Students in the Chemistry Training Track are required to take these 15 credits of coursework. Most of the courses are team taught, but a primary contact person is shown.
Chemical Structure and Reactivity - Part I
(1.5 credits; Jef De Brabander)
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(Syllabus)
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This course will serve to provide a solid basis for understanding the physical properties and chemical reactivity of biologically active molecules. The concepts conveyed will prepare students interested in small molecules for more advanced studies in organic synthesis. Topics to be covered include: 1) the chemistry of the major functional groups commonly found in organic molecules 2) fundamentals of chemical kinetics including the rate law, transition state theory, etc.; 3) the theory and practice of studying equilibrium interactions between molecules; 4) stereochemistry; and 5) dynamic properties of molecules, for example, tautomerism.
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Chemical Structure and Reactivity - Part II
(1.5 credits; Jef De Brabander)
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(Syllabus)
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The second part of this course will move into more advanced discussions of reaction mechanisms. We will focus on chemical catalysis, sigmatropic rearrangements, the conservation of orbital symmetry, and the concept of aromaticity. The course will conclude with several lectures exploring the nature and origin or forces underpinning specific molecular recognition in aqueous environments.
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Advanced Problems in Reaction Mechanisms I
(1.5 credits; Douglas Frantz)
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(Syllabus)
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This course will focus on the study of reaction mechanisms and problem-solving relevant to synthetic chemistry. It will serve as a problem session to support the didactic courses.
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Chemical Synthesis - Part I
(1.5 credits; Chuo Chen)
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(Syllabus) |
The first part of the course will introduce the major classes of synthetic transformations with a heavy emphasis on methods and reaction mechanisms. Control of reaction regio- and chemoselectivity in the assembly of carbon-carbon, carbon-heteroatom, and heteroatom-heteroatom bonds will be discussed. Multiple tactics for acyclic diastereoselection will be covered during discussions of the Aldol and Claisen condensations. Olefin synthesis, principles of transition-metal catalysis, and the major types of carbon-based cycloadditions will conclude the first eight-week session.
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Chemical Synthesis - Part II
(1.5 credits; Chuo Chen)
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(Syllabus) |
| The second part of the course will move into more of an architectural mode. Concepts and strategies for assembling complex organic structures from simpler components will be tackled. This will include discussions of orthogonal protection, template- or reagent-based diastereoselection, and the compatibility of functional groups. Methods for chiral synthesis, including communicated and induced asymmetry, will open the floor to several case studies that highlight state-of-the-art methodology and achievements in the field. |
Spring, 1st Year
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Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis
(3 credits; Joseph Ready, Douglas Frantz)
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(Syllabus)
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This course will be offered to second year students who have completed the Chemistry Core Course in their first year. The focus will be on advanced methods for stereoselective and asymmetric synthesis. Particular emphasis will be placed on contemporary methods for molecular catalysis and new avenues in synthesis made available by them. Topics will include transition metal-catalyzed transformations, asymmetric catalysis, kinetic analysis of catalytic reactions and organometallic reaction mechanisms.
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Advanced Problems in Reaction Mechanisms II
(3 credits; Douglas Frantz)
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(Syllabus) |
This course will focus on the study of reaction mechanisms and problem-solving relevant to synthetic chemistry. It will serve as a problem session to support the didactic courses.
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Small Molecule Structure Elucidation
(1.5 credits; John MacMillan) |
(Syllabus) |
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This course will be offered to second year students who have completed the Chemistry Core Course in their first year. The focus will be the elucidation of small molecule structure through chemical and spectroscopic means.
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