Chemistry
Sterling Chemistry Laboratory, 432.3913
www.chem.yale.edu/
M.S., Ph.D.
Chair
Gary Brudvig (Rm 1, SCL, 432.3912, chemistry.chair@yale.edu)
Director of Graduate Studies
Charles Schmuttenmaer (Rm 1, SCL, 432.3913, chemistry.dgs@yale.edu)
Professors
Sidney Altman (Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology), Jerome Berson (Emeritus), Gary Brudvig, Robert Crabtree, R. James Cross, Jr., Donald Crothers (Emeritus), John Faller, Gary Haller (Engineering & Applied Science), Andrew Hamilton, Francesco Iachello (Physics), Mark Johnson, William Jorgensen, J. Michael McBride, Scott Miller, Peter Moore, Lynne Regan (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry), Martin Saunders, Alanna Schepartz, Charles Schmuttenmaer, Dieter Söll (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry), Thomas Steitz (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry), Scott Strobel (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry), John Tully, Patrick Vaccaro, Harry Wasserman (Emeritus), Kenneth Wiberg (Emeritus), Frederick Ziegler (Emeritus), Kurt Zilm
Associate Professors
Victor Batista, Craig Crews (Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology), J. Patrick Loria, Ann Valentine
Assistant Professors
Glenn Micalizio, David Spiegel, Elsa Yan
Fields of Study
Fields include bio-inorganic chemistry, bio-organic chemistry, biophysical chemistry, chemical physics, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, physical-organic chemistry, synthetic-organic chemistry, and theoretical chemistry.
Special Admissions Requirements
Applicants are expected to have completed or be completing a standard undergraduate chemistry major including a year of elementary organic chemistry, with laboratory, and a year of elementary physical chemistry. Other majors are acceptable if the above requirements are met. The GRE General Test and the Subject Test in Chemistry are required. Students whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of Spoken English (TSE).
Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
A foreign language is not required. Three term courses are required in each of the first two terms of residence, and participation in additional courses is encouraged in subsequent terms. Courses are chosen according to the student’s background and research area. To be admitted to candidacy a student must: (1) receive at least two term grades of Honors, exclusive of those for research; (2) pass either three cumulative examinations and one oral examination (organic students) or two oral examinations (nonorganic students) by the end of the second year of study; and (3) submit a thesis prospectus no later than the end of the third year of study. Remaining degree requirements include completing eight cumulative examinations (organic students), a written thesis describing the research, and an oral defense of the thesis. The ability to communicate scientific knowledge to others outside the specialized area is crucial to any career in chemistry. Therefore, all students are required to teach a minimum of two terms at the level of Teaching Fellow 3 or higher.
Master’s Degree
M.S. (en route to the Ph.D.). A student must pass at least five graduate-level term courses in the Chemistry department exclusive of seminars and research. The student must obtain at least one term grade of Honors or three of High Pass in graduate-level courses. One full year of residence is required.
Program materials are available upon request to the Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Chemistry, Yale University, PO Box 208107, New Haven CT 06520-8107.
Courses
CHEM 518au,Advanced Organic Chemistry. William Jorgensen.
MWF 9.25–10.15
Concise overview of structure, properties, thermodynamics, kinetics, reactions, and intermolecular interactions for organic molecular systems.
CHEM 521bu,Introduction to Chemical Biology. Alanna Schepartz.
TTh 9–10.15
A one-term introduction to the origins and emerging frontiers of chemical biology. Discussion of the key molecular building blocks of biological systems and the history of macromolecular research in chemistry.
[CHEM 522au,Chemical Biology II.]
CHEM 523au,Synthetic Methods in Organic Chemistry. David Speigel.
MWF 10.30–11.20
A disussion of modern methods. Topics include functional group manipulation, synthesis and functionalization of stereodefined double bonds, carbonyl addition chemistry, and synthetic designs. Normally taken only by students with a special interest in organic synthesis; for other students, CHEM 518a is more appropriate.
CHEM 524b, Advanced Synthetic Methods in Chemistry. Scott Miller.
MWF 10.30–11.20
Selected topics in organic synthesis. Strategies for the synthesis of complex, biologically active molecules, including retrosynthetic analysis. Considerable emphasis is placed on strategy-level reactions, asymmetric catalysis, and applications to targets. Reaction mechanisms are emphasized throughout the course.
[CHEM 525bu,Spectroscopic Methods of Structure Determination.]
CHEM 526au,Computational Chemistry and Biochemistry. William Jorgensen.
TTh 9–10.15
An introduction to modern computational methods employed for the study of chemistry and biochemistry, including molecular mechanics, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and molecular dynamics. Special emphasis on the hands-on use of computational packages for current applications ranging from organic reactions to protein-ligand binding and dynamics.
CHEM 530bu,Statistical Methods and Thermodynamics. Victor Batista.
MWF 9.25–10.15
The fundamentals of statistical mechanics are developed and used to elucidate gas phase and condensed phase behavior, as well as to establish a microscopic derivation of the postulates of thermodynamics. Topics include ensembles; Fermi, Bose, and Boltzmann statistics; density matrices; mean field theories; phase transitions; chemical reaction dynamics; time-correlation functions; Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations.
[CHEM 535a, Chemical Dynamics.]
CHEM 540au,Molecules and Radiation I. Kurt Zilm.
MWF 8.20–9.10
An integrated treatment of quantum mechanics and modern spectroscopy. Basic wave and matrix mechanics, perturbation theory, angular momentum, group theory, time-dependent quantum mechanics, selection rules, coherent evolution in two-level systems, lineshapes, and NMR spectroscopy.
CHEM 542bu,Molecules and Radiation II. Charles Schmuttenmaer.
TTh 11.35–12.50
An extension of the material covered in CHEM 540a to atomic and molecular spectroscopy, including rotational, vibrational, and electronic spectroscopy, as well as an introduction to laser spectroscopy.
[CHEM 546bu,Principles of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.]
CHEM 547b, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. Gary Brudvig.
A quantum mechanical treatment of magnetic resonance aimed at providing an understanding of the fundamentals of EPR spectroscopy. Topics include solutions and solid-state measurements of radicals and spin labels, triplet states, transition metals, pulsed and double-resonance methods, and applications to biological systems.
CHEM 548b, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Liquids. J. Patrick Loria.
TTh 11.35–12.50
A theoretical treatment of solution NMR spectroscopy with emphasis on applications to proteins and biological macromolecules. This includes classical and quantum mechanical descriptions of NMR, product operator formalism, multidimensional NMR, phase cycling, gradient selection, relaxation phenomena, and protein resonance assignments.
CHEM 549bu,Biophysical Chemistry. Peter Moore.
TTh 9–10.15
A detailed discussion of several important experimental techniques used to study the properties of biological macromolecules, focusing on the application of Fourier methods and concepts to NMR spectroscopic, optical, and electron microscopy, image reconstruction, X-ray scattering/diffraction, and mass spectrometry. Emphasis on the physical chemistry that underlies both the execution of such experiments and the interpretation of the resulting data.
CHEM 550bu,Theoretical and Inorganic Chemistry. John Faller.
TTh 9–10.15
Covers the major physical methods used in the determination of molecular structure, bonding, and physical properties of metal complexes. Aimed at advanced undergraduate and first-year graduate students. Students should be familiar with both inorganic coordination chemistry and physical chemistry.
CHEM 552au,Organometallic Chemistry. Robert Crabtree.
TTh 9–10.15
A survey of the organometallic chemistry of the transition elements and of homogeneous catalysis.
CHEM 554b, Bio-Inorganic Chemistry. Ann Valentine.
MWF 11.35–12.25
An advanced introduction to biological inorganic chemistry. Important topics in metalloprotein chemistry are illustrated. Objective is to define and understand function in terms of structure. Topics include catalysis with and without electron transfer, and carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen metabolism.
[CHEM 555b, Inorganic Mechanisms.]
[CHEM 556a, Biochemical Kinetics and Dynamics.]
CHEM 557au,Modern Coordination Chemistry. John Faller.
TTh 11.35–12.50
The principles of modern inorganic chemistry. Main group and transition element chemistry: reactions, bonding, structure, and spectra.
CHEM 560L, Advanced Physical Methods in Molecular Science. Patrick Vaccaro [F], R. James Cross [Sp].
F 3–4
A laboratory course introducing physical chemistry tools used in the experimental and theoretical investigation of large and small molecules. Modules include machining materials, electronics, vacuum technology, magnetic resonance, optical spectroscopy and lasers, computational aids, and molecular modeling.
CHEM 562L, Laboratory in Instrument Design and the Mechanical Arts. Kurt Zilm, David Johnson.
Familiarization with modern machine shop practices and techniques. Use of basic metalworking machinery and instruction in techniques of precision measurement and properties of commonly used metals, alloys, and plastics.
CHEM 564L, Advanced Mechanical Instrumentation. Kurt Zilm, David Johnson.
A course geared for both the arts and sciences that goes beyond the basic introductory shop courses, offering an in-depth foundation study utilizing hands-on instructional techniques that must be learned from experience. Prerequisite: CHEM 562L.
CHEM 565L, Introduction to Glass Blowing. Patrick Vaccaro, Daryl Smith.
This course provides a basic introduction to the fabrication of scientific apparatus from glass. Topics covered include laboratory set-up, the fundamental skills and techniques of glass blowing, the operation of glass fabrication equipment, and requisite safety procedures.
CHEM 570au,Introductory Quantum Chemistry. John Tully.
TTh 9–10.15
The elements of quantum mechanics developed and illustrated with applications to chemical problems. Suitable for first-year graduate students in chemistry who have had some exposure to quantum mechanics as part of an undergraduate chemistry course.
[CHEM 572a, Advanced Quantum Mechanics.]
CHEM 600–670, Research Seminars. Faculty.
Presentation of a student’s research results to his/her adviser and fellow research group members. Extensive discussion and literature review are normally a part of the series.
CHEM 700, Laboratory Rotation for First-Year Biophysical and Chemical Biology Graduate Students. Gary Brudvig, Craig Crews.
CHEM 720, Current Topics in Organic Chemistry. Faculty.
A seminar series based on invited speakers in the general area of organic chemistry.
CHEM 730, Molecular Science Seminar. Faculty.
A seminar series based on invited speakers in the areas of physical, inorganic, and biological chemistry.
CHEM 990, Research. Faculty.
Individual research for Ph.D. degree candidates in the Department of Chemistry, under the direct supervision of one or more faculty members.
Next: Classics
|
