This course focuses on nuances of scientific writing, using critical assessment to begin to formulate good writing practices and deliver well-structured compositions suitable for scientific publication. Students will be properly introduced to the peer-review environment, the varying philosophies behind its execution, and the ‘how to’ of peer review. These tools in critical thinking will then form the basis for discussions and approaches to writing scientifically. We will then systematically breakdown the different sections of a research paper to understand how to best present “the research story”.

Advanced electronic structures methods for many-electron molecular systems. This course will cover the fundamentals of quantum many-body theory applied to the electronic structure of molecules from a quantum chemist's point of view. Topics discussed are: solution methods to 1-body problems (hydrogen atom and harmonic oscillator), approximation to the wave function (perturbation theory and the variational principle), 1st and 2nd quantization, Configuration Interaction, single-reference approximations (Hartree-Fock & Density Functional Theory), contemporary methods for strong electron correlation (Coupled Cluster, DMRG, ...).

This course will involve a discussion and analysis of recent advances in organic electronic devices, polymers, molecular switches, and other organic materials.

This course will involve a discussion of some of the most important synthetic methods that have been developed in the past 20 years.

An introduction to asymmetric synthesis with an emphasis on carbon-carbon bond formation.

An introduction to stereoelectronic effects, including applications to conformational analysis and organic reactivity.

An introduction to molecular modelling with an emphasis on the uses of molecular mechanics in organic and medicinal chemistry.

An introduction to determining the structure, stereochemistry and conformation of organic compounds using NMR spectroscopy.

Advanced topics in physical chemistry.

The synthesis, characterization, and properties of materials including metals, semiconductors, polymers, and ceramics. Connection of the properties (e.g., optical, electrical, magnetic, thermal, and mechanical) of materials to crystallographic structures and chemical composition with emphasis on doping to design efficient materials for renewable energy applications. The lab component will introduce the art of glass blowing, solid-state synthesis, and crystal structure determination using X-ray crystallography.