Course Offerings: Winter 2026

This course is concerned with the relations between crystal structure and electronic structure. The major goal is to understand and be able to predict materials properties solely based on the structure. Basic knowledge of simple solid state structures (e.g. NaCl, TiO2, CdI2, NiAs, MoS2 etc.) is highly recommended. Structure/materials families will comprise metals, semiconductors, superconductors, and (Mott and topological) insulators. Topics ...

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Experimentation is one of the foundational pillars of science. Any theoretical hypothesis that is formulated must ultimately be proved or disproved by experiments. While the scientific method is generally intuitively understood by researchers, not all of them fully realize how various controllable and uncontrollable factors might affect their results. Also, the approach to experimentation is often far from optimal. The course will try to fill these voids by exploring the areas mentioned ...

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Discussion of specialized topics related to the research interests of the members of the Centre. For example, recent offerings have included: Metalloproteins and Metalloenzymes; Heme Proteins; Chemistry of Enzymatic Reaction Mechanisms; Peptides –  Synthesis, Structure and Function; Food Enzymology; Advanced Microbial Physicology; NMR in Biological Systems. Proteins, with their amazing complexity and diversity, have become very well characterized and increasingly designable, ...

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An introduction to aqueous solution chemistry, from classical macroscopic descriptions to modern treatments of the properties of electrolytes and non-electrolytes at a molecular level. Synopsis: The purpose of the course is to provide an introduction to aqueous solution chemistry, from classical macroscopic descriptions to modern treatments of electrolytes and non-electrolytes at a molecular level. The properties of aqueous solutions have been the subject of study for ...

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Physical organic chemistry, including a discussion of reactive intermediates, substituent effects, pericyclic reactions, radical chemistry and a basic theoretical description of the bonding in organic molecules. Method of Presentation: One 2 1/2 hour lecture per week, Monday evenings at 7:00 pm by live lectures on TEAMS, often originating from MacN 101. First lecture is Mon. Jan. 5, 2025. There will be no lecture during reading week (Feb. 16). ...

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Basic definitions: Monomers, polymers, polymerization reactions. Polyme structure, nomenclature. Molecular weight distributions and average molecular weights. Chain conformations: End-to-end distance, radius of gyration, molecular dimensions, excluded volume. Molecular weight measurements: Colligative properties, osmometry, light scattering, viscosity, gel permeation chromatography. Step-growth polymerization. Types of reactions. Reactivity, kinetics. ...

CHEM 784(0) is a required one term course for all graduate students who are enrolled for an MSc degree; students must complete the requirements for CHEM 784(0) within their first two terms in the program and are strongly encouraged to take this course in their first term.  CHEM 784(0) is offered in Fall and Winter terms. Course objectives:  The main goal of CHEM 784(0) is to encourage MSc students to learn to use scientific literature at an early stage of their ...