DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

**First-Year Seminar Courses are Not Open to General Enrollment**

Science and the Scientist: How we communicate complex ideas, from comic books to journal articles (Fall 2021; Veronica Berns)

How we communicate complex ideas, from comic books to journal articles: exploring effective scientific communication through graphic novels: Clear and concise communication is highly valued in many STEM fields. Whether conveying the technical details of an experiment for a colleague or translating the impact of a study for the public, scientists need to discuss complex ideas with different audiences. This course analyzes the goals of scientific writing by examining texts that represent different levels of communication, including how to use the visual language of comic books for conveying complex scientific ideas.

What's So Special About Nanomaterials? (Fall 2021; Katherine Gesmundo)

Over the past 20 years, nanotechnology has been a booming area of research in chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, and medicine. Modern techniques have allowed scientists to better study small materials, and the nanotech we read about in science fiction novels can now become real products found in our world. In this seminar, we will discuss what is so special about the size range of 1-100 nm (the nanoscale) and why particles of this size have such a unique niche in nature and technology. We will explore the properties of these materials and why quantum mechanical effects allow for this scale to be so important. Discussions of medicines, electronics, catalysts, additives, and imaging agents that include nanoparticles will allow us to explore the wide range of current directions of nanotechnology. As we look to future applications, we will debate the implications of these materials on the environment, human health, and safety. Regulatory bodies in the United States and around the globe have discussed the ethical and social impact of nanomaterials, and we will investigate their role is assuring the nanomaterials we use leave a positive impact on the world.

Sustainability Meets Environmental Justice (Winter 2022, Shelby Hatch)

Environmental (justice) events continuously pepper the headlines – including these from the past week: “Chemical Giant Escaped Paying for Its Pollution”, “Dozens Drown in India and Nepal as Monsoon Season Fails to End” and “As Drought Conditions Worsen, California Expands State of Emergency.” These occurrences and others - including local ones - will be foregrounded in class readings, discussions, field trips, and assignments. What sustainable solutions are available to mitigate such disasters? What actions can we take to prevent future ones? How can the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry and Engineering be utilized to create a more sustainable future for all? Students will examine behaviors of individuals and institutions, analyzing how those actions contribute to the success or failure of a sustainable and environmentally just future. Students will use various forms of media to communicate their findings to the Northwestern community and beyond, culminating in student-directed projects and presentations.

The Science Behind Oppression (Spring 2022, Stephanie Knezz)

Biased interpretations of scientific results have been used to justify racial and gender oppression for centuries. It was often argued that people of different races and different genders were fundamentally different, and as such their roles in society should differ as well. Today, many people reject the claim that race and gender have substantial effect on a person’s abilities or capacity, but how did we get here? More importantly, how did science help facilitate these claims in the first place?
In this course, we will explore the role of science in historical oppression based on race and gender. We will identify key scientific studies and their subsequent legacy to reveal the precarious nature of scientific interpretation in the hands of biased individuals. We will discuss how power structures can infiltrate scientific integrity and propose safeguards to prevent this kind of infiltration in the future.

**First-Year Seminar Courses are Not Open to General Enrollment**

Science and the Scientist: How we communicate complex ideas, from comic books to journal articles (Fall 2021; Veronica Berns)

How we communicate complex ideas, from comic books to journal articles: exploring effective scientific communication through graphic novels: Clear and concise communication is highly valued in many STEM fields. Whether conveying the technical details of an experiment for a colleague or translating the impact of a study for the public, scientists need to discuss complex ideas with different audiences. This course analyzes the goals of scientific writing by examining texts that represent different levels of communication, including how to use the visual language of comic books for conveying complex scientific ideas.

What's So Special About Nanomaterials? (Fall 2021; Katherine Gesmundo)

Over the past 20 years, nanotechnology has been a booming area of research in chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, and medicine. Modern techniques have allowed scientists to better study small materials, and the nanotech we read about in science fiction novels can now become real products found in our world. In this seminar, we will discuss what is so special about the size range of 1-100 nm (the nanoscale) and why particles of this size have such a unique niche in nature and technology. We will explore the properties of these materials and why quantum mechanical effects allow for this scale to be so important. Discussions of medicines, electronics, catalysts, additives, and imaging agents that include nanoparticles will allow us to explore the wide range of current directions of nanotechnology. As we look to future applications, we will debate the implications of these materials on the environment, human health, and safety. Regulatory bodies in the United States and around the globe have discussed the ethical and social impact of nanomaterials, and we will investigate their role is assuring the nanomaterials we use leave a positive impact on the world.

Sustainability Meets Environmental Justice (Winter 2022, Shelby Hatch)

Environmental (justice) events continuously pepper the headlines – including these from the past week: “Chemical Giant Escaped Paying for Its Pollution”, “Dozens Drown in India and Nepal as Monsoon Season Fails to End” and “As Drought Conditions Worsen, California Expands State of Emergency.” These occurrences and others - including local ones - will be foregrounded in class readings, discussions, field trips, and assignments. What sustainable solutions are available to mitigate such disasters? What actions can we take to prevent future ones? How can the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry and Engineering be utilized to create a more sustainable future for all? Students will examine behaviors of individuals and institutions, analyzing how those actions contribute to the success or failure of a sustainable and environmentally just future. Students will use various forms of media to communicate their findings to the Northwestern community and beyond, culminating in student-directed projects and presentations.

The Science Behind Oppression (Spring 2022, Stephanie Knezz)

Biased interpretations of scientific results have been used to justify racial and gender oppression for centuries. It was often argued that people of different races and different genders were fundamentally different, and as such their roles in society should differ as well. Today, many people reject the claim that race and gender have substantial effect on a person’s abilities or capacity, but how did we get here? More importantly, how did science help facilitate these claims in the first place?
In this course, we will explore the role of science in historical oppression based on race and gender. We will identify key scientific studies and their subsequent legacy to reveal the precarious nature of scientific interpretation in the hands of biased individuals. We will discuss how power structures can infiltrate scientific integrity and propose safeguards to prevent this kind of infiltration in the future.

Solution strategies for traditional word problems and their application to basic chemistry quantitative problems: dimensional analysis, chemical equations, stoichiometry, limiting reagents, gas laws, and thermochemistry. 

Students with an AP Chem score of 5 or an IB (HL) Chem score of 7 are not eligible to take this course.

Prerequisite: permission of department via Initial Chemistry Assessment. 

Please contact chemhelp@northwestern.edu regarding permission and/or access to the Initial Chemistry Assessment. 

Quantum mechanics, electronic structure, periodic properties of the elements, chemical bonding, thermodynamics, intermolecular forces, properties of solids and liquids, special topics in modern chemistry. Must be taken concurrently with the Chem 141-0 laboratory course. 

Prerequisite: Chem 110-0 (C- or better). Students may not start the sequence in this course. All General Chemistry course sequences start in Fall Quarter.

Solutions and colligative properties, chemical equilibrium, aqueous solution equilibria, chemical kinetics, metals in chemistry and biology, oxidation-reduction reactions and electrochemistry, special topics in modern chemistry. Must be taken concurrently with the Chem 142-0 laboratory course. 

Prerequisite: Chem 131-0 and Chem 141-0 (C- or better in both courses). 

Students may not start the sequence in this course. All General Chemistry course sequences start in Fall Quarter.

Chemical analysis of real samples using basic laboratory techniques including titration, colorimetric analysis, density measurements, and atomic spectroscopy. Planning, data collection, interpretation, and reporting on experiments. Must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 131-0 lecture course.

Prerequisite: CHEM 110-0 (C- or better). Students may not start the sequence in this course. All General Chemistry course sequences start in Fall Quarter.

Chemistry laboratory techniques applied to materials science and nanotechnology, acid-base chemistry, and chemical kinetics. Planning, data collection, interpretation, and reporting on experiments.  

Must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 132-0 lecture course.

Prerequisite: CHEM 131-0 and CHEM 141-0 (C- or better in both courses). 

Quantum mechanics, electronic structure, periodic properties of the elements, chemical bonding, thermodynamics, gas laws, intermolecular forces, properties of solids and liquids, and special topics in modern chemistry. Must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 161-0 laboratory course. 

Prerequisite: permission of department via Initial Chemistry Assessment. 

Please contact chemhelp@northwestern.edu regarding permission and/or access to the Initial Chemistry Assessment

Solutions and colligative properties, chemical equilibrium, aqueous solution equilibria, chemical kinetics, metals in chemistry and biology, oxidation-reduction reactions and electrochemistry, special topics in modern chemistry. Must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 162-0 laboratory course. 

Prerequisites: CHEM 151-0 and CHEM 161-0 (C- or better in both courses). Students may not start the sequence in this course. All General Chemistry course sequences start in Fall Quarter.

Chemical analysis of real samples using basic laboratory techniques including titration, colorimetric analysis, density measurements, and atomic spectroscopy. Planning, data collection, interpretation, and reporting on these experiments. Must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 151-0 lecture course.

Chemistry laboratory techniques applied to materials science and nanotechnology, acid-base chemistry, and chemical kinetics. Planning, data collection, interpretation, and reporting on experiments.  Must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 152-0 lecture course.

Prerequisites: CHEM 151-0 and CHEM 161-0 (C- or better in both courses). Students may not start the sequence in this course. All General Chemistry course sequences start in Fall Quarter.

Review of mole problems and stoichiometry; descriptive chemistry, elements, compounds, and inorganic reactions; gas laws; phase equilibria and colligative properties; chemical equilibrium; aqueous equilibria; topics in chemical bonding and molecular structure. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 181-0 laboratory course. 

Prerequisite: Permission of department by placement exam.

Thermodynamics and equilibrium; chemical kinetics and mechanism; electrochemistry; electronic structure of the atom and quantum theory; advanced topics in chemical bonding; coordination compounds; solid-state chemistry; nuclear chemistry. Must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 182-0 laboratory course. 

Prerequisites: CHEM 171-0 and CHEM 181-0 (C– or better in both courses). Students may not start the sequence in this course. All General Chemistry course sequences start in Fall Quarter.

Laboratory techniques for studying chemical analysis and chemical reactions relevant to environmental or materials research. Planning, data collection, interpretation, and reporting on experiments. Must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 171-0 lecture course.

Study of the physical chemistry (acid-base chemistry, kinetics, etc.) behind the operating principles of biosensors. Planning, data collection, interpretation, and reporting on these experiments. Must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 172-0 lecture course.

Prerequisites: CHEM 171-0 and CHEM 181-0 (C- or better in both courses). Students may not start the sequence in this course. All General Chemistry course sequences start in Fall Quarter.

Orbitals, structure of molecules, acid-base Chemistry, introduction to spectroscopic techniques for structure elucidation, the chemistry of the carbonyl group, stereochemistry, and conformational analysis. Designed to be taken by chemistry majors, prospective chemistry majors, and ISP students. Must be taken concurrently with Chem 232-1.

Prerequisites: Chem 103-0 and Chem 123-0 *or* Chem 172-0 and Chem 182-0 *or* Chem 152-0 and Chem 162-0 *or* Chem 132-0 and Chem 142-0 (C– or better in all listed courses) *or*  AP Chem 5 *or* IB (HL) 7 enrollment in ISP *or* permission of department by placement exam.

Primarily for chemistry majors and students in ISP. The chemistry of aromatic, carbonyl, and nitrogen compounds; characterization of organic substances by chemical and spectral methods; reaction mechanisms. Must be taken concurrently with the CHEM 232-2 laboratory course. 

Prerequisites: CHEM 212-1 and CHEM 232-1 (C- or better in both courses).

Pericyclic reactions, functional group participation, rearrangements, fragmentations, radical reactions, synthesis and reactions of carbenes and nitrenes, the synthesis and chemistry of synthetic polymers, and the bioorganic chemistry of carbohydrates, nucleosides, nucleotides, nucleic acids, amino acids, peptides, and lipids. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 235-3. 

Prerequisite: CHEM 212-2 and CHEM 232-2 (C- or better in both courses)

Foundational concepts in organic chemistry will be introduced. Topics include structure and properties of common functional groups, acidity/basicity, conformational analysis, stereochemistry, and reactivity of organic compounds.  The chemistry of hydrocarbons, alkyl halides, and alcohols, ethers, and carbonyl compounds will be included.

Prerequisite: CHEM 172-0 and CHEM 182-0 *or* CHEM 152-0 and CHEM 162-0 *or* CHEM 132-0 and CHEM 142-0 (C– or better in all listed courses) *or* permission of department by placement exam. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 235-1.

Foundational concepts in organic chemistry will be introduced. Topics include structure and properties of common functional groups, acidity/basicity, conformational analysis, stereochemistry, and reactivity of organic compounds.  The chemistry of hydrocarbons, alkyl halides, and alcohols, ethers, and carbonyl compounds will be included.

Prerequisite: CHEM 172-0 and CHEM 182-0 *or* CHEM 152-0 and CHEM 162-0 *or* CHEM 132-0 and CHEM 142-0 (C– or better in all listed courses) *or* permission of department by placement exam. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 235-1.

Foundational concepts in organic chemistry will be introduced. Topics include structure and properties of common functional groups, acidity/basicity, conformational analysis, stereochemistry, and reactivity of organic compounds.  The chemistry of hydrocarbons, alkyl halides, and alcohols, ethers, and carbonyl compounds will be included.

Prerequisite: CHEM 172-0 and CHEM 182-0 *or* CHEM 152-0 and CHEM 162-0 *or* CHEM 132-0 and CHEM 142-0 (C– or better in all listed courses) *or* permission of department by placement exam. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 235-1.

Foundational concepts in organic chemistry will be introduced. Topics include structure and properties of common functional groups, acidity/basicity, conformational analysis, stereochemistry, and reactivity of organic compounds.  The chemistry of hydrocarbons, alkyl halides, and alcohols, ethers, and carbonyl compounds will be included.

Prerequisite: CHEM 172-0 and CHEM 182-0 *or* CHEM 152-0 and CHEM 162-0 *or* CHEM 132-0 and CHEM 142-0 (C– or better in all listed courses) *or* permission of department by placement exam. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 235-1.

Foundational concepts in organic chemistry will be introduced. Topics include structure and properties of common functional groups, acidity/basicity, conformational analysis, stereochemistry, and reactivity of organic compounds.  The chemistry of hydrocarbons, alkyl halides, and alcohols, ethers, and carbonyl compounds will be included.

Prerequisite: CHEM 172-0 and CHEM 182-0 *or* CHEM 152-0 and CHEM 162-0 *or* CHEM 132-0 and CHEM 142-0 (C– or better in all listed courses) *or* permission of department by placement exam. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 235-1.

Fundamental concepts in organic chemistry will be covered.  The topics will include important functional groups and will include: nomenclature, structure, properties, and multi-step synthesis. Reaction mechanisms for organic transformations will be presented, and synthesis strategies will be covered. The chemistry of pi systems and aromatic ring system, amines, and carboxylic acids and their derivatives, and enol/enolate species will be included.

Prerequisite: CHEM 215-1 and CHEM 235-1 (C– or better). Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 235-2.

Fundamental concepts in organic chemistry will be covered.  The topics will include important functional groups and will include: nomenclature, structure, properties, and multi-step synthesis. Reaction mechanisms for organic transformations will be presented, and synthesis strategies will be covered. The chemistry of pi systems and aromatic ring system, amines, and carboxylic acids and their derivatives, and enol/enolate species will be included.

Prerequisite: CHEM 215-1 and CHEM 235-1 (C– or better). Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 235-2.

Fundamental concepts in organic chemistry will be covered.  The topics will include important functional groups and will include: nomenclature, structure, properties, and multi-step synthesis. Reaction mechanisms for organic transformations will be presented, and synthesis strategies will be covered. The chemistry of pi systems and aromatic ring system, amines, and carboxylic acids and their derivatives, and enol/enolate species will be included.

Prerequisite: CHEM 215-1 and CHEM 235-1 (C– or better). Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 235-2.

Advanced concepts in modern organic chemistry will be introduced.  The material will focus on recent developments in synthetic organic chemistry, including: concerted/pericyclic reactions, catalysis, green/environmental chemistry, automated synthesis, and combinatorial/screening methods. Additional topics will include an introduction to materials and polymer chemistry.

Prerequisite: CHEM 215-2 and CHEM 235-2 (C– or better in both courses). Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 235-3.

An introduction to basic techniques of instrumental analysis such as gas and high performance liquid chromatography, uv/visible, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, elemental analysis by ICP atomic emission spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and differential scanning calorimetry. You will learn the theories behind these techniques in class lectures and you will learn to operate these instruments and analyze data from them in the lab.

Prerequisite: CHEM 172-0 and CHEM 182-0 *or* CHEM 152-0 and CHEM 162-0 *or* CHEM 132-0 and CHEM 142-0 *or* equivalent (C- or better in all listed courses).

For (prospective) chemistry majors and ISP students. Molecular modeling, unknown identification by spectroscopic methods, and experimental techniques of modern chemistry emphasizing reactions of alkanes, alkenes, alkyl halides, alcohols, and carbonyls. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 212-1.

For ISP students and (prospective or declared) chemistry majors. Techniques of modern organic chemistry including NMR spectroscopy and reactions such as electrophilic aromatic substitution, esterification, Grignard reaction, aldol condensation, Robinson annulation, and Diels-Alder reaction. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 212-2 lecture course.

Prerequisite: CHEM 212-1 and CHEM 232-1 (C- or better in both courses)

Standard laboratory techniques in organic chemistry will be covered. Techniques will focus on the isolation and purification of organic compounds as well as the use of spectroscopic methods to determine identity and purity. The results of the technique-based modules will be communicated by completion of short on-line worksheets. One complete organic experiment, including reaction set-up, product isolation, and preparation of samples for characterization will be performed. The results of the complete experiment will be communicated in a full formal lab report.

Prerequisite:  CHEM 172-0 and CHEM 182-0 *or* CHEM 152-0 and CHEM 162-0 *or* CHEM 132-0 and CHEM 142-0 (C– or better in all listed courses) *or* permission of department by placement exam. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 215-1.

Standard laboratory techniques in organic chemistry will be covered. Techniques will focus on the isolation and purification of organic compounds as well as the use of spectroscopic methods to determine identity and purity. The results of the technique-based modules will be communicated by completion of short on-line worksheets. One complete organic experiment, including reaction set-up, product isolation, and preparation of samples for characterization will be performed. The results of the complete experiment will be communicated in a full formal lab report.

Prerequisite:  CHEM 172-0 and CHEM 182-0 *or* CHEM 152-0 and CHEM 162-0 *or* CHEM 132-0 and CHEM 142-0 (C– or better in all listed courses) *or* permission of department by placement exam. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 215-1.

Standard laboratory techniques in organic chemistry will be covered. Techniques will focus on the isolation and purification of organic compounds as well as the use of spectroscopic methods to determine identity and purity. The results of the technique-based modules will be communicated by completion of short on-line worksheets. One complete organic experiment, including reaction set-up, product isolation, and preparation of samples for characterization will be performed. The results of the complete experiment will be communicated in a full formal lab report.

Prerequisite:  CHEM 172-0 and CHEM 182-0 *or* CHEM 152-0 and CHEM 162-0 *or* CHEM 132-0 and CHEM 142-0 (C– or better in all listed courses) *or* permission of department by placement exam. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 215-1.

Standard laboratory techniques in organic chemistry will be covered. Techniques will focus on the isolation and purification of organic compounds as well as the use of spectroscopic methods to determine identity and purity. The results of the technique-based modules will be communicated by completion of short on-line worksheets. One complete organic experiment, including reaction set-up, product isolation, and preparation of samples for characterization will be performed. The results of the complete experiment will be communicated in a full formal lab report.

Prerequisite:  CHEM 172-0 and CHEM 182-0 *or* CHEM 152-0 and CHEM 162-0 *or* CHEM 132-0 and CHEM 142-0 (C– or better in all listed courses) *or* permission of department by placement exam. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 215-1.

Standard laboratory techniques in organic chemistry will be covered. Techniques will focus on the isolation and purification of organic compounds as well as the use of spectroscopic methods to determine identity and purity. The results of the technique-based modules will be communicated by completion of short on-line worksheets. One complete organic experiment, including reaction set-up, product isolation, and preparation of samples for characterization will be performed. The results of the complete experiment will be communicated in a full formal lab report.

Prerequisite:  CHEM 172-0 and CHEM 182-0 *or* CHEM 152-0 and CHEM 162-0 *or* CHEM 132-0 and CHEM 142-0 (C– or better in all listed courses) *or* permission of department by placement exam. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 215-1.

Complete laboratory experiments focusing on standard synthetic organic chemistry will be conducted each week.  Students will complete a prelab worksheet including stoichiometric calculations, prediction of reaction outcome, and identification of safety protocols.  During lab sessions, experimental work including chemical measurement, reaction setup/workup, and product purification will be performed. Product characterization using spectroscopic techniques will be required.  Reports from experimental work will be reported in formal lab reports following guidelines from peer-reviewed journals.

Prerequisite: CHEM 215-1 and CHEM 235-1 (C- or better). Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 215-2.

Advanced concepts in modern organic chemistry will be introduced.  The material will focus on recent developments in synthetic organic chemistry, including:  concerted/pericyclic reactions, catalysis, green/environmental chemistry, automated synthesis, and combinatorial/screening methods. Additional topics will include an introduction to materials and polymer chemistry.

Prerequisite: CHEM 215-2 and CHEM 235-2 *or* CHEM 212-2 and CHEM 232-2 (C– or better in both courses). Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 215-3 or CHEM 212-3.

This course covers basic concepts in Inorganic Chemistry. It is designed to introduce students in key subjects which are used over and over again in chemistry and uses inorganic chemistry systems to illustrate the concepts. The course covers the donor-acceptor concept, hard-soft acids-bases, advanced concepts of basicity and acidity and acid-base view of salvation phenomena. The course also delves into introductory solid state chemistry including unit cells and the structure of simple solids, structure types and electronic structure and Band Theory (with the aim of understanding properties). 

A certain fraction of the time is also devoted to descriptive chemistry which utilizes the concepts learned in the first part of the course and the focus is generally on main group chemistry. This includes the chemistry of hydrogen and the chemistry of the elements of Group 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

Taught with Chem 402. Prerequisite: CHEM 333. Registration in this class is restricted to chemistry majors and minors.  Other students may register with instructor permission.

In this course, students will gain a solid understanding of the science, economics, and more importantly the environmental impact associated with various technologies, including, but not limited to natural gas, nuclear, wind, etc. Climate change and the potential impact and mitigation will be considered throughout the course.

Prerequisites: CHEM 215-2 or CHEM 212-3 (C- or better); MATH 230-2; PHYSICS 135-1 and PHYSICS 135-2; or consent of instructor.

Taught with CHEM 406. Undergraduates should enroll in CHEM 306, unless they are officially completing the BA/MS program.

Introduction to frontier research at the interface of chemistry and materials science.

Prerequisite: CHEM 212-3 or CHEM 215-3.

Taught with CHEM 407. Undergraduates should enroll in CHEM 307, unless they are officially completing the BA/MS program.

Strategies and tactics involved in complex target synthesis. Modern reaction classes as applied to chemical synthesis, coupled to in-depth discussion of the underlying key principles of synthesis design and execution, are covered in the class. Students will gain experience in problem solving, creative thinking, structural analysis and presentation skills. Prerequisites: CHEM 215-3 or CHEM 212-3 (C- or better).

Taught with CHEM 413. Undergraduate students should enroll in CHEM 313, unless officially completing the BA/MS program.

Biosynthetic chemistry as basis for survey of major classes of biomolecules, carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, nucleotides, nucleic acids, and proteins. Current topics in bioorganic chemistry. Prerequisite: 215-3 or 212-3 (C- or better); and 1 quarter of biology; or consent of instructor.

This is a survey course designed to show how organic chemistry plays a major role in the design, development, and action of drugs. Although concepts of biology, biochemistry, pharmacy, physiology, and pharmacology will be discussed, it is principally an organic chemistry course with the emphasis on physical interactions and chemical reactions and their mechanisms as applied to biological systems. We will see how drugs are discovered and developed; how they get to their site of action; what happens when they reach the site of action in their interaction with receptors, enzymes, and DNA; how resistance occurs; how the body gets rid of drugs, and what a medicinal chemist can do to avoid having the body eliminate them before they have produced their desired effect. The approaches discussed are those used in the pharmaceutical industry and elsewhere for the discovery of new drugs.

Prerequisite: CHEM 215-3 or CHEM 212-3 (C- or better); or consent of instructor.

Taught with CHEM 415. Undergraduates should enroll in CHEM 316, unless they are officially completing the BA/MS program.

The design of synthetic routes to natural products and other medicinally relevant organic compounds will be covered in detail. Retrosynthetic analysis, substructure keying, and pattern recognition, along with other methods for synthetic planning will be discussed within the context of specific case studies. Classic and modern organic reactions, including asymmetric synthesis and catalysis, will be introduced and their application in synthetic planning examined. Case studies will include the synthesis of terpenes, alkaloids, polyketides, steroids, proteins and pharmaceuticals. The end result should be that students are familiar with the important issues associated with synthesis and gain intimate knowledge of a wide variety of chemical reactions. Ultimately, when presented with a given molecule, students should be able to develop a reasonable synthesis plan based on firm ideas and reliable transformations. Prerequisites: CHEM 215-3 or CHEM 212-3 (C- or better).

Taught with CHEM 419. Undergraduates should enroll in CHEM 319, unless they are completing the BA/MS program.

A contemporary course covering the diverse field of inorganic chemistry including all the elements of the periodic table. Topics include current concepts and models of chemical bonding, reactivity, structure, and properties of inorganic compounds.

Prerequisites: 2 units of 200- or 300-level chemistry.

Laws of thermodynamics, thermochemistry, chemical potentials, and solution thermodynamics.

Prerequisites: CHEM 132 and CHEM 142 *or* CHEM 152 and CHEM 162 *or* CHEM 172 and CHEM 182 (C- or better in all listed classes); MATH 230-1; PHYSICS 135-1/136-1 and PHYSICS 135-2/136-2 (students may take Physics 135-2 concurrently).

This course is an introduction to quantum mechanics and includes applications in spectroscopy. Topics to be covered include: The wave equation (the transition from classical to quantum mechanics), the Schrodinger equation, particle-in-a-box models, QM operators, the postulates of QM, the harmonic oscillator and rigid rotor, the hydrogen atom, multi-electron atoms, and approximate methods for solving the Schrodinger equation.

Prerequisites: CHEM 342-1; Math 230-1 (230-2 recommended also); Physics 135-1/136-1 and PHYSICS 135-2/136-2.

This course connects macroscopic properties (342-1) to molecular properties (342-2). The topics include the Boltzmann distribution, partition functions, distribution functions, macroscopic properties, theories for kinetics, and experimental methods.

Prerequisites: CHEM 342-1 and CHEM 342-2 (C- or better).

Gas laws and properties; kinetic theory; first, second, and third laws; phase equilibria; mixtures, phase diagrams, statistical thermodynamics, kinetics.

Prerequisites: ISP enrollment; CHEM 172 and CHEM 182; Math 281-1,2,3; or consent of department.

Chemistry 350-1,2,3 is a full-year, 3-quarter laboratory course intended to be taken by all students in the junior year of the chemistry major program.

Roughly half of the CHEM 350-1 course deals with the advanced analytical techniques mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. The rest of this course deals with advanced techniques of synthetic organic chemistry, but you will be expected to use mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy, as well as the techniques of IR and UV/visible spectroscopy that you have learned previously, to characterize the compounds that you synthesize.

Prerequisites: CHEM 220; and CHEM 215-3 or CHEM 212-3, and CHEM 235-3 (C- or better); or equivalent.

Advanced techniques of synthetic inorganic chemistry including synthesis of zeolites, MOFs, and bioinorganic compounds and use of a Schlenk line. In addition, you will learn instrumental analysis techniques relevant to analysis of samples in materials chemistry. These techniques will include X-ray crystallography, solid state NMR spectroscopy, electrochemistry, atomic spectroscopy, and a variety of polymer characterization techniques (MALDI-TOF MS, NMR spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, DSC). Some of these analytical techniques may be used to analyze the inorganic samples you prepare in the course.

Prerequisites: CHEM 333 and CHEM 350-1 (C- or better), or equivalent.

 The third course in the 350 sequence covers the very important topic of spectroscopy from a physical chemistry point of view. It deals with the use of various spectroscopic techniques (FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, uv/visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy) for structure determination of gas and liquid phase molecules and for kinetics measurements. In addition, you will be asked to design and carry out a 4-week research project at the end of the quarter based on some aspect of course material in the entire CHEM 350 sequence.

Prerequisites: CHEM 342-2 or equivalent and CHEM 350-2 (C- or better).

Modern topics in physical organic chemistry, while emphasizing the relationship between structure and reactivity. Topics to be covered are molecular orbital theory, orbital symmetry and reactivity, stereoelectronic effects, transition state theory, electron transfer, free energy relationships, nucleophilic and electrophilic reactivity, kinetic isotope effects, and basic photochemistry.

Introduction to principles and practice of organic and inorganic synthetic compound characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS). Topics include NMR instrument operation, spectra interpretation, 2-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, MS ionization and detection schemes, gas chromatography MS, liquid chromatography MS and ionization. The lab component of this class focuses on operations of instrumentation, software tools available in the Integrated Molecular Structure Education and Research Center (IMSERC) and tailoring analytical schemes based on individual research projects.

Elucidation of organic and organometallic reaction mechanisms: experiment, theory, and selected case studies.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

-Identify reasonable reaction pathways for organic and organometallic transformations.
-Qualitatively interpret potential energy surfaces.
-Derive rate laws for multistep reactions, including catalytic reactions.
-Have familiarity with the tools of mechanistic analysis, including kinetic analysis, linear free energy relationships, isotopic labeling, Eyring analysis,
competition experiments, crossover experiments, radical clocks, and use of stereochemical information.
-Identify experiments that would allow the differentiation of possible reaction mechanisms.
-Search and read the primary literature.
-Orally summarize and critically analyze journal articles.
-Write about reaction mechanism with clarity and precision.

Prerequisite: full year of organic chemistry or by permission of the instructor. 

The materials science and chemistry of soft nanomaterials for myriad applications including nanomedicine. Preparative and synthetic approaches to organized, assembled, discrete nanomaterials will be described. Course will include an in depth discussion of advanced characterization techniques and strategies for this class of material. 

The class covers techniques for preparing and characterizing complex nanomaterials mostly generated from polymers. The course will include a brief summary of synthetic approaches to designed, engineered polymers and how to access precision materials at the nanoscale from these polymers. A large portion of the class will include exciting new developments in the characterization of these materials including scattering methods and advanced electron microscopy including liquid phase and cryogenic TEM. 

Prerequisites: CHEM 215-1 or MSE 331

Co-listed with MSE 444 and BMD ENG 444

By the end of this course you will expected to have obtained a general understanding of many commonly used measurement techniques available to augment research at Northwestern. It features two weeks of classroom-based instruction on experimental design and analysis; supplemented by NIH Rigor And Reproducibility Training Modules. This overview will be followed by a combination of lectures and labs addressing a broad range of analytical techniques and imaging methods. These lessons will then be applied to inquiry-based learning in Northwestern's advanced instrumentation cores. In addition to lecture, students are expected to devise two Mini-Research Projects and will work on one of these with senior staff to apply specific services and protocols utilizing instrumentation available within Research Cores and University Centers. Students will design specific experiments in selected areas of their interest, and learn new sample preparation methods and instrumentation within one of the following areas: mass spectrometry; proteomics, in vivo and molecular imaging, small molecule synthesis and purification; high-throughput screening, x-ray crystallography, and analysis of bioelements. Material generated in the class counts for course credit will be usable in research group settings.

The class focuses on the Crystallographic structure determination by using X-rays, electrons, and neutrons. The course will include lectures on crystallographic theory applied on single-crystals and powders as well as hands-on experience with X-ray instrumentation, structure solution using X-rays, and refinement software. Students will be asked to provide single-crystal samples from their own research or from their research groups for in-class analysis.

Chemical applications of group theory and the determination of inorganic and organic molecular and extended structures by modern physical techniques.

Prerequisites: full year of organic chemistry or by permission of the instructor.

Advanced Inorganic Chemistry: Solid State and Materials

This course is intended to establish the foundations of quantum mechanics at the graduate level.

*Topics Covered*

•  Two-slit experiment
• Stern-Gerlach experiment
• State space
• Operators and observables
• Matrix representation
• Angular momentum
• Heisenberg equation of motion
• Density matrix
• Liouville equation
• Harmonic oscillator (classical and quantum)
• Generalized two-level system
• Second quantization
• Quantum statistical mechanics
• Special topics (if time allows)

This course covers two topics: molecular electronic structure theory and time dependent quantum mechanics. Included are applications to molecular optical properties, to the interaction of radiation and matter, to scattering theory and to time-dependent spectroscopy.

This course focuses on fundamental principles of light-mattering interactions and their applications in advanced experimental spectroscopic methods. In the Spring quarter of 2021, the class will cover time dependent Schrödinger equation, Fermi golden rule, perturbation theory, system-bath interactions, as well as spectroscopic methods (pump-probe, fluorescence upconversion, multidimensional spectroscopy, X-ray absorption/emission and time-resolved terahertz spectroscopies). Application examples will be discussed with emphasis on chemical science

The goal of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training is for researchers to perform the most ethical research possible. RCR training is critical to prepare undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers for ethical challenges that may arise when conducting research. RCR is mandatory for all Department of Chemistry researchers. Undergraduate researchers are required to complete the on-line course only.