Chemistry Home

Faculty

James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair in Science and Technology;
Professor  Physics and Chemistry:  Alan G MacDiarmid

Professors: Kenneth J. Balkus, Jr., Ray H. Baughman, Richard A. Caldwell, John P. Ferraris, Lynn A. Melton, A. Dean Sherry

Associate Professors: Warren J. Goux, Inga H. Musselman, Paul Pantano

Assistant Professors: Michael C. Biewer, Gregg R. Dieckmann, Donovan C. Haines, John W. Sibert

Senior Lecturers: Sergio Cortes, Sandhya R. Gavva, David Hyatt

 

Objectives

The Ph.D. program is designed to produce graduates with a focus on innovation and problem solving in current materials, biotechnology, and industrial process research and development.  These graduates, with their broad course background, research skills, and practical attitudes should find ready employment in industry or academic positions.  A spectrum of courses provides the student with a broad knowledge of chemistry. A student may apply for either of the two research tracks, the intramural research track or the extramural/intramural research track, which includes a one-year internship in an industrial or governmental R&D facility.

The Master of Science program offers students the opportunity to prepare for positions in industry, for further training in related scientific fields such as environmental sciences, or for further training in chemistry.

Facilities

The department has the equipment and facilities necessary for routine use by its faculty and students in teaching and research. Larger items include a laser spectroscopy facility; 270 MHz (2), and 500 MHz multi-nuclear FT-NMR spectrometers; a single crystal x-ray diffractometer; a powder x-ray diffractometer; assorted spectrophotometers utilizing fluorescence, phosphorescence and absorption; a scanning electron microscope (with EDAX), a protein synthesizer, workstations with molecular modeling software, and scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopes. Chemistry also participates in the UTD NanoTech Institute which houses instrumentation for modern materials science research.  Facilities external to chemistry, but readily available to its use, include a library, the computer center, and well-equipped machine and electronics shops.

Admission Requirements

The University's general admission requirements are discussed here.

Undergraduate preparation equivalent to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemistry is required. The Chemistry program has no other requirements above the general admission requirements beginning on page 24. However, admission is competitive and is decided case by case on the basis of the quality of previous relevant academic work, GRE scores (highly recommended), letters of reference, the student's statement of academic interests and, for foreign students, evidence of fluency in English. Foreign students with TOEFL scores less than 600 (paper test) or 250 (computer test) are admitted only in special circumstances.

Degree Requirements

The University's general degree requirements are discussed here.

Graduate students in chemistry are expected to demonstrate fundamental knowledge of lecture and laboratory skills by completing the following courses with a grade of B or better.

Core Courses (15 hours)

CHEM 5331 Advanced Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 5341 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry I
CHEM 5355 Analytical Techniques I

CHEM 5356 Analytical Techniques II

CHEM 6389 Scientific Literature and Communication Skills

Master of Science

A minimum of 30 total graduate semester hours is required.

The M.S. degree can be pursued on a full- or part-time basis.

Other Course Requirements

The remaining requirements beyond the 15-hour core listed above may be satisfied in one of the two ways listed below.
(1) Presentation and defense of a written master's thesis. The student must complete, as a minimum, 12 credit hours of research or other graduate electives plus CHEM 8398. A Supervising Committee will be appointed to guide the student's thesis work and to assess the completed thesis.
(2) Completion of an approved internship in an industrial or governmental laboratory. The student must complete, as a minimum, 15 credit hours of research, chemistry internship or other graduate electives. A Supervising Committee must approve an internship in advance. The final written report must be defended before this committee and filed in the Chemistry department office.

Ph.D.

Normally pursued by full-time students enrolled in a minimum of 9 credit hours of approved graduate level courses per semester.

Other Course Requirements

In addition to the 15-hour core course requirements listed above students seeking the Ph.D. degree must take three courses, typically at the 6000 level, as specified by the Chemistry Graduate Committee.  Ph.D. students are expected to complete these eight required courses within the first twelve months of their enrollment.  CHEM 8399 is required as part of the preparation of the dissertation.  Additional courses may be required by the student's Supervisory Committee.

Well-prepared students may request substitution of portions of the course requirements from the Committee on Graduate Studies in Chemistry.  At least three organized courses must be taken at the University of Texas at Dallas . The opportunity exists to take elective courses during their second and subsequent years.

Problem Solving Examination

During their first research practicum, students are required to take the Problem Solving Examination. The purpose of this examination is to assess the student's skills in organizing an effective approach to solving a novel problem. The results of this examination will be one criterion upon which admission to doctoral candidacy will be judged.

Research Practica

All students must complete a thesis Master's degree as part of their doctoral candidacy preparation, unless this requirement has been satisfied at the time of admission.  A student may apply for either of the two subsequent research tracks, the intramural research track or the extramural/intramural research track, and on achievement of doctoral candidacy, may pursue a track for which they have been accepted.  Students in the intramural research track begin their intramural research immediately after achieving doctoral candidacy. Students in the extramural/intramural track, begin their 9-12 month Industrial Practicum immediately after achieving doctoral candidacy, and after successful defense of their Industrial Practicum report, complete their doctoral research after returning to campus.  In either case, the standard for the doctoral defense is the same: the student must present and defend a dissertation which describes new knowledge and the substance of which is ready for submission to a quality scientific journal. The Industrial Practicum provides a student research experience in innovation and/or problem solving in an industrial or governmental R&D facility.  Students who apply for an Industrial Practicum but who do not achieve placement will proceed to the intramural track.

The doctoral research, either intramural or extramural/intramural, may be taken in the same laboratory as the Master's degree research or, in order to gain a broader research experience, in another laboratory.

Research

Within the Chemistry program opportunities exist for course work and/or research in nanotechnology, biochemistry/biotechnology, organic, inorganic, materials, analytical, and physical chemistry. The opportunity to take course work in several of the other university programs allows the student to prepare for interdisciplinary work.  Specific topics within these broad research areas include nanoscience (carbon nanotubes, sensors, actuators, nanoscale devices, synthesis of nanoporous materials); organic solid-state and polymer chemistry (energy storage, electrochromism, light-emitting polymers, membrane separations); inorganic solid-state (zeolites, membranes, laser ablation, sensors, fuel cells, electrospinning); biological NMR (structural biology, using NMR active tracers to follow metabolism in cells, isolated tissues and in vivo); supramolecular chemistry (design of novel host-guest systems; biologically responsive MRI agents, design, synthesis and study of macrocyclic receptors with applications in catalysis, materials science, and medicine); scanning probe microscopy (instrument development, image contrast, application to polymer microstructure); bioanalytical chemistry (fiber-optic microarrays for probing cells and tissue), synthetic chemistry (macrocycles, small protein domains to study membrane fusion; DNA recognition and modification; metalloprotein function); biochemistry/enzymology (study of oxidative stress; oxidative metabolism of signaling molecules; enzymology of monooxygenation, molecular modeling; and catalysis) and laser diagnostics for industrial mixing.

Special topics within the Industrial Practicum research areas have included: silicon wafer inspection instrumentation development, laser engraving instrumentation development, process development and improvement in pharmaceutical manufacturing, and natural product identification.

Course Descriptions

CHEM 5314 Thermodynamics (3 semester hours) Treatment of basic thermodynamics of ideal and non-ideal chemical systems. Statistical thermodynamics as well as classical macroscopic treatments are included. Computer applications and estimation and/or retrieval of parameters are discussed. Prerequisite: CHEM 3411 or equivalent. (3-0) R
CHEM 5331 Advanced Organic Chemistry I (3 semester hours) Modern concepts of bonding and structure in covalent compounds. Static and dynamic stereochemistry and methods for study. Relationships between structure and reactivity. (3-0) Y
CHEM 5333 Advanced Organic Chemistry II (3 semester hours) Application of the principles introduced in CHEM 5331, emphasizing their use in correlating the large body of synthetic/preparative organic chemistry. Prerequisite: CHEM 5331. (3-0) R
CHEM 5341 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry I (3 semester hours) Physical inorganic chemistry addressing topics in structure and bonding, symmetry, acids and bases, coordination chemistry and spectroscopy. Prerequisite: CHEM 3341, or consent of instructor. (4-0) Y
CHEM 5343 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry II (3 semester hours) Builds on CHEM 5341 to explore the synthesis and reactivity of inorganic/organometallic molecules. Practical applications will be demonstrated by discussing industrial processes catalyzed by metal complexes. Prerequisite: CHEM 5341. (3-0) R
CHEM 5355 Analytical Techniques I (3 semester hours) Study of fundamental analytical techniques, including optical spectroscopic techniques and energetic particle and x-ray methods including SEM, EDS, STM, AFM, AES, XPS, XRF, and SIMS. (3-0) Y

CHEM 5356 Analytical Techniques II (3 semester hours) Study of statistical methods (standard tests, statistical process control, ANOVA, experimental design, etc.) and problem solving techniques for dealing with ill-defined analytical problems. (3-0) Y
CHEM 5V84 Special Topics in Chemistry/M.A.T. (1-9 semester hours) Various special topics in chemistry of interest to teachers will be discussed. (May be repeated for credit.) (May not be counted as credit toward the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees.) ([1-9]-0) R
CHEM 5V87 Independent Study in Chemistry (1-9 semester hours) In conjunction with a member of the Chemistry faculty, the student will develop a paper or project which emphasizes the ways in which chemical knowledge is confirmed and extended or which leads to improved instruction in chemistry. (May not be counted as credit toward the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees.) ([1-9]-0) R
CHEM 6317 Industrial Chemistry (3 semester hours) Survey of chemical industry including commodities, chemical processes, scale-up and process development, environmental concerns, patents. Study of chemical engineering principles. (3-0) R
CHEM 6V19 Special Topics in Physical Chemistry (1-9 semester hours) Subject matter will vary and the course may be repeated for credit. Examples of topics include spectroscopy, quantum mechanics, computational chemistry, and surface chemistry. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. ([1-9]-0) R
CHEM 6V39 Special Topics in Organic Chemistry (1-9 semester hours) Subject matter will vary and the course may be repeated for credit. Examples of topics include organic photochemistry, organometallic chemistry, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, solid state, polymer chemistry, and advanced NMR techniques. Prerequisite: CHEM 5331 or consent of instructor. ([1-9]-0) R
CHEM 6V49 Special Topics in Inorganic Chemistry (1-9 semester hours) Subject matter will vary and the course may be repeated for credit. Examples of topics include physical methods of inorganic chemistry,  and bioinorganic chemistry. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. ([1-9]-0) R
CHEM 6V59 Special Topics in Analytical Chemistry (1-9 semester hours) Subject matter will vary. Examples of topics include NMR, X-ray crystallography. May be repeated to a maximum of 9 hours. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. ([1-9]-0) R
CHEM 6V69 Special Topics in Biochemistry (1-9 semester hours) Subject matter will vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. ([1-9]-0) R

CHEM 6V79 Special Topics in Materials Chemistry (1-9 semester hours) Subject matter will vary. Examples of topics include polymers, membrane technology, zeolites, nanoscience and technology. May be repeated to a maximum of 9 hours. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. ([1-9]-0) R

CHEM 6361 Physical Biochemistry (3 semester hours) Protein structure, fundamental metabolism, structures and properties of macromolecules, interactions with electromagnetic radiation, thermodynamics of macromolecular solutions, transport processes, and other topics.  Prerequisite: Consent of instructor (3-0). Y

CHEM 6372 Materials Science (3 semester hours) Relationship between the properties and behavior of materials and their internal structure. Treatment of the mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of crystalline and amorphous solids including metals, ceramics, synthetic polymers and composites. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (3-0) Y
CHEM 6389 Scientific Literature and Communication Skills (3 semester hours) Acquaints students with techniques for searching the scientific literature using hard copy and electronic approaches. Introduces students to important steps in creating and improving technical communications in both written and oral formats. (3-0) Y
CHEM 6V84 Special Topics in Applied Chemistry (1-9 semester hours) Subject matter will vary and may be repeated for credit to a maximum of 9 hours. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. ([1-9]-0) R
CHEM 8981 Research Practicum (9 semester hours) Offers training of students in the direct solution of chemical problems through use of the literature; analysis; and the design, construction and performance of experiments. Method of instruction will be primarily individual direction, questioning, and feedback by the responsible faculty member and/or industrial scientist. Intended for Ph.D. students. May be repeated for credit. (9-0) S
CHEM 8V91 Research in Chemistry (2-9 semester hours) May be repeated for credit. ([2-9]-0) S
CHEM 8398 Thesis (3 semester hours) May be repeated for credit. (3-0) S
CHEM 8399 Dissertation (3 semester hours) May be repeated for credit (3-0) S

CHEM 9090 Advanced Research in Chemistry Postdoctoral training in chemistry. Individual instruction only. (0-0) R