Fields of Specialization
The fields of
specialization
represented in the department include organic chemistry (Professor Frank Mallory, Professor William Malachowski), physical
chemistry (Professor Michelle Francl, Professor
Jonas Goldsmith), inorganic
chemistry (Professor Sharon Burgmayer), and biological
chemistry (Professor Susan White).
Students
are expected to develop a command of one of these fields
through a program of advanced courses and through conducting research
under the supervision of a member of the faculty.
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Currently, we have
active research programs in the following areas:
- organic synthesis and methodology development
- enzyme inhibitor design and development
- organic photochemistry; synthesis and investigation of solubilized "graphite ribbons"
- NMR studies of intramolecular interactions in organic molecules
- solid state studies of intramolecular rotation of alkyl groups attached to aromatic rings
- ab initio molecular orbital calculations applied to reaction mechanisms
- computational chemistry
- materials science
- electrochemistry
- nanomaterial synthesis and testing
- transition metal complexes involving heterocyclic ligands
- bioinorganic chemistry
- biochemical and biophysical studies of the structure, stability, and protein binding of RNA molecules.