Contemporary Chemistry Development

Course Coordinator: Dr Christie Ng, PhD

Course Developer: Dr. Hsu Chung, Danny, HKUST; Dr. CHUI Yu Hang, Consultant

This course covers a wide range of current topics in chemistry, providing students with opportunities to harness contemporary research findings and develop professional skills. The course introduces four frontier research areas in chemical sciences, including bio-organic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, materials chemistry and advanced instrumental analysis, all of which have brought huge impacts to our everyday lives. Through case studies and the study of journal articles, students will reinforce their existing chemical knowledge in the design, synthesis and characterization of functional molecules and materials, as well as advanced analytical analysis.

Advisory prerequisite(s)
You are advised to have already studied CHEM S251, CHEM S345, CHEM S340, CHEM S310 and SCI S330.

Aims
The overall aims of this course are to expose students to frontier research areas in bio-organic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, materials chemistry, and advanced instrumental analysis. Students will develop an understanding of the basic principles of chemical sciences in relation to contemporary issues. Through various learner-based activities, students will understand and appreciate the methods and process of science, and be able to critically evaluate scientific research publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Contents
The course covers the following topics:

• Bio-organic chemistry: the design and application of artificial receptors, and the development and applications of bioorthogonal reactions
• Supramolecular chemistry: host-guest chemistry and molecular self-assembly
• Materials chemistry: design and applications of inorganic or organic semiconductors; characteristics and the synthetic approach of molecular polymers
• Advanced instrumental analysis: various instrumentation methods for the characterization of functional materials and nano-materials.

Learning support
There will be regular tutorials and surgeries with your tutors throughout the course.

Assessment
There will be two assignments designed to assess your progress in the course. All assignments will be counted toward the overall continuous assignment score. There will also be a final project and an oral presentation at the end of the course. Students are required to submit all assignments via the Online Learning Environment (OLE).

Online support
This course is supported by the Online Learning Environment (OLE). You can find the latest course information from the OLE. Through the OLE, you can communicate electronically with your tutor and the course coordinator as well as other students. To access the OLE, students will need to have access to the Internet. The use of the OLE is required for the study of this course.

Equipment
Students need access to a personal computer or other electronic devices with an internet connection.

Set book(s)

There are no set books for this course. Journal articles and e-books will be provided.

Students with disabilities or special educational needs
If you have impaired vision or hearing, the computer and audio work necessary for this course may present some difficulties. You are encouraged to seek further advice from the Course Coordinator if you feel that it will be physically challenging.