Chemistry

CHEM 360 is the continuation of CHEM 350: Organic Chemistry I. Together, the two courses provide a comprehensive introduction to organic chemistry at the second-year university level. CHEM 360 deals with the chemistry of carbon compounds through a study of the characteristic reactions of the common functional groups. The chemistry of alcohols, ethers, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids and their derivatives, carbohydrates, and amines are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on the study of reaction mechanisms, in an attempt to show similarities between apparently unrelated reactions. The importance of stereochemistry is stressed throughout the course. In addition to the compulsory units in the course, students will complete one of the three optional units that are devoted to the study of compounds of biological or industrial importance, including amino acids, peptides and proteins; lipids; and nucleic acids. Further use of spectroscopy in the analysis of organic compounds is also included in the course. The compulsory laboratory component of CHEM 360 introduces the student to the basic techniques employed in modern organic chemistry laboratories. Experiments have been selected to illustrate many of the principles encountered in the theoretical part of the course.