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Course Descriptions

The following undergraduate courses are currently offered by the Chemistry Department. Additional courses may be offered on a trial basis. The Emory College Course Atlas should be consulted for courses offered each semester and for the particulars regarding each course.

Note: Students taking Chem 171 or 172 do not take 221 or 222.

Introductory Courses - Freshman Level

105: How Things Work - Topics in chemistry, biology, and physics will be discussed (e.g. lasers, CD recording, the Pill, photocopying, jet engines, cocaine, genetic engineering, perfume, cooking/baking, pheromones, batteries, petroleum, etc.).students in lab The goal will be to impart a better appreciation of various scientific and technical features of everyday life.

190J: Chemistry of Drugs and the Brain - This freshman seminar introduces the effects of drugs on the brain. The course will focus on neurotransmitter systems, the major drug classes, and disorders of the nervous system. The principles of drug action will be introduced with attention to the effect of drugs at the synapse. Guest lecturers will address contemporary issues in neuropharmacology, drug abuse, and related topics.

Core Courses

141: General Chemistry I with Laboratory - This is the basic introduction to chemistry. It is the prerequisite to all advanced chemistry courses. It is required for biology and chemistry majors and students in most health professions including dentistry and medicine. It is a difficult but appropriate course for non-science (as well as science) students to use in meeting the laboratory science part of distribution requirements

Content: Basic principles of chemistry, stoichiometry, solution reactions, electronic structure of the atom, chemical periodicity, molecular structure and bonding, and states of matter.

While there are no formal prerequisites for Chemistry 141, a course in high school chemistry would be extremely helpful, and a background in high school algebra will be assumed.

141L: General Chemistry Laboratory - The laboratory work involves hands-on experience with chemical systems. Experiments include basic calorimetry, a limited qualitative analysis scheme, properties of gases, and acid-base titrations. The laboratory is a required part of Chemistry 141.

141S: General Chemistry I - Freshman Seminar with Laboratory - The content of this seminar is very similar to that of chemistry 141. However the class is taught in a discussion oriented format. Students are expected to attend and participate in each class meeting.

142: General Chemistry II with Laboratory - This course is the continuation of Chemistry 141 and completes the two-semester course in General Chemistry.

Content: Rates of chemical reactions, chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, electochemistry, metal and non-metal chemistry.

142L: General Chemistry Laboratory - The laboratory work consists of experiments illustrating chemical synthesis, kinetics, electrochemistry and quantitaive analysis. The latter experiments include redox titrations using permanganate ion, potentiometric acid-base titrations, and spectrophotmetric analyses.

171-172: Organic Structure I & II - This two-semester course in organic chemistry is open to freshmen only. The course is open for 60 students with excellent high-school academic records. In addition, we require an Advanced placement score of 4 or 5, an International Baccalaureate, or similar credit.

Students who register for Chem 171-172, the lecture course, are required to register in the accompanying laboratory courses Chem 221L-222L or Chem 226L-227L. Students who take this special freshman-only organic chemistry course will not be required to take either general chemistry or the standard organic chemistry course (Chem 221-222).

The goal of the course is to introduce and explore the principles of chemistry through the study of structure and reactivity of organic molecules. A knowledge and understanding of chemistry, in particular organic chemistry is critical for understanding and appreciating the complexity and beauty of the natural world. It is also crucial for understanding the benefits and dangers of the extraordinary variety of substances discovered and produced in the last 150 years.

Upper Level Core Courses

221(Fall) and 222(Spring): Organic Chemistry I and II - Organic Chemistry is the chemistry of carbon compounds and an essential ingredient in the education of scientists in a wide range of fields. This course provides a modern introduction to the vast subject. General principles are stressed in an attempt to make connections and to apply widely a set of organizing principles.

221L(Fall) and 222L(Spring): Organic Chemistry Laboratory I and II - Introduction of the fundamental techniques used in the isolation, purification, and identification of organic compounds. Experiments illustrate and complement the major concepts and reactions introduced in the lecture portion of 221.

226L: Organic Chemistry Laboratory - Provides the broader background in laboratory techniques needed by chemistry majors. Students meet twice a week in the laboratory and are introduced to more techniques and chemistry than are students in Chemistry 221L. Emphasis is placed on independent work, and topics are covered in greater detail. Taken instead of 222L.

260: Quantitative Analysis - Quantitative aspects of analytical chemistry including error analysis and statistical treatment of data, gravimetric and volumetric analysis, aqueous-solution equilibria, acid/base titrations, and analytical electrochemistry are covered. This is a required course for a chemistry major.

300: Physical Chemistry for Life Sciences - The basic principles of thermodynamics, kinetics, quantum chemistry, and spectroscopy will be presented. General Chemistry, one semester of calculus, and physics are prerequisites. This course will only be taught each Fall Semester. This course is intended for students in the B.A. program.

330: Chemistry, Biology, and Molecular Modeling - Prerequisites are 171/172 or 221. The course is designed to put to use what you already know about chemistry and biology and to extend it in two directions. On the one hand, we will examine the world around us as reflected by the media, the web and encounters in your own lives. Thus, we’ll examine issues around ‘natural and unnatural molecules’, the environment, disease and society in the context of topics such as drugs, molecules from mars, aging, AIDS, bioterrorism and crime in the courtroom. On the other hand, we will examine these ideas by means of computer graphics, the molecular structure of small molecules and proteins, and energy.

331(Fall) and 332(Spring): Physical Chemistry - These courses make up a one-year sequence of physical chemistry taken by all B.S. chemistry majors and others interested in obtaining a background in elementary theoretical chemistry. The sequence is essential for students who plan to do graduate work in chemistry. Chem 331 covers quantum chemistry and Chem 332 covers thermodynamics.

331L(Fall) and 332L(Spring): Physical Chemistry Lab - Students attend a one-hour lecture and one three-hour laboratory session each week. The laboratory experiments illustrate physical chemistry principles and the development of laboratory technique. The use of computers for data acquisition, analysis, and report preparation is emphasized.

332LWR (4 credits) - This is the writing intensive section of Chem 332L and meets an additional hour each week.

Electives

230SWR: Intermediate Atmospheric Chemistry – The chemistry of the natural and polluted atmospheres, including health and political ramifications.

250: Inorganic Chemistry I - The chemistry of compounds having organic components but also having properties dictated by elements other than C, H, N, and O will be presented. The compounds will in part be chosen to elucidate principles relevant to structure, bonding, energetics, and kinetics. Many of the metal compounds to be treated in this course will be of biological/biomedical significance and some will have environmental and nutritional importance.

291L/296L: The Integrated Laboratory - This is a problem-based learning lab focusing on analytical techniques used in environmental assessment. Students will obtain hands-on experience with analytical instrumentation. Students will work in groups to analyze water in the local watersheds.

292L/297L: The Integrated Lab II - This is a problem based learning lab introducing modern analytical techniques in chemistry. We will work on analytical problems in forensic chemistry. Experiments will provide hands on training in different instruments such as HPLC, capillary electrophoreses, GC, UV/Vis spetrophotometers and will involve analyses and procedures of forensics investigations.

301(Fall) and 302(Spring): Biochemistry I and II - The biology and chemistry departments cooperate in a two-semester biochemistry course. Chem 301 is the first semester portion of the course. This course gives an integrated approach to the synthesis, structure, and function of macromolecular biomolecules, including proteins, carbohydrates, DNA, and RNA. The evolution of structural and catalytic diversity at a molecular level will provide the dominant theme that underpins the specific examples that will include: the energetics of catalysis, protein structure and folding, enzyme kinetics and mechanism, protein engineering, DNA structure and synthesis, template synthesis of macromolecules, and molecular evolution. This course will provide the necessary background for the study of genome structure and function in 302.

320S: Topics in Organic Chemistry - Discussion of current discoveries in organic chemistry from both academic and industrial environments. Topics will include creativity in organic chemistry, the research contributions by the members of the organic faculty in the chemistry department at Emory, drug design, and mechanisms of drug action.

326: Structure Elucidation - This is a laboratory course in which students learn techniques for the identification of organic compounds. Semi-micro chemical methods dealing with solubility, chromatographic behavior and characteristic reactions will be used. Physical constants will be measured and contemporary spectroscopic techniques used. These will include ultraviolet, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Classroom work will deal with the interpretation of spectroscopic, chemical, and physical data. This course provides an excellent introduction to research techniques and tools.

350: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry - This course deals with modern inorganic chemistry from both the descriptive and theoretical points of view. Topics discussed include: molecular geometry and symmetry, crystal- and ligand-field and MO theories, coordination and organometallic chemistry and the chemistry of a selection of representative elements and transition metals. The study of inorganic chemistry is becoming increasingly important with increased recognition of the important role of inorganic (and particularly transition metal) species in many organic reactions, in biochemical processes, catalytic homogeneous reactions, and high technology materials.

355L: Inorganic Lab - An introduction to experimental techniques commonly used in synthetic Inorganic Chemistry research labs:  coordination chemistry and the manipulation of air-sensitive compounds. The lab also includes an introduction to physical techniques used to characterize the compounds synthesized. These include hands on measurements in electrochemistry, magnetism, UV-VIS spectroscopy, and NMR spectroscopy.

360: Instrumental Analysis - This course will cover the underlying principles of instrumental chemical analysis. The first part of the course consists of a review of the statistical treatment of data, sample preparation techniques, and basic electronics. We then consider the design and operating principles of a wide variety of analytical instruments. The spectroscopic techniques that will be examined include optical, infra-red, NMR and mass spectrometry. Electrochemical analysis, electrophoresis and chromatography will also be explored.

399R: Introduction to Research - Prerequisite: Two years of chemistry and/or consent of department. Introduces students to instrumental procedures and empirical techniques used in chemical research. Total credit not to exceed 4 hours.

430: Computational Chemistry - This survey course will introduce the student to computational methods and examples in chemistry. Topics include the structure and solution to rate equations in kinetics, solutions to several problems in quantum chemistry, energy minimization in molecular mechanics and molecular modeling, molecular dynamics, Monte-Carlo methods in statistical mechanics, etc.

495WR: Honors Thesis - a course that satisfies the writing requirement of a senior thesis. Both B.A. and B.S. students can graduate with honors. Permission required.

497: Supervised Reading - Credit, up to four hours per semester. May be repeated for credit, total credit not to exceed eight hours. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Cannot be used to meet course requirements for a chemistry major.

468SWR: Perspectives in Chemistry - This is a senior seminar, writing-intensive course that provides a unified perspective of chemistry in our society. Topics will be chosen for novel chemistry, relevance, and societal impact. Students research and write a position paper on each of the topics discussed. Supporting papers and articles are provided for background reading. Class discussions and student presentations with invited domain experts is the usual format.

499R: Undergraduate Research - Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Credit: 1 to 4 hours per semester. Students do original research in accordance with ability and background. May be repeated for credit. Total research credit to be used toward an undergraduate degree not to exceed 12 hours. Cannot be used to meet elective course requirements for a B.A. in chemistry.
Research Opportunities.