Course Offerings

Course Outline:

This course will provide an introduction and overview of the field of homogeneous catalysis using transition metal complexes focusing on:

- general principles and reaction patterns of catalytically active transition metal centres

- mechanisms: kinetic and thermodynamic parameters and how to determine them

- activation of small molecules such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, ethylene, propylene, ethylene oxide, etc.

- large scale industrially relevant processes and their socio-economic importance

The ultimate objective of the course is to provide you with the know-how to understand (or at least make some educated guesses on) the mechanisms of any homogeneous catalyzed reactions and have some insight into the principles of catalyst, reaction and process design.

The course will be - as much as possible - conceptual in nature and thus should be suitable for students in any field of chemistry (inorganic, organic, physical and analytical) with 3rd year level undergraduate courses in inorganic and organic chemistry.

W10 - ML - Schlaf, T 7:00-9:30pm

This course focuses on carbon nanotube (CNT) and covers various topics in theoretical and engineering aspects of CNT and CNT based electronics, including atomic and electronic structures of CNT, electron transport, CNT synthesis and integration, device physics and circuit concepts of 1-D electronics, implementation of CNT devices. Specific state-of-the-art CNT devices and novel applications, such as ballistic field-effect transistor, chemical and biological sensors, and flexible thin film electronics, will be discussed.

W10 - Wat - Tang, PHY 313 M,W,F 4:30-5;20pm (combined with undergraduate course)

To be provided

F10 - ML - Preuss, T 7:00-9;20pm

Course Outline: This course will provide an introduction into the principles of hetero- and homogeneous catalysis as effected by man-made and typically metal-based catalysts. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of catalysis, the elucidation of catalytic mechanism by various techniques and important applications of catalysis in industrial processes and their socio-economic importance will be discussed.

Tentative topics of lectures (12 Weeks):

1. What is Catalysis ? – Concepts, Definitions, Environmental Relevance and a Historic Perspective.

2. Principles, Composition and Reactivity Patterns of Heterogeneous Catalysts – Metals, Promoters, Supports, Surfaces and Defects.

3. Principles, Composition and Reactivity Patterns of Homogeneous Catalysts – 1. Rational Design, the Role of Ligands and Wilkinson’s Catalyst.

4. Enzymes as Catalysts.

5. Kinetic Analysis of Catalytic Reactions for the Elucidation of Mechanisms.

6. Solid Acid/Base Catalysts: Cracking and Reforming of Fossil Carbon Resources.

7. Industrially Important Heterogeneous Hydrogenation and Oxidation Catalysts.

8. The Wacker Process, Fischer-Tropsch Chemistry and Hydroformylation as 1. Examples of Industrially Important Homogeneously Catalyzed Processes.

9. Catalytic Carbon-Carbon Bond Formations.

10. Nobel Prizes for Homogeneous Catalysis: From Knowles to Grubbs.

11. Student Lectures.

1.2 Student Lectures.



F10 - TBA - Schlaf, ROZH-106/C2-278 W 7:00-9;20pm (combined with undergraduate course)

Course Outline:

TThis course will examine, in detail, the X-ray structure determination. An introduction about the nature of X-ray radiation and its use for the X-ray diffraction will be discussed, including Laue group, Bragg’s law, Miller indices, plane, reciprocal lattice, Ewald sphere and the different X-ray diffraction techniques. We will study the basics of crystallography such as the unit cell, crystal systems, Bravais lattices, symmetry elements, point groups and space groups (the consequences of applying translational symmetry to point groups), etc. Stereographic projection of point groups and the nomenclature of space group tables will be included. We will determine also the systematic absences of the space groups and symmetry elements, using the structure factor and Fourier syntheses.

The second part of the course will concentrate on solving the phase problem, using the heavy atom (Patterson) method or direct method.

In the third part of the course, we will discuss the different methods for crystal growth: (from solution, melt, in the gas phase).

The last part of the course will focus on crystal data collection, data reduction and structure refinement, which will be illustrated with examples from all synthetic disciplines (inorganic, organometallic and organic).



W10 - Wat - Assoud, B2-350 M,W,F 9:30-10:20am

Chemistry 720 is an intensive course on special topics in Analytical Atomic Spectroscopy. Material to be covered varies with each course-offering and it is drawn from current research. This special topics course may be particularly useful to those interested in analytical atomic spectroscopy.

An example outline of what was covered in previous offerings of this course is given below.

A. Signal processing in analytical atomic spectrometry

B. Instrumentation for optical emission spectrometry

C. Instrumentation for mass spectrometry (with particular emphasis on ICP-MS)

D. Theory of atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS)

E. Fundamentals of sources for atomic spectroscopy (e.g., flames and plasmas in particular)

- Plasmas: thermodynamic equillibria and deviations from it

- Temperature, electron concentrations, Boltzmann and Saha equations

- Mixed-gas plasmas

F. Sample introduction systems for atomic spectrometry (with emphasis on ICPs)

- Liquid samples

- Solids

- Liquid or solid micro-samples

G. Micro-miniaturization in analytical atomic spectrometry

W10 - ML -  karanassios, M,W,F 12:30-1:20pm (combined with undergraduate course)

To be provided

S10 - ML - Lipkowski, T,Th 8:30-9:50am

The underlying principles of enzymatic catalysis (with examples) will be discussed along with discussion of techniques that are applied to this area. This course differs from another course that I teach, Chem 731 Enzyme Mechanisms, which is entirely focused on the chemical (arrow-pushing) aspects of EC 1-6 enzymes with much less emphasis on protein structure. Chem 737 focuses more on the protein itself and how the protein or biomolecular structure contributes to catalysis, although by necessity the chemical mechanism of example enzymes will be discussed.

W10 - ml - Honek, T,Th 8:30-9:50am(combined with undergraduate course)

To be provided

F10 - ML - Meiering, W 7:00-9;20pm

A scientific revolution is brewing: the quantum information revolution. Quantum mechanics first revolutionized science in the early part of the last century, but it was only realized a couple of decades ago that quantum nature of reality allows devices to be constructed that should be astonishingly more powerful information processors than their classical counterparts. We could, in principle, one day use a quantum computer to exactly simulate a process as large and complex as protein folding - a problem that is intractable classically, but becomes manageable on a sufficiently large quantum processor. In this course we will examine what quantum information is, how it is encoded in the states of physical systems, and how it can be manipulated (quantum control) to yield quantum advantages in various applications such as computing, sensing, spectroscopy, ultrafast laser chemistry, and more. Examples of physical systems we will study include: ion and atom traps; femtosecond laser chemistry; nuclear magnetic resonance; quantum dots (artificial atoms).

W10 - ML - Baugh, T,Th 1:00-2:20pm (combined with undergraduate course)

Course Outline

1. Potential Energy Surfaces. Born-Oppenheimer Approximation. Stationary Points. Geometry Optimization. Characterization Stationary Points. Zero Point Vibrational Energy.

2. Ab initio Molecular Orbital Theory. Orbital Approximation. Slater Determinants. Hartree-Fock Approximation. Coulomb and Exchange Integrals. Coulomb and Exchange Operators. Fock Operator. Hartree-Fock Equations. Koopmans’ Theorem. Brillouin’s Theorem. Basis Set Expansion. Gaussian Basis Sets.

3.Configuration Interaction. Dynamical and Non-dynamical Electron Correlation. Excited Slater Determinants. CI Matrix Elements. Møller-Plesset Perturbation Theory.

4.Density Functional Theory. Historical Introduction. Hohenberg-Kohn Theorems. Kohn-Sham Equations. Exchange Correlation Potentials. Local Density Approximation. Gradient Corrections. Hybrid methods. Performance of DFT.

5.Representation of Electronic Excited States. ZINDO, Configuration Interaction Singles, CIS. Time Dependent Density Functional Theory, TDDFT.

W10 - ml - Goddard, T 7:00-9:30pm

Course Outline: Basic survey of the fundamental concepts and principles of various advanced techniques used in Surface Science for studying the physical, electronic, optical and other properties of surfaces and nanoscale materials. Survey of the recent (selected) new developments in the exciting multidisciplinary field of Nanotechnology.

W10 - ML - Leung, T,Th 8:30-9:50am (combined with undergraduate course)

This course covers many advanced topics in the principle, fabrication, and applications of bioelectronics involving nanotechnology. The students will be introduced to the fundamental building blocks of bioelectronics, strategies for fabrication/organization of micro/nanostructures, and design/characterization of the bio-interfaces. Frontier research in the field of bioelectronics and applications (e.g. biosensors, implantables, cell culture analog, biological computers), especially advancements enabled by nanotechnology, will be reviewed at the conclusion.

W10 - Wat - Tang, PHY 313 T,Th 2:30-3:50pm (combined with undergraduate course)

To be provided

S10 - ML - Radovanovic, T,Th 10:00-11:20am

To be provided

F10 - ML - Chong, Th 7:00-9:30pm

To be provided

F10 - TBA - Auzanneau, ROZH-106/C2-278 T,Th 7:00-8:20pm(combined with undergraduate course)

The goal of this course is to provide discussions of modern spectropscopic techniques in the context of structure determination in organic chemistry. After a brief review of spectroscopic and spectrometric concepts that are normally discussed in undergraduate core courses in organic chemistry more advanced topics in mass spectromery, IR spectroscopy and NMR spectrometry will be presented. The discussions will be largely non-mathematical and, hence, the theoretical aspects of the course are presented in a non-rigorous fashion.

The focus will be on acquiring skills in solving structural problems commonly encountered in organic chemical research using modern spectroscopic and spectrometric methods.

W10 - ML - Dmitrienko, Th 7:00-9:30pm

Course Outline:

1. The glassy state and the glass transition: Phenomenology. Free volume, thermodynamic and kinetic theories. Plasticization, molecular weight, cross-linking effects, blending. Structure-property correlations. Dynamic mechanical properties, glassy state relaxations.

2. Rubber elasticity: Phenomenology, stress-strain measurements. Quantitative treatment of rubber elasticity: thermodynamic and statistical approaches. Affine and phantom network deformation. Cross-linking, swelling, fillers.

3. Viscoelasticity and flow: Stress relaxation, creep experiments. Mechanical models, element distributions. Boltzmann’s superposition principle. Time-temperature correspondence principle. Static and dynamic moduli, interrelations. Non-linear viscoelasticity. Structural effects: molecular weight, polydispersity, etc. Molecular theories of viscoelasticity.

4. The crystalline state: Crystallization thermodynamics, crystallite structure. Effect of diluents, copolymerization, cross-linking, other factors. Crystallization kinetics. Polymer single crystals, chain folding mechanisms. Supermolecular structure, effects on mechanical properties.

5. Scaling concepts in polymer physics: Reptation time, intrinsic viscosity, polymer coil dimensions as a function of solvent quality.

W10 - ml - Duhamel, W 7:00-9:30pm

To be provided

F10 - TBA - Gauthier, T,Th 8:30-9:50am

To be provided

F10 - Wat - Gauthier, C2-361 T 7:00-9:30pm

A written literature review and research proposal on the chosen thesis topic will be presented and defended in a 30-minute public seminar. This requirement is to be completed by all M.Sc students completing their degree by thesis, within two terms of entering the program.

W10 - Gue - Penner
S10 - Gue - Penner
W10 - Wat - Chong
S10 - Wat - Chong

A public seminar on the chosen thesis topic to be given by all Ph.D. students in the regular program in the second term of entering the program. For Co-op Ph.D. students, this seminar is to be presented within six terms of their return from work year.

W10 - Gue - Penner
S10 - Gue - Penner
W10 - Wat - Supervisor
S10 - Wat - Supervisor

Ph.D. students are required to take an oral examination in their major field. The specific content and format are specified by a Centre Examining Committee. The examination must be first attempted no later than 6 weeks after presenting their 795 Ph.D. seminar. For Co-op Ph.D. students, the examination must be first attempted no later than 4 months after their return from work year.

W10 - W/G - Managed through the GWC² Director's office
S10 - W/G - Managed through the GWC² Director's office

A study of a selected topic in chemistry or biochemistry, by students in the part-time course-based M.Sc. option. The project must be an experimental one, completed by working for one term in the laboratory of a (GWC)2 faculty member. A written report is required, and a seminar based on the content of the report will be presented.

W10 - W/G - See your graduate officer
S10 - W/G - See your graduate officer

M.Sc. Thesis and Defense

W10 - W/G - See your graduate officer
S10 - W/G - See your graduate officer

Ph.D. Thesis and Defense

W10 - W/G - See your graduate officer
S10 - W/G - See your graduate officer