This course is designed to develop an understanding of spectroscopy and its application in the elucidation of the structures of chemical compounds.  This will include aspects of infrared spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography.  The course also provides a higher level description of the fundamentals of chemical spectroscopy and molecular symmetry, structure and bonding. It develops the ideas necessary to understand spectroscopy from a quantum mechanical perspective. It gives an introduction to molecular orbital theory and the use of symmetry in understanding molecular properties, as applied to simple chemical systems.

Note: Graduate students attend joint classes with later year undergraduate students but are assessed separately. 

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Explain the roles and limitations of various forms of spectroscopic analysis.

2. Apply spectroscopic data to deduce and then articulate the structure of complex chemical compounds.

3. Utilise spectroscopic data from a range techniques in order to verify the identity of compounds and to structurally characterise unknown compounds.

4. Understand symmetry operations and their use in determining the point group of a molecule.

5. Construct qualitative molecular orbital diagrams for diatomic and triatomic molecules.

6. Understand, predict and interpret rotational, vibrational and electronic spectra of complex molecules.

Assessment will be based on:

• Mid-semester exam (35%; LO 1-3)
• Assignments (10%; LO 1-6) 
• Final exam (55%; LO 4-6)

Note: Graduate students attend joint classes with later year undergraduate students but are assessed separately. The differences in assessment may include additional questions on the course material or a component assessed at a higher level. This difference will generally be at the 15% of assessment level or higher.

65 hours of lectures, tutorials and dry lab/problem solving sessions and a further 65 hours of independent learning.

Admission to the Masters of Chemsitry one-year program requires an undergraduate  degree majoring in chemistry with 65% average in relevant courses.

CHEM2201/6001 and CHEM2210 and CHEM2205

No prescribed text.