Inorganic Chemistry Focus Area
Contact Person: Dr. David Herbert
Description:
Inorganic Chemistry is one of the traditional pillars of the chemical sciences. Interest in this
exciting area has exploded recently as more and more applications are discovered that make use
of the fascinating properties and reactivity of molecules and materials containing inorganic
elements. These include the production of polymers, plastics, paints, fertilizers, fragrances and
pharmaceuticals (catalysis and coordination chemistry); new materials for nanotechnology
(glasses, crystalline ionic solids, polymers, structure and bonding); water treatment and
advances in fuel cells, batteries, solar cells and renewable energy (electrochemistry, semiconductors, magnetic and optical materials), medical treatments and imaging (nuclear
chemistry, radioactivity and bioinorganic chemistry) and many more.
Behind each new discovery and application lies the fundamental knowledge that forms the core
of the inorganic focus area. In addition, to successfully understand the properties and reactivity at
play across the periodic table, inorganic chemists employ advanced characterization techniques,
including multi-nuclear NMR spectroscopy, magnetometry, electrochemistry, UV-Vis and
IR spectroscopy, diffraction methods (X-ray and neutron) and computational modeling.
Thanks to their unique and wide-ranging skillsets and a keen knack for problem solving, B.Sc.,
M.Sc. and Ph.D. chemists with training inorganic chemistry tend to be employed in a range of
different areas, such as large-scale chemical industry, the high tech sector, “green” technology
companies, governmental laboratories, industrial and materials research laboratories, patent
offices and intellectual property law firms, and education.
Students interested in the Inorganic Focus Area should have a broad interest in both
fundamental and applied chemistry and be excited to work in interdisciplinary environments. By
participating in the Inorganic Focus Area, students will develop a deep understanding of
periodic trends, chemical structure and bonding, a strong foundation in advanced
characterization techniques such as spectroscopy and diffraction, and have the opportunity to
study a wide range of areas from synthetic chemistry, materials and catalysis to computational
applications.
Questions? Contact Dr. David Herbert (570 Parker, [email protected])
!
Course Requirements
To participate in the Inorganic Focus Area, 27 credit hours in addition to the core courses
required in the Chemistry Majors/Honours program should be selected as follows:
(Courses are highlighted as “molecules” or “materials” streams, though any combination of
these courses may be taken to meet the Inorganic Focus area requirements)
18 credit hours from:
CHEM3390
CHEM4680
CHEM4570
CHEM4570
CHEM4570
CHEM4802
CHEM3360
Structural Transformations in Organic Chemistry
Organometallics
Topics in Inorganic Chemistry: Catalysis and Small Molecule Activation
Topics in Inorganic Chemistry: Bioinorganic Chemistry
Topics in Inorganic Chemistry: Inorganic Materials
Topics in Analytical Chemistry: Materials Characterization
Elementary Quantum Chemistry and Molecular Bonding
+ 9 credit hours from recommended electives (3000/4000 level):
CHEM3580 Methods in Physical Organic Chemistry
CHEM4660 Computational Chemistry
CHEM4690 Specific Methods in Organic Synthesis
CHEM3370 Symmetry, Spectroscopy and Structure
CHEM3490 Introduction to Polymers
BIOE3320 Engineering Properties of Biological Materials
PHYS2210 Understanding Electricity and Magnetism