examination of the qualitative principles of covalent bonding as an introduction to an integrated study of the aliphatic and aromatic compounds of carbon with emphasis on reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry, and conformational analysis. Prerequisites: Chemistry 110 and Chemistry 221. Corequisites: Chemistry 251-252. Offered: 230 in the fall semester; 231 in the spring semester.
CHEMISTRY 330. (3) ORGANIC CHEMISTRY III. An extended examination of the concepts introduced in the first two semesters of organic chemistry. Emphasis is placed on the relationships between structure and mechanism. Articles from chemical journals are used to show the interaction of experiment and theory in the formulation and development of reaction mechanisms. Prerequisite: Chemistry 231. Offered: on demand when staffing permits.
CHEMISTRY 331. (3) CHEMICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY. An introduction to selected topics in toxicology, the science of poisons. Considered in this course are the chemical and biochemical modes and sites of action of toxicants. Examples are drawn from pharmaceutically and environmentally important compounds. Additional topics that may be considered include risk assessment, epidemiological investigations, and the relative risks of “natural” and synthetic toxicants. Prerequisite: Chemistry 230, or consent of the instructor. Offered: spring semester, staff permitting.
CHEMISTRY 332. (3) MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY. A study of pharmacologically active compounds with emphasis on chemical structure, mode of action, and the relationships of these factors to therapeutic effects in humans. The major classes of drugs discussed are various central and autonomic nervous system agents, cardiovascular agents, diuretics, antibiotics, and antineoplastic agents. Prerequisite: Chemistry 231 or consent of the instructor. Offered: staff permitting.
CHEMISTRY 335. (3) BIOCHEMISTRY. An introductory survey. Emphasis is placed upon the application of basic principles of chemical structure, conformational analysis, mechanism, and dynamics to molecules and reactions of importance in living systems. The principal focus is at the molecular level. Proteins are covered extensively, and attention is also given to carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. Students who have received credit for Biology 311 may not receive credit for Chemistry 335. Prerequisites: Chemistry 231 and Biology 110 and 151, or consent of the instructor. Offered: fall semester of even-numbered years. (Cross-listed as Biology 311 in the fall semester of odd-numbered years.)
CHEMISTRY 336. (3) BIOCHEMISTRY II. An extension of the topics in Biochemistry I (Chemistry 335, cross-listed as Biology 311). Topics include metabolic mechanisms, molecular signaling, bioinformatics, DNA, RNA and proteins biosynthesis, the molecular basis of the senses, and the chemical operation of the immune system. Extensive use is made of international databases, molecular visualization, and evaluation methods. Prerequisite: Chemistry 335 or Biology 311. Offered: spring semester of even-numbered years.
CHEMISTRY 340-341. (3-3) PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I, II. The theoretical principles of chemistry are developed and used to explain selected chemical phenomena. Chemistry 340 considers thermodynamics, statistics, and kinetics; Chemistry 341 considers introductory quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics. Prerequisites: for Chemistry 340, Chemistry 110 and Mathematics 142; for Chemistry 341, Chemistry 340. Corequisite: for Chemistry 340, Physics 131. Offered: 340 in the fall semester; 341 in the spring semester.
CHEMISTRY 342. (3) PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY III. The quantum mechanics introduction of Physical Chemistry II is extended to molecular systems and used in the prediction of chemical and spectroscopic properties. The theoretical basis of spectroscopic techniques is examined. Prerequisite: Chemistry 341. Offered: spring semester, staff permitting.
CHEMISTRY 420. (3) ADVANCED INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. Basic theoretical concepts of inorganic chemistry applied to the principles of inorganic synthesis, and introductory organometallic and bioinorganic topics. Prerequisite: Chemistry 340. Offered: spring semester.
CHEMISTRY 440-441. (3-3) CHEMICAL INSTRUMENTATION AND ANALYSIS. Principles of instrumental chemical investigation and analysis, and analytical methodology. Topics include basic concepts of electronics applied to chemistry; introduction to analog and digital signal enhancement techniques; computer-assisted acquisition, manipulation, and presentation of data; survey of spectroscopic, electrochemical, mass spectrometric, and chromatographic methods of analysis. Prerequisite: Chemistry 341, or consent of the instructor. Offered: 440 in the fall semester; 441 in the spring semester.
TECHNIQUES TRACK
CHEMISTRY 151-152. (1-1) TECHNIQUES OF CHEMISTRY. An extended project involving the independent synthesis and analysis of a coordination compound, requiring the use of library facilities, volumetric and gravimetric techniques of quantitative analysis, and introductory spectroscopic techniques. Two second-semester projects identify unknown compounds using chemical and spectroscopic techniques. Breakage deposit: $35.00. Prerequisite: Chemistry 151 for 152. Corequisite: Chemistry 103 or 110. Offered: 151 in the fall semester; 152 in the spring semester.
CHEMISTRY 251-252. (1-1) INTERMEDIATE LABORATORY. A series of individualized laboratory projects and related studies designed to continue the student’s growth as an independent scientific investigator. The focus is on the design of experiments and interpretations of results. Projects and techniques are drawn largely from analytical, synthetic, and physical organic areas. The design of synthesis procedures and separation schemes is emphasized, and rate studies are correlated to mechanisms. Analytical techniques applied include gas and liquid chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, UV-visible spectrophotometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometry. Breakage deposit: $50.00. Prerequisites: Chemistry 151 and 152. Chemistry 251 is prerequisite to Chemistry 252. Corequisites: Chemistry 230-231. Offered: 251 in the fall semester; 252 in the spring semester.
CHEMISTRY 351-352. (2-2) ADVANCED LABORATORY I. Individual onesemester projects are drawn from the fields of analytical, computational, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry. Projects involve advanced synthetic techniques in organic and inorganic chemistry, chemical analysis and structure determination by instrumental methods, computer acquisition, and reduction of data. Projects include literature searches and journal-style research reports. Weekly seminars include several speakers from regional academic and research organizations. Each student gives at least one research seminar per semester. Chemistry 351-352 and 451-452 form a four-semester sequence in which students work each semester with a different member of the department. Breakage deposit: $35.00. Prerequisites: Chemistry 252 for 351 or consent of the instructor; Chemistry 351 for 352, or consent of the instructor. Offered: 351 in the fall semester; 352 in the spring semester.
CHEMISTRY 362. (1) PREPARATION FOR CHEMISTRY DISTINCTION. The preparation of a detailed proposal for research leading to distinction in chemistry, based on a thorough literature search, in consultation with the professor who supervises the research project in Chemistry 461-462. Prerequisites: Chemistry 351 and consent of the instructor. Corequisite: Chemistry 352. Offered: on demand.
CHEMISTRY 451-452. (2-2) ADVANCED LABORATORY II. The projects in Advanced Laboratory II are designed to require more student ingenuity than those in Advanced Laboratory I. Projects are drawn from the same fields of chemistry as are those in Advanced Laboratory I. Breakage deposit: $35.00. Prerequisite: Chemistry 352. Offered: 451 in the fall semester; 452 in the spring semester.
CHEMISTRY 461. (3) ADVANCED LABORATORY WITH DISTINCTION. An extended scholarly project, developed in Chemistry 362, conducted in close consultation with a supervising professor, and ordinarily continuing in Chemistry 462. Breakage deposit: $35.00. Prerequisites: Chemistry 352, Chemistry 362, and consent of the instructor. Offered: on demand.
CHEMISTRY 462. (3) ADVANCED LABORATORY WITH DISTINCTION. An extended scholarly project, developed in Chemistry 362, initiated in Chemistry 461, and completed in close consultation with a supervising professor. Breakage deposit: $35.00. Prerequisites: Chemistry 461 and consent of the instructor. Offered: on demand. chemistry
updated 7/28/22