Chemistry is the branch of physical science involving the study of the
composition of substances, the ways in which their properties are related to their
composition, and the interaction of substances to produce new materials. This subject
occupies a central place among the sciences - it draws on the facts and theories of
physics, and on mathematics for the tools necessary to evaluate and express quantitative
chemical information. Chemistry in turn, provides terminology, facts, principles and
methods that are essential to many aspects of other sciences. The applications of
chemistry in fields such as agriculture, medicine, pharmacology, pharmacy, engineering and
oceanography are numerous.
The undergraduate programme is designed to provide students with
an education in the main branches of the subject, namely, analytical, inorganic, organic,
physical and computational chemistry. The broad objectives of the Department are summarized in the
following definition of education:
Students interested in pursuing a Major or Minor in Chemistry or Chemistry Honours, should
consult the Departmental Handbook and a faculty member of the department before completion
of registration.
CHEM 1001 (3CR)
INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY 1
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours, regular tutorials
Prereq: None
Atomic theory will be introduced followed by discussion about the
periodic table. Chemical bonding will be developed leading to the
three-dimensional nature of matter. Thermodynamics, intermolecular forces
and solution properties will be covered.
CHEM 1021 (3CR)
INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY II
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours, regular tutorials
Prereq: CHEM 1001; or permission of the Department
The quantitative nature of chemistry will be developed through a
discussion of gases followed by consideration of kinetics and equilibrium.
The thermodynamics introduced in the first term will be expanded together
with a brief discussion of redox properties and electrochemistry.
CHEM 1501 (3CR)
CHEMISTRY IN MODERN SOCIETY
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours
Prereq: None
Chemistry topics that have bearing on modern living and the
environment will be discussed. Fundamental notions of modern chemistry
will be developed and links with other disciplines identified.
CHEM 2101 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY FOR THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 1021; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 2111, 2121, 2131, 2141, 2151
An introduction to the structure, reactivity and biological
relevance of a variety of functional groups is presented. There will also
be an introduction to spectroscopy.
CHEM 2111 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 1021; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 2101, 2131, 2141
Structural basics including aromaticity, resonance, and
stereochemistry will be emphasized and developed. An appreciation of the
link between structure, mechanism and reactivity will be explored.
CHEM 2121 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 2111; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 2101, 2131, 2151
Functional group chemistry will be used to develop more
sophisticated mechanistic skills. Problems in organic synthesis will be
studied within a mechanistic context. An introduction to the interpretation
of first order proton nmr spectra will be included.
CHEM 2211 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I: THERMODYNAMICS
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours, regular tutorials
Prereq: CHEM 1021, MATH 1121 or 1131; or permission of the Department
An introduction to the laws of thermodynamics and their
application to ideal systems, mixtures and chemical reactions, will be
provided. Thermochemistry, chemical and phase equilibria and
electrochemistry will be discussed.
CHEM 2311 (3CR)
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY I: COORDINATION CHEMISTRY
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 1021; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 3311
Lewis acid-base chemistry and applications to transition metals
will be discussed. Concepts covered will include structure and bonding,
ligand field theory, magnetism and electronics.
CHEM 2511 (3CR)
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY I: INTRODUCTION TO THE CHEMISTRY OF THE
ENVIRONMENT
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, weekly tutorials
Prereq: CHEM 1021, MATH 1121 or 1131; or permission of the Department
Note: CHEM 2511 credit will not fulfill any Chemistry requirements for
a minor, major or honours degree in Chemistry.
An introduction to environmental chemistry designed for students in
a life sciences programme will be given. The subject matter will primarily
deal with the chemistry of the atmosphere and hydrosphere at an
introductory level. Problem solving skills will be stressed.
CHEM 3111 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY III
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 2121; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 3141
The common spectroscopic techniques will be introduced in the
context of structure elucidation. An introduction to Frontier MO theory,
will be described. The application of synthetic reactions to total
synthesis will be presented.
CHEM 3121 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IV
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 3111; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 3151
Earlier coverage of spectroscopic techniques will be extended so
that more interesting structural deductions can be made. Mechanistic and
synthetic discussions will be integrated into the lecture material.
CHEM 3231 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY II: KINETICS
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours, regular tutorials
Prereq: CHEM 2211; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 3221
Physical and chemical applications of kinetics will be discussed.
A variety of topics related to reaction mechanisms and dynamics will be
covered. Specific topics will include the prediction of kinetic behaviour
of different mechanisms, the deduction of mechanisms and the
interpretation of activation parameters from experimental data.
The effects of varying solvents and catalysts will also be considered.
CHEM 3241 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY III: QUANTUM CHEMISTRY
Format: lecture/discussion/class projects 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 1021, MATH 1121 or 1131; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 3211
The quantum chemistry of atomic and molecular structures will be introduced.
CHEM 3251 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY IV: SPECTROSCOPY
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 2211, 3241; or permission of the Department
Practical applications of quantum chemistry will be discussed. A
survey of the principles of electronic, vibrational and rotational
spectroscopy will be presented. Magnetic resonance methods will also be
addressed.
CHEM 3321 (3CR)
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY II: MAIN GROUP ELEMENTS
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 1021; or permission of the Department
The structure and bonding in main group compounds will be examined.
Ionic and covalent bonding will be discussed with respect to Lewis,
valence shell electron pair repulsion, valence bond and molecular orbital
theories. Periodic trends and a survey of the properties and reactions
of the elements of groups 1, 2 and 13 - 18 will also be examined.
CHEM 3331 (3CR)
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY III: ORGANOMETALLICS
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 2311; or permission of the Department
The structure, bonding and reactivity of organotransition metal
complexes will be examined. Concepts covered will include the 18-electron
rule, the isolobal analogy, catalysis, and the role metals play in organic
synthesis.
CHEM 3361 (3CR)
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY IV: STRUCTURE AND BONDING IN MAIN GROUP CHEMISTRY
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 3321; or permission of the Department
Topics in fundamental main group chemistry will be presented.
Discussion will focus on synthetic approaches, spectroscopic analysis and
structural aspects. An overview of the industrial application of main
group chemistry will also be presented. Techniques required for the
manipulation of air-sensitive materials will be considered.
CHEM 3411 (3CR)
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY I
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 1021, MATH 1121 or 1131; or permission of the Department
Topics involve the treatment of errors and statistics of
measurements, aqueous solutions, complex equilibria (including acid/base
and buffer systems), and electrochemistry theory, involving; redox,
electrode potentials (ion selective electrodes), and electrogravimetry.
Problem solving will be stressed.
CHEM 3421 (3CR)
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY II: INSTRUMENTAL METHODS OF ANALYSIS
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 1551 and CHEM 3411; or permission of the Department
The theoretical basis, scope and limitations of various instrumental
methods of analysis, especially in the areas of Spectroscopy and
Chromatography will be introduced, including GC/MS and HPLC for organic
compounds, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy for metals and UV/VIS for organic
and inorganic compounds.
CHEM 4131 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: SYNTHETIC CHEMISTRY
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 3121; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 4101
The synthesis of complex organic molecules will be discussed. Topics
covered will include conformational analysis, stereoselectivity,
transition metal mediated reactions, radical reactions, mechanism and
synthetic strategy.
CHEM 4141 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: PHYSICAL ASPECTS
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 3111, 3241, 3231; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 4111
The principles of bonding, structure and mechanisms in organic
chemistry will be examined. Topics covered will include models of bonding,
acid/base catalysis, linear free-energy relationships, dynamic NMR,
concerted reactions and orbital symmetry, transition-state theory and
intramolecular dynamics, thermodynamics and molecular motors.
CHEM 4151 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: BIOORGANIC
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 3111; or permission of the Department
The principles of organic chemistry as they apply to biochemical
problems will be presented. Topics covered include enzymic reaction
mechanisms, enzyme cofactors, peptide and nucleic acid synthesis,
enzymes in organic synthesis.
CHEM 4161 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: THEORETICAL APPROACHES
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours
Prereq: MATH 1121 or 1131, CHEM 3121; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 4121
Zeroth order symmetry - simplified Hückel and molecular orbital
calculations will be developed. Calculations are extended to
heteroatom - substituted and Möbius structures. An introduction to
chemical graph theory will be included.
CHEM 4211 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY: STATISTICAL THERMODYNAMICS
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, major term project
Prereq: CHEM 2211, 3241, MATH 2111; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 4201
The theory of statistical thermodynamics will be developed from the
statistical distribution of energy using the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution
law. Partition functions and degeneracy will be calculated from the
various contributions to the total energy for simplified models of actual
systems. Thermodynamic quantities will then be derived in terms of
partition functions.
CHEM 4241 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY: COMPUTATIONAL
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, major term project
Prereq: CHEM 3241, MATH 2111; or permission of the Department
A basic knowledge of the methods currently used in computational
chemistry will be discussed. Approximations involved in the application
of quantum mechanics to chemical systems, and how these approximations
can be systematically improved, will be addressed. Practical aspects of
computational chemistry programmes will also be considered.
CHEM 4261 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY: MODERN TOPICS
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, major term project
Prereq: CHEM 3231; or permission of the Department
Current topics in physical chemistry will be discussed. Topics
include solid-state chemistry, polymer chemistry, colloids and liquid
crystals. Experimental techniques currently employed in physical chemistry
research will also be addressed.
CHEM 4341 (3CR)
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY: PHYSICAL ASPECTS
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 3321; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 4311
A significant component will involve applications of group theory in
inorganic chemistry for molecular bonding, reaction mechanisms, and IR and
Raman spectroscopic transformations for small molecules and ions.
Interpretation of multinuclear NMR, EPR, IR and Raman spectra will be
explored, while the fundamental aspects of X-ray crystallography will also
be discussed.
CHEM 4351 (3CR)
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY: BIOINORGANIC
Format: lecture/discussion 3 hours, major term project
Prereq: CHEM 3321; or permission of the Department
The roles metals play in biochemical systems will be examined. An
overview of bioinorganic chemistry and a discussion of metals in medicine
will be included.
CHEM 4431 (3CR)
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY: MODERN TOPICS IN CHROMATOGRAPHY
Format: lecture/discussion/seminar 3 hours, practical exercises and major project
Prereq: CHEM 3421; or permission of the Department
The theory and current practical application of the techniques of
GC/MS, LC/MS, and capillary electrophoresis (CE) and CE/MS will be surveyed.
CHEM 4521 (3CR)
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY
Format: lecture/discussion/seminar 3 hours, weekly tutorials and major project
Prereq: CHEM 2111 or 2101, 2211, 3411; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 3011
The chemical aspects of the environment will be examined and will
draw heavily upon physical, organic, inorganic and analytical chemistry
background. The natural chemical compositions and anthropogenic effects
on the air, water and soil will be explored. Some of the specific topics
that will be covered include, ozone chemistry, smog, acid rain, global
climate, DOM, metals, colloids, pE/pH, soil chemistry and wastes.
CHEM 4701 (3CR)
SELECTED TOPICS IN CHEMISTRY
Format: lecture/discussion/seminar 3 hours, major project
Prereq: Permission of the Instructor
An advanced treatment of a topic not covered by the current course offerings.
CHEM 4800/4801 (6CR/3CR)
SPECIAL TOPICS IN CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
Format: varied
Prereq: Permission of the Supervisor
Individual experimental projects designed by the student and the supervisor.
CHEM 4990 (6CR)
HONOURS THESIS
Format: independent study/thesis
Prereq: Permission of the Department
This will involve an extensive experimental or theoretical study
culminating in the writing of a thesis. The research will be conducted
under the supervision of a faculty member and will usually be carried
out during the summer and the following year.