Courses

Click on the course title for more information! For complete details of the courses and current Academic Schedule, please consult the online course catalog, the University of Alberta Calendar or Bear Tracks.

500-Level Courses

CHEM502 Departmental Research Seminar

Description: Course may be repeated.

CHEM511 Biomolecular Chemistry

Description: Six week course with topics that may include: biomolecule structure and function, enzymology, molecular biology, protein engineering, bioconjugate chemistry, bioinformatics and molecular visualization. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 419.

CHEM512 Optical Spectroscopy

Description: Six week course on optical spectroscopy. Topics may include electromagnetic spectrum, transitions and selection rules, instrumentation, atomic spectroscopy, molecular absorption, fluorescence, vibrational spectroscopy, applications of optical spectroscopy. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 424.

CHEM514 Electrochemistry

Description: Six week course on electrochemistry. Topics may include electrochemical potentials, junction potentials, interfaces, potentiometry/ion selective electrodes, kinetics, electron transport theory, mass transport, voltammetry, microelectrodes, solid electrodes. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 424.

CHEM516 Separations

Description: Six week course on separations with topics that may include LC, GC, intermolecular forces, retention mechanisms, gradient elution, separation optimization, band broadening, HPLC modes-reversed phase, size exclusion, ion exchange, HILIC. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 425.

CHEM518 Mass Spectrometry

Description: Six week course on mass spectrometry with topics that may include mass analyzers, sample introduction techniques, ionization techniques, ion detection and data systems, applications. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 425.

CHEM519 Bioanalytical Chemistry

Description: Six week course with topics that may include antibodies, immunoassays, surface plasmon resonance, biosensors, gel electrophoresis, DNA sequencing, microscopy and imaging. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 419.

CHEM534 X-ray Crystallography

Description: An introduction to structure determination by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. Topics include X-ray diffraction, crystal symmetry, experimental methods, structure solution, refinement, crystallographic software, and interpretation of crystal structure data. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 433 or 434.

CHEM536 Synthesis and Applications of Inorganic and Nanomaterials

Description: Introduction to methods of synthesizing inorganic materials with control of atomic, meso-, and micro-structure. Topics include sol-gel chemistry, chemical vapor deposition, solid-state reactions, solid-state metathesis and high-temperature self-propagating reactions, template-directed syntheses of micro and mesoporous materials, micelles and colloids, synthesis of nanoparticles and nanomaterials. Applications of these synthetic techniques to applications such as photonic materials, heterogeneous catalysts, magnetic data storage media, nanoelectronics, display technologies, alternative energy technologies, and composite materials will be discussed. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 436.

CHEM537 Transition Metal Chemistry

Description: Graduate level course on organotransition metal chemistry. The course will deal with the synthesis, bonding, and reactivity of organotransition metal complexes. Topics to be covered include transition metal complexes of hydrides, phosphines, carbonyls, olefins, alkynes, polyolefins, cyclopentadienyl and related cyclic pi-ligands; metal-carbon sigma- and multiple bonds. The application of these complexes to homogeneous catalysis and to organic syntheses will be discussed when appropriate. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 437.

CHEM538 Solid State Chemistry

Description: Introduction to the chemistry of extended inorganic solids. The topics covered include synthesis, symmetry, descriptive crystal chemistry, bonding, electronic band structures, characterization techniques, and phase diagrams. The correlation of structure with properties of electronic and magnetic materials will be discussed. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 438.

CHEM543 Asymmetric Catalysis

Description: An introductory course on asymmetric catalysis. Emphasis will be on reactions catalyzed by chiral transition metal complexes, but non-metal catalyzed reactions and heterogeneous catalysis will be covered. Topics include the general principles of catalysis; mechanisms of common steps in catalytic cycles; rapid pre-equilibrium and steady-state kinetic treatments of catalytic rates; the origins of catalytic selection; and the strategies and principles of new catalyst, ligand, and reaction development. The course will include a survey of common enantioselective catalytic reactions and daily examples from ASAP articles that illustrate the principles and theories being taught in the course. Introductory level knowledge of transition metal and organic chemistry is required. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 443 or 533.

CHEM544 Characterization Methods in Nanoscience

Description: Introduction to techniques in determining the composition and structure of materials on the nanometer scale. Characterization of atomic, meso-, and micro-structure of materials including impurities and defects. Major topics will include electron microscopy (transmission, scanning, and Auger) and associated spectroscopies (EDX, EELS), surface sensitive spectroscopies (e.g., XPS, AES, IR) and spectrometry (SIMS), synchrotron techniques, X-ray absorption, fluorescence and emission, and scanned probe microscopies (AFM, STM, etc.). The techniques will be examined through real-world nanotechnology case studies. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 444.

CHEM545 Special Topics in Inorganic Chemistry

Description: No description available for this course.

CHEM561 Qualitative Organic Analysis

Description: Introductory graduate-level discussion of the physical techniques used in organic chemistry research for the separation/purification and structural elucidation of organic compounds. Emphasis is on the combined use of modern spectrometric techniques for structure determination, with particular focus on an introduction to modern one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. There is a laboratory component to this course. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 461.

CHEM562 Physical Organic Chemistry

Description: Graduate-level discussion of organic structural theories, intramolecular and intermolecular interactions in organic chemistry, and the mechanisms and reactive intermediates involved in organic reactions. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 462 or 465.

CHEM563 Organic Synthesis

Description: Graduate-level discussion of the different concepts of chemoselective, regioselective and stereoselective reactions of organic compounds. Main classes of reactions described are oxidations, reductions, functional group protection, and carbon-carbon bond formation methods for single, double, and triple bonds. Emphasis on modern methodology for organic synthesis, including asymmetric catalysis and transition-metal catalyzed methods such as cross-coupling chemistry. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 463 or 467.

CHEM564 Bioconjugate Chemistry

Description: Graduate-level discussion of organic reactions to modify or label biopolymers including proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. Topics will include mechanistic and methodological details of commonly employed reactions used for chemoselective labeling or modification of biomolecules to produce synthetic bioconjugates. Applications including synthetic vaccines, antibody-drug conjugates, and native chemical ligation will be discussed. Prerequisite: 1 year of introductory organic chemistry and 1 term of biochemistry, or consent of instructor. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 464.

CHEM577 Molecular Symmetry and Spectroscopy

Description: Application of the principles of molecular symmetry to molecular properties. Topics include group theory with emphasis on vibrational motion and normal vibrations; quantum mechanics of vibration and rotation; magnetic resonance spectroscopy; perturbation methods; selection rules in rotational, infrared, and Raman spectroscopy; molecular symmetry and molecular orbitals; electronic spectroscopy of polyatomic molecules. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 477.

CHEM579 Molecular Kinetics

Description: Rate laws: for simple and complex reactions, reaction mechanisms, potential energy surfaces, molecular dynamics, theories of reaction rates, catalysis, with application to gas and liquid phase reactions, photochemical reactions in chemistry and biology, and enzyme catalysis. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 479.

CHEM593 Computational Chemistry

Description: The focus is on applications in this course which introduces the student to contemporary computational quantum chemistry (Hartree-Fock, post-Hartree-Fock, and density functional theory methods), using the state-of-the-art computer code GAMESS-US running on UNIX workstations and computer servers. Elementary introduction to the UNIX operating system is given. Subjects include: basis sets; optimization of molecular geometry; prediction of molecular properties; calculation of infra-red and Raman spectra; excited electronic states; solvent effects; computational thermochemistry; mechanisms of chemical reactions; visualization of results. Assignments in the course allow the student to acquire practical experience that relates to chemistry. Term projects focus on chemistry related to student's research area. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 493.

CHEM595 Molecular Dynamics and its Applications

Description: An introduction to Molecular Dynamics and its applications. The fundamentals of statistical mechanics are reviewed and computational tools such as molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo methods are presented. Applications include the study of structural properties of liquids, the diffusion of a solute in a solvent, the dynamics of proton transfer, and the calculation of rate constants. These topics will be exemplified using computer simulations as problem set assignments. Some lectures will take place in the computer laboratory where visualization tools will be used to illustrate various applications of molecular dynamics. Not open to students with credit in CHEM 495.

600-Level Courses

CHEM612 Advanced Optical Spectroscopy

Description: Six week course with topics that may include: sources, wavelength analyzers, interferometers, detectors, signal/noise, signal processing, advanced Raman spectroscopy, single molecule fluorescence and fluorescence imaging, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy. Prerequisite: CHEM 512.

CHEM614 Advanced Electrochemistry

Description: Six week course with topics that may include: CV and chemical reactions, microelectrode applications, carbon electrodes, modified electrode surfaces, micro-fabricated sensors, scanning probe microscopy, spectroelectrochemistry, rotating disk electrochemistry, AC voltammetry. Prerequisite: CHEM 514.

CHEM616 Advanced Separations

Description: Six week course with topics that may include: multidimensional separations, ion chromatography, CE, biological HPLC, advanced sample preparation/introduction techniques. Prerequisite: CHEM 516.

CHEM618 Advanced Mass Spectrometry

Description: Six week course with topics that may include: mass analyzers and ionization techniques, vacuum systems, advanced sample introduction techniques, tandem MS, mass spectral interpretation, quantitative MS, MS applications. Prerequisite: CHEM 518.

CHEM623 Special Topics in Advanced Analytical Chemistry

Description: Course may be repeated for credit, provided there is no duplication of specific topic.

CHEM667 Special Topics in Synthetic Chemistry

Description: Advanced treatment of selected topics in modern synthetic organic chemistry, drawn from one or more of the following: (1) advanced methodology for organic synthesis, (2) carbohydrate structure and synthesis, (3) organometallic methodology for organic synthesis, and (4) solid-phase organic synthesis and combinatorial chemistry. Other topics appropriate to the category may also be offered. Course may be repeated for credit, provided there is no duplication of specific topic. Prerequisite: CHEM 563 or consent of Instructor.

CHEM669 Special Topics in Bio-organic Chemistry

Description: Advanced discussion of selected topics in modern bio-organic chemistry, drawn from one or more of the following: (1) natural products and secondary metabolism, (2) nucleic acid chemistry, and (3) organic and biophysical carbohydrate chemistry. Other topics appropriate to the category may also be offered. Course may be repeated for credit, provided there is no duplication of specific topic.

CHEM681 Special Topics in Physical Chemistry

Description: Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit, provided there is no duplication of specific topic.


Non-Credit Courses

  • Special Topics in Pharmaceutical Chemistry