Chemistry

The course consists of the following lecture courses under the theme of characterization of molecules, matter, and reactions: molecular symmetry and electronic structure; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; structure and bonding. Available to visiting students only. 

This course provides a solid foundation of organic chemistry. It focuses primarily on the basic principles to understand the structure and reactivity of organic molecules, with examples illustrating the role of organic chemistry in daily life and industry. Topics: chemistry of common organic functional groups: ketones and aldehydes; carboxylic acids and their derivatives; amines; aromatic compounds. Principles of organic synthesis. Detailed considerations of reaction mechanisms. Spectroscopic tools (UV-Vis, IR, NMR, and MS) for characterization and identification of organic compounds. 

This course provides the basic concepts of organic chemistry, the geometric structure and the methods of manufacturing chemical compounds and their reactivities. The course covers: (1) the structure and the methods of manufacturing of hydrocarbons such as alkane, alkene and alkyne; (2) the nucleophilic substitution and elimination reaction of halogen compounds; (3) stereochemistry; (4) ethers and epoxy compounds, and (5) characteristics and manufacturing methods of alcoholic compounds. 

The course includes lectures on metal complexes and organometallics, descriptive transition-metal chemistry, atmospheric chemistry, solid-state chemistry and descriptive main-group chemistry.

This course is an introduction to the chemistry of foods, more specifically the chemistry of groups of compounds present in food: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, phenolic compounds, and enzymes. Chemical changes that take place during the storage and processing of crops and food are learned. In addition, during the laboratory classes, students design experiments, analyze the composition of food products, and write a scientific lab report. Food technologists should be able to estimate the relevance of various chemical and enzymatic processes by making calculations. To practice this part of food chemistry, the quantification of specific reactions is practiced in calculation cases.

This course provides a firm and rigorous foundation in current concepts of the structure and functions of biomolecules in molecular cellular biology. These fundamental concepts form the basis of almost all recent advances in biological and biomedical sciences. The course introduces and discusses biomolecular structures and functions (including protein, carbohydrates, lipid, and nucleotides) and how these biomolecules play roles in biological processes including cellular biocatalyst and metabolism. Practical sessions provide experience in data interpretation and learning of basic laboratory techniques.

This course provides individual research training for students in the Junior Year Engineering Program through the experience of belonging to a specific laboratory at Tohoku University. Students are assigned to a laboratory with the consent of the faculty member in charge. They participate in various group activities, including seminars, for the purposes of training in research methods and developing teamwork skills. The specific topic studied depends on the instructor in charge of the laboratory to which each student is assigned. The methods of assessment vary with the student's project and laboratory instructor. Students submit an abstract concerning the results of their individual research each semester and present the results near the end of this program.

The course provides an introduction to modern materials chemistry, covering both inorganic materials and organic polymers. Models of bonding and structure in the solid state are developed and linked to functionality of the materials themselves. Synthetic and characterization methods are discussed. Students learn about current challenges in materials chemistry, and how to design materials to overcome them.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrolment is by permission of the instructor. The course requires basic knowledge of organic chemistry, general chemistry, and physical chemistry concepts as a prerequisite. The course explores topics including polymers and production processes from renewable sources, processes of recovery and recycling of polymeric materials, depolymerization and degradation of polymeric materials, production of biodegradable polymers, membranes and polymeric technologies, and composite materials for the environment and energy. The course includes a lab session where students work with biodegradable materials in order to understand their properties. Students prepare a lab report about this experience.

This course gives an introduction to methods of pharmaceutical analysis, which utilizes chromatographic, spectroscopic, and electroanalytical techniques to determine the structure and purity of medicinal compounds. Topics include analytical methods for characterizing pharmaceutical solids, AA Spectroscopy in pharmaceutical analysis, extraction of organic and inorganic analytes from aqueous solution, spectroscopic techniques, and complementary techniques to determine the structure and purity of a pharmaceutical compound.