The Chemistry Department seeks to provide a sound education in the fundamentals of modern chemistry as well as exposure to cutting-edge research and contemporary instrumentation in the field. This is accomplished by providing students with a solid background in the classical disciplines of organic, analytical, inorganic, and physical chemistry. This core course set, which is supported by a variety of practical experimental experiences in the laboratory, provides students with the skills needed to think critically about chemistry. Once the foundation has been set, students will delve deeper into an area of their choice by taking upper-level undergraduate or graduate courses. Recognizing the importance of research as a capstone experience, which integrates and makes sense of our collective body of knowledge, we strongly encourage all students to participate in undergraduate research. The department offers three different program options to meet the diverse needs and interests of our students.

Programs of Concentration in Chemistry
See undergraduate course offerings in the current VU undergraduate catalogue.

The Basic program (Program A) is for students needing a fundamental grounding in chemistry. This program is suited for graduates who plan to take on a position of technical responsibility in chemistry, intend to teach chemistry in secondary schools, or require a grounding in chemistry as part of their study of medicine, law, business or other discipline. The Honors program (Program B) is for superior students, challenging them with an advanced course load, independent research and enrollment in a graduate-level course. The Honors program is similar to the Professional program, but requires independent study and research. The Professional program (Program C) is for students intending to pursue graduate work in chemistry or to make chemistry their profession. It meets the minimum standards of the American Chemical Society.

Three programs of concentration are available. Program A (Basic) permits graduates to take positions of technical responsibility as chemists and serves as a background for the teaching of chemistry in secondary schools or for the study of medicine, law, business, etc. Program B (Honors), for superior students, resembles Program C (Professional) but requires independent study and research. Program C (Professional) is intended for those who plan to do graduate work in chemistry or to make chemistry their profession.

Minor in Chemistry
The minor in chemistry requires 18 hours of course work, including 102b and 104b or AP credit, General Chemistry (4 hours), and 14 hours selected from any of the 3- or 4-hour courses acceptable for the major in Chemistry.

Licensure for Teaching
Candidates for teacher licensure in chemistry at the secondary level should refer to the chapter on Licensure for Teaching in the Peabody College
section of this catalog.

Introductory Courses
Introductory chemistry is offered in three different year-long courses, each with its own laboratory. Only one of these year-long courses may be taken for credit. Successful completion of the first semester of any sequence is a prerequisite for the second semester of that sequence.

1. Chemistry 101a–101b.
Intended for liberal arts students who are not planning to take any additional chemistry courses. It treats chemistry in a non-mathematical fashion, with some historical and philosophical features. Not for science and engineering students.

2. Chemistry 102a–102b.
Designed for engineering, science, and premedical students. This course, which must be taken simultaneously with 104a–104b and 106a–106b, serves as preparation for students intending to major in chemistry, biology, physics, or earth and environmental sciences. It is a more rigorous, mathematical approach to chemistry and a prerequisite for organic and other chemistry courses. It is not intended for liberal arts students taking a science course only to fulfill CPLE or AXLE requirements.

3. Chemistry 218a–218b.
Designed for students who have a strong background in chemistry with a 5 advanced placement test score or approval of the director of undergraduate studies. Students taking the 218a–218b sequence should also register for the organic laboratory courses 219a–219b. This course covers the same material as Chemistry 220a–220b but is limited to freshmen. Chemistry 218a–218b satisfies all Chemistry 220a–220b prerequisites needed for advanced chemistry courses. Students who complete 218a–218b are ready to take courses in chemistry traditionally taken during the third year of the major.

100a–100b. Introductory Chemistry Laboratory. Laboratory to accompany 101a–101b. Corequisite: 101a–101b. One three-hour laboratory per week. [1–1] Todd.

101a–101b. Introductory Chemistry. General principles for non-science majors or those not planning to take additional chemistry courses. Does not serve as a prerequisite for advanced courses in chemistry without approval of the director of undergraduate studies. 101a is prerequisite to 101b. [3–3] Todd.

102a–102b. General Chemistry. General principles of chemistry for science and engineering students. Composition and structure of matter, chemical reactions, bonding, solution chemistry, kinetics, thermodynamics, equilibrium, acids and bases, electrochemistry, coordination compounds. Ordinarily accompanied by 104a–104b. Corequisite: 106a–106b, Mathematics 150a–150b or equivalent. Three lectures per week and a recitation period (106a–106b). [3–3] Engers, Hanusa.

104a–104b. General Chemistry Laboratory. Laboratory to accompany 102a–102b. Corequisite: 102a–102b. One three-hour laboratory per week. [1–1] Phillips.

106a-106b. General Chemistry Recitation. The recitation portion of the Chemistry 102a–102b course. One one-hour period per week. All students registering for Chemistry 102a–102b must concurrently register for Chemistry 106a–106b. [0–0]

115F. First–Year Writing Seminar.

202. Introduction to Bioinorganic Chemistry. Functions of inorganic elements in living cells. The manner in which coordination can modify the properties of metallic ions in living systems. Non-metallic elements including selenium, iodine, chlorine, and phosphorus. Prerequisite: 220a–220b. SPRING. [3] Wright.

203. Inorganic Chemistry. A survey of modern inorganic chemistry including coordination compounds and the compounds of the main-group elements. Representative reactions and current theories are treated. Prerequisite: organic and physical chemistry. FALL. [3] Wright.

204. Inorganic Preparations. Synthesis and characterization of inorganic compounds or materials; one laboratory per week. Pre- or corequisite: 203. SPRING. [1] Todd.

207. Introduction to Organometallic Chemistry. A general description of the preparation, reaction chemistry, molecular structure, bonding, and spectroscopic identification of organometallic compounds of the transition metals. Prerequisite: 203, 220a–220b. [3] Lukehart. (Not currently offered)

210. Introduction to Analytical Chemistry. Fundamental quantitative analytical chemistry with emphasis on principles of analysis, separations, equilibria, stoichiometry and spectrophotometry. No credit for graduate students in chemistry. Must be accompanied by 212a. SPRING. [3] McLean.

211. Instrumental Analytical Chemistry. Chemical and physical principles of modern analytical chemistry instrumentation. Credit allowed for chemistry graduate students having deficiency. Prerequisite: 210, 220a–220b, and 230. Must be accompanied by 212b for undergraduates. FALL. [3] Cliffel.

212a–212b. Analytical Chemistry Laboratory. Laboratory to accompany Chemistry 210 (212a) and 211 (212b). No credit for graduate students in chemistry. Corequisite: 210–211. One four-hour laboratory per week. [1–1] Zoorob.

218a–218b. Organic Chemistry for Advanced Placement Students. Fundamental types of organic compounds, their nomenclature, classification, preparations, reactions, and general application. Prerequisite: enrollment limited to first-year students with advanced placement chemistry scores of 5, or the approval of the director of undergraduate studies. Ordinarily accompanied by 219a–219b. Equivalent to 220. FALL. [3–3] Harth, Kaszynski.

219a–219b. Organic Chemistry Laboratory. Laboratory to accompany 220a–220b. Corequisite: 220a–220b. One four-hour laboratory per week. [1–1] List.

220a–220b. Organic Chemistry. Fundamental types of organic compounds, their nomenclature, classification, preparations, reactions and general application. Prerequisite: 102a–102b, 103a–103b, 104a–104b. No credit for graduate students in chemistry. Ordinarily accompanied by 219a–219b. [3–3] M. Sulikowski, G. Sulikowski, Johnston.

220c. Organic Chemistry Structure and Mechanism. Introduction to advanced topics in organic chemistry. Stereochemistry and conformational analysis, mechanisms of organic reactions, linear free-energy relationships, reactive intermediates. Three lectures and one recitation hour per week. FALL. [4] N. Porter, Johnston.

221. Laboratory Techniques in Organic Chemistry. Advanced work in organic preparations, new synthetic techniques, and modern organic analytical methods, including infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance. Prerequisite: 220b. One lecture and two laboratory periods per week. [3] (Not currently offered)

222. Physical Organic Chemistry. Structure and bonding in organic molecules. Reactive intermediates and organic reaction mechanisms. Prerequisite: 220b, 231. SPRING. [3] Kaszynski.

223. Advanced Organic Reactions. A comprehensive study of the synthesis and behavior of organic compounds based on electronic theory. Prerequisite: 220a–220b and 221, 230, 231, 236, and 237, or special consent of instructor. Three lectures per week. SPRING. [3] G. Sulikowski.

224. Bioorganic Chemistry. Essential metabolites including vitamins, steroids, peptides, and nucleotides. Consideration of phosphate esters and the synthesis of oligodeoxynucleotides. Prerequisite: 220a–220b. Three lectures per week. FALL. [3] Rizzo.

225. Spectroscopic Identification of Organic Compounds. Theoretical and practical aspects of spectroscopic methods, with an emphasis on NMR spectroscopy, for structural characterization of organic compounds. Prerequisite: 220b. FALL. [3] Bachmann.

226. Medicinal Chemistry. Drug design and development; drug interactions with receptors, enzymes, and DNA; selected therapeutic areas. Some organic synthesis. Prerequisite: 224 or BSCI 220. FALL. [3] Lybrand.

227W. Forensic Analytical Chemistry. Techniques, methodologies, data collection, and interpretation. Laboratory experience with drug analysis, toxicology, trace, and arson analysis. Two hours of lecture and one four-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisite: 210 and 212a. SPRING. [3] Zoorob.

230. Physical Chemistry I. Chemical kinetics and principles of quantum chemistry applied to molecular structure, bonding, and spectroscopy. Prerequisite: Math 150a–150b or Math 155a–155b and Physics 116a–116b or Physics 117a–117b. No credit for graduate students in chemistry. FALL. [3] Rosenthal.

231. Physical Chemistry II. Chemical thermodynamics and equilibrium, their statistical foundation, and applications to chemical phenomena. Prerequisite: Math 150a–150b or Math 155a–155b and Physics 116a–116b or Physics 117a–117b. No credit for graduate students in chemistry. SPRING. [3] Meiler.

232. Quantum Chemistry. Limits of classical mechanics at the atomic and molecular level; the postulates of quantum mechanics applied to problems in one, two, and three dimensions; perturbation and other methods. Prerequisite: 231 or equivalent. FALL. [3] Stone.

233. Molecular Modeling Methods. Introduction to theory and practice of computer simulation studies of molecules with emphasis on applications to biological molecules and complexes. Background theory, implementation details, capabilities and practical limitations. Prerequisite: 231. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. SPRING. [4] Lybrand.

234. Spectroscopy. Experimental and theoretical aspects of spectroscopy. Energy levels, selection rules, and spectral transitions as related to atomic and molecular structure. Design of contemporary magnetic resonance and optical spectroscopy measurements. Prerequisite: 231. SPRING. [3] Stone.

235. Surface & Polymer Chemistry. An introduction to the physics and chemistry of surface phenomena and of colloidal and macromolecular systems. Applications of thermodynamic, kinetic, and spectroscopic principles to the study of phase boundary problems in chemistry. Prerequisite: 230 or consent of instructor. FALL. [3] Harth.

236. Physical Chemistry Laboratory. Experiments in chemical thermodynamics and kinetics. Data analysis and presentation. No credit for graduate students in chemistry. One three-hour laboratory or one lecture per week. Prerequisite: Calculus through Math 175 recommended. FALL. [1] Tellinghuisen.

237. Experimental Spectroscopy. Experiments in ultraviolet, visible, infrared, Raman spectroscopy of atoms and molecules, with application to lasers, photochemistry, and kinetics. Data analysis and presentation. No credit for graduate students in chemistry. One three-hour laboratory and one lecture per week. Prerequisite: 230 and 236; Math 175. SPRING. [2] Tellinghuisen.

238. Computational Structural Biochemistry. Theoretical and practical aspects of modeling protein structure and interactions computationally. Sequence-sequence alignments, secondary structure prediction, fold recognition, de novo structure prediction. Protein design, protein-protein docking, protein-ligand docking. Prerequisite: 231. FALL. [4] Meiler.

250. Chemical Literature. Assigned readings and problems in the nature and use of the chemical literature. Prerequisite: one year of organic chemistry. SPRING. [1] K. Porter.

282a–282b. Undergraduate Research. Open to students who have completed at least 8 hours of chemistry, upon request to the director of undergraduate studies, with consent of a faculty member who will sponsor the research. Prerequisite: a minimum grade point average in chemistry of 2.7. May be repeated any number of times depending on variation of topic. FALL, SPRING. [Variable credit: 1–3 each semester] Staff.

291a–291b. Readings for Honors. Open only to students in Honors program. 291a: general reading supervised by research adviser. 291b: continuation, with emphasis on research planned. FALL, SPRING. [2–2] Staff.

292a–292b–292c. Honors Research. Open only to students in Honors program. Original research supervised by research adviser, to be reported in thesis form with oral examination thereon. FALL, SPRING. [2–2–2] Staff.

301a-301b. Chemistry Seminar. [1-1] Lukehart, Polavarapu.

304. Special Topics in Inorganic Chemistry. SPRING. [3] (Offered on demand).

306. Physical Methods in Inorganic Chemistry.Application of spectroscopic methods to inorganic chemistry. Discussion of symmetry and group theory as required for the use of spectroscopic methods is also included. SPRING. [3] (Offered on demand).

311. Advanced Analytical Chemistry l. [3]

313. Advanced Analytical Chemistry ll. SPRING. [3] Cliffel.

314a-314b. Special Topics in Analytical Chemistry. [3]

315. Separation Methods: A Practical Approach. [3]

316. Problem Solving in Analytical Chemistry. [3]

324. Special Topics in Organic Chemistry. [3]

331. Statistical Thermodynamics. [3]

332. Special Topics in Chemical Physics. [0]

340. Applications of Group Theory. [3]

350. Materials Chemistry. FALL. [3] Harth.