The following courses are offered on a regular basis*
For a complete list of the courses being offered currently, please visit the Tulane Schedule of Classes.
Elementary quantum mechanics, quantum theory of molecular structure and bonding, fundamentals of spectroscopy.
First, Second, and Third Laws of thermodynamics, thermodynamic energy state functions, phases of pure substances, properties of mixtures, chemical equilibrium, equilibrium electrochemistry, statistical thermodynamics.
Periodic relationships, types of bonding, coordination complexes, acid-base concepts, inorganic reaction mechanisms.
Structural, chemical, and physical properties of organic compounds.
Properties of biological compounds, Bioenergetics, basic metabolic pathways, general biochemistry mechanisms.
Intermediary metabolism with emphasis on the integration of lipid, saccharide, and amino acid metabolism. Electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation.
The classical wave equation; the Schrödinger equation; principles of quantum mechanics; harmonic oscillator; rigid rotor; hydrogen atom; approximate methods: perturbation theory, variational principle.
Review of the principles of thermodynamics; canonical and other ensembles; Bose-Einstein, Fermi-Dirac, and Boltzmann statistics; non-interacting system; Monte Carlo methods; phase transitions, classical fluids; non-equilibrium systems.
Advanced topics in quantum chemistry and dynamics.
This introductory course in computational quantum chemistry will discuss selected topics of molecular modeling with an emphasis on quantum mechanical methods. The scope of this course incorporates ab initio methods, density functional theory, molecular mechanics, and semiempirical approaches. This course is set up for graduate-level requirements, but should be accessible to advanced undergraduates. Graduate-level quantum mechanics is not required, but a good undergraduate-level quantum chemistry background is expected.
Classical and quantum theory of radiation.
Selected topics in experimental and/or theoretical physical chemistry.
Descriptions of bonding theories as applied to inorganic systems. The course covers symmetry and group theory, crystal field theory, and generalized aspects of molecular orbital theory. Three hours of lecture per week.
The course discusses the primary reactions of transition metal, organometallic and main group compounds. Concepts of chemical kinetics are applied to inorganic substitution, isomerization, oxidation/reduction, catalysis and photochemistry. The theoretical framework associated with electron and atom transfer reactions is also presented.
The chemistry of compounds containing transition metal-carbon bonds. A survey of major classes of organotransition metal compounds, their bonding, and their reaction chemistry. The role of transition metal organometallic compounds in homogeneous catalysis. Three hours of lecture per week.
The chemistry of compounds containing main group metal-carbon bonds. A survey of major classes of organometallic compounds, their bonding, and their reaction chemistry. The role of main group organometallic compounds in organic synthesis and polymer chemistry. Three hours of lecture per week.
This course is a problem solving based course focusing on characterization of inorganic substances using methods common to Inorganic Chemistry including multinuclear NMR, ESR, Mass Spectrometry, IR, electrochemical methods, magnetic methods and other more specialized techniques.
Basic principles of single crystal x-ray diffraction and their applications to the determination of the structures of small molecules. Each student will collect x-ray data on a crystal and determine the structure of the molecule.
Photophysical processes, experimental methods, photochemistry of transition metal complexes, photosynthesis, solar photochemistry, photoinduced energy and electron transfer processes, photochromis.
The course will explore a variety of systems 0D (nanoparticles), 1D (nanotubes, nanoribbons), and 2D (nanosheets) using a number of illustrative examples, including gold and silica nanoparticles, silicon nanotubes, fullerenes, and graphenes. Emphasis will be placed on synthetic methods, characterization techniques, and applications.
The chemistry of metals in biology. An overview of the important metalloenzyme systems and other metallobiomolecules, such as O2 transport proteins. The course also covers inorganic pharmaceuticals and metal-based imaging agents in medicine. Three hours of lecture per week.
Biochemical and biophysical methods, mechanisms of enzyme catalysis, membrane structure and function, metabolic regulation, physical biochemistry, protein folding related topics.
This course focuses on the fundamentals of Organic Chemistry, including molecular orbital theory, thermochemistry/strain/stability, stereochemistry, acid/base chemistry, reactivity, kinetics, and catalysis. The course is designed to provide the theoretical foundation behind experimental synthetic chemisty.
This course covers the elementary theory and slightly more advanced interpretation of common instrumental methods employed by organic chemists. These include NMR spectroscopy (including some 2D, multinuclear, and dynamic NMR), mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallography, IR, UV, and EPR spectroscopy, and various chiroptical methods.
Structural determination, synthesis, and biosynthesis of both classical and modern natural product target molecules.
This course establishes a basic fundamental background for polymer chemists, including the major synthetic techniques for preparing polymers, the strengths and weakness of various techniques for determining molecular weight and structure, as well as correlation between polymer molecular structure and the resultant physical properties (and therefore useful applications).
This course focuses on a variety of aspects of supramolecular chemistry. It includes the fundamental physical chemistry important to the field and a review of the current state-of-the-art. The course also includes hands-on experience with analyzing supramolecular systems using spectroscopic and/or calorimetric approaches.
Design of syntheses for complex organic molecules. The strategies involved for constructing molecules with complex stereo and regio chemistry, while addressing issues of efficiency and yield.
This course provides a background to understanding the structure of nucleic acids and the forces involved in their binding and recognition. A particular focus involves the how to design sequences that enable binding, including topics such as using aptamers for selective binding and recognition.
Weekly seminars by visiting faculty and students.
