Fundamental concepts underlying the structure and behavior of matter are developed. Major topics include states of matter, atomic structure, periodicity, and bonding. This course, or its equivalent, is a prerequisite for all advanced courses in chemistry and biological chemistry. Laboratory: three hours per week.

A continuation of CHEM 107. Major topics include thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, acid/base behavior, oxidation/reduction, and electrochemistry. Laboratory: three hours per week. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 107.

This course will use an environmental lens to expose how chemical reactions take center stage in the world around us. The course will begin with a general overview of environmental chemistry and the periodic table and then progress through fundamental chemistry topics including atoms and molecules, elements, compounds and chemical equations, acids and bases, oxidation and reduction reactions, equilibrium and finally, nuclear chemistry. We will explore these topics by examining some of the most pressing issues in the Earth’s atmosphere, waterbodies and soils, including impacts of pollution and anthropogenic activities on the environment, as well as efforts towards energy advancements and large-scale environmental clean-up campaigns. Not open to students who have received credit for CHEM 107 or 108.

Living organisms require nutrients extracted from the environment to support the chemical reactions necessary for all life processes including development, growth, motion, and reproduction. Maintaining the chemical reactions that allow the web of life to continue to exist on Earth demands a continuous input of energy. This course examines the flow of energy from the sun into the biosphere through plants and into animals, with a focus on humans. Through a combination of research and oral presentations, problem solving, and group discussions, the chemistry behind this energy flow is explored, as are the ways in which energy is used by living organisms. The nutritional requirements required to support these energy transformations also are considered. Recommended background: high school chemistry. Not open to students who complete CHEM 108.

A study of some of the most universally used methods and techniques of analytical chemistry. Both theory and applications are covered. Topics include titrations, gravimetric analysis, electrochemistry, spectroscopy, liquid-liquid extraction, and gas and liquid chromatography. Laboratory: three hours per week. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 108.

A study of the wide-ranging aspects of inorganic chemistry. The use of periodic trends and fundamental principles of inorganic chemistry is explored. Topics include the reactivity of inorganic compounds, ligand field theory, and solid state chemistry. Applications of inorganic chemistry to materials science, environmental chemistry, and geochemistry are also considered. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 108.

An introduction to organic chemistry. Topics include bonding, structure, stereochemistry, and nomenclature; reactions of alkyl halides; and spectroscopic methods. Laboratory: three hours per week. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 108.

A continuation of CHEM 217. Topics include NMR spectroscopy and the reactions of alcohols, alkenes, alkynes, carbonyl compounds, aromatics, and radicals from both a mechanistic and a synthetic point of view. Laboratory: three hours per week. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 217.

This course will focus on the different analytical techniques used in forensic labs to assist in providing evidence that may be used in a trial. It will serve as an introduction to many different aspects of forensic analysis ranging from fingerprint analysis to ballistics, to blood spatter, to drug detection. This class will provide a wide look at different instruments and how analytical chemistry by forensics laboratories to provide insight on physical evidence. By the end of this course students will understand the paths a piece of evidence can take from a crime scene, through a lab, and into a courtroom. Students will also understand the theory and application of a variety of analytical techniques including gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, capillary electrophoresis, and immunoassays. Prerequisite(s): CHEM108.

Major topics include the fundamentals of quantum mechanics and its application to chemistry, including atomic and molecular structure, and spectroscopy. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 108, MATH 106, and PHYS 107 or PHYS 109. Prerequisite(s), which may be taken concurrently: MATH 205.

Major topics include statistical mechanics and chemical thermodynamics. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 108 and MATH 106. Prerequisite(s), which may be taken concurrently: PHYS 107 or PHYS 109. This course is normally offered every year, alternating with CHEM 310.

Making measurements is a key element of chemistry and other physical sciences. Measurements made with commercial turn-key instruments typically employ operations whose details are obscured by slick user interfaces. To help students make fuller and more sophisticated use of such instruments, this course provides a hands-on introduction to the details of the hidden operations: simple analog electronics, digital data acquisition, and computer-based data analysis. Students create simple electronic circuits, use the LabVIEW programming language to program computers to generate and acquire electronic signals, and apply MATLAB software to analyze and extract meaning from the measurements they make. Relatively simple experiments and devices relevant to the physical sciences provide opportunities to put the ideas and techniques discussed into practice. Neither experience with computer programming (in LabVIEW, MATLAB, or otherwise) nor knowledge of electronics is assumed. Recommended background: MATH 106. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 108, PHYS 108, or PHYS 109.

Viruses that infect eukaryotic cells have evolved a wide range of strategies to co-opt the biochemical machinery of host cells for the purpose of maximizing virus replication success. Eukaryotic cells have simultaneously evolved mechanisms to limit the extent to which viruses can establish successful infections. This course examines, in large part through the primary literature, the replication biochemistry used by representative examples of mammalian viruses and the cellular biochemical pathways designed to defend cells and organisms from viral takeover. Recommended background: BIO195 and BIO 202. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 218.

An overview of physical chemical principles and techniques used in understanding the properties, interactions, and functions of biological molecules. Thermodynamic, kinetic, and statistical mechanical principles are applied to understanding macromolecular assembly processes (i.e., assembly of viruses or ribosomes) and macromolecular interactions involved in gene expression and regulation, DNA replication, and other biological processes. Techniques used in studying protein folding, RNA folding, and enzyme kinetics are presented. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 108 and MATH 106. Prerequisite(s), which may be taken concurrently: PHYS 107 or 109. This course is normally offered every year, alternating with CHEM 302.

In this course the utilization of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR), and mass spectral data for structural analysis is developed. Particular attention is given to the theory and interpretation of proton, carbon-13, and two-dimensional NMR spectra, and to structure prediction using all three spectroscopic techniques. Students will gain hands-on experience with the NMR spectrometer. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 218.

A study of selected advanced topics in inorganic chemistry. Topics may include bioinorganic chemistry, inorganic materials science, and inorganic reaction mechanisms. Critical reading of the current literature, and applications of inorganic research, are emphasized. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 215.

The course surveys molecular tools, imaging techniques, and data quantification methods used in current research practices. Students will be introduced to optical sensors and actuators and how they are created, developed, optimized, and used in biological research. We will discuss the fundamentals and practical applications of various imaging techniques. This course will also engage the students in creative hypothesis-directed development of a novel imaging tool that satisfies an unmet biological need in their field. This course approaches molecular imaging holistically from both cell biological and chemical points of view. Prerequisite(s): BIO 202 and CHEM 218.

This course engages students in ideas from the fields of neuroscience, chemistry, biology, and psychology to understand on a chemical level how memory is stored and recalled in the human brain. Using seminal experiments as a foundation, students differentiate between “learning” and “memory” and connect model systems from the molecule all the way to behavior. Multimodal assignments explore the broad scope of experimental design and the cutting-edge subtleties of what it means to store and access information in the brain. Prerequisite(s): BIO 202 and CHEM 217.

An introduction to biologically important molecules and macromolecular assemblies. Topics discussed include the structure and chemistry of proteins; the mechanisms and kinetics of enzyme-catalyzed reactions; and the structure, chemistry, and functions of carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and biological membranes. Laboratory: three hours per week. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 218. Recommended background: Bio 242, or BIO 202 and 204, and CHEM 217.

A survey of the major metabolic processes in living cells. Topics discussed include protein synthesis, DNA replication and gene expression, the global organization of metabolic pathways, carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism, biological oxidation, reduction and energy production, and the metabolism of nitrogen-containing compounds. Special attention is given to the mechanisms by which metabolic processes are regulated. Laboratory: three hours per week. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 321.

A study of important organic reactions with emphasis on structure, stereochemistry, mechanism, and synthesis. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 218.

This course is an interdisciplinary survey of the conditions and environments that may have led to the origin(s) of life. Studying the origin of life involves research across physics, astronomy, geology, chemistry and biology but with a major lens of chemistry. Did life begin only once? What makes a planet habitable? How do we go from molecules to cells? Beginning with the formation of planets and stars, progressing to "Earth history", then trying to define what "life" is, we will assess the current theories for how life started with a chemical lens. We will also discuss how scientists are currently searching for it elsewhere. In addition to learning about the theories surrounding the origin(s) of life and the science involved in solving this difficult question, we will focus on developing a scientific mindset through the primary literature, and the course culminates in the scientific process of proposing experiments to address open questions in the field. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 217.

Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester.

Bacteria respond to a variety of stresses in their environment and modify the expression of molecules as adaptations. This course will serve as an alternative capstone for Chemistry and Biochemistry majors. Readings and original research will focus on recent literature outlining our current understanding of biochemical principles in transcription, translation, and in the regulation of these processes. Writing will develop through peer review and in class presentations, and result in a significant, original, document that is aimed at identifying key questions and approaches to answering them in one area of gene expression and regulation. Prerequisite(s): BIO 202.

A laboratory or library research study in an area of interest under the supervision of a member of the department. Each senior major delivers one presentation on the research for each thesis credit. Students register for CHEM 457 in the fall semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both CHEM 457 and 458.

A laboratory or library research study in an area of interest under the supervision of a member of the department. Each senior major delivers one presentation on the research for each thesis credit. Students register for CHEM 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both CHEM457 and 458.

This course will explore the discovery and implications of radioactivity through the lens of major motion pictures. Films such as Radioactive, Oppenheimer and Chernobyl will be used as launching points to introduce the basics of nuclear chemistry, biological effects of radiation, and uses of radiation in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. Discussions will include how these topics are presented in major motion pictures and the general publics’ perception of radiation and nuclear chemistry in general. Example topics include the structure of the atom; modes of radioactive decay; isotopes; half-lives; health impacts of radiation exposure; medical applications of radioactivity; development of nuclear weapons; global and moral implications of nuclear weapons; global and moral implications of nuclear energy; and radioactive waste management. Assessments will include discussion boards, reflections and in class presentations.

In this course we will explore the connection between chemistry and various topics in the arts and arts-related fields. This course will involve learning about the chemistry behind these topics, exploring the literature behind various artistic practices, and applying hands-on techniques in the laboratory involved in various art processes. This class may involve interaction with scholars who will help introduce new techniques and topics. Example topics covered in this course are the origin of color in pigments and dyes and their identification in pieces of art; the chemistry of ceramics and glazes; the development of polymers, resins, alloys, and composites for sculptures and jewelry-making; the chemical processes behind print-making; authentication, preservation, and restoration of works of art through chemical methods.

Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term.