The stoichiometry of compounds and chemical reactions. Properties of gases. Periodicity and chemical bonding. Energy changes in chemical systems. Electronic structure of atoms and molecules; correlation with the chemical reactivity of common elements, inorganic and organic compounds.
Antirequisites
Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
CHEM121 - Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter (0.50)
Selected experiments based on introductory-level chemistry topics. This course is an introduction to the chemistry laboratory environment and focuses on the development of basic lab skills.
CHEM 121Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter0.50 units
A first-year chemistry course for students in chemistry-based programs. The stoichiometry of compounds and chemical reactions. Properties of gases. Periodicity and chemical bonding. Energy changes in chemical systems. Electronic structure of atoms and molecules; correlation with the chemical reactivity of common elements, inorganic and organic compounds.
Selected experiments for students taking CHEM 121. This course is an introduction to the chemistry laboratory environment and focuses on the development of basic lab skills.
Corequisites
Completed or concurrently enrolled in:
CHEM121 - Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter (0.50)
Antirequisites
Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
Properties of liquids and solutions. Introduction to chemical equilibria. Principles of acid-base equilibria, solubility and electrochemical processes. Chemical kinetics.
Selected experiments based on introductory-level chemistry topics. This course is a continuation of CHEM 120L, with increased emphasis on assessment of experimental design.
CHEM 125Chemical Reactions, Equilibria and Kinetics0.50 units
A first-year chemistry course for students in chemistry-based programs. Properties of liquids and solutions. Introduction to chemical equilibria. Principles of acid-base equilibria, solubility, and electrochemical processes. Chemical kinetics.
Prerequisites
Must have completed the following:
CHEM121 - Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter (0.50)
Antirequisites
Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
Selected experiments for student taking CHEM 125. This course is a continuation of CHEM 121L, with increased emphasis on assessment of experimental design.
CHEM 140Introduction to Scientific Calculations0.50 units
The application of numeric computing software to perform basic calculations, data analysis, regression analysis, plotting of scientific graphs, data manipulation, and equation solving will be covered in this course, with an emphasis placed upon chemical and biochemical concepts and applications.
CHEM 200Introduction to Laboratory Techniques0.50 units
This course is an introduction to practical laboratory skills. Laboratory techniques will include: the separation, isolation and purification of compounds (through extraction, reflux, distillation, chromatography, and recrystallization), analysis techniques, and the application of these techniques in synthesis. The subjects covered in this biweekly laboratory provide the foundation for more advanced laboratory courses and the basic training needed for an industrial or research laboratory position. The seminar portion of this course will focus on communication and technical skills; the latter will include analysis of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), use of search engines, and learning of citation formats.
Prerequisites
Complete all of the following
Must have completed the following:
CHEM125 - Chemical Reactions, Equilibria and Kinetics (0.50)
CHEM 209Introductory Spectroscopy and Structure0.50 units
The nature of electromagnetic radiation and an elementary outline of quantum mechanics in one dimension. For each of microwave, infrared, Raman, electronic, photoelectron, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the nature of the molecular energy levels involved and the type of molecular information that can be obtained using it are examined.
An introduction to the principles of chemical structure and bonding, with emphasis on their application to inorganic systems. Topics include atoms, orbitals, and periodicity; localized bonding models; symmetry and group theory; and molecular orbital theory. The subjects treated in this course are foundational components for advanced studies in all areas of chemistry.
An introduction to inorganic chemistry that focuses on biological systems. Topics include basic concepts of structure and bonding, metal and ligand types, and physical properties and chemical reactivity. Bioinorganic applications are illustrated through examples such as dioxygen-binding proteins, oxygenases, metalloproteases, and bioorganometallic chemistry.
Quantitative and analytical chemistry including ionic equilibria, classical and more recent methods. Emphasis on planning and decision-making in the analytical process.
Chemistry of amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids, with special emphasis on representative proteins and enzymes, including hemoglobin, cytochrome c and chymotrypsin.
Prerequisites
Complete all of the following
Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
CHEM262 - Organic Chemistry for Engineering (0.50)
CHEM 240Mathematical Methods for Chemistry0.50 units
Mathematical techniques useful for chemistry students. Introduction to complex numbers, plus topics chosen from: calculus; differential equations; vector spaces and vector algebra; matrices and determinants; elementary probability theory; basic group theory and symmetry. Applications to problems of chemical interest.
CHEM 250LPhysical Chemistry Laboratory 10.25 units
This laboratory provides an introduction to physical chemistry experimentation. The experiments are designed to illustrate the principles and theories of thermodynamics and employ a variety of important techniques, including spectroscopy, conductivity, and calorimetry.
Prerequisites
Complete all of the following
Must have completed the following:
CHEM140 - Introduction to Scientific Calculations (0.50)
CHEM 254Introductory Chemical Thermodynamics0.50 units
An introduction to the first, second, and third laws of thermodynamics and the application of these laws to ideal systems, mixtures, and chemical reactions. Thermodynamic principles are used to study changes in state, including phase changes, and to establish the link between the equilibrium constant and the properties of the substances involved in a chemical reaction.
CHEM 257Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences0.50 units
The principles and application of thermodynamics to systems in the life sciences, from small molecules to macromolecules. Principles of electrochemistry, transport properties, diffusion and collisions. Chemical and enzyme kinetics and their use in understanding chemical and biological transformations.
Structure and bonding in organic chemistry. Isomerism and stereoisomerism in organic compounds. Acidity of organic compounds and substituent effects on acidity. Reaction mechanisms and energetics. Chemistry of alkanes, haloalkanes, alcohols and ethers, alkenes and alkynes.
Nucleophilic addition and substitution at CO carbon. Aromaticity and simple MO theory of conjugated systems. Electrophilic and nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions. Applications of spectroscopic techniques in organic chemistry.
A continuation of the concepts of CHEM 266, including material on amines, aromatics, enols and enolates, and nucleophilic addition and substitution at the carbonyl group. Introduction to nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy.
Prerequisites
Complete 1 of the following
Must have completed the following:
CHEM262 - Organic Chemistry for Engineering (0.50)
CHEM 310Transition Element Compounds and Inorganic Materials0.50 units
The inorganic, organic, and solid state chemistry of the d-block elements. The structure and physical properties of co-ordination compounds and transition metal containing solids. The role of transition metal organometallics in catalysis.
CHEM 313Main Group and Solid State Chemistry0.50 units
This course provides a detailed examination of the structure and bonding in main group and solid state compounds, including valence bond and molecular orbital theory for describing electronic structures, Hueckel and extended Hueckel approximations. Structures of simple solids, including close packing of spheres and derived ionic lattice types; aspects of chemical crystallography, Bravais lattices, point groups, space groups, crystal planes, and X-ray diffraction; Ionic interactions in gases and solution; the thermodynamics of acid-base interactions; descriptive chemistry and characterization of main group element compounds.
Thermodynamics of metabolism. Metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids. Chemistry of oxidative phosphorylation and photosynthesis. Emphasis is put on the role and chemical mechanisms of the enzymes in these processes.
CHEM 335LAdvanced Biochemistry Laboratory0.50 units
Selected experiments for students having completed or concurrently taking CHEM 331. Topics to be covered include NMR, allostery, enzymology, electrophoresis, carbohydrates, lipids, photosynthesis, and respiration.
Prerequisites
Must have completed the following:
CHEM233L - Fundamentals of Biochemistry Laboratory (0.25)
Corequisites
Completed or concurrently enrolled in at least 1 of the following:
CHEM 340LIntroductory Computational Chemistry0.50 units
Introduction to molecular modelling and quantum chemistry using commercially available software. This course incorporates weekly lectures and hands-on computational sessions (labs). Examples are drawn from various areas of chemistry, highlighting the applications of quantum chemistry.
Prerequisites
Complete all of the following
Must have completed the following:
CHEM140 - Introduction to Scientific Calculations (0.50)
CHEM 350Chemical Kinetics and Statistical Mechanics0.50 units
Basic chemical kinetics; treatment of kinetic data; complex reaction mechanisms; fast reactions; the canonical ensemble and the canonical partition function; statistical mechanics applied to chemistry; statistical theory of reaction rates.
Prerequisites
Complete all of the following
Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
CHEM240 - Mathematical Methods for Chemistry (0.50)
CHEM 350LPhysical Chemistry Laboratory 20.50 units
This advanced laboratory builds upon fundamental knowledge of physical chemistry gained in the introductory physical chemistry laboratory, CHEM 250L. The experiments are designed to illustrate the principles and theories of thermodynamics, kinetics, spectroscopy, and quantum mechanics.
Historical background; the differential equation approach to quantum mechanics; treatments of solvable problems such as the particle-in-a-box, harmonic oscillator, rigid rotator and the hydrogen atom; introduction to approximation methods for more complicated systems.
Prerequisites
Complete 1 of the following
Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
AMATH250 - Introduction to Differential Equations (0.50)
AMATH251 - Introduction to Differential Equations (Advanced Level) (0.50)
CHEM240 - Mathematical Methods for Chemistry (0.50)
MATH228 - Differential Equations for Physics and Chemistry (0.50)
The use of diffusion, ultracentrifugation, osmotic pressure, electrophoresis and X-ray diffraction to study the properties of biopolymers. Hyperbolic and allosteric enzyme kinetics, inhibition, and regulation. Some spectroscopies important to the life sciences.
CHEM 360LSenior Organic Chemistry Laboratory0.50 units
Selected microscale synthetic experiments for students in year three chemistry and biochemistry programs, including spectroscopic identification of organic compounds.
This course is an introduction to the important aspects of Process Chemistry for the industrial production of pharmaceutically active organic compounds. Topics covered include: industrial organic synthesis and process design, scaling to kilogram quantities, green chemistry principles, process safety and hazard identification, industrial separation and purification, and meeting quality guidelines and regulations.
Review of stereochemistry, racemic and enantioselective syntheses of amino acids, peptide synthesis, development of peptides into drugs, physical properties and structures of monosaccharides, reactions of monosaccharides, glycoside synthesis, structures of disaccharides and polysaccharides, synthesis of oligosaccharides, physical properties and synthesis of nucleosides, nucleotides, and nucleic acids, nucleotides and nucleic acids as drugs, general drug development.
CHEM 382LAdvanced Organic Synthesis Laboratory0.50 units
A laboratory course intended for students in the Medicinal Chemistry Specialization of the Honours Chemistry plan. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to advanced laboratory techniques used in synthetic organic chemistry.
This course discusses the drug discovery process and drug synthesis. Topics include enzymes and receptors, hit and lead discovery, lead optimization, QSAR, prodrugs, drug delivery, drug metabolism, mechanisms of selected drugs, and laboratory and process scale synthesis of selected drugs.
A selection of current and advanced topics of interests in many areas of chemistry. For a list of offerings see the academic advisor or check the Chemistry website, program electives page.
CHEM 404Physicochemical Aspects of Natural Waters0.50 units
Properties of water; chemicals in the environment; environmental fate of inorganic and organic pollutants; basic phenomena affecting the fate of water pollutants (vapor pressure; activity, solubility, partitioning, diffusion, sorption); acids and bases in water; dissolved carbon dioxide; trace metals in water.
Properties and metabolism of porphyrins, purines, pyrimidines and biogenic amines. Biosynthesis and mode of action of selected cofactors. Structure-function relationships of enzymes. Regulation of enzyme activity.
CHEM 481Biomolecular Modelling: Principles, Practices, and Applications in Drug Design0.50 units
This course offers an in-depth exploration of molecular modelling techniques and their applications in biochemistry, drug discovery, and design. Students will gain hands-on experience with computational methods for biomolecular structure analysis, molecular recognition, and therapeutic candidate design. Key topics include three-dimensional structure visualization, protein structure prediction, molecular dynamics simulations, and computer-aided drug design strategies, covering structure-based, ligand-based, and fragment-based approaches. Practical sessions and real-world case studies will complement theoretical concepts, highlighting their importance in biochemical and pharmaceutical research and development.
Laboratory work on a senior-year research project. Enrolment into this course requires permission of the CHEM494 co-ordinator. See the CHEM494 co-ordinator for course details. CHEM 494A/B may not be taken concurrently without prior permission of the CHEM494 co-ordinator.
A numeric grade for CHEM 494A will be submitted only after the completion of CHEM 494B.
CHEM 710Selected Topics in Inorganic Chemistry0.50 units
Discussion of specialized topics related to the research interests of members of the Centre. Special topics could include, for example, bioinorganic chemistry; inorganic reaction mechanisms; synthetic methods in inorganic and organometallic chemistry; homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis; chemistry of polynuclear compounds.
Introduction: crystals, basic concepts; space groups; the reciprocal lattice; x-ray diffraction; the phase problem; structure factors; electron density; small molecule structure solution, structure refinement, structure results, journals and data bases, paper writing.
CHEM 713Chemistry of Inorganic Solid State Materials0.50 units
Introduction to solid state chemistry, common crystal structures, principles of solid state synthesis, theory and experimental methods for characterizing solids, including thermal analysis techniques, powder x-ray and neutron diffraction methods; special topics to include one or more of the optical, electronic, magnetic, or conductive properties of inorganic materials.
CHEM 715Structure & Bonding in Inorganic Chemistry0.50 units
Free electron, Hueckel and extended Hueckel methods for molecules and clusters. Perturbation theory. Applications of group theory in inorganic chemistry; Jahn-Teller effects in molecular and solids. Energy bands in one, two and three dimensions.
CHEM 717Advanced Transition Metal Chemistry0.50 units
Magnetochemistry of transition metal compounds. Electronic spectra of complex ions including applications of molecular orbital and ligand field theories. Stabilization of unusual oxidation states and coordination numbers. Bonding, structure and reactivity of certain important classes of metal complexes, e.g. metal hydrides, metal-metal bonded species, biologically-significant model systems such as macrocycles.
CHEM 720Selected Topics in Analytical Chemistry0.50 units
Special topics could include for example: trace analysis using modern instrumental and spectroscopic methods; advanced mass spectrometry (instrumentation and interpretation of spectra); analytical aspects of gas and liquid chromatography.
CHEM 726Topics in Analytical Spectroscopy0.50 units
Atomic emission and absorption spectroscopy; methods of excitation and detection; quantitative applications. Molecular electronic spectroscopy: UV, visible and Raman; instrumental characteristics; applications to quantitative determinations, speciation, measurements of equilibrium, etc. Sources and control of errors and interferences. Determination and description of colour.
Material to be covered will be drawn from the following topics: Diffusion; Isolation of organic material from the matrix; Chromatographic techniques - principles of chromatographic separations; Gas (GLC, GSC), Liquid (LLC, LSC, GPC, IEC), Supercritical Fluid (SFC) Chromatographies; GC-MS, GC-FTIR; Electrophoresis; Flow field fractionation.
A study of electroanalytical techniques and their role in modern analytical chemistry. The underlying principles will be developed. Techniques will include chronoamperometry, chronocoulometry, polarography, voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, coulometric titrations, flow techniques, electrochemical sensors and chemically modified electrodes.
Modern surface analysis: description and importance of surfaces. Surface area determinations. High surface area solids, supports. Scanning electron microscopy: principles and applications. Auger electron spectroscopy. Applications in metallurgy and materials science. Depth profiling. ESCA: elemental compositions and studies of catalyst surfaces. SIMS. Infrared spectroscopy. Studies of supported metal and metal oxides. Acid surface sites and their role in catalysis. Scanning tunnelling microscopy; theory and applications. Single crystal surfaces. LEED. Studies of chemisorption.
Protein structure and function; intermolecular interactions and protein-protein association. Nucleic acid and DNA structure; protein-nucleic acid interactions.
Discussion of specialized topics related to the research interests of the members of the Centre. For example, recent offerings have included: Metalloproteins and Metalloenzymes; Heme Proteins; Chemistry of Enzymatic Reaction Mechanisms; Peptides - Synthesis, Structure and Function; Food Enzymology; Advanced Microbial Physicology; NMR in Biological Systems.
CHEM 738Cell Membranes and Cell Surfaces0.50 units
Structure, function and dynamics of membrane lipids and proteins. Membrane transport. Biogenesis and trafficking of membrane proteins. Signal transduction.
CHEM 740Selected Topics in Theoretical Chemistry0.50 units
Discussion of specialized topics related to the research interests of the members of the Centre. Special topics could include for example: theory of intermolecular forces; density matrices; configuration interaction; correlation energies of open and closed shell systems; kinetic theory and gas transport properties; theory of the chemical bond.
Review of classical and quantum mechanics; principles of statistical mechanics; applications to systems of interacting molecules; imperfect gases, liquids, solids, surfaces and solutions.
CHEM 750Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry0.50 units
Discussion of specialized topics related to the research interests of members of the Centre. Special topics could include for example: principles of magnetic resonance in biological systems; collisions, spectroscopy and intermolecular forces, surface chemistry; catalysis; electrolyte theory; non-electrolyte solution theory; thermodynamics of biological systems; thermodynamics.
Empirical analysis. Kinetic theory of gases. Potential energy surfaces. Unimolecular rates. Relaxation and steady state methods. Diffusion rates. Rates between polar molecules. Energy transfer.
Aspects of electronic vibrational and rotational spectroscopy of atoms, molecules, and the solid state. Relevant aspects of quantum mechanics, Dirac notation, and angular momentum will be discussed. Group Theory will be presented and its implications for spectroscopy introduced.
CHEM 760Selected Topics in Organic Chemistry0.50 units
Two or three topics from a range including: bio-organic chemistry; environmental organic chemistry; free radicals; heterocyclic molecules; molecular rearrangements; organometallic chemistry; photochemistry; natural products.
Named organic reactions and other synthetically useful reactions will be discussed. The mechanism, stereochemical implications and use in organic synthesis of these rections will be presented. Examples from the organic literature will be used to illustrate these aspects.
The synthesis of organic compounds is discussed and emphasis is placed on the design of synthetic routes. Examples drawn from the literature are used to illustrate this synthetic planning.
Introduction to the physical chemistry of high polymers, principles of polymer synthesis, mechanisms and kinetics of polymerization reactions, copolymerization theory, polymerization in homogeneous and heterogeneous systems, chemical reactions of polymers. Theory and experimental methods for the molecular characterization of polymers.
The physical properties of polymers are considered in depth from a molecular viewpoint. Rubber elasticity, mechanical properties, rheology and solution behaviour are quantitatively treated.
CHEM 772Polymerization and Polymer Reactions0.50 units
The reactions leading to the production of polymers are considered with emphasis on emulsion and suspension polymerization and polymerization reaction engineering. Polymer degradation, stabilization and modification are also considered in depth.
CHEM 773Selected Topics in Polymer Chemistry0.50 units
Discussion of specialized topics of polymer chemistry related to the research interests of the faculty or prominent scientific visitors. Special topics could include, for example, polymer stabilization and degradation; mechanical properties; polymer principles in surface coatings; organic chemistry of synthetic high polymers; estimation of polymer properties; reactions of polymers; polymerization kinetics.
CHEM 784Foundations of Literature Review0.50 units
Students will prepare a written literature review. Incoming MSc students are strongly encouraged to take this required course within the first term of their program.