Calendar

In this course, students are divided into three groups for the laboratory experiments. Each group begins working on a different experiment and completes a cycle of three experiments by the end of the semester. As a result, no two groups ever work on the same experiment at the same time. The experiments schedule shows this rotation format.

During the first six weeks of the course, the class attends a series of lectures on the general background and theory relevant to the experiments. A detailed discussion of each experiment is also presented to each laboratory group when they begin the experiment. These group sessions are designated as Conferences. Lecture and Conference topics are presented in the lecture schedule below.

Experiments Schedule

The lab manuals for the experiments referred to in the table below can be found on the Labs page.

DAY # GROUP A GROUP B GROUP C
1 Laboratory check-in
Begin first rotation
2-18 Nitrogen Lab: Day 1 to 17 Laser Lab and NMR/ESR Lab: Day 1 to 17 IR Lab: Day 1 to 17
19 Nitrogen Lab: Presentation practice meetings

Laser Lab and NMR/ESR Lab: Day 18

Laser Lab: Written report due

IR Lab: Day 18
20 Nitrogen Lab: Presentation practice meetings NMR/ESR Lab: Day 19 IR Lab: Day 19
21 Nitrogen Lab: Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentations NMR/ESR Lab: Oral reports IR Lab: Written report due
22 Nitrogen Lab: Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentations NMR/ESR Lab: Oral reports  
Begin second rotation
23-38 Laser Lab and NMR/ESR Lab: Day 1 to 16 IR Lab: Day 1 to 16 Nitrogen Lab: Day 1 to 16
39

Laser Lab and NMR/ESR Lab: Day 17

Laser Lab: Written report due

IR Lab: Day 17 Nitrogen Lab: Day 17
40 NMR/ESR Lab: Day 18 IR Lab: Day 18 Nitrogen Lab: Presentation practice meetings
41 NMR/ESR Lab: Day 19 IR Lab: Day 19 Nitrogen Lab: Presentation practice meetings
42 NMR/ESR Lab: Oral reports IR Lab: Written report due Nitrogen Lab: Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentations
43 NMR/ESR Lab: Oral reports   Nitrogen Lab: Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentations
Begin third rotation
44-59 IR Lab: Day 1 to 16 Nitrogen Lab: Day 1 to 16 Laser Lab and NMR/ESR Lab: Day 1 to 16
60 IR Lab: Day 17 Nitrogen Lab: Day 17

Laser Lab and NMR/ESR Lab: Day 17

Laser Lab: Written report due

61 IR Lab: Day 18 Nitrogen Lab: Presentation practice meetings NMR/ESR Lab: Day 18
62 IR Lab: Day 19 Nitrogen Lab: Presentation practice meetings NMR/ESR Lab: Day 19
63 IR Lab: Written report due Nitrogen Lab: Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentations NMR/ESR Lab: Oral reports
64   Nitrogen Lab: Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentations NMR/ESR Lab: Oral reports
65 Laboratory check-out

Lecture Schedule

The lecture notes for the lectures listed below can be found on the Lecture Notes page. On some indicated sessions, only the specified group is required to go to lecture.

DAY # LECTURE TOPICS
   
1 Mandatory safety lecture
Begin first rotation
2 Introduction, course organization
5 Classical description of spectroscopy, part I
7 Spectroscopy II
10 Principles for interpreting molecular spectra
11 Electronic spectroscopy (Group B only)
12 Vibrational spectroscopy
13 Analysis of IR spectra (Group C only)
14 Preparing oral presentations
16 Nitrogen scission with Molybdenum complexes
19 Magnetic resonance: NMR
21 Magnetic resonance: ESR
Begin second rotation
24 Electronic spectroscopy (Group A only)
27 Analysis of IR spectra (Group B only)
Begin third rotation
46 Electronic spectroscopy (Group C only)
48 Analysis of IR spectra (Group A only)