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Bard College Catalogue 2009-2010
2009-2010
Chemistry
http://chemistry.bard.edu FacultyCraig Anderson (director)*, Swapan Jain, Emily McLaughlin
* on sabbatical, spring 2010 OverviewChemistry at Bard is geared primarily, but not exclusively, toward meeting the needs of students planning to do graduate work in chemistry and biology. Students receive extensive hands-on experience with contemporary instruments (see Facilities section below) and equipment. In addition to the core courses, a student typically takes at least two advanced electives in chemistry, biology, mathematics, or physics, according to personal goals. RequirementsBefore moderating in the program, students should complete or be enrolled in Chemistry 141-142 and 201-202, Mathematics 141 and 142, and Physics 141 and 142. Students are expected to follow the standard divisional procedure for Moderation and to fulfill the collegewide distribution and First-Year Seminar requirements. To graduate, students must successfully complete Chemistry 301, 312, and 411-412; an elective at the 300 level or higher; and the Senior Project. Recent Senior Projects in Chemistry - “Design and reactivity of iminic ligands and their platinum complexes”
- “I Am Not an Alchemist: The Chemical Cosmology of Samuel Cottereau Duclos (1598–1685)”
- “Synthesis and characterization of new, potentially anticancer, mixed-metal [ruthenium(III)-platinum(II)] dimers and trimers, and the interactions of the trimer Na2{trans,cis,trans-[Ru(III)Cl4(DMSO-S) (μ-pyz)]2Pt(II)Cl2} with DNA”
FacilitiesFacilities at the Gabrielle H. Reem and Herbert J. Kayden Center for Science and Computation and the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Science Laboratories include individual research laboraties for teaching staff and their students; seminar rooms; and expanded space for student research posters. Students have the opportunity to work with modern instrumentation, including a 400-MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer; a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer; two Thermo-Nicolet Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometers; Varian ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometers; a polarograph; a Dionex high-performance liquid chromatograph; a Johnson Matthey magnetic susceptibility balance; and, in collaboration with Vassar College, a state-of-the-art x-ray diffractometer. More details and photographs are available at the Chemistry Program website. CoursesCore courses include Chemistry 141-142, Basic Principles of Chemistry; Chemistry 201-202, Organic Chemistry; Chemistry 301, Principles of Chemical Analysis; Chemistry 312, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry; and Chemistry 411-412, Physical Chemistry. Each semester, two advanced elective courses, covering topics such as organic synthesis, chemical kinetics, and organometallics, are offered.
Principles and Applications of Chemistry
Chemistry 121
A comprehensive survey of key theories and applications in chemistry. Topics include atomic structures, chemical bonding, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, states of matter, theories of solutions, energy transfer, and basic organic chemistry and biochemistry. The laboratory focuses on basic techniques, quantitative applications, and some reactions in organic chemistry and biochemistry. Designed for nonscience majors. Prerequisite: background in high school mathematics or permission of the instructor.
Basic Principles of Chemistry
Chemistry 141-142
An introduction to the composition, structure, and properties of matter. The first semester covers atomic structure, stoichiometry, periodic trends, bonding and molecular geometry, thermochemistry, and the behavior of gases, liquids, and solids. Central concepts in the second semester are energy transfer, spontaneity, and change (thermochemistry, chemical equilibrium, and kinetics). The laboratory portion stresses basic techniques and quantitative applications. Basic algebra skills are required. Concurrent enrollment in calculus is recommended for students who intend to major in chemistry.
Organic Chemistry
Chemistry 201-202
Students study the structure and reactions of specific types of organic compounds and develop interrelationships that provide an integrated understanding of organic chemistry. The course emphasizes general principles and reaction mechanisms, but students are also expected to accumulate and utilize factual material. The laboratory is coordinated with classroom topics and should provide direct experience with many reactions and concepts. The laboratory also develops familiarity with experiment design, experimental techniques, and instrumental methods such as chromatography and spectroscopy. Prerequisite: Chemistry 141-142.
Principles of Chemical Analysis
Chemistry 301
A survey of analytical chemistry, with emphasis on the basic principles of solution equilibriums. Quantitative treatment of solubility, acidity, and oxidation potential provides the background for understanding gravimetric and volumetric techniques. Modern methods of instrumental analysis are studied and integrated into the laboratory work. Prerequisite: Chemistry 141-142.
Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
Chemistry 312
An introduction to the chemistry of the elements, this course places emphasis on the classification of the properties and reactivity of the elements by chemical periodicity, structure, and bonding. Topics include coordination chemistry of the transition metals, organometallic chemistry, and bioinorganic chemistry. Prerequisites: Chemistry 201-202; either Chemistry 301 or Chemistry 411-412.
Theoretical Organic Chemistry
Chemistry 405
An introduction to the theory and use of molecular orbital calculations. Huckel calculations are stressed, and results are applied to the study of the structure and reactivity of organic molecules. Particular attention is paid to orbital symmetry and frontier orbital theory. Other topics may include electronic spectroscopy, molecular mechanics, and photochemistry. Prerequisites: Chemistry 201-202 and Physics 141 and 142.
Organic Synthesis
Chemistry 408
The starting point is the predictable design of organic structures by the “disconnection approach,” based heavily on the use of carbanions and other modern reactions. The versatility of these methods is discussed, using novel ways to apply these reactions to generate elusive structures. Fairly complicated syntheses are evaluated to appreciate new ideas and approaches to synthesis. Prerequisite: Chemistry 201-202.
Topics in Biochemistry
Chemistry 409
This course focuses on the chemistry of biochemical molecules, including proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. A brief overview of each molecule is given, with emphasis on its structure, bonds, and reactivity. Recent papers are presented and discussed. Prerequisites: Chemistry 201 or 202 and permission of the instructor.
Physical Chemistry
Chemistry 411-412
A modern, molecular approach to the subject. The first semester begins with a study of model quantum mechanical systems and culminates in the application of the model systems to atomic and molecular structure and spectra. In the second semester, statistical mechanics is used as the link between quantum chemistry and equilibrium thermodynamics. Molecular modeling software is used to go beyond a consideration of prototypical systems. Prerequisites: Chemistry 141-142; Physics 141 and 142; and Mathematics 141, 142, and 212.
Chemical Kinetics
Chemistry 414
Topics include the kinetic theory of gases, rates of chemical reactions and how they can be explained, theories of chemical kinetics, and reaction dynamics. Includes some laboratory work. Prerequisite: Chemistry 411-412 or permission of the instructor.
Organometallics
Chemistry 431
The course integrates material from inorganic and organic chemistry to provide a basis for understanding the rich chemistry of the metal-carbon bond. The material consists mainly of an examination of various organometallic reaction mechanisms, including substitution, oxidative addition, reductive elimination, and insertion, combined with a survey of the structure and reactivity of the important types of organometallic ligands. Special topics such as organometallic photochemistry, catalysis, and the use of organometallic reagents in organic synthesis are also covered.
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