Chemistry
Sterling Chemistry Laboratory, 432.3913
M.S., Ph.D.
Chair
Gary Brudvig (Interim) (Rm 1, SCL, 432.3912, chemistry.chair@ursula.chem.yale.edu)
Director of Graduate Studies
Gary Brudvig [F] (SCL 122, 432.5202, gary.brudvig@yale.edu)
TBA [Sp]
Professors
Sidney Altman (Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology),
Jerome Berson (Emeritus), Gary Brudvig, William Chupka (Emeritus),
Robert Crabtree, R. James Cross, Jr., Donald Crothers (Emeritus),
John Faller, Gary Haller (Engineering & Applied Science),
Andrew Hamilton, John Hartwig, Francesco Iachello (Physics),
Mark Johnson, William Jorgensen, Philip Lyons (Emeritus),
J. Michael McBride, Peter Moore, Lynne Regan (Molecular Biophysics
& Biochemistry), Martin Saunders, Alanna Schepartz, Robert
Shulman (Emeritus, Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry),
Oktay Sinanoglu (Emeritus), Dieter Söll (Molecular Biophysics
& Biochemistry), Thomas Steitz (Molecular Biophysics &
Biochemistry), Julian Sturtevant (Emeritus), John Tully, Patrick
Vaccaro, Harry Wasserman (Emeritus), Kenneth Wiberg (Emeritus),
John Wood, Frederick Ziegler, Kurt ZilmAssociate Professors
Charles Schmuttenmaer, Scott Strobel (Molecular Biophysics
& Biochemistry)
Associate Professors
David Austin, Craig Crews (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry),
Charles Schmuttenmaer, Scott Strobel (Molecular Biophysics
& Biochemistry)
Assistant Professors
Victor Batista, J. Patrick Loria, Glenn Micalizio, Ann Valentine
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 Degrees
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 520u, Advanced Organic Chemistry. Martin
Saunders [F], William Jorgensen [Sp]. MWF 9.30–10.20
A discussion of structure and mechanism in organic chemistry.
Fall: bonding, structure and strain; carbanions, carbocations,
and carbenes. Spring: The second term covers kinetics, basics
of molecular orbital theory and its applications to organic
reactivity, pericyclic reactions, non-covalent interactions,
and molecular recognition.
[CHEM 522au, Chemical Biology II.]
CHEM 523u, Synthetic Methods in Organic Chemistry. Glenn
Micalizio [F], John Wood [Sp]. MWF 10.30–11.20
Modern methods of design in synthetic organic chemistry
with an emphasis on natural products. Structural-type recognition,
stereochemistry, mechanism and function group transformations
in multifunctional group molecules are covered.
CHEM 525bu, Spectroscopic Methods of Structure Determination. Martin
Saunders. TTh 10.30–11.20, 1 HTBA
Applications of NMR, ESR, infrared, UV, visible, and
mass spectroscopy to chemical problems concerning structures
and reactions. X-ray crystallography. Computer simulation
of NMR spectra.
[CHEM 526au, Computational Chemistry and Biochemistry.]
CHEM 530bu, Statistical Methods and Thermodynamics. Victor
Batista. MWF 9.30–10.20
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 8.30–9.20
An integrated treatment of quantum mechanics and modern
spectroscopy. Covers 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. Mark
Johnson. MWF 10.30–11.20
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 547b, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance.]
CHEM 548b, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Liquids. J.
Patrick Loria. TTh 10.30–11.45
A theoretical treatment of solution NMR spectroscopy
with emphasis on applications to proteins and biological macromolecules.
This includes a classical and quantum mechanical description
of NMR, product operator formalism, multidimensional NMR,
phase cycling and 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,
emphasizing the application of Fourier methods and concepts
to NMR spectroscopy, optical and electron microscopy, image
reconstruction, X-ray scattering/diffraction, and mass spectroscopy
(also calorimetry and sedimentation, if time permits). 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 551a, Physical Inorganic Chemistry. John
Faller. MW 9–10.15
A discussion of stereochemistry in inorganic and organometallic
chemistry and physical methods for investigating structure
and mechanism. Topics include asymmetric catalysis, methods
of resolution of racemic mixtures, CD and ORD, organometallic
radicals, supramolecular coordination chemistry, and solid
state chemistry.
CHEM 552au, Organometallic Chemistry. John
Hartwig. TTh 9–10.15
A general introduction to organometallic chemistry, mostly
of the transition metal elements. Topics include bonding,
structure, and reactivity of transition metal organometallic
compounds, ligand substitution reactions, oxidative addition/reductive
elimination reactions, insertion reactions, reactions of coordinated
ligands, applications to catalytic processes, and organic
synthesis.
[CHEM 553b, Main Group Chemistry.]
CHEM 554b, Bio-Inorganic Chemistry. Ann
Valentine. MWF 11.30–12.20
An advanced introduction to biological inorganic chemistry.
Important topics in metallo-
protein 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 555a, Transition Metal Reaction Mechanisms.]
CHEM 556a, Biochemical Rates and Mechanisms. J.
Patrick Loria. MWF 9.30–10.20
The fundamental basis of and methods for studying enzyme
function. Topics include transition state theory, pre-steady-state
and steady-state enzyme kinetics, and allosterism. The physical
principles underlying enzymatic rate enhancements are discussed
using examples from the primary literature.
CHEM 557au, Modern Coordination Chemistry. Ann
Valentine. TTh 11.30–12.45
The structure of the atom, molecular topologies, ionic
bonding, covalent bonding, chemical forces, reaction pathways;
fundamental concepts for transition metal complexes; coordination
chemistry; structural aspects, isomerism, electron transfer
reactions, substitution reactions, molecular rearrangements,
and reactions of coordinated ligands; transition metal clusters,
multiple bonding between transition metal atoms.
CHEM 560L, Advanced Physical Methods in Molecular Science. Patrick
Vaccaro [F], R. James Cross, Jr. [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 565a, Computational Chemistry.]
[CHEM 567au, Topics in Chemical Biology.]
[CHEM 568a, Applications of Molecular Orbital Theory.]
[CHEM 569a, Molecular Modeling.]
CHEM 570au, Introductory Quantum Chemistry. Victor
Batista. 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 572au, Advanced Quantum Mechanics. John
Tully. TTh 9–10.15
Topics in quantum mechanics that are essential for understanding
modern chemistry, physics, and biophysics. Topics include
the interaction of radiation with matter, using quantitized
radiation fields, and may include time-dependent quantum theory,
scattering, semiclassical methods, angular momentum, density
matrices, and electronic structure methods. Prerequisite:
CHEM 570 or the equivalent.
[CHEM 580bu, Bio-Organic Chemistry.]
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
Graduate Students. Gary Brudvig.
CHEM 720, Current Topics in Organic Chemistry.
A seminar series based on invited speakers in the general
area of organic chemistry.
CHEM 730, Molecular Science Seminar.
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.
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