Graduate Courses | Undergraduate Courses Advanced graduate courses are open to qualified undergraduate students. Not all 600-level courses are offered every year. Hendrickson | 3 credits | Fall
The course provides fundamental theoretical background for and emphasizes practical application of ultraviolet/visible and infrared spectroscopy, proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry to the structure proof of organic compounds. Fairbrother | 3 credits | Fall
The chemistry associated with surfaces and interfaces as well as a molecular level understanding of their essential roles in many technologically important processes, ranging from catalysis to biocompatibility. The first half of this course addresses various analytical techniques used to study surfaces including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. The second half of this course uses a number of case studies to illustrate the application of surface analytical techniques in contemporary research. Silverstone | 3 credits | Fall
The principles of quantum mechanics are developed and applied to chemical problems. Prerequisites: 030.301-302 or equivalent. Poland | 3 hours | Spring
An introduction to the statistical mechanics of cooperative phenomena using lattice gases and polymers as the main models. Topics to be covered will include phase transitions and critical phenomena, scaling laws, and the use of statistical mechanics to describe time dependent phenomena. Prerequisite: 030.301. Toscano | 3 hours | not offered in 2005-2006
The fundamental principles and methods of investigating photochemical reactions are developed and applied to physical organic, synthetic organic, and biological systems. Topics covered include the study of reactive intermediates, photoinitiated organic transformations, singlet oxygen chemistry, and photomedicine. Prerequisite: 030.425. Bowen | 3 hours | Fall
The molecular mechanism of elementary physical and chemical rate processes will be studied. Topics such as elastic scattering, collisional vibrational and rotational energy transfer, chemically reactive collisions, and the theory of unimolecular decay will be covered. Pre- or co-requisite: one year of quantum mechanics. Meyer | 3 hours | Spring
Electron transfer processes are distinguished by their ubiquity and essential roles in many physical, chemical, and biological processes. Rates of electron transfer in cytochromes and semiconductors span over 20 orders of magnitude. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors which underly this large rate variation. This course is concerned primarily with this issue. Electron transfer theories will be developed from a historic point of view. Basic concepts and terminology will be discussed as well as the spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques useful for quantitating electron transfer processes. The final third of this course will highlight recent electron transfer studies in biology, the solid state, and solution. Prerequisite: 030.356 or permission of instructor. Draper | 3 hours | Spring
A survey of the physical properties of DNA and RNA. Areas to be explored include conformations of secondary and tertiary structures, polyelectrolyte properties, folding and unfolding reactions, and recognition by small molecules and proteins. Prerequisite: 030.301 or its equivalent. Greenberg | 1 hour | Fall & Spring
Chemical biology interface (CBI) program students and faculty will meet weekly in a forum that will host presentations from CBI faculty and students as well as invited guest speakers. These meetings will serve as a valuable opportunity for students to develop presentation skills and interact with CBI students and faculty. Enrollment is required for first and second year CBI students, and is recommended for advanced year graduate students. Goldberg | 3 hours | Fall
This course is concerned with the chemistry of metals in biological systems. Major emphasis is placed on metalloproteins in which a transition metal is known to occupy the active site of the protein. Chemical approaches to modeling bioinorganic systems also are discussed. The lectures illustrate how chemical, spectroscopic, and structural methods have been used to understand the structure and function of metals in biology. Prerequisites: 030.301-302 or the equivalent; some background in biochemistry or inorganic chemistry is helpful but not required. Karlin | 3 hours | Spring
Topics from the recent primary literature in inorganic chemistry will be discussed, via instructor lectures and presentations by the graduate-undergraduate students enrolled in the course. The topics covered may range from bioinorganic to organometallic to solid-state inorganic chemistry. Prerequisite: 030.449 or equivalent. Staff | 3 hours | Fall
Parts I and II constitute the core course of the Chemical Biology Interface CBI Program. An introduction to the structure, synthesis, reactivity, and function of biological macromolecules (proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids) will be provided using the principles of inorganic and organic chemistry. Discussion will incorporate a broad survey of molecular recognition and mechanistic considerations, and introduce the tools of molecular and cellular biology that are utilized by the chemical biologist. Prerequisite: 030.206 or equivalent. Staff | 3 hours | Spring
Selected topics of current importance in chemical biology will be covered. Topics will include protein engineering and proteomics, cell signaling, protein-nucleic acid interactions (e.g. replication, transcription, DNA repair), catalytic RNA and the ribosome, biosynthesis of natural products, mechanisms of drug action, combinatorial chemistry and chemical genetics, and in vitro selection. Prerequisite: Chemical Biology I or permission from instructor. Karlin | 1 hour | Fall & Spring
Seminars are presented by advanced graduate students on topics from current chemical journals. Most first-year graduate students are expected to attend this course for credit. Undergraduate students may take the course on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Tovar| 3 credits | Fall
The course covers the application of techniques in physical chemistry to the study of organic reaction mechanisms. Topics include chemical bonding and structure, stereochemistry, conformational effects, molecular orbital theory, methods to determine reaction mechanisms, reactive intermediates, and photochemistry. Prerequisites: 030.205-206 or equivalent. Greenberg | 3 credits | Spring
This course covers advanced organic reactions and their mechanisms. Emphasis is given both to methods of postulating mechanisms for rationalizing reaction results and to the use of mechanistic thinking for designing reactions and reagents. This course is intended to be taken in sequence with 030.425. Prerequisites: 030.205-206 or equivalent. Hendrickson | 3 hours | Spring
Each year, topics in modern bioorganic chemistry will be treated in depth, drawing from the current literature as a primary resource. Topics will include natural products chemistry, biosynthetic reaction mechanisms, and drug design. Methods of synthesis, combinatorial synthesis, and genetics will be described throughout. Carbohydrates, lipids, polyketides, polypeptides, terpenes, and alkaloids are some of the molecule classes to be examined. Prerequisites: Chemical Biology I or two semesters of organic chemistry and one of biochemistry. Tolman | 3 hours | Fall
This course will introduce the necessary theoretical background required for an appreciation of modern techniques in magnetic resonance. The concepts developed will be extended into the context of current applications, with an emphasis on the practical aspects of solution-state NMR studies of macromolecules. Lectka | 3 hours | not offered in 2005-2006
Topics to be covered include practical molecular orbital theory, molecular dynamics, and mechanics calculations for organic chemists. Emphasis will be on the interactive use of programs on SGI workstations. Prerequisite: 030.425. Dagdigian | 3 hours | not offered in 2005-2006
A detailed study of diatomic molecules will be undertaken by rotational, vibrational, and electronic spectroscopy. The Born-Oppenheimer approximation, Hund's coupling cases, angular momentum coupling techniques. Wigner-Eckart theorem, selection rules, intensity factors, external fields, and other related topics will be discussed. Lectka | 3 hours | not offered in 2005-2006
Chemical catalysis is directly and indirectly responsible for adding 500 billion dollars a year of value to the US economy. In this course, the principles of chemical catalysis will be discussed, accentuating kinetics and mechanistic experiments. Topics to be covered include catalysis in biological and organic systems, as well as inorganic and organometallic homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. The course will finish with a presentation on asymmetric catalysis. Practical aspects of industrial catalytic reactions will also be considered. Karlin | 3 hours | not offered in 2005-2006
The course will provide background into "green" chemistry and the minimization of hazardous materials associated with chemical practices. Emphasis will be placed on recent literature on "green" inorganic chemistry. Posner | 3 hours | Fall
The reactions and principles involved in the synthesis of simple and complex organic compounds. Discussion of "famous" natural product syntheses and practice in developing rational designs for organic syntheses. Problems in the design of syntheses and in the use of chemical literature. Lectka | 3 hours | Spring
An advanced discussion of organic stereochemistry and its application to problems in asymmetric reactions and catalysis will be presented. Emphasis will be placed on the latest reports in the literature, especially with respect to development of new, catalytic, asymmetric processes. Prerequisite: 030.677. Lectka | 3 hours | not offered in 2004-2005
An advanced discussion of organic stereochemistry and its application to problems in asymmetric reactions and catalysis will be presented. Emphasis will be placed on the latest reports in the literature, especially with respect to the development of new catalytic, asymmetric processes. Prerequisite: 030.677. Lectka | 3 hours | not offered in 2005-2006
The asymmetric synthesis of organic molecules using stoichimetric and catalytic methodology will be addressed, from the historical development of chiral auxiliaries to cutting-edge asymmetric catalysts. Prerequisite: 030.677. Greenberg | 3 hours | not offered in 2005-2006
Nucleic acids (DNA/RNA) are essential molecules for all living beings. Studies on their structure, synthesis, chemical properties, and noncovalent interactions with other molecules are critical for understanding their role in biological processes. More recently, these molecules have been used as therapeutic and diagnostic agents. This course focuses on the structure, reactivity, and molecular recognition of these important molecules relevant to biological issues. The topic will be approached from the perspective of organic chemistry. Goldberg, Karlin, Meyer, Roth | 1 hour | Fall & Spring
Contemporary research topics in inorganic and bioinorganic chemistry will be discussed, including modern experimental methods, data analysis, and interpretation. An emphasis is placed on current research progress in electron-transfer and biomimetic chemistry. | 
