Chemistry

CHEM UN1403 General Chemistry I (Lecture). 4 points.

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement

Corequisites: MATH UN1101

Preparation equivalent to one year of high school chemistry is assumed. Students lacking such preparation should plan independent study of chemistry over the summer or take CHEM UN0001 before taking CHEM UN1403. Topics include stoichiometry, states of matter, nuclear properties, electronic structures of atoms, periodic properties, chemical bonding, molecular geometry, introduction to quantum mechanics and atomic theory, introduction to organic and biological chemistry, solid state and materials science, polymer science and macromolecular structures and coordination chemistry. Although CHEM UN1403 and CHEM UN1404 are separate courses, students are expected to take both terms sequentially. The order of presentation of topics may differ from the order presented here, and from year to year. Students must ensure they register for the recitation that corresponds to the lecture section. Please check the Directory of Classes for details.

CHEM UN1500 General Chemistry Laboratory. 3 points.

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement
Lab Fee: $140.

Corequisites: CHEM UN1403,CHEM UN1404

An introduction to basic lab techniques of modern experimental chemistry, including quantitative procedures and chemical analysis. Students must register for a Lab Lecture section for this course (CHEM UN1501). Please check the Directory of Classes for details. Please note that CHEM UN1500 is offered in the fall and spring semesters. Mandatory lab check-in will be held during the first week of classes in both the fall and spring semesters.

CHEM UN1507 Intensive General Chemistry Laboratory. 3 points.

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement
Lab Fee: $140.

Prerequisites: (CHEM UN1604) or (CHEM UN2045)
Corequisites: CHEM UN2045

A student-centered experimental course intended for students who are taking or have completed CHEM UN1604 (Second Semester General Chemistry Intensive Lecture offered in Fall), CHEM UN2045 (Intensive Organic Chemistry offered in Fall), or CHEM UN2046 (Intensive Organic Chemistry Lecture offered in Spring). The course will provide an introduction to theory and practice of modern experimental chemistry in a contextual, student-centered collaborative learning environment. This course differs from CHEM UN1500 in its pedagogy and its emphasis on instrumentation and methods. Students must also attend the compulsory Mentoring Session. Please check the Directory of Classes for details. Please note that CHEM UN1507 is offered in the fall and spring semesters.

CHEM UN1604 Intensive General Chemistry (Lecture). 4 points.

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement

Prerequisites: A grade of "B" or better in CHEM UN1403 OR acceptable performance on the Department placement exam.
Corequisites: MATH UN1102

Topics include: gases (kinetic theory of gases); binary collision model for chemical reactions; chemical kinetics; acid-base equilibria; thermochemistry (thermodynamics I); spontaneous processes (thermodymanics II); chemical bonding in polyatomic molecules.  Students must ensure they register for the recitation that corresponds to the lecture section. Please check the Directory of Classes for details.

CHEM UN2045 Intensive Organic Chemistry I (Lecture). 4 points.

Prerequisites: A grade of 5 on the Chemistry Advanced Placement exam and an acceptable grade on the Department placement exam or an acceptable grade in CHEM UN1604.
Corequisites: CHEM UN1507

Premedical students may take CHEM UN2045, CHEM UN2046, CHEM UN1507 and CHEM UN2545 to meet the minimum requirements for admission to medical school. This course covers the same material as CHEM UN2443-CHEM UN2444, but is intended for students who have learned the principles of general chemistry in high school OR have completed CHEM UN1604 in their first year at Columbia. First year students enrolled in CHEM UN2045-CHEM UN2046 are expected to enroll concurrently in CHEM UN1507. Although CHEM UN2045 and CHEM UN2046 are separate courses, students are expected to take both terms sequentially. A recitation section is required. Please check the Directory of Classes for details and also speak with the TA for the course.

CHEM UN2443 Organic Chemistry I (Lecture). 4 points.

Prerequisites: (CHEM UN1403 and CHEM UN1404) or (CHEM UN1604)

The principles of organic chemistry. The structure and reactivity of organic molecules are examined from the standpoint of modern theories of chemistry. Topics include stereochemistry, reactions of organic molecules, mechanisms of organic reactions, syntheses and degradations of organic molecules, and spectroscopic techniques of structure determination. Although CHEM UN2443 and CHEM UN2444 are separate courses, students are expected to take both terms sequentially.  Students must ensure they register for the recitation which corresponds to the lecture section. Please check the Directory of Classes for details.

CHEM UN2493 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I (Techniques). 0 points.

Lab Fee: $63.00

Prerequisites: (CHEM UN1403 and CHEM UN1404) or (CHEM UN1604 and CHEM UN1500) or CHEM UN1507
Corequisites: CHEM UN2443

Techniques of experimental organic chemistry, with emphasis on understanding fundamental principles underlying the experiments in methodology of solving laboratory problems involving organic molecules. Attendance at the first lab lecture and laboratory session is mandatory. Please note that CHEM UN2493 is the first part of a full year organic chemistry laboratory course. Students must register for the lab lecture section (CHEM UN2495) which corresponds to their lab section. Students must attend ONE lab lecture and ONE lab section every other week. Please contact your advisers for further information.

CHEM UN2545 Intensive Organic Chemistry Laboratory. 3 points.

Lab Fee: $125.

Prerequisites: CHEM UN2045 and CHEM UN2046 and CHEM UN1507

The lab is intended for students who have taken Intensive Organic Chemistry, CHEM UN2045-CHEM UN2046, and who intend to major in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Physics, or Environmental Chemistry.

CHEM UN3079 Physical Chemistry I. 4 points.

Prerequisites: CHEM UN1403 and CHEM UN1404 or CHEM UN1604 or CHEM UN2045 and CHEM UN2046 and MATH UN1101 and MATH UN1102 or MATH UN1207 and MATH UN1208 and PHYS UN1401 and PHYS UN1402 PHYS UN1201-UN1202 is acceptable; PHYS UN1401-UN1402 or the equivalent is HIGHLY recommended.
Corequisites: CHEM UN3085

Elementary, but comprehensive, treatment of the fundamental laws governing the behavior of individual atoms and molecules and collections of them. CHEM UN3079 covers the thermodynamics of chemical systems at equilibrium and the chemical kinetics of nonequilibrium systems. Although CHEM UN3079 and CHEM UN3080 are separate courses, students are expected to take both terms sequentially. A recitation section is required.  Please check the Directory of Classes for details and also speak with the TA for the course.

CHEM UN3085 Physical and Analytical Chemistry Laboratory I. 4 points.

Lab Fee: $125 per term.

Corequisites: CHEM UN3079

A student-centered experimental course intended for students who are co-registered or have completed CHEM UN3079 and CHEM UN3080. The course emphasizes techniques of experimental physical chemistry and instrumental analysis, including vibrational, electronic, and laser spectroscopy; electroanalytical methods; calorimetry; reaction kinetics; hydrodynamic methods; scanning probe microscopy; applications of computers to reduce experimental data; and computational chemistry. Students must also attend the compulsory Mentoring Session. Please check the Directory of Classes for details.

CHEM UN3098 Supervised Independent Research. 4 points.

Lab Fee: $105 per term.

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission for entrance, and the departmental representative's permission for aggregate points in excess of 12 or less than 4.

This course may be repeated for credit (see major and concentration requirements). Individual research under the supervision of a member of the staff. Research areas include organic, physical, inorganic, analytical, and biological chemistry. Please note that CHEM UN3098 is offered in the fall and spring semesters.

CHEM UN3920 Senior Seminar in Chemical Research. 2 points.

Pass/Fail credit only.

Open to senior chemistry, biochemistry, environmental chemistry, and chemical physics majors; senior chemistry concentrators; and students who have taken or are currently enrolled in CHEM UN3098. Senior seminar provides direct access to modern chemical research through selected studies by the students from active fields of chemical research. Topics to be presented and discussed draw from the current scientific literature and/or UN3098 research.

BIOC UN3300 Biochemistry. 3 points.

Prerequisites: one year each of Introductory Biology and General Chemistry. Corequisites: Organic Chemistry. Primarily aimed at nontraditional students and undergraduates who have course conflicts with BIOC UN3501.

Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes within organisms that give rise to the immense complexity of life. This complexity emerges from a highly regulated and coordinated flow of chemical energy from one biomolecule to another. This course serves to familiarize students with the spectrum of biomolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, nucleic acids, etc.) as well as the fundamental chemical processes (glycolysis, citric acid cycle, fatty acid metabolism, etc.) that allow life to happen. In particular, this course will employ active learning techniques and critical thinking problem-solving to engage students in answering the question: how is the complexity of life possible? NOTE: While Organic Chemistry is listed as a corequisite, it is highly recommended that you take Organic Chemistry beforehand.

BIOC UN3501 Biochemistry: Structure and Metabolism. 4 points.

Prerequisites: one year of BIOL UN2005 and BIOL UN2006 and one year of organic chemistry.

Lecture and recitation. Students wishing to cover the full range of modern biochemistry should take both BIOC UN3501 and BIOC UN3512. UN3501 covers subject matters in modern biochemistry, including chemical biology and structural biology, discussing the structure and function of both proteins and small molecules in biological systems. Proteins are the primary class of biological macromolecules and serve to carry out most cellular functions. Small organic molecules function in energy production and creating building blocks for the components of cells and can also be used to perturb the functions of proteins directly. The first half of the course covers protein structure, enzyme kinetics and enzyme mechanism. The second half of the course explores how small molecules are used endogenously by living systems in metabolic and catabolic pathways; this part of the course focuses on mechanistic organic chemistry involved in metabolic pathways.

CHEM GU4071 INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. 4.5 points.

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement
Not offered during 2018-19 academic year.

CHEM GU4147 Advanced Organic Chemistry. 4.5 points.

Prerequisites: elementary organic and physical chemistry.

The mechanisms of organic reactions, structure of organic molecules, and theories of reactivity. How reactive intermediates are recognized and mechanisms are deduced using kinetics, stereochemistry, isotopes, and physical measurements.

CHEM GU4148 Synthetic Methods in Organic Chemistry I. 4.5 points.

This course is intended for graduate students and advanced undergraduate students. The main purpose of the course is to introduce students to modern synthetic chemistry via the selected series of topics (synthetic planning and the logic of organic assembly, classical and new reactions/methods and their use in complex target synthesis). Mechanistic underpinning of the discussed reaction processes will also be briefly discussed. For each module (see the content below), specific examples of syntheses of natural products and/or synthetic materials will be provided. In addition to lectures by Prof. Sames, students will select and present relevant papers in the class (the number of student symposia will depend on the final enrollment in this course). The basic knowledge of transition metal chemistry is recommended for the cross-coupling reactions (i.e., structure, electron counting, and elemental reaction types of transition metals).

CHEM GU4221 Quantum Chemistry. 4.5 points.

Prerequisites: elementary physical chemistry.

Basic quantum mechanics: the Schrodinger equation and its interpretation, exact solutions in simple cases, methods or approximation, angular Mementum and electronic spin, and an introduction to atomic and molecular structure.

CHEM GU4230 Statistical Mechanics. 4.5 points.

Prerequisites: elementary physical chemistry.
Corequisites: CHEM G4221.

Topics include the classical and quantum statistical mechanics of gases, liquids, and solids.

CHEM GU4312 Chemical Biology. 4 points.

Prerequisites: (CHEM UN2443 and CHEM UN2444)(CHEM UN3079 and CHEM UN3080)(BIOC UN3501)

Development and application of chemical methods for understanding the molecular mechanisms of cellular processes. Review of the biosynthesis, chemical synthesis, and structure and function of proteins and nucleic acids. Application of chemical methods--including structural biology, enzymology, chemical genetics, and the synthesis of modified biological molecules--to the study of cellular processes--including transcription, translation, and signal transduction.

BIOC GU4323 BIOPHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I. 4 points.

This course provides a rigorous introduction to the theory underlying widely used biophysical methods, which will be illustrated by practical applications to contemporary biomedical research problems. The course has two equally important goals. The first goal is to explicate the fundamental approaches used by physical chemists to understand the behavior of molecules and to develop related analytical tools. The second goal is to prepare students to apply these methods themselves to their own research projects. The course will be divided into seven modules: (i) solution thermodynamics; (ii) hydrodynamic methods; (iii) statistical analysis of experimental data; (iv) basic quantum mechanics; (v) optical spectroscopy with an emphasis on fluorescence; (vi) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; and (vii) light-scattering and diffraction methods.  The first three modules will be covered during the fall term. In each module, the underlying physical theories and models with be presented and used to derive the mathematical equations applied to the analysis of experimental data. Weekly recitations will emphasize the analysis of real experimental data and understanding the applications of biophysical experimentation in published research papers.

CHEM GU4103 Organometallic Chemistry. 4.5 points.

Prerequisites: elementary organic chemistry. (Some background in inorganic and physical chemistry is helpful but not required.)

Main group and transition metal organometallic chemistry: bonding, structure, reactions, kinetics, and mechanisms.

CHEM G4232 Introduction to Molecular Modeling. 4.5 points.

Lab Required

Prerequisites: physical chemistry sequence.

Molecular modeling has become an integral part of research in many areas of chemistry, and in industry in drug discovery and materials design. Many experimental papers in the literature are routinely complemented by molecular modeling calculations. Experimental scientists working in industry have a significant advantage if they know how to optimally use modeling software. The course would consist of a normal lecture part plus a lab session every week in which the students learn to use modeling software by working on projects.

CHEM GR6168 Materials Chemistry IIA. 2.5 points.

Prerequisites: CHEM UN2443 Or equivalent.

This is an introductory course to the emerging field macromolecular materials chemistry. The general topics will be based on the chemistry, self-assembly, and performance of block copolymers and conjugated polymers.  Particular emphasis will be devoted to the demands required to drive materials from scientific curiosity to commercialization.  At the fundamental level, the course will cover topics on polymerization techniques, electronic structure of organic semiconductors, characterization strategies, nanostructures and self-assembly.

CHEM GR6169 Materials Chemistry IIB. 2.5 points.

Prerequisites: CHEM C3443 (or equivalent).

This is an introductory course to the field of inorganic nanomaterials chemistry. The course will cover the synthesis, the structural, electronic and magnetic characterization, and the physical properties of zero-, one- and two-dimensional inorganic nanomaterials. Particular emphasis will be devoted to the design of building blocks that can organize into functional assemblies and to the emergence of collective physical properties. The course will also explore the recent and developing electronic and optoelectronic applications of these materials.

CHEM GR6222 Quantum Chemistry II. 2.5 points.

Prerequisites: Quantum Chemistry G4221.

Atomic and molecular quantum mechanics: fundamentals of electronic structure, many-body wave functions and operators, Hartree-Fock and density functional theory, the Dirac equation.

CHEM GR6231 Intermediate Statistical Mechanics. 2.5 points.

Prerequisites: CHEM G4221 and CHEM G4230.

Phase transitions and critical phenomena; renormalization group methods; classical theory of fluids.

CHEM GR8111 Applications of NMR Spectroscopy to Inorganic Chemistry. 2.5 points.

The use of multinuclear NMR spectroscopy in the determination of the structures of inorganic molecules and the use of dynamic NMR spectroscopy (variable temperature NMR and magnetization transfer techniques) to provide information concerned with reaction mechanisms.

CHEM GR8130 The Chemistry of Nanocrystals. 2.5 points.

This course will provide a discussion of the thermodynamics and kinetics of colloidal crystallization and stabilization, the physical properties of quantum confined semiconductor and metal nanocrystals, methods of nanocrystal characterization, and examples of nanocrystals in technological applications.  Prospective students should be familiar with basic principles of quantum mechanics, thermodynamics of phase transitions, and inorganic chemistry – particularly molecular orbital theory.  Undergraduate students interested in this course should obtain approval from the instructor prior to registering.

CHEM GR8232 Advanced Statistical Mechanics. 2.5 points.

Prerequisites: CHEM G4221 and CHEM G4230, or their equivalents.

Stochastic processes; Brownian motion; Langevin equations and fluctuation-dissipation theorems; reaction rate theory; time correlation functions and linear response theory.

CHEM GR8104 Structure Determination in Inorganic Chemistry. 2.5 points.

Not offered during 2018-19 academic year.

The determination of structures by diffraction methods, focusing on single crystal X-ray diffraction, is described. Emphasis is placed on a critical evaluation of published data.

CHEM GR8106 Kinetics. 2.5 points.

Not offered during 2018-19 academic year.

Kinetics and mechanisms of inorganic reactions.

CHEM G8120 Polymers in Nanotechnology. 2.5 points.

Polymeric materials have long been ubiquitous items and played important roles in revolutionizing the way we live. Due to the advent of modern polymerization fabrication strategies, polymers are rapidly gaining interest for the development of next generation devices and medical treatment. This course will focus on the chemistry polymers and their use as nanostructured materials created by self-assembly and top-down fabrication techniques. Specifically, the class will be divided into two sections describing the uses of organic nanostructures on a) surfaces and b) as particles. Patterned surfaces will be described in terms of photo-, imprint-, and block copolymer lithography. The preparation of nanoparticles through polymer synthesis, dendrimers, and mechanical manipulation will be the second part.

CHEM GR8223 Quantum Chemistry, III. 2.5 points.

Not offered during 2018-19 academic year.

Prerequisites: CHEM G6222.

Nonlinear spectroscopy: second harmonic and vibrational sum frequency generation; applications to surface and colloidal nano-microparticle interfaces; nonradiative molecular processes.

CHEM G8349 Research Ethics & Philosophy. 2.5 points.

This lecture course aims to address philosophical and ethical questions in scientific research.  What are the most important traits of successful scientists whose discoveries have greatly benefited humanity (and led to Nobel Prizes)?  What distinguishes great science from mediocre or pathological "science"?  What are the ethical standards of scientific research?  How do we identify scientific misconduct or fraud?  Why are ethical standards so critical to the integrity of the research enterprise?  The course requires extensive participation of students in the form of discussions and debates.  Grades will be based on participation, writing assignments, and one oral presentation.