Tags: Graduate

Topics at the interface of biological and organic chemistry, with emphasis on physical methods of characterization. Proteins and enzymes, with attention to reaction kinetics, structural characterization, and structure-function relationships.

Ultraviolet, infrared, H- and C- nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry as tools for the characterization of the structure of organic molecules, with particular emphasis on identifying structures for representative sets of spectra.

Computational studies to calculate the structures of organic molecules. Specific training is given in the application of the molecular mechanics method and the MM-3 software package, ab initio calculations using the Gaussian software package, and other computational schemes. Evaluation of computational results.

Established organic chemistry synthetic procedures as applied in selected important reactions. Synthetic strategies and methodologies and retrosynthetic analysis.

Selected organic reactions are discussed in terms of modern electronic structure and bonding theories. Important mechanisms are presented in the context of modern mechanistic theories. Isotope effects and reaction rates.

Structures of organic molecules in terms of molecular orbitals, stereochemistry and conformational analysis. Three dimensional structures, isomeric structures and optical activity.

A selected specialized area of inorganic, organometallic or bioinorganic chemistry. Examples include photochemistry, organometallic chemistry, kinetics and mechanisms, etc. 

Biological processes and molecules, mainly proteins and nucleic acids, which incorporate metal ions. Topics include metal binding to biopolymers, the roles of metal ions in biological processes such as electron transfer, atom or group transfer, and the use of metal complexes as therapeutic agents.

Descriptive and theoretical aspects of the structure and reactivity of transition metal compounds, including coordination chemistry and organometallic chemistry.

Descriptive and theoretical aspects of the structure and reactivity of the main group elements.