See the latest Faculty Handbook for a description of courses and their method of evaluation.
The following list indicates the courses that may be taught in 2007/2008:
SEMESTER I SEMESTER II
CHEM0901 (C06J) - Preliminary Chemistry A
CHEM1901 (C10J) - Introductory Chemistry A
CHEM2001 (C20J) - Chemical Analysis I
CHEM2101 (C21J) - Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM2201 (C22J) - Spectroscopy, Mechanisms and Aromatic Systems
CHEM2301 (C23J) - Physical Chemistry
CHEM2501 (C25J) - Biotechnology in the Chemical and Food Industries
CHEM2502 (C25P) - Food Processing Techniques
CHEM2601 (C26Q) - Environmental Chemistry
CHEM3103 (C31N) - Advanced Materials Chemistry
CHEM3203 (C32N) - Organic Chemistry in Medicine and Agriculture
CHEM3302 (C33K) - Chemistry of Polymers
CHEM3401 (C34J) - Project Evaluation and Management for Science Based Industries
CHEM0902 (C06K) - Preliminary Chemistry B
CHEM1902 (C10K) - Introductory Chemistry B
CHEM3001 (C30J) - Chemical Analysis II
CHEM3101 (C31J) - Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM3201 (C32J) - Organic Synthesis, Biomolecules and Stereochemistry
CHEM3301 (C33J) - Physical Chemistry
CHEM3102 (C31M) - Metal Ions in Solution
CHEM3202 (C32K) - The Chemistry of Organic Natural Products
CHEM3303 (C33M) - Properties of Matter
CHEM3402 (C34M) - The Chemical Industries
CHEM3403 (C34Q) - Chemical Process Principles
CHEM3501 (C35Q) - Food and Flavour Chemistry
CHEM3701/2/3 (C37J/C37K/C37Q) - Research Projects
In all Chemistry Courses (unless otherwise stated) practical work will be assessed throughout the semester and will contribute to the candidate's final mark. Unsatisfactory performance in the practical component of any course may lead to failure in that course.

C06J - PRELIMINARY CHEMISTRY A (6P credits) CHEM0901 C06K - PRELIMINARY CHEMISTRY B (6P credits) CHEM0902
Pre-requisite: CXC Chemistry Grade III or better.

Syllabus:
Introduction to Chemistry. Atomic theory of matter. Electronic configuration of the elements. The Periodic Table and related studies. The mole concept and stoichiometry. Chemical bonding and molecular geometry. The characteristics and properties of matter. Properties of solutions. Chemical Energetics - the First Law of Thermodynamics; Enthalpy and its calculation. The chemistry of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons.
Practical: 60 hours of practical work.
Pre-requisite: CXC Chemistry Grade III or better.

Syllabus:
Properties and Reactivity of Main Group Elements and their compounds. Transition Metal Elements and their compounds. Coordination compounds. Principles of Electrochemistry. Kinetics - rates of chemical reactions. Chemical Equilibrium and its application. A functional group approach to the chemistry of organic compounds - alkyl halides, alcohols, ethers, carbonyl compounds, carboxylic acids and their derivatives and amines.
Practical: 60 hours of practical work.
C10J - INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY A (6 credits) C10K - INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY B (6 credits)
Pre-requisite: C06J and C06K or 'A' level Chemistry or CAPE Chemistry.

Syllabus:
Introductory analytical chemistry, theory of neutralization titrations, titration curves, spectrophotometry.
Atomic theory. Interactions between atoms, ions and molecules. Crystal structures and symmetry elements. The Born-Haber cycle. Molecular Orbital theory for homo- and heteronuclear diatomic molecules.
Energetics and Molecular Strucure, heat capacity variation with temperature, wave behaviour in molecules, Boltzmann distribution, origin of molecular spectra.
A mechanistic approach to aliphatic and aromatic Chemistry.
Practical: 60 hours of practical work.

Pre-requisite: C06J and C06K or 'A' level Chemistry or CAPE Chemistry.

Syllabus:
A detailed study of Main Group elements based on their position in the Periodic Table. The properties of oxygen and its compounds. Coordination compounds of First Row Transition Elements and their stereochemical features. Introduction to Crystal Field Theory. Stability of metal complexes. Isomerism.
Thermodynamics - introduction to meaning and uses of Internal Energy, Enthalpy, Entropy and Gibbs Energy to ideal gas processes and chemical reactions. Electro-chemistry of cells, Nernst Equation. Kinetics; order, molecularity and rate equations. Enthalpy and Entropy of activation.
Synthesis and Reactions of functionalised organic compounds. Introduction to Aromatic Chemistry.
Practical: 60 hours of practical work.


ADVANCED COURSES Courses required for a Chemistry Major are as follows:
C20J, C21J, C22J, C23J, C31J, C32J and C33J and another four (4) credit course.

C 20J - CHEMICAL ANALYSIS I (4 credits) C 30J - CHEMICAL ANALYSIS II (4 credits)
Pre-requisites: C10J and C10K
Syllabus:
Statistical methods and their use in laboratory management. Types of errors, rejection of data, means and standard deviations and their use in testing analytical results and methods, quality control charts. Oxidation-reduction titrations and an introduction to the use of electrodes in analytical chemistry as illustrated by the pH electrode. Other ion selective electrodes. An introduction to spectroscopic methods as illustrated by Molecular Spectroscopy, including fluorescence in the UV/VIS region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The components of Spectrometers. Applications of such methods. An introduction to Chromatography. General chromatographic principles of separation. An introduction to gas chromatography including instrumentation. Some illustrations of applications of Gas Chromatography
A practical course of 36 hours.

Co-requisite: C20J and Permission required
Syllabus:
Classical Methods. Gravimetric methods of analysis. The properties of electrolytes and their effects on solubility. Properties of colloids. Practical methods.
Analytical Methods for Metals. Atomic Absorption, Emission and Fluoresence Spectroscopies. Basic experiments and instrumentation. Methods of atomisation and practical considerations. X-ray Fluoresence Spectroscopy: courses and detectors, sample preparation, interpretation of spectra-interferences and enhancements. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis: the basic experiment, instrumentation, applications and limitations.
Chromatography: A review of the principles of chromatography. Sampling for chromatography. Further applications of GC, GC detectors. Liquid chromatography: HPLC in its various forms, instrumentation, columns, detectors. GC-MS and other hyphenated systems.
The analysis of real samples. The analysis of trace vs major components. Sampling theory, contamination, and errors associated with sampling. Inter-laboratory calibration/testing exercises. The Professional Analyst.
A practical course of 36 hours.
C 21J - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY (4 credits) C 31J - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY (4 credits)
Pre-requisites: C10J and C10K
Syllabus:
Structure and Bonding: Review of Crystal Field Theory. Ligand Field theory. Spectroscopic and Magnetic properties of complexes. Chemistry of transition metals. Mechanisms of inorganic reactions. Substitution and electron transfer reactions. Transition metal organometallics: metal carbonyls, metal alkyls, cyclopentadienyl and arene complexes. Catalysis.
Practical: 36 hours of practical work.
Pre-requisites: C10J and C10K
Syllabus:
Structure and Bonding. Introduction to Group Theory - Symmetry elements and operations. Point groups. Construction of character tables. Application of Group Theory to Bonding. Energy level of diagrams for octahedral transition metal complexes. Main Group elements: Hydrogen and its Compounds, Oxides and oxyacids. Halogens and Halides. Main Group organometallic compounds.
Practical: 36 hours of practical work.
C 22J - SPECTROSCOPY, CARBANIONS AND AROMATIC SYSTEMS (4 credits) C 32J - ORGANIC SYNTHESIS, MECHANISM AND STEREOCHEMISTRY (4 credits)
Pre-requisites: C10J and C10K
Syllabus:
The application of spectroscopic techniques in organic chemistry: electronic, infrared, proton and carbon-13 magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry. Their utility in elucidating the structure of organic compounds.
Carbocyclic and heterocyclic aromatic compounds. Review of the concept of aromaticity. Electrophilic and nucleuphilic substitution in benzenoid systems. Polycyclic aromatic compounds - napthalene, anthracene and phenanthrene. Selected reactions of simple heterocycles. Overview of the main types of organic reactions - substitution, addition, elimination, cyclization. Reaction mechanisms and methods of determining them. Generation, structure and fate of reactive intermediates (carbocations and carbanions). The role of carbanions in carbon-carbon bond formation - reactions of enolate ions and organometallic compounds. Diels Alder reactions.
Practical: 36 hours of practical work.
Pre-requisites:
CHEM 2201 (C22J) (Pass or Fail but not Fail Absent)
Syllabus:
Target oriented organic synthesis. An introduction to retrosynthetic analysis. Reagents and methods for effecting carbon-carbon single and double bond formation, oxidation, reduction and cyclization. Mechanisms of carbo-cation and related rearrangements, substitution and elimination reactions. Stereochemistry of organic molecules. Static and dynamic aspects. The chemistry of carbohydrates- the synthesis and properties of mono- and disaccharides. The chemistry of amino acids, peptides and proteins.
Practical: 36 hours of practical work.
C 23J - PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY (4 credits) C 33J - PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY (4 credits)
Pre-requisites:
C 10J and C 10K
Syllabus:
Kinetic factors influencing the rates of chemical change in complex reacting systems. Theories of reaction rates. Methods of determining the rates of fast reactions.
Quantum Mechanics - Existence and occupation of discrete energy levels; properties of orbitals in atoms and molecules.
Polymers, Colloids and Surfaces - Kinetic models for chain and stepwise polymerisation. Methods of determining the relative molar mass (RMM) of polymers. The relationship between RMM and properties of polymers. Adsorption of gases of solid surfaces. Determination of surface areas of absorbents.
A practical course of 36 hours.
Pre-requisites:
C 10J and C10K
Syllabus:
Thermodynamics of open systems. Chemical potentials, application to ideal gases, liquid mixtures (ideal and regular solutions). Electrochemical theories of ion-ion interactions. Cell potentials and their applications. Spectroscopy and Photochemistry. Rotational, vibrational and Raman spectroscopy for diatomic and non-linear molecules. UV/visible spectra for diatomic molecules - electronic transitions; dissociation energies, Franck-Condon principle. Collisional processes and energy changes in electronically excited atoms and molecules.
A practical course of 36 hours.
C 31N ADVANCED MATERIALS CHEMISTRY (4 Credits) C 31M METAL IONS IN SOLUTION (4 Credits)
Pre-requisities:
C 21J and C 31J
Syllabus:
Classification of solids. Materials characterization techniques and processing. Phosphors and Lasers - Properties, preparations and structures. Alloys - Preparations, structures and applications. Ceramics - Preparations and structural chemistry. Superconductors, electro-optics and semiconductors. Biomaterials - space filling models, scaffolding materials. Electrode Materials - Transition metal oxides, carbon and graphite electrodes. Zeolites - Preparations, structures and applications.
A practical course of 36 hours.
Pre-requisites:
C 21J and permission of HOD
Syllabus:
Solubility and the nature of solvents. The environment of metal ions in solution - studies using spectroscopic and non-spectroscopic techniques. Metal ions in mixed solvents - transfer chemical potentials and ground state-transition state solvation studies. Redox potentials of cations. Acidity of aquocations. Polymerisation of aquocations. Reaction mechanisms involving coordinated metal ions-substitution reactions. Electron transfer reactions.
A practical course of 36 hours.
C 32N ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IN MEDICINE AND AGRICULTURE (4 Credits) C 32K THE CHEMISTRY OF ORGANIC NATURAL PRODUCTS (4 Credits)
Pre-requisite:
C 22J
Syllabus:
The synthesis of organic compounds of medicinal and agricultural interest. General principles of drug action; Structure-Activity Relationships; Principles of drug design. Synthetic approaches to selected pharmacologically active compounds e.g. sulphonamides, pyrimidines, penicillins, central nervous system drugs - tranquillizers, antidepressants, hallucinogens. Insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, growth regulators. Natural products used in medicine and agriculture.
A practical course of 36 hours.
Pre-requisite:
C 22J
Syllabus:
General Biosynthesis. Determination of metabolic pathways. Mechanism of enzyme reactions; coenzymes and cofactors; overview of primary metabolism; isotopic labelling and incorporation methods. Aspects of classification, reactions, synthesis and biosynthesis: Monosaccharides and their derivatives; oligosaccharides. Alkaloids, penicillins, cephalosporins. Polyketides, macrolides, prostaglandins and leucotrienes. Iso prenoids; Steroids. The functions and uses of natural products.
A practical course of 36 hours.
C 33K CHEMISTRY OF POLYMERS (4 Credits) C 33M PROPERTIES OF MATTER (4 Credits)
Pre-requisite:
C23J and C33J
Syllabus:
Polymers - Classification, synthesis, molar mass and distribution. Step-growth polymerisation, control of molar mass. Free radical addition polymerisation; Initiators and terminators, chain growth. Steady state kinetics. Thermodynamics of radical polymerisation. Cationic and anionic polymerisation-general characteristics. Copolymerisation, block copolymers, graft copolymers, ionomers. Stereochemical features of polymerisation. Polymers in solution. Crystalline, amorphous and elastomeric states. Structure - property relationships.
A practical course of 36 hours.
Pre-requisite:
C 23J and C 33J
Syllabus:
The structure of solids, liquids and gases. The properties of surfaces and colloids. Intermolecular forces, van der Waals interactions equations of state for non-ideal gases. Structure of solids. X-ray diffraction for determining structure. Structure of liquids. Electrical properties of solids and liquids, polarizability, refractive index, optical activity. Magnetic properties. Transport properties, Surface Chemistry, Thermodynamics of surfaces. Modern methods for studying surfaces. Kinetics of surface reactions.
A practical course of 36 hours.
C 25J BIOTECHNOLOGY IN THE CHEMICAL AND FOOD INDUSTRIES (4 Credits) C 34M THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES (4 Credits)
Pre-requisite:
C10J and C10K AND Permission required.
Syllabus:
Industrial fermentation. Fermentation kinetics. Fermentor design and operation. Food processing plant sanitation and food spoilage. Selected food and animal feed produced by the action of microorganisms. Biogas.
A practical course of 36 hours.
Pre-requisites:
Any two of C20J, C21J, C22J or C23J (Pass or Fail but not Failed Absent).
Syllabus:
One of the Bauxite to Alumina, Cement or Glass industries AND one of the Sugar, Petroleum or Forestry Industries: raw materials, major unit operations and the flow of materials through and chemical changes within them, products and possible alternatives, product quality assurance methods, possible future and developments, local and global relevance, environment issues. The Global and Caribbean Chemical Industries.
Practical work is in the form of satisfactory participation in an approved work study programme.
C 25P FOOD PROCESSING TECHNIQUES (8 Credits) C 35Q FOOD AND FLAVOUR CHEMISTRY (8 Credits)
Pre-requisite:
C10J and C10K and Permission needed
Preference will be given to students majoring in Food Chemistry.
Syllabus:
Unit operations of the food industry. HACCP. The techniques for processing meat, fish and poultry, fruit and vegetables and dairy. Thermal processing, freezing, juices and concentrates, jams and jellies, irradiation, frying, pickling, curing and smoking of meats, preservatives. Water relations in food processing, drying and dehydration. Enzymes in food processing. Packaging. New technologies.
A practical course of 72 hours.
Pre-requisite:
C22J and Permission required.
Co-requisite:
C32J
Syllabus:
Syllabus: The Chemistry and nutritional significance of the major food constituents (lipids, proteins, carbohydrates). Enzymes. Vitamins and minerals required for health. Food additives and flavourings. Naturally occuring toxicants in foods. Food contaminants.
A practical course of 72 hours.
C 26Q ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY (8 Credits) C 37J RESEARCH PROJECT (4 Credits)
Pre-requisite:
C10J and C10K AND Permission required.
Students are strongly recommended to read C20J and C30J before entering this course.
Syllabus:
A study of the important processes and reactions in the environment by a consideration of:
(a) the biogeochemical cycles of the major, minor and trace elements showing sources and dispersion processes;
(b) the divisions into lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere; and
(c) the interactions between man and the environment (including pollution control).
A study of corrosion by a consideration of:
(a) metallic corrosion
(i) in gaseous environments, and
(ii) in aqueous environments;
(b) degradation of materials other than metals;
(c) corrosion protection.
A practical course of 72 hours.
Available for semesters 1,2 and 3
Pre-requisites:
C20J, C21J, C22J, C23J, C31J, C32J, C33J AND Permission required.
Syllabus:
Research methods and Ethics. Use of the chemical literature. Experiment design. Advanced instrumental and chemical investigation techniques. Preparation of scientific reports. Investigation of an approved topic with oral and written reporting of results.
One 7-hour laboratory session per week for 12 weeks
C 34J PROJECT EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT FOR SCIENCE BASED INDUSTRIES (4 Credits) C 34Q CHEMICAL PROCESS PRINCIPLES (8 Credits)
This course is only available to students majoring in Applied Chemistry, Food Chemistry or to students who do not have any Management Studies courses and are majoring in areas which have an industrial direction and have the approval of the Department within which they are majoring.
Co-requisite:
C34M or C25P or approved courses from departments other than Chemistry.
Syllabus:
A general introduction to macro- and microeconomics with special emphasis on the role of the Process Industries Sector in industry and the economy. Project Evaluation. The cost elements involved in the procurement of raw materials, costs incurred in processing. Product sales, prices, sales volume, return on investment and payback period in relation to the economic life of process plants. Management in Small Enterprises. Opportunities and roles. Organization. Production. Marketing. General Policy.
This course is only available to Applied Chemistry (as a requirement) and Food Chemistry (as an elective) majors.
Pre-requisite:
C23J and Permission required.
Co-requisite:
C33J
Syllabus:
Process Material Balances. Transfer Operations and Separation Processes. Applied Thermodynamics and Kinetics.
A practical course of 72 hours.