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 program 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 Website and a faculty member of the department before completion
of registration.
Note: The listing of a course in the Calendar is not a guarantee that the
course is offered every year.
Note: Students must obtain a grade of at least C- in all courses used to
fulfill prerequisite requirements. Otherwise, written permission of the
appropriate Department Head or Program Co-ordinator must be obtained.
CHEM 1001 (3CR)
INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY 1
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours, regular tutorials
Prereq: None
Fundamental concepts of introductory chemistry will be covered and expanded
upon, including stiochiometry and redox processes. The Atomic theory will be
introduced by discussion about the periodic table. Chemical bonding will be
developed leading to the three-dimensional nature of matter for both organic
and inorganic materials. Finally, an introduction to intermolecular forces and
thermodynamic phase diagrams and related properties will be covered.
CHEM 1021 (3CR)
INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY II
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours, regular tutorials
Prereq: CHEM 1001; or permission of the Department
The quantitative nature of chemistry will be developed through discussions
involving thermodynamics, kinetics and equilibrium processes. Qualitative concepts
introduced in Introductory Chemistry I (CHEM 1001) will be expanded to include this
quantitative nature of matter. As well, a brief discussion of redox properties and
electrochemistry will be introduced.
CHEM 1501 (3CR)
CHEMISTRY IN MODERN SOCIETY
Format: lecture 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 2111 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I
Format: lecture 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 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 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: CO-ORDINATION CHEMISTRY
Format: lecture 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 2411 (3CR)
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY I
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 1021, MATH 1111; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 3411
This course covers the following topics with an emphasis on problem solving: the
treatment of errors and statistics of
measurements; aqueous solutions, complex equilibria (including acid/base
and buffer systems); electrochemistry theory; redox,
electrode potentials (ion selective electrodes), and electrogravimetry.
CHEM 2511 (3CR)
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY I: INTRODUCTION TO THE CHEMISTRY OF THE
ENVIRONMENT
Format: lecture 3 hours, tutorial 1 hour
Prereq: CHEM 1021, MATH 1111; or permission of the Department
Note: CHEM 2511 credit will not fulfill any Chemistry requirements for
a Minor, Major or Honours degree in Chemistry.
This course introduces environmental chemistry to students in
a life sciences program. The subject matter primarily
deals with the chemistry of the atmosphere and hydrosphere at an
introductory level, with an emphasis on problem solving skills.
CHEM 3111 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY III
Format: lecture 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 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/BIOC 3131 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: BIOORGANIC
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 2121; or permission of the Chemistry Department
Note: This course is cross-listed and may therefore count as three credits in
either discipline. Chemistry students should register for CHEM 3131
This course presents the principles of organic chemistry as they apply to biochemical
problems. Topics covered include enzymic reaction
mechanisms, enzyme cofactors, peptide and nucleic acid synthesis,
and enzymes in organic synthesis.
CHEM 3231 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY II: KINETICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours, tutorials
Prereq: CHEM 1021, MATH 1121; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 3221
This course examines physical and chemical applications of kinetics, including a
variety of topics related to reaction mechanisms and dynamics. Specific topics include
the prediction of kinetic behaviour
of different mechanisms, the deduction of mechanisms, the
interpretation of activation parameters from experimental data, and the effects of
varying solvents and catalysts.
CHEM 3241 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY III: QUANTUM CHEMISTRY
Format: lecture 3 hours, Laboratory 3 Hours
Prereq: CHEM 1021, PHYS 1551, MATH 2111; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 3211
This course is an introduction to the application of quantum mechanics to chemistry.
It discusses and applies the postulates of quantum mechanics to simple physical systems
(such as particle in a box, harmonic
oscillator and rigid rotor), with an emphasis on using quantum mechanics
to understand the electronic structure of atoms and molecules.
CHEM 3251 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY IV: SPECTROSCOPY
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 3241; or PHYS 3821 (can also be taken as co-requisite); or
permission of the Department
Application of quantum chemistry in spectroscopy will be discussed.
A survey of the principles of electronic, vibrational, rotational and magnetic
resonance spectroscopy will be presented. State of the art spectroscopic techniques
and applications will also be addressed. Experiments and computational projects
will be carried out so that students will gain a practical knowledge in design and
application of spectroscopic measurements as well as interpretation of experimental data.
CHEM 3321 (3CR)
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY II: MAIN GROUP ELEMENTS
Format: lecture 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 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 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 3421 (3CR)
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY II: INSTRUMENTAL METHODS OF ANALYSIS
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 1551 or 3521, and CHEM 2411 or 3411; or permission of the Department
This course introduces the theoretical basis, scope and limitations of various instrumental
methods of analysis, in the areas of Spectroscopy and
Chromatography. Methods include GC/MS and HPLC for organic
compounds, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) for metals and UV/VIS for both organic
and inorganic compounds.
CHEM 4131 (3CR)
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: SYNTHETIC CHEMISTRY
Format: lecture 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 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 4211 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY: STATISTICAL THERMODYNAMICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, major term project
Prereq: CHEM 3241; or PHYS 3701 and 3821; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 4201
This course will address the connection between the microscopic and
macroscopic world by providing an introduction to the probabilistic nature of
physical chemistry. Partition functions 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. Applications relevant to the interests of students will be discussed
with an emphasis on recent literature.
CHEM 4241 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY: COMPUTATIONAL
Format: lecture 3 hours, Laboratory 1.5 Hours
Prereq: CHEM 3241 or PHYS 3821; or permission of the Department
This course focuses on a basic knowledge of the methods currently used in computational
chemistry. It addresses approximations involved in the application
of quantum mechanics to chemical systems, and how these approximations
can be systematically improved, and considers practical aspects of
computational chemistry programs.
CHEM 4261 (3CR)
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY: MODERN TOPICS
Format: lecture 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 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/BIOC 4351 (3CR)
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY: BIOINORGANIC
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 3321; or permission of the Chemistry Department
Note: This course is cross-listed and may therefore count as three credits in
either discipline. Honours Chemistry students should register for CHEM 4351.
This course examines the roles metals play in biochemical systems, and includes an
overview of bioinorganic chemistry and a discussion of metals in medicine.
CHEM 4431 (3CR)
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY: MODERN TOPICS IN CHROMATOGRAPHY
Format: lecture/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 3 hours, weekly tutorials 1.5 hours
Prereq: CHEM 2111 or 2101, 2411 or 3411; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: CHEM 3011
This course investigates the chemical aspects of the environment and
draws upon physical, organic, inorganic and analytical chemistry
background. It explores the natural chemical compositions and anthropogenic effects
on the air, water and soil. Some of the specific topics include ozone chemistry, smog, acid rain, global
climate, DOM, metals, colloids, pE/pH, soil chemistry and wastes.
CHEM 4903 (3CR)
CURRENT ADVANCES IN CHEMISTRY
Format: seminar 3 hours
Coreq: Registration in CHEM 4990; or permission of the Department
This is a course for Honours students in Chemistry which critically evaluates a wide range of topics from
the current literature in all branches of Chemistry. Students are expected to deliver seminars on topics
outside of their thesis area and to present preliminary thesis results.
CHEM 4950/4951 (6/3CR)
INDEPENDENT STUDY IN CHEMISTRY
Format: Independent Study
Prereq: Permission of the Department/Program Advisor. Students must obtain
consent of an instructor who is willing to be a supervisor and must register
for the course prior to the last day for change of registration in the term
during which the course is being taken.
Note: A program on Independent Study cannot duplicate subject matter covered through
regular course offerings.
Note: Students may register for CHEM 4950/51 more than once, provided the subject
matter differs.
This course permits senior students, under the direction faculty members,
to pursue their interest in areas not covered, or not covered in depth, by other
courses through a program of independent study.
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.
CHEM 1991/2991/3991/4991 (3CR)
SPECIAL TOPIC IN CHEMISTRY
Format: Variable
Prereq: Set by the Department/Program when the topic and level are announced
Note: When a Department or Program intends to offer a course under this designation,
it must submit course information, normally at least three months in advance, to the Dean.
Note: Students may register for CHEM 1991/2991/3991/4991 more than once, provided the
subject matter differs.
This course either focuses on topics not covered by the current course offerings
in a department or program or offers the opportunity to pilot a course that is being
considered for inclusion in the regular program.