Courses

Units: 1

Fulfills General Education Requirement (Natural Science, Chemistry (FSNC))

Sources, behavior, and effects of chemical pollutants in the air, water, and soil. Topics include global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain, pesticides, and radioactive waste. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Does not count toward the chemistry major or minor.

Units: 1

Fulfills General Education Requirement (Natural Science, Chemistry (FSNC))

A laboratory-based course in which students learn the language and techniques used in industrial and forensic laboratories to conduct organic chemical analysis. Students become "chemistry detectives," able to solve the types of "chemistry puzzles" that are characteristic of the fun part of doing chemistry (e.g. how chemists, such as forensic and pharmaceutical chemists, determine the structure of real-world unknown compounds). A range of applications of this chemistry is discussed, including such topics as environmental, medicinal, polymer, forensic and industrial chemistries, government regulations, natural products, pheromones, and information retrieval. In the process, students will gain hands-on experience using modern instrumentation, including IR, NMR, GC-Mass Spec, and UV-Visible spectroscopy. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Does not count toward the chemistry major or minor.

Units: 1

Fulfills General Education Requirement (Natural Science, Chemistry (FSNC))

The genomics revolution of the last 10 years has given birth to the "proteome," emphasizing the central role that proteins play in virtually all life and death processes. This course will explore central features of what proteins look like and how they perform their varied functions in a variety of biological and chemical processes. These will include aspects of cell differentiation, cell death, and disease states such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and viral infections by Epstein-Barr virus, papillomavirus, and AIDS. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Does not count toward the chemistry major or minor.

Units: 1

Fulfills General Education Requirement (Natural Science, Chemistry (FSNC))

Investigation of how chemistry can be applied to solving crimes. The nature of physical evidence will be discussed, along with the chemical techniques used to gather and analyze that evidence. The course will also introduce students to the legal aspects surrounding the introduction of evidence into a court of law, thus providing an interdisciplinary focus for those interested in science and law. By combining case studies with applicable technology, students will gain a heightened understanding of the important roles that chemistry plays in forensic science. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week. This course does not count towards the chem major or minor.

Units: 1

Fulfills General Education Requirement (Natural Science, Chemistry (FSNC))

Improves understanding of the scientific principlesof food and cooking. Investigates how scientific principles and techniques have revolutionized the culinary industry. Focuses on the molecular bases of food and their reactivity under various conditions. A hands-on look at applied chemical principles as seen in cooking during three lecture and three laboratory hours per week. One year of High School Chemistry is recommended. This course does not count towards the chemistry major or minor.

Units: 1

Fulfills General Education Requirement (Natural Science, Chemistry (FSNC))

A rigorous, math- and science-based approach to the chemical processes employed in various arts. The nature of color, creating color, and fastening color will be explained chemically and quantified mathematically, along with the chemical techniques used in developing/following these processes. Covers a range of laboratory techniques commonly used in various art mediums, but through a physical science lens. Combines theoretical science concepts with current art practices for a more developed understanding of the vital contributions that chemistry provides to art. Topics covered will include the properties of light, native metals and their compounds, ceramics, polymers, film formation, and paint binders. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week. This course does not count toward the chemistry major or minor.

Units: 1

Fulfills General Education Requirement (Natural Science, Chemistry (FSNC))

Fundamental principles of chemistry, including atomic and molecular structure, bonding, periodicity; chemical reactions, including stoichiometry, acid base chemistry, oxidation-reduction; and an introduction to kinetics and thermodynamics, chemical reactions and, equilibria. Introductory course for science majors and those pursuing degrees in the health sciences. It is a prerequisite for upper-level courses. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Previous knowledge of chemistry is helpful but not assumed.

Units: 1

Fulfills General Education Requirement (Natural Science, Chemistry (FSNC))

This year-long course provides an, interdisciplinary, integrated introduction to biology and chemistry, with an accompanying integrated lab. Based on the material in the first course of the major in each of these disciplines, this course will focus on current scientific problems facing today’s world such as HIV/AIDS or antibiotic resistance. The course is team taught by 2 faculty members, one from each discipline. Teaching will be integrated so that links between concepts are readily apparent and students are stimulated to think beyond traditional science methodology. The laboratory will be comprised of hands-on and investigation based experiences using both experimental and computer simulation approaches. The SMART course is designed for students considering a major in either biology or chemistry and also meets requirements for students who go on to study medicine or other health sciences fields. To be taken in consecutive semesters in the first year and with an accompanying year-long calculus course. Completion of the full year of SMART (CHEM 192) will substitute for CHEM141 and BIOL 199. 3 lecture and 3 laboratory hours per week.

 

BIOL 192

Units: 1.5

Chemistry of compounds of carbon, which is fundamental to understanding of both chemistry and biology. Nomenclature, structure-physical property relationships, reactions, reaction mechanisms, spectroscopy and introduction to macromolecules, including those of biological significance. This course is only offered at St. Andrews.

 

Departmental approval required.

Units: 1

Chemistry of compounds of carbon, which is fundamental to understanding of both chemistry and biology. Nomenclature, structure-physical property relationships, reactions, reaction mechanisms, spectroscopy and introduction to macromolecules, including those of biological significance. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week.

 

CHEM 141 or CHEM 192 with a minimum grade of C-

Units: 1

Chemistry of compounds of carbon, which is fundamental to understanding of both chemistry and biology. Nomenclature, structure-physical property relationships, reactions, reaction mechanisms, spectroscopy and introduction to macromolecules, including those of biological significance. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week.

 

CHEM 204 or CHEM 205 with a minimum grade of C

Units: 0.25-0.5

Laboratory, literature, or community-based learning experience with a faculty member.

Units: 0.5-1

Considers subject matter not covered in other chemistry courses. See the chemistry department home page for special topics currently scheduled.

Units: 1

Overview of statistics of measurements on chemical systems. Includes characteristics of data which contain random error. Statistics used to describe and summarize trends of measured data will be introduced, as well as a number of statistical tools needed to draw meaningful and objective conclusions based on data. Should be taken simultaneously with, or prior to, Chemistry 301. Three lecture hours per week.

Units: 1.5

Principles and techniques of chemical and instrumental methods used for quantitative analysis. Includes lecture coverage and extensive laboratory use of gravimetric, titrimetric, electrochemical, and spectroscopic methods. Three lecture and four laboratory hours per week.

 

CHEM 300 and CHEM 317. CHEM 300 may be taken concurrently.

Units: 1.5

Principles and techniques of chemical and instrumental methods used for compound identification. Focus on modern instrumental methods for compound structure elucidation and the principles underlying both the spectroscopic methods and the instrumentation itself. Three lecture and four laboratory hours per week.

 

CHEM 206

Units: 1

(See Physics 308.)

 

PHYS 301

Units: 1

Study of the principal laws and theories of chemistry: gas laws and kinetic molecular theory, classical and statistical thermodynamics, wave mechanics and molecular structure, and chemical kinetics. Principles and properties of liquids, solids and solutions, and phase equilibria are also examined along with electrochemistry. Three lecture hours per week.

 

CHEM 141 or CHEM 192 and PHYS 132 and MATH 212 or permission of instructor. CHEM 317 is highly recommended.

Units: 1

Study of the principal laws and theories of chemistry: gas laws and kinetic molecular theory, classical and statistical thermodynamics, wave mechanics and molecular structure, and chemical kinetics. Principles and properties of liquids, solids and solutions, and phase equilibria are also examined along with electrochemistry. Three lecture hours per week.

 

CHEM 141 or CHEM 192 and PHYS 132 and MATH 212 or permission of instructor. CHEM 317 is highly recommended.

Units: 1

Builds on the bonding ideas introduced in the general and introductory chemistry curriculum. Enables meaningful access to the chemical literature on experimental and computational studies of bonding in molecules and solids for systems spanning the entire periodic table. Spans orbital and atoms-in-molecules models of bonding (with perspectives on functional group), phenomena such as halogen, aurophilic (metallophilic) interactions, aromaticity (organic and inorganic), thermodynamic vs. kinetic stability of compounds, and chemical views on extended solids.

 

CHEM 141 or CHEM 192 and MATH 212

Units: 0.5

Experimental course corresponding to Chemistry 309. Covers critical experiments related to the theoretical treatments of gas laws, thermodynamics, and chemical kinetics. Introduction to scientific writing and basic error propagation.

 

CHEM 309 with a minimum grade of C-

Units: 0.5

Experimental course corresponding to Chemistry 310. Covers critical experiments related to the theoretical treatments of quantum mechanics, spectroscopy and to a lesser extent, statistical mechanics.

 

CHEM 310

Units: 1

Study of the fate, transport, and distribution of chemicals in the environment. The chemistry of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere will be covered, highlighting effects of inorganic and organic pollutants. Topics such as global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, acid rain, photochemical smog, and groundwater contamination will be discussed in detail. Three lecture hours per week.

 

CHEM 204 or 205 or permission of instructor.

Units: 1

Inorganic chemistry embraces the chemistry of all of the elements. This course will focus on the synthesis and behavior of inorganic materials. As such, it will include certain aspects of thermodynamics, atomic and molecular bonding theories, kinetics, and electrochemical processes as they pertain to inorganic compounds and materials. Three lecture and four laboratory hours per week.

 

CHEM206

Units: 0.5-1

Laboratory research experience with a faculty member.

Units: 0.5-1

Advanced laboratory research experience with a faculty member. Students are limited to two units of CHEM 321.

 

CHEM 406 or two semesters of CHEM 320

Units: 0

Regular attendance in departmental seminar program. Normally taken in the junior year. One class hour per week.

 

CHEM 206

Units: 0.5

Experimental course will cover critical techniques in biochemistry, including protein purification, enzyme kinetics, and protein structural analysis.

 

CHEM 326 (may be taken concurrently)

Units: 0.5

Experimental course that will cover critical techniques in biophysical chemistry, including thermodynamics, bioinformatics, and macromolecular function.

 

CHEM 309 and CHEM 326 (326 may be taken concurrently)

Units: 1

Structure and chemistry of biologically important macromolecules and chemical processes involved in cellular synthesis degradation, and assembly of these macromolecules. Three lecture hours and an extra experience per week. (Same as Biology 326.)

 

CHEM 206

Units: 1

Advanced topics in protein structure, function, and biophysics. Commences with brief treatment of essential elements of kinetics, thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics necessary for a thorough understanding of topics to be presented later and continues with detailed coverage of enzyme kinetics and ligand binding, chemical modification, site-directed mutagenesis, x-ray crystallography, spectroscopic techniques used to investigate conformation, and the folding of proteins, including Circular Dichroism, Fluorescence and NMR; and computational approaches used to compute and visualize both structure and reaction. Second half of course focuses on three classes of proteins and associated themes: 1) kinases, phosphatases, and regulation, 2) proteases and processes and 3) oligomeric enzymes and allosteric models. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week.

 

CHEM 326 or CHEM 327

Units: 0.5-1

Special course areas in biochemistry will be covered when sufficient interest exists. Considers subject matter not covered in other chemistry courses. See the chemistry or biochemistry and molecular biology department home pages for special topics currently scheduled.

 

CHEM 326 or BIOL 202 or permission of instructor.

Units: 1

Application of chemistry methods and techniques to the study of biological phenomena. Current topics in chemical biology, including how chemical methods help us probe disease development, how organic synthesis enables us to optimize drugs, and how we can manipulate biological systems to facilitate novel chemical syntheses. Provides a toolbox of innovative approaches to understanding biological problems.

Units: 1

Provides basic principles of the drug discovery process. Topics include general considerations, mode of action, quantitative structure activity relationships, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and inactivation of medicinal agents. Three lecture hours per week.

 

CHEM 326

Units: 0.5-1

Topics may include reaction mechanisms, physical organic chemistry concepts, the development of catalysts for organic reactions, stereochemically controlled reactions, and/or the application of inorganic chemistry to organic reactions. Three lecture hours per week.

 

CHEM 206 with a minimum grade of C-

Units: 0.5-1

Topics may include modern synthetic methods, organic reaction mechanisms, examples of syntheses from recent literature, and the design of synthetic approaches to target molecules of interest. Three lecture hours per week.

 

CHEM 206 with a minimum grade of C-

Units: 1

(See Physics 309-310.)

 

CHEM 310

Units: 0

Documentation of the work of students who receive summer fellowships to conduct research [or produce a creative arts project] in the summer. The work must take place over a minimum of 6 weeks, the student must engage in the project full-time (at least 40 hours per week) during this period, and the student must be the recipient of a fellowship through the university. Graded S/U.

 

Approval by a faculty mentor.

Units: 1

Overview of the structure, reactivity, and applications of organometallic compounds. Topics include main group and transition metal complexes, catalysis, applications to organic synthesis, and bioorganometallic chemistry. Three lecture hours per week.

 

CHEM 317 or permission of instructor.

Units: 0

Participation in departmental seminar program, to include regular attendance and one presentation during one of the two semesters. Presentation will be prepared on a specific topic in chemistry. One class hour per week.

 

CHEM 322 or BIOL 387

Units: 0.5

Participation in departmental seminar program, to include regular attendance and one presentation during one of the two semesters. Presentation will be prepared on a specific topic in chemistry. One class hour per week.

 

CHEM 421

Units: 0.25-1

In-depth exploration of subjects not included in other courses, done independently but under faculty member's supervision.

 

Four semesters of chemistry and permission of instructor.

Units: 0.5-1

Special course areas covered when sufficient interest exists. Considers subject matter not covered in other chemistry courses. See chemistry department home page (chemistry.richmond.edu) for special topics currently scheduled.

 

Permission of instructor.