synopsis for phd in organic chemistry

Original Research Proposal – Organic

General layout for 4th year orp.

Overview . The goal of the ORP is to have students come up with an independent research proposal. Your ORP should focus on a big picture problem in chemistry. You should pull from multiple areas outside of your area of expertise (synthesis, catalysis, electrochemistry, photochemistry, chemical biology, polymer/materials) to address a contemporary and unsolved problem . Each specific aim should be independent on each other (this will be one of the metrics we will use to assess the ORP). The scope of the project should be that of a postdoctoral fellowship – something that can be accomplished in 2-3 years by one postdoc.

Specific Aims PreORP . You must first submit a one-page, single spaced description of the Specific Aims of your proposal (see formatting requirements below). Consider it an executive summary of your planned proposal. It should include significance (how it fits into the broader field and how it advances the field), innovation, and summary of research plan broken up into 2-3 specific aims. The aims should all focus on solving the problem you laid out, but should be independent of each other (e.g. if Aim 1 fails, Aim 2 is still feasible). This must be approved before writing the full proposal.

An excellent guide for writing specific aims can be found here .

ORP. Once your Specific Aims are approved, you must submit a max 12 page double spaced proposal (see formatting requirements below). It should contain the following sections: Significance, Innovation, and Research Plan. The research plan should be broken up into each of your specific aims, and should describe how you will accomplish them. At the end of each specific aim, you should describe potential problems and how you will address them. Include a concluding paragraph indicating what will be accomplished if the proposal is successful.

Formatting requirements : Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica. Font size 11 pt. Margins 1 in. Font color: black. Total length of document: Maximum 1 page single spaced for Specific Aims PreORP; 15 pages max double spaced for ORP. Alignment – Justify (i.e. straight edges like in journal articles). Figures should help to communicate the ideas in the proposal. Use ACS 1996 Template in Chemdraw.

Saving Files

For the ORP document: Last Name_ORP Year For the ORP Prep Proposal: Last Name_PreORP Year For the ORP Resubmission: Last Name_ORP Year_Resubmit#

Example: WilkersonHill_ORP2020 for the first draft  and WilkersonHill_ORP2020_Resubmit2 for the resubmit

4th year ORP Grading Rubric

Each proposal is reviewed by two faculty members who are not the student’s advisor. Anonymized feedback is returned to students within two months of submission. Proposals are graded Pass or Fail. A failed proposal may be revised and resubmitted up to one month after student notification.

Student name:

Proposal title:

Overall Impact

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following three scored review criteria.

Scored Review Criteria

Reviewers will consider each of the three review criteria below in the determination of scientific and technical merit, and give a separate score for each.

Final Ranking

PhD Program

Professor Wender discusses chemistry with his graduate students.

Doctoral study in chemistry at Stanford University prepares students for research and teaching careers with diverse emphases in basic, life, medical, physical, energy, materials, and environmental sciences.

The Department of Chemistry offers opportunities for graduate study spanning contemporary subfields, including theoretical, organic, inorganic, physical, biophysical and biomedical chemistry and more. Much of the research defies easy classification along traditional divisions; cross-disciplinary collaborations with Stanford's many vibrant research departments and institutes is among factors distinguishing this world-class graduate program.

The Department of Chemistry is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development.  This advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement with mutual respect by both the adviser and advisee.

• The adviser is expected to meet at least monthly with the graduate student to discuss on-going research.
• There should be a yearly independent development plan (IDP) meeting between the graduate student and adviser. Topics include research progress, expectations for completion of PhD, areas for both the student and adviser to improve in their joint research effort.
• A research adviser should provide timely feedback on manuscripts and thesis chapters.
• Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program.
• If there is a significant issue concerning the graduate student’s progress in research, the adviser must communicate this to the student and to the Graduate Studies Committee in writing.  This feedback should include the issues, what needs to be done to overcome these issues and by when.

Academic advising by Stanford faculty is a critical component of all graduate students' education and additional resources can be found in the  Policies and Best Practices for Advising Relationships at Stanford  and the  Guidelines for Faculty-Student Advising at Stanford .

Learn more about the program through the links below, and by exploring the research interests of the  Chemistry Faculty  and  Courtesy Faculty .

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

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Discover more about postgraduate research

PhD Organic Chemistry / Programme details

Year of entry: 2025

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Programme description

The Department of Chemistry offers research opportunities and projects in a wide range of research themes including biological chemistry and organic synthesis, computational and theoretical chemistry, materials chemistry, magnetic resonance and structural chemistry, radiochemistry and environmental chemistry, nanoscience, biochemistry, bioinformatics, biotechnology, genetics, gene expression, molecular biology, microbiology, structural biology, neuroscience, pharmacology, toxicology and biomolecular sciences.

The department boasts state-of-the-art facilties including new laboratories and equipment, and first-rate spectroscopic services support with each researcher supported by at least one supervisor and an advisor with pastoral responsibility.

In addition to superb research facilities, postgraduates in the department have a graduate common room and use of a computer cluster, and training in health and safety, fire fighting, library skills and written and oral presentation skills.

Additional programme information

Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities.

We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.

We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status.

We also support applications from those returning from a career break or other roles.

We consider offering flexible study arrangements (including part-time: 50%, 60% or 80%, depending on the project/funder), carer support funds for conferences, and peer support networks for parents and carers.

All appointments are made on merit. The University of Manchester and our external partners are fully committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Scholarships and bursaries

The Department has outstanding facilities to support both research and teaching.

It houses analytical tools to support chemistry-centric research and includes 11 high-resolution liquid NMR spectrometers and 1 solid state. X-ray crystallography is supported by one of the best-performing single crystal instruments in the world which approaches synchrotron level capability and is complemented with 3 other instruments and 1 powder XRD and 1 SAXS instrument. A suite of mass spectrometers including High/Low res capability, MALDI, GC-MS and HPLC/UPLC’s are available. Micro Analysis is also available providing ICP, CHNS.

The facilities are part of the faculty analytical platforms which provide researchers access to all analytical techniques available within The University of Manchester Faculty of Science and Engineering. This currently has over 1600 bookable instruments.

You can also hear from our current postgraduate researchers about their experiences by visiting our 'Life as a Researcher' page .

Disability support

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• KU School of Pharmacy
• Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)
• Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• Pharmacology & Toxicology
• Pharmacy Practice
• Neuroscience

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Medicinal Chemistry

The KU Department of Medicinal Chemistry provides Ph.D. students a strong foundation in organic and medicinal chemistry with flexibility for additional emphasis in aspects of biochemistry, pharmacology and other biological sciences.

Apply for Ph.D.

Ph.D. Program Overview

Standard ku graduate admission requirements —.

Students must meet all requirements for Graduate Admissions .

Prerequisites —

Previous degree requirement —.

B.S. or M.S. degree in pharmacy, medicinal chemistry, chemistry, biochemistry, or a closely-related field

Grade Point Average (GPA) —

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. 

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Scores —

• GRE General Test  is recommended but not required.
• GRE scores should be sent directly to the University of Kansas and to the Department of Medicinal Chemistry (codes: KU-6871, Medicinal Chemistry - 0621). 
• Although not mandatory, applicants are encouraged to also take the subject test in chemistry.

English Proficiency Requirements —

Non-native English speakers must demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing and listening via English Proficiency Scores from the TOEFL, IELTS or PTE test. See  KU's English Proficiency Requirements  for detailed information, including minimum score requirements. Request that the testing agency send your official scores directly to KU (codes: KU-6871, Pharmacy-47).

Time to Complete —

The program typically takes five years to complete. Required core graduate courses for students who meet standard requirements can be completed within the first two years of study. Students attend year-round with time off for holidays and vacations.

Minimum Enrollment —

Students enroll in at least 9 credit hours in both the fall and spring semesters and 6 hours in the summer. Students must take all required courses, even if that requires more than the minimum hours a given term. Students must be enrolled in at least 1 hour of thesis or dissertation research each term (MDCM 895 or 999), regardless of other coursework.

Foundational Prerequisite Courses —

One year of organic chemistry with laboratory (equivalent to CHEM 624, 625, 626, 627) and at least one course in physical chemistry (equivalent to CHEM 640, 646) and one course biochemistry (see note below).

Note About Biochemistry A one-semester survey course in biochemistry is acceptable if the student received a grade of B or better in the course OR if the student scores a 70 or better on the ACS Biochemistry placement exam given to entering graduate students in the fall (one try only will be allowed). If neither of these applies, the student will take one semester of biochemistry through the Department of Medicinal Chemistry (MDCM 701).

See Courses - Ph.D. for details about required coursework, safety training and academic standing.

Research Requirements —

Graduate degrees in medicinal chemistry are research-based and awarded only after a student has made a significant, in-depth contribution of new knowledge to the field in the form of research publications and the M.S. Thesis or the Doctoral Dissertation.

Academic Standing —

At the end of the first semester, continuance in the program is dependent upon satisfactory academic program progress.

Comprehensive Written Examination —

After the spring semester of year one, students take a comprehensive written examination and must score 70% or higher. A score of 50%-69% qualifies students for one additional attempt, which must occur before fall semester of year two. A score below 50% will typically result in dismissal.

Comprehensive Oral Examination —

Students take a comprehensive oral exam after the first two years of coursework. Successful completion results in the student attaining the status of doctoral candidate. A non-thesis M.S. degree is automatically awarded to all students after the successful completion of their oral comprehensive examination.

Seminar Presentations —

Students must prepare and present two seminars in the departmental seminar series. The first is the Literature Seminar (MDCM 798) and presented during the spring semester of year two. The second seminar is the research seminar (MDCM 799), during the fall semester of year four and highlights research progress.

Original Research Proposal —

As part of the “Proposal Preparation” course (MDCM 980), during the fall semester of year three, students prepare an original proposal (NIH format), and submit it to the faculty for evaluation. This proposal is based on the same topic as their literature seminar.  

Research Rotations —

Students perform two research rotations during the first semester and are assigned a research advisor, both for rotations and the final research group assignment. Assignments are based on student’s preference as well as the availability of funding and research space.

Student Self-Assessment —

Starting in the third year, students are required to complete a yearly self-assessment of their goals and progress toward those goals.

Dissertation Defense —

The final requirements for the Ph.D. degree are the preparation and defense of a dissertation based on the original laboratory research conducted by the student.

Safety Training —

Students must comply with training required by the KU Department of Environment, Health and Safety and the Department of Medicinal Chemistry. Training can include research seminars, hands-on training and online training. Safety training specific to assigned labs must also be completed before students are allowed to begin laboratory work.

Director of Graduate Studies Course Mark Farrell Associate Professor [email protected] 785-864-1610

Graduate Student Recruiting Application [email protected] 785-864-4495

KU Graduate Admissions [email protected] 785-864-3140

PhD in Chemistry

The PhD in chemistry is primarily a research degree. It is awarded to students who have displayed competence in planning and conducting original research in the field of chemistry, demonstrated a broad familiarity with the science of chemistry, understanding in the application of the scientific method, and gained a thorough knowledge of their field of specialization.

Students build a solid foundation in all four core areas of chemistry (analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical), and a thorough knowledge of their chosen field of specialization. In the first part of the PhD program, students take at least one formal classroom course in each the core areas of chemistry as outlined in the course requirements below. The courses must be completed successfully (B- or better) by the end of the third semester.

Since original research is the primary requirement for the PhD degree, a student selects a research supervisor and begins research before the end the first year. The student and research supervisor then select two faculty members to serve as the student's Doctoral Research Committee. The Committee, in conjunction with the student's research adviser, take over the advisory function from the graduate committee and guides the student's work to promote development as an independent investigator.

Thus, in addition to research each student must complete the following requirements:

• Service as a teaching assistant
• Regular progress updates with a faculty Research Committee
• A departmental seminar
• Defense of an original research proposal.
• Completion of a dissertation reporting significant work of publishable quality

Course Requirements

At least one of the following analytical chemistry courses:

• Chem 141: Instrumental Analysis
• Chem 142: Advanced Analytical Methods
• Chem 144: Spectroscopic Methods of Analysis
• Chem 145: Separation Science
• Chem 146: Electroanalytical Chemistry

At least one of the following inorganic chemistry courses: 

• Chem 161: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
• Chem 162: Chemistry of Transition Elements
• Chem 164: Bioinorganic Chemistry
• Chem 165: Physical Methods In Inorganic Chemistry

At least one of the following organic chemistry courses:

• Chem 150: Intermediate Organic Chemistry
• Chem 151: Physical Organic Chemistry
• Chem 152: Advanced Organic Synthesis

At least one of the following physical chemistry courses: 

• Chem 131: Statistical Thermodynamics
• Chem 132: Chemical Kinetics and Dynamics
• Chem 133: Quantum Mechanics
• Chem 134: Biophysical Chemistry
• Chem 136: Spectroscopy and Molecular Structure
• Chem 138: Atomic Scale Structure and Properties of Surfaces  
• Two additional classroom courses, exclusive of research, must be completed satisfactorily by the end of the fourth semester

We have 120 organic chemistry PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

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organic chemistry PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

Phd in chemistry: applications of main group lewis acids in synthetic organic chemistry, phd research project.

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

Self-Funded PhD Students Only

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Design and synthesis of chemical tools to interrogate cannabinoid receptors - synthetic, medicinal chemistry

Competition funded phd project (students worldwide).

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but potential funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Genome mining of novel antimicrobial natural products

Synthesis of macrocycles and medium-sized rings via new ring expansion approaches, unlocking organic chemical reaction prediction with limited-data machine learning, funded phd project (uk students only).

This research project has funding attached. It is only available to UK citizens or those who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years or more. Some projects, which are funded by charities or by the universities themselves may have more stringent restrictions.

Development of chemical probes to study Phytophthora

Stereoselective synthesis of mechanically chiral molecules for sensing and catalysis, non-thermal plasma as a chemical reagent: elucidating mechanism and exploring ntp for pharmaceutically relevant electroreductive reactions, competitive epsrc funded phd in chemistry: sustainable synthesis of antiviral and anticancer drugs through chemoenzymatic routes, designing next-generation urinary catheter materials for clean intermittent self-catheterisation through control of the urinary microbiome, computational modelling of mineral-organic binding in soil, sciences research opportunities at the university of east anglia, funded phd programme (students worldwide).

Some or all of the PhD opportunities in this programme have funding attached. Applications for this programme are welcome from suitably qualified candidates worldwide. Funding may only be available to a limited set of nationalities and you should read the full programme details for further information.

PhD Opportunities

PhD Opportunities highlight some of the specific PhD projects, programmes or other information currently available from a university.

Chemical Biology of the Genome and the Epigenome

The controlled synthesis of polycatenanes – mechanically interlocked materials with designer properties, competitive epsrc funded phd in chemistry: small molecule activation and valorisation using low-coordinate complexes.

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > Chemistry > Theses and Dissertations

Chemistry Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Effects of Diminazene Aceturate on Drosophila melanogaster : A Lipidomic Analysis , Gabriela Suarez

Introductory Chemistry Student Success: Evaluating Peer-Led Team Learning and Describing Sense of Belonging , Jessica D. Young

Explorations on Non-Covalent Interactions: From Supramolecules to Drug-Like Molecules , Zhanpeng Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

aPKCs role in Neuroblastoma cell signaling cascades and Implications of aPKCs inhibitors as potential therapeutics , Sloan Breedy

Protein Folding Kinetics Analysis Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy , Dhanya Dhananjayan

Affordances and Limitations of Molecular Representations in General and Organic Chemistry , Ayesha Farheen

Institutional and Individual Approaches to Change in Undergraduate STEM Education: Two Framework Analyses , Stephanie B. Feola

Applications in Opioid Analysis with FAIMS Through Control of Vapor Phase Solvent Modifiers , Nathan Grimes

Synthesis, Characterization, and Separation of Loaded Liposomes for Drug Delivery , Sandra Khalife

Supramolecular Architectures Generated by Self-assembly of Guanosine and Isoguanosine Derivatives , Mengjia Liu

Syntheses, Photophysics, & Application of Porphyrinic Metal-Organic Frameworks , Zachary L. Magnuson

Integration of Algae and Biomass Processes to Synthesize Renewable Bioproducts for the Circular Economy , Jessica Martin

Considerations for curricular reform in undergraduate chemistry: Cooperative adoption factors, modeling social influence, and focusing on specific populations , Jacob D. McAlpin

Chemical Analysis of Metabolites from Mangrove Endophytic Fungus , Sefat E Munjerin

Synthesis of Small Molecule Modulators of Non-Traditional Drug Targets , Jamie Nunziata

Conformational Dynamics and Free Energy Studies of DNA and Other Biomolecules , Paul B. Orndorff

Synthetic Studies of Potential New Ketogenic Molecules , Mohammad Nazmus Sakib

Coupling Chemical and Genomic Data of Marine Sediment-Associated Bacteria for Metabolite Profiling , Stephanie P. Suarez

Enhanced Methods in Forensic Mass Spectrometry for Targeted and Untargeted Drug Analysis , Dina M. Swanson

Investigation of Challenging Transformations in Gold Catalysis , Qi Tang

Diazirines and Oxaziridines as Nitrogen Transfer Reagents in Drug Discovery , Khalilia C. Tillett

Developing New Strategy toward Ruthenium and Gold Redox Catalysis , Chenhuan Wang

Gold-Catalyzed Diyne-ene Cyclization: Synthesis of Hetero Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons and 1,2-Dihydropyridines , Jingwen Wei

Development of Antiviral Peptidomimetics , Songyi Xue

Self-Assembly of Metallo-Supramolecules Based on Terpyridine and its Derivatives , Yu Yan

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Synthesis and Antibacterial Testing of Novel Thiosulfonate Compounds , Lindsay I. Blume

Investigating a Potential STING Modulator , Jaret J. Crews

Development of Lipidated Antimicrobial Polycarbonates , Ruixuan Gao

Exploring the Structure and Activity of Metallo-Tetracyclines , Shahedul Islam

Large Area Projection Sintering of Semicrystalline Polymers and Part Analysis of the Printed Specimens , Taranjot Kaur

Interfacing Computational Techniques with Synthetic and Spectroscopic Methods for Research and Education , Nicole Annette Miller

An Investigation into the Protein Dynamics and Proton Transfer Mechanism of Class-A β-lactamase (CTX-Ms) by NMR Spectroscopy , Radwan Ebna Noor

Effects of acid hydrolyzed chitosan derivatives on MHV infection , Krishna Sharma

Metabolomic Analysis, Identification and Antimicrobial Assay of Two Mangrove Endophytes , Stephen Thompson

Advanced Analytical Method Development: from Highly-Enrolled Classroom to Data-Intensive Proteomics , Laxmi Sinduri Vuppala

Measuring and Improving Student Attitude in College-level Chemistry: A Novel Survey Methodology and Social-psychological Interventions , Ying Wang

Targeting the Side-Chain Convergence of α-Helical Hot Spots to Design Small-Molecule Mimetics Disrupting Protein-Protein Interaction , Zhen Wang

Bioactivity of Suberitenones A and B , Jared G. Waters

Developing Efficient Transition Metal Catalyzed C-C & C-X Bond Construction , Chiyu Wei

Chemical Investigation and Drug Discovery Potential of Terpenoid Secondary Metabolites from Three Deep-Sea Irish Soft Corals , Joshua Thomas Welsch

Measurement in Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics Education: Student Explanations of Organic Chemistry Reaction Mechanisms and Instructional Practices in Introductory Courses , Brandon J. Yik

Study on New Reactivity of Vinyl Gold and Its Sequential Transformations , Teng Yuan

Study on New Strategy toward Gold(I/III) Redox Catalysis , Shuyao Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Design, Synthesis and Testing of Bioactive Peptidomimetics , Sami Abdulkadir

Synthesis of Small Molecules for the Treatment of Infectious Diseases , Elena Bray

Social Constructivism in Chemistry Peer Leaders and Organic Chemistry Students , Aaron M. Clark

Synthesizing Laccol Based Polymers/Copolymers and Polyurethanes; Characterization and Their Applications , Imalka Marasinghe Arachchilage

The Photophysical Studies of Transition Metal Polyimines Encapsulated in Metal Organic Frameworks (MOF’s) , Jacob M. Mayers

Light Harvesting in Photoactive Guest-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks , Christopher R. McKeithan

Using Quantitative Methods to Investigate Student Attitudes Toward Chemistry: Women of Color Deserve the Spotlight , Guizella A. Rocabado Delgadillo

Simulations of H2 Sorption in Metal-Organic Frameworks , Shanelle Suepaul

Parallel Computation of Feynman Path Integrals and Many-Body Polarization with Application to Metal-Organic Materials , Brant H. Tudor

The Development of Bioactive Peptidomimetics Based on γ-AApeptides , Minghui Wang

Investigation of Immobilized Enzymes in Confined Environment of Mesoporous Host Matrices , Xiaoliang Wang

Novel Synthetic Ketogenic Compounds , Michael Scott Williams

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Biosynthetic Gene Clusters, Microbiomes, and Secondary Metabolites in Cold Water Marine Organisms , Nicole Elizabeth Avalon

Differential Mobility Spectrometry-Mass spectrometry (DMS-MS) for Forensic and Nuclear-Forensic applications , Ifeoluwa Ayodeji

Conversion from Metal Oxide to MOF Thin Films as a Platform of Chemical Sensing , Meng Chen

Asking Why : Analyzing Students' Explanations of Organic Chemistry Reaction Mechanisms using Lexical Analysis and Predictive Logistic Regression Models , Amber J. Dood

Development of Next-Generation, Fast, Accurate, Transferable, and Polarizable Force-fields for Heterogenous Material Simulations , Adam E. Hogan

Breakthroughs in Obtaining QM/MM Free Energies , Phillip S. Hudson

New Synthetic Methodology Using Base-Assisted Diazonium Salts Activation and Gold Redox Catalysis , Abiola Azeez Jimoh

Development and Application of Computational Models for Biochemical Systems , Fiona L. Kearns

Analyzing the Retention of Knowledge Among General Chemistry Students , James T. Kingsepp

A Chemical Investigation of Three Antarctic Tunicates of the Genus Synoicum , Sofia Kokkaliari

Construction of Giant 2D and 3D Metallo-Supramolecules Based on Pyrylium Salts Chemistry , Yiming Li

Assessing Many-Body van der Waals Contributions in Model Sorption Environments , Matthew K. Mostrom

Advancing Equity Amongst General Chemistry Students with Variable Preparations in Mathematics , Vanessa R. Ralph

Sustainable Non-Noble Metal based Catalysts for High Performance Oxygen Electrocatalysis , Swetha Ramani

The Role of aPKCs and aPKC Inhibitors in Cell Proliferation and Invasion in Breast and Ovarian Cancer , Tracess B. Smalley

Development of Ultrasonic-based Ambient Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry , Linxia Song

Covalent Organic Frameworks as an Organic Scaffold for Heterogeneous Catalysis including C-H Activation , Harsh Vardhan

Optimization of a Digital Ion Trap to Perform Isotope Ratio Analysis of Xenon for Planetary Studies , Timothy Vazquez

Multifunctional Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) For Applications in Sustainability , Gaurav Verma

Design, Synthesis of Axial Chiral Triazole , Jing Wang

The Development of AApeptides , Lulu Wei

Chemical Investigation of Floridian Mangrove Endophytes and Antarctic Marine Organisms , Bingjie Yang

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

An Insight into the Biological Functions, the Molecular Mechanism and the Nature of Interactions of a Set of Biologically Important Proteins. , Adam A. Aboalroub

Functional Porous Materials: Applications for Environmental Sustainability , Briana Amaris Aguila

Biomimetic Light Harvesting in Metalloporphyrins Encapsulated/Incorporated within Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs). , Abdulaziz A. Alanazi

Design and Synthesis of Novel Agents for the Treatment of Tropical Diseases , Linda Corrinne Barbeto

Effect of Atypical protein kinase C inhibitor (DNDA) on Cell Proliferation and Migration of Lung Cancer Cells , Raja Reddy Bommareddy

The Activity and Structure of Cu2+ -Biomolecules in Disease and Disease Treatment , Darrell Cole Cerrato

Simulation and Software Development to Understand Interactions of Guest Molecules inPorous Materials , Douglas M. Franz

Construction of G-quadruplexes via Self-assembly: Enhanced Stability and Unique Properties , Ying He

The Role of Atypical Protein Kinase C in Colorectal Cancer Cells Carcinogenesis , S M Anisul Islam

Chemical Tools and Treatments for Neurological Disorders and Infectious Diseases , Andrea Lemus

Antarctic Deep Sea Coral and Tropical Fungal Endophyte: Novel Chemistry for Drug Discovery , Anne-Claire D. Limon

Constituent Partitioning Consensus Docking Models and Application in Drug Discovery , Rainer Metcalf

An Investigation into the Heterogeneity of Insect Arylalkylamine N -Acyltransferases , Brian G. O'Flynn

Evaluating the Evidence Base for Evidence-Based Instructional Practices in Chemistry through Meta-Analysis , Md Tawabur Rahman

Role of Oncogenic Protein Kinase C-iota in Melanoma Progression; A Study Based on Atypical Protein Kinase-C Inhibitors , Wishrawana Sarathi Bandara Ratnayake

Formulation to Application: Thermomechanical Characterization of Flexible Polyimides and The Improvement of Their Properties Via Chain Interaction , Alejandro Rivera Nicholls

The Chemical Ecology and Drug Discovery Potential of the Antarctic Red Alga Plocamium cartilagineum and the Antarctic Sponge Dendrilla membranosa , Andrew Jason Shilling

Synthesis, Discovery and Delivery of Therapeutic Natural Products and Analogs , Zachary P. Shultz

Development of α-AA peptides as Peptidomimetics for Antimicrobial Therapeutics and The Discovery of Nanostructures , Sylvia E. Singh

Self-Assembly of 2D and 3D Metallo-Supramolecules with Increasing Complexity , Bo Song

The Potential of Marine Microbes, Flora and Fauna in Drug Discovery , Santana Alexa Lavonia Thomas

Design, Synthesis, and Self-Assembly of Supramolecular Fractals Based on Terpyridine with Different Transition Metal Ions , Lei Wang

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Fatty Acid Amides and Their Biosynthetic Enzymes Found in Insect Model Systems , Ryan L. Anderson

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PhD graduate skills survey

Following a discussion between the EPSRC and the Organic Chemistry Community Council about the demand for organic chemistry PhD graduates from organisations such as Contract Research Organisations, the Organic Chemistry Community Council decided to survey industrial colleagues to investigate the skill sets they require.

The Organic Chemistry Community Council developed a survey to explore the importance of different skills required for typical technical roles that recent organic chemistry PhD graduates are recruited into in these organisations, and to explore views on areas for emphasis in future PhD education.

The Council identified 55 people holding R&D leadership roles in 39 organisations including at pharmaceutical and agrochemical companies, Contract Research Organisations (CROs) and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) that employ organic chemistry PhD graduates. A full demographic breakdown of respondents is shown below. The Council sent the survey in February 2023, and 27 people responded to it anonymously. Respondents were invited to share the survey as they thought relevant, with other industry colleagues connected to PhD graduate recruitment/training.

Opinions shared by respondents are their individual viewpoints, based on their experience working with and/or recruiting PhD organic chemistry graduates. They do not represent the views of their organisation. The nature of the sample surveyed, and the number of responses received means these findings should be considered indicative of viewpoints for the types of organisations as described above not a comprehensive representation of the wider industrial sector.

This is a summary of those responses.

Key findings

Some key findings from the 27 responses are:

The typical technical roles that organic chemistry PhD graduates are recruited into in respondents’ organisations include lab-based scientist, synthetic chemist, medicinal chemist, analytical chemist/scientist and process chemist.

When thinking about the practical/ knowledge-based skills needed at recruitment for these typical technical roles:

• 93% said prior knowledge/experience of traditional synthetic techniques is very important for PhD graduates to have (a further 7% said important).
• 81% said prior knowledge/experience of designing & improving multistep synthetic routes is very important for PhD graduates to have (a further 19% said important).
• 70% said prior knowledge/experience of chemical safety & risk prevention in laboratories is very important for PhD graduates to have (a further 30% said important).
• 67% said prior knowledge/experience of reaction mechanisms is very important for PhD graduates to have (a further 33% said important).

When asked how much emphasis they think these practical/ knowledge-based skills need in future PhD education compared to now:

• 78% said traditional synthetic techniques need more or much more emphasis.
• 78% said designing & improving multistep synthetic routes needs more or much more emphasis.
• 67% said chemical safety & risk prevention in laboratories more or much more emphasis is needed in future PhD education compared to now.
• 53% said reaction mechanisms need more or much more emphasis.

Respondent demographics

Table 1. Q1. How long have you worked in the industry? (*n=27)

Table 2. Q2 What is your current job role at your organisation? (*n=27)

Table 3. Q3 What is the size of your current organisation? (*n=27)

Table 4. Q4 Which best describes your organisation? (*n=27). Multiple options could be selected.

Table 5. Q5 Where is your organisation based? Please select all that apply. (*n=27)

Practical/knowledge-based skills needed in typical technical roles

The 27 survey respondents highlighted typical technical roles organic chemistry PhD graduates are recruited into in their organisation, the most frequently mentioned were synthetic chemist and medicinal chemist. Other roles included process chemist, analytical chemist/scientist, formulation scientist, chemical engineer, and development chemist.

For these roles, survey respondents indicated the practical and knowledge-based skills needed alongside the importance of these skills. Survey respondents chose from a selection of skills put together by the Organic Chemistry Community Council.

The following tables present the combined responses, ordered by the combined percentage of ‘Important’ and ‘Very important’.

Table 7. Q7 (*n=27) & Q8 (*n=27). When thinking about the practical skills / knowledge-based skills needed for these roles, at recruitment how important or unimportant is it for organic chemistry PhD graduates to have experience of:

Other skills

The survey also asked respondents to think about the general skills needed for these roles, and at recruitment how important or unimportant is it for organic chemistry PhD graduates to have experience of them.

Table 8. Q9 (n=27) When thinking about the general skills needed for these roles, at recruitment how important or unimportant is it for organic chemistry PhD graduates to have experience of:

When asked if there are any other skills that are important or very important for organic chemistry PhD graduates to have at recruitment, responses included:

• Data set handling
• Record keeping
• Electronic lab notebook familiarity
• Ability to use chemical searching tools (e.g. SciFinder, Reaxys)
• Ability to use chemical drawing tools (e.g. ChemDraw)
• Accountability
• An understanding there is still a lot to learn, and a willingness to learn, develop and adapt to new ideas
• Can-do attitude
• Creative skills
• Critical thinking
• Intellectual curiosity
• Listening and learning skills
• Love for the lab
• Open mindedness – ability to move from being an expert in your narrow PhD area to openly taking on board how things work in an industry environment with different priorities
• Proactiveness
• Self-awareness
• Self-drive/ motivation
• Strong team ethos

Emphasis of practical/knowledge-based skills in future PhD education

After asking about the importance of these skills, the survey asked respondents how much emphasis they think these skills need in future PhD education compared to now. Table 9 presents the 27 responses to these questions, displayed in the same order as the skills appear in Table 8.

Table 9. Q11 (*n=27) & Q12 (*n=27). When thinking about the practical skills/knowledge-based skills needed for these roles, how much emphasis do you think they need in future PhD education compared to now?

*Number of responses

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VIBHA BHAGAT PHD SYNOPSIS

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Several derivatives of coumarin-3N-carboxamides (3-21) have been prepared via the reaction of the coumarin-3-carbonyl chloride (1) with a number of nucleophiles. Novel double-headed coumarin-3N-carboxamides (26-33) were also produced using the same method. The Pechmann-Duisberg reaction was applied to prepare new benzo[f]- benzo[h]coumarins and 4-(chloromethyl)-pyrano[3,2-c]coumarin-2-one (36-42). The reaction of 1-chloromethylbenzo[f]coumarins (36) with cyanide anion under different reaction conditions was also investigated in order to assess its suitability for nucleophilic substitution reactions as well as ring transformation products (43-49). Synthesis of 1-((benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)methyl)-9-hydroxybenzo[f]coumarin (50) represented the first example of methylene bridge-head heterocyclecontaining benzo[f]coumarin. Some of the newly prepared coumarins exhibited anti-bacterial activity against Gram Positive and Gram negative bacteria. Compound 36d was found to be active against all the screened bacteria. Photophysical studies were performed on selected fluorescent benzo[f]- and benzo[h]coumarin and the quantum yields were also calculated. All new compounds were characterized by IR, MS, 1H and 13C NMR, as well as elemental analysis.

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Organic Chemistry - A Tenth Edition

(3 reviews)

John E. McMurry, Cornell University

Copyright Year: 2023

ISBN 13: 9781951693985

Publisher: OpenStax

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Christine Hermann, Chair, Full Professor, Radford University on 7/23/24

The chapter topics are those that are typically found in an organic textbook. It is illustrated with a lot of color. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The chapter topics are those that are typically found in an organic textbook. It is illustrated with a lot of color.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

Many mechanisms are drawn incorrectly. For example, arrows are shown attacking a carbonyl from the side, not the opposite side of the oxygen. As a result, the next structure is drawn wrong. Arrows are missing from a lot of other mechanisms.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Much of organic chemistry stays the same over time. The updates would be new reactions or new applications within the field. The book will not become obsolete.

Clarity rating: 5

The use of colors illustrates different concepts very well. However, the mechanisms need to be in a format so that they can easily be incorporated into a powerpoint presentation.

Consistency rating: 5

The presentation of the topics is consistent throughout the book. The utilization of colors are consistent.

Modularity rating: 5

The mechanisms are not in a good format to copy and paste into a powerpoint. They should be horizontal, not vertical. The chapters are divided well into separate topics.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Overall, the topics are in an order that is typically taught in an organic chemistry class. SN1 and SN2 vs E1 and E2 should be in two different chapters. These topics need to be earlier in the book.

Interface rating: 5

The book’s pictures are clear and the text is very readable. The drawings and font are consistent throughout the book. No problems with interface.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not find any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

There are little or no references to races, ethnicities, or backgrounds. There should not be anyway.

DEPT 45 is also a useful tool and is not listed. If the 1H NMR and 13C NMR data was put into tables, it would be easier to understand. More worked examples are needed for spectra problems. COSY and HSQC should be included. The mechanism arrows need to be fixed.

Reviewed by Vanessa Garcia, Lecturer, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 5/3/24

McMurry does a great job at breaking down terms in the glossary. read more

McMurry does a great job at breaking down terms in the glossary.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

To the best of my knowledge, McMurry applies accurate content that is error-free and unbiased.

McMurry's examples of real world applications is relevant not only today, but from years past that can be applied today.

I enjoy that the textbook is full of color as this helps those visualize how certain processes take place.

I appreciate the summary at the end of chapters as this will help students get the big scope of the content being discussed.

McMurry does well at incorporating applications/word-problems after a few sections as this lets students begin to apply what was just discussed.

The books organization is very well done, full of color, and easy break down of the concepts.

To the best of my knowledge, I did not encounter problems with navigation or distorted images.

To the best of my knowledge, I did not encounter grammatical errors.

To the best of my knowledge, I did not encounter text that was insensitive or offensive.

The first organic chemistry textbook I bought as an undergraduate was McMurry's 6th edition. I have been a fan of his books ever since. Now that the latest edition is available via OpenStax, I cannot be more excited. Students will learn to apply for the fundamentals of Organic Chemistry as McMurry does a great job of breaking down the subject matter and incorporating real world applications.

Reviewed by Mary Robert Garrett, Professor of Chemistry and Division I (BIO, CHM, MAT, NUR, PHY) Chair, Berea College on 11/29/23

Yes. This textbook covers a wealth of organic chemistry content and could be used for three organic chemistry courses--Organic Chemistry I, Organic Chemistry II, and Advanced Organic Chemistry. Key terms can be found bolded in the text, and in a... read more

Yes. This textbook covers a wealth of organic chemistry content and could be used for three organic chemistry courses--Organic Chemistry I, Organic Chemistry II, and Advanced Organic Chemistry. Key terms can be found bolded in the text, and in a list at the end of each chapter with links to where they are used in the text. The Study Guide and Student Solutions manual are also openly licensed and free for students in digital formats.

The content appears to be essentially error-free. There may be a missing chemical subscript missing in a place, or two, but nothing that will confuse a student or hinder their learning.

The content is current with applications to everyday life at the end of each chapter in a section titled, “Chemistry Matters.” Examples range from the importance of Vitamin D, to how epoxy resins and adhesives are used in commercial products, to cocaine and anesthetics.

The text is very easy to follow with figures and tables well-placed. New terms are highlighted and strengthen content knowledge.

Yes, each chapter is displayed in the same format beginning with a "Why is this important" and ending with "Chemistry Matters." The subsections are consistent as well.

The textbook has excellent modularity. I see chapters that can be pulled for three different courses—Organic Chemistry I (Chapters 1-13); Organic Chemistry II (Chapters 14-24); and Advanced Organic Chemistry (Sections 5.9-5.12, Chapter 30, and 31), where students can read a later chapter and understand it at a particular level without rereading a previous chapter.

The order of the content is different than the text I normally teach from, but the author does an excellent job of defending this specific order, so I think I’ll give it a try. I like the chapter on “An Overview of Organic Reactions” before diving into reaction classes. I think it will help students recognize the similarities and patterns between reactions. I normally teach the mass spec, NMR and IR chapters out of order, sooner than listed. The analysis of those instruments is so different, that students normally struggle with such a “different” concept at the end of a semester.

Interface rating: 4

One inconsistency that I found distracting was the size of the structures throughout the text. In one table, the chemical structures changed size from molecule to molecule which distracted from the flow. The interface was okay moving between the end-of-section practice problems and the solutions, but it gave away all of the answers with one click. I was also hoping for a bit of interaction with the 3D molecules. I was expecting to be able to manipulate them. While that certainly goes beyond what a typical textbook can do, that would certainly make the online textbook far more engaging.

I did not notice any.

Cultural Relevance rating: 2

I was pleased to see a linked resource by Dr. Rhett Smith (Clemson University) to provide a “more complete, diverse, and inclusive picture of the development and current state of organic chemistry research.” This component acknowledges the need for diversity. While there was a Japanese track team, a black music conductor (leading a white orchestra), and one sunbather of color, the majority of images were of white people (scientist on the computer (though female), pole vaulter, Kansas City pitcher, officer with a "drunkometer" test, kayaker, rock climber, officers with tear gas masks, etc.). I would have appreciated more diversity in the images.

I do really like the content, the level of explanation, the images, and clarity of this textbook. I plan to use it for my Organic Chemistry II course next spring, as well as my Advanced Organic Chemistry course.

Table of Contents

• Dedication and Preface
• Chapter 1: Structure and Bonding
• Chapter  2: Polar Covalent Bonds; Acids and Bases
• Chapter  3: Organic Compounds: Alkanes and Their Stereochemistry
• Chapter  4: Organic Compounds: Cycloalkanes and Their Stereochemistry
• Chapter  5: Stereochemistry at Tetrahedral Centers
• Chapter  6: An Overview of Organic Reactions
• Chapter  7: Alkenes: Structure and Reactivity
• Chapter  8: Alkenes: Reactions and Synthesis
• Chapter  9: Alkynes: An Introduction to Organic Synthesis
• Chapter  10: Organohalides
• Chapter  11: Reactions of Alkyl Halides: Nucleophilic Substitutions and Eliminations
• Chapter  12: Structure Determination: Mass Spectrometry and Infrared Spectroscopy
• Chapter  13: Structure Determination: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• Chapter  14: Conjugated Compounds and Ultraviolet Spectroscopy
• Chapter  15: Benzene and Aromaticity
• Chapter  16: Chemistry of Benzene: Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution
• Chapter  17: Alcohols and Phenols
• Chapter  18: Ethers and Epoxides; Thiols and Sulfides
• Chapter  19: Aldehydes and Ketones: Nucleophilic Addition Reactions
• Chapter  20: Carboxylic Acids and Nitriles
• Chapter  21: Carboxylic Acid Derivatives: Nucleophilic Acyl Substitution Reactions
• Chapter  22: Carbonyl Alpha-Substitution Reactions
• Chapter  23: Carbonyl Condensation Reactions
• Chapter  24: Amines and Heterocycles
• Chapter  25: Biomolecules: Carbohydrates
• Chapter  26: Biomolecules: Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins
• Chapter  27: Biomolecules: Lipids
• Chapter  28: Biomolecules: Nucleic Acids
• Chapter  29: The Organic Chemistry of Metabolic Pathways
• Chapter  30: Orbitals and Organic Chemistry: Pericyclic Reactions
• Chapter  31: Synthetic Polymers
• Appendix A. Nomenclature of Polyfunctional Organic Compounds
• Appendix B. Acidity Constants for Some Organic Compounds
• Appendix C. Glossary
• Appendix D. Periodic Table

Ancillary Material

About the book.

John McMurry's  Organic Chemistry  is renowned as the most clearly written book available for organic chemistry. In John McMurry's words, "I wrote this book because I love writing. I get great pleasure and satisfaction from taking a complicated subject, turning it around until I see it clearly from a new angle, and then explaining it in simple words." In  Organic Chemistry: A Tenth Edition  from OpenStax, McMurry continues this tradition while updating scientific discoveries, highlighting new applications, scrutinizing every piece of art, and providing example problems to assist students.  Organic Chemistry: A Tenth Edition  continues to meet the scope and sequence of a two-semester organic chemistry course that follows a functional group approach. A highlighted list of changes along with a detailed table of contents and ancillary descriptions can be found on the Instructor and Student resources sections of this page. John McMurry decided to publish  Organic Chemistry: A Tenth Edition  under an open license as a tribute to his son, Peter McMurry, who passed away from cystic fibrosis in December 2019. Please  click here  to learn more about Peter's legacy and to  support the fight against cystic fibrosis.

About the Contributors

John E. McMurry is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University. He holds an A.B. degree from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from Columbia University. McMurry has authored over 100 research papers and is well-known for his contributions to the field of chemistry, particularly the development of the McMurry reaction. This reaction involves the coupling of two molecules of ketone or aldehyde to produce an alkene when treated with titanium(III) chloride and a reducing agent like Zn(Cu). The McMurry reaction has found extensive use in the laboratory synthesis of complex organic molecules and in the commercial synthesis of various drugs by the pharmaceutical industry.

McMurry was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1985 and received a Max Planck Society Research Award in 1991. Apart from his scientific contributions, McMurry is also a prolific author in the field of chemistry education. He has written 45 undergraduate chemistry textbooks, which have been translated into 12 languages and used worldwide. Among his notable works,  Organic Chemistry , first published in 1984, stands as his most popular textbook.

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• Department of Chemistry >
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PhD in Medicinal Chemistry

Find your home in UB Chemistry! We're here to help you every step of the way. 

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• 5/25/23 Info for Current Students

The PhD in Medicinal Chemistry  provides a unique opportunity for students to develop a strong foundation in organic and medicinal chemistry and also to broaden their knowledge in areas such as drug discovery, biochemistry, molecular biology and pharmacology.

PhD Program Requirements

• Coursework Once admitted to the PhD in Chemistry program, students are required to complete six graduate-level lecture courses during the first two years of full-time study. Of these courses, three must be one-semester introductory core courses selected from the four traditional areas of chemistry (CHE 501 and MCH 501 are required for the Medicinal Chemistry PhD), while the other three elective courses are chosen in consultation with the student’s research advisor. 
• Proficiency Students must also demonstrate proficiency in medicinal chemistry, as well as in three of four traditional areas of chemistry, during the first three semesters. Proficiency can be established by completing a core graduate course or by passing the ACS Placement Exam in the area. A 3.00 grade point average in lecture courses is required.
• Research Synopsis During the fifth semester (third year) of graduate study, PhD students are required to prepare a written research synopsis summarizing research progress to date and future research plans. An oral examination with the student’s PhD committee is used to evaluate the student’s research potential.
• Research Proposal Also during the fifth semester, the student is required to write and orally defend an independent research proposal. This proposal involves the identification of a problem from the chemical literature that is not directly related to the student’s thesis work and a proposed solution to that problem. There are no cumulative exams in the UB Department of Chemistry.
• Public Lecture During the fourth year of graduate study, PhD students present a public lecture on their research progress. This provides the PhD committee a chance to give the student feedback prior to finishing their written dissertation.
• Dissertation and Oral Defense The majority of a PhD student’s time is spent on creative research. At the conclusion of the research work, a dissertation must be written and orally defended before the PhD committee and the department at large.

Faculty Research Mentor

The Department of Chemistry views an advanced degree in chemistry or medicinal chemistry as primarily a research degree, so the choice of research director is an important decision for the first-year graduate student. To facilitate the selection of the research mentor, the members of the faculty engaged in research present a general overview of their research interests in a series of meetings with the new graduate students. This allows the students to become acquainted with the different research opportunities in the program in an informal setting. 

Students are also encouraged to speak informally with as many faculty members as possible before making their decision. Assistance is available to those students having difficulty with this decision. However, it is to the student’s advantage to select a research advisor at the earliest possible date. Typically, graduate research is initiated during the second semester or during the first summer within the program.

PhD Student Timeline

Upon arrival, all new graduate students are required to take standardized tests produced by the American Chemical Society to assess their preparation for graduate study. Results of these tests are used by the Graduate Curriculum Committee to help students select their first-semester courses. A typical first-semester graduate student takes three core graduate-level courses and is also engaged in TA duties. Most of the required course work is finished by the end of the second or third semester in the program.

The following table provides a typical PhD graduate student timeline:

PhD Program Metrics

Email  [email protected]  or contact  Prof. Timothy Cook , director of graduate studies, for more information on this program and the admissions process.

1 • Summary

The purpose of this chapter has been to get you up to speed—to review some ideas about atoms, bonds, and molecular geometry. As we’ve seen, organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds. Although a division into organic and inorganic chemistry occurred historically, there is no scientific reason for the division.

An atom consists of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by one or more negatively charged electrons. The electronic structure of an atom can be described by a quantum mechanical wave equation, in which electrons are considered to occupy orbitals around the nucleus. Different orbitals have different energy levels and different shapes. For example, s orbitals are spherical and p orbitals are dumbbell-shaped. The ground-state electron configuration of an atom can be found by assigning electrons to the proper orbitals, beginning with the lowest-energy ones.

A covalent bond is formed when an electron pair is shared between atoms. According to valence bond (VB) theory , electron sharing occurs by the overlap of two atomic orbitals. According to molecular orbital (MO) theory , bonds result from the mathematical combination of atomic orbitals to give molecular orbitals, which belong to the entire molecule. Bonds that have a circular cross-section and are formed by head-on interaction are called sigma ( σ ) bonds ; bonds formed by sideways interaction of p orbitals are called pi ( π ) bonds .

In the valence bond description, carbon uses hybrid orbitals to form bonds in organic molecules. When forming only single bonds with tetrahedral geometry, carbon uses four equivalent sp 3 hybrid orbitals . When forming a double bond with planar geometry, carbon uses three equivalent sp 2 hybrid orbitals and one unhybridized p orbital. When forming a triple bond with linear geometry, carbon uses two equivalent sp hybrid orbitals and two unhybridized p orbitals. Other atoms such as nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur also use hybrid orbitals to form strong, oriented bonds.

Organic molecules are usually drawn using either condensed structures or skeletal structures. In condensed structures , carbon–carbon and carbon–hydrogen bonds aren’t shown. In skeletal structures , only the bonds and not the atoms are shown. A carbon atom is assumed to be at the ends and at the junctions of lines (bonds), and the correct number of hydrogens is supplied mentally.

Why You Should Work Problems

There’s no surer way to learn organic chemistry than by working problems. Although careful reading and rereading of this text are important, reading alone isn’t enough. You must also be able to use the information you’ve read and be able to apply your knowledge in new situations. Working problems gives you practice at doing this.

Each chapter in this book provides many problems of different sorts. The in-chapter problems are placed for immediate reinforcement of ideas just learned, while end-of-chapter problems provide additional practice and come in several forms. They often begin with a short section called “Visualizing Chemistry,” which helps you see the microscopic world of molecules and provides practice for working in three dimensions. After the visualizations are many further problems, which are organized by topic. Early problems are primarily of the drill type, providing an opportunity for you to practice your command of the fundamentals. Later problems tend to be more thought-provoking, and some are real challenges.

As you study organic chemistry, take the time to work the problems. Do the ones you can, and ask for help on the ones you can’t. If you’re stumped by a particular problem, check the accompanying Study Guide and Student Solutions Manual for an explanation that should help clarify the difficulty. Working problems takes effort, but the payoff in knowledge and understanding is immense.

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• Authors: John McMurry, Professor Emeritus
• Publisher/website: OpenStax
• Book title: Organic Chemistry
• Publication date: Sep 20, 2023
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/organic-chemistry/pages/1-why-this-chapter
• Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/organic-chemistry/pages/1-summary

© Aug 5, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.