Chemistry

Chair: Dr. Saddam Muthana
Ph: +966 11 215 7717
E: smuthana@alfaisal.edu
 

General Department Information

The Department of Chemistry seeks to be nationally and internationally recognized for its excellence in education, interdisciplinary research, and services. The department strives toward becoming a leading source of knowledge in the chemical and biochemical sciences and their multifaceted practical applications. We are committed to  educating and preparing  our students to excel and achieve their goals. Our faculty members are respected scholars in their fields, as well as dedicated teachers and mentors. Under the guidance of our faculty members, students have the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research and to gain hands-on experience with modern instrumentations.

The Chemistry Department serves the local community and the Kingdom by offering world-class education, providing scientific leadership, training future leaders  chemical and biochemical sciences, and by engaging in community services.

Classes

CHM 101: General Chemistry I

CHM 101 is the first semester course of a two semesters General Chemistry sequence for students majoring in science, or preparing for entry into health professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary science. CHM 101 provides a comprehensive introduction to the basic principles of chemistry including atomic and molecular structure, properties of gases, liquids and solids, and chemical thermodynamics.

CHM 101 L: General Chemistry I lab

General Chemistry I Lab provides an introduction to the fundamentals of laboratory techniques in chemistry. Students will carry out measurements, prepare solutions, and perform qualitative and quantitative experiments.

CHM 102: Introduction to Chemistry

CHM 102 is a single-semester, terminal course designed to provide engineering students with a foundation in the fundamental principles and concepts of chemistry. Topics covered include atomic structure, nomenclature, chemical equations, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, chemical bonding, solution properties, kinetics, equilibrium, electrochemistry, descriptive inorganic, nuclear chemistry, and bio/organic chemistry.

CHM 102 L: Introduction to Chemistry lab

Introduction to chemistry lab provides an introduction to the fundamentals of laboratory techniques in chemistry. Students will carry out measurements, prepare solutions, and perform qualitative and quantitative experiments.

CHM 107: Chemistry in the Environment and Everyday Living

CHM 107 examines the role of chemistry in everyday life and in the environment, and is intended for students not pursuing scientific or engineering majors. Chemical principles are introduced to the extent necessary for understanding of issues.

CHM 112: General Chemistry II

CHM 112 is the second of a two semester chemistry course for science majors or those preparing for entry into health professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary science. CHM 112 builds on fundamental principles mastered in the first semester of the course.

CHM 112: General Chemistry II lab

General Chemistry II Lab (CHM 112 L) The general chemistry laboratory is designed to support and illustrate chemical concepts studied in the lecture portion of the course, as well as to introduce important laboratory techniques and encourage analytical thinking.

CHM 211: Organic Chemistry I

CHM 211 is the first semester of a two semester sequence for science majors and those preparing for entry into health professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary science. CHM 211 focus on bonding principles, functional groups, isomerism, stereochemistry, nomenclature, synthesis and reactions of alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alcohols, and alkyl halides. Addition, elimination, rearrangement, and substitution mechanisms.

CHM 211 L: Organic Chemistry I lab

Organic chemistry I Lab provides an introduction to the fundamentals to laboratory techniques in organic chemistry. This lab introduces students to chemical reactions and syntheses of aromatic, carbonyl, and amine compounds.

CHM 212: Organic Chemistry II

CHM 212 is continuation of CHM 211. It covers nomenclature, properties, reactions and synthesis of conjugated dienes, aromatics, organometallics, alcohols, phenols, ethers, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids and derivatives, and amines. Mechanisms include electrophilic aromatic substitution and nucleophilic addition. Carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins and nucleic acids

CHM 212 L: Organic Chemistry II lab

Organic chemistry II Lab (CHM 212 L) introduces students to chemical reactions and syntheses of aromatic, carbonyl, and amine compounds. Special topics in carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid chemistry. Lab work includes simple and multi-step synthesis and spectral identification.

CHM 213: Analytical Chemistry

Quantitative Analysis (CHM 213) provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental theory and laboratory techniques in analytical chemistry. This includes experimental errors and statistics, data analysis methods. Chemical equilibria, titrations, spectrophotometry, and analytical separation methods.

CHM 232: Organic chemistry

Organic chemistry is the chemistry of compounds containing the element Carbon. Therefore, this course is essential to educate the students about organic nomenclature as a basic knowledge to understand the organic physical-chemical properties of drugs. The course provides the students with essential knowledge of atoms, molecules, bonds, function groups, and structure required to define alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alcohols, ethers, carbonyl compounds, phenolic compounds, and aryl halides to understand their properties, structures and actions. The students will determine the chemical structure using Infra-Red (IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Mass Spectroscopy (MS). The students will designate the mechanisms of organic reactions of substitution, addition, and elimination, and understand stereochemistry to detect chiral molecules and explain the difference in stereoisomers characters and reactions. It will cover in depth physical properties of drug compounds as a basic knowledge required for further subjects such as drug delivery system and pharmaceutical chemistry. Major organic chemical reactions covered in this course will help the student to understand subjects such as pharmacology and medicinal chemistry in the coming semesters.

CHM 232: Organic Chemistry

CHM 232 provides the students with essential knowledge required to define organic compounds and to understand their properties, structures and actions. The students will determine the chemical structure using IR, NMR, and Mass Spectroscopy. The mechanisms of organic reactions including addition, elimination, substitution, and rearrangement reactions will be discussed. Major organic chemical reactions covered in this course will help the student to understand subjects such as pharmacology and medicinal chemistry in the coming semesters.

CHM 232 L: Organic Chemistry lab

Organic chemistry Lab provides an introduction to the fundamentals to laboratory techniques in organic chemistry. This includes chemical reactions and syntheses of aromatic, carbonyl, and amine compounds discussed in CHM 232 course.

CHM 310: Introduction to Instrumental Analysis

Introduction to the theories of analysis by instrumental methods. Basic electronics are applied to chemical measurements. Topics include an introduction to the theory of spectroscopy, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and others. CHM 310 is an introduction to basic principles and the instrumental design of a variety of analytical techniques, including: electrochemical, spectrochemical (molecular and atomic), chromatographical and mass spectrochemical techniques.

CHM 331: Medicinal Chemistry

Medicinal Chemistry (CHM 331) will explore role of chemistry in the design and action of drugs. Principles of drug discovery, drug development, drug interactions, and the structure-activity relationship of drugs will be discussed. Aspects of biochemistry and physical chemistry will be covered as required to understand the chemistry of drug action and drug metabolism. Selected case studies from the major classes of drugs and literature will be used to illustrate concepts covered in the course.

CHM 332: Environmental Chemistry

The purpose of this course is to gain an understanding of the fundamental chemical and biochemical processes that are occurring in the environment. The course will reflects on major issues in the environment including atmospheric chemistry, air pollution, climate change, energy, water chemistry and water pollution, toxic heavy metals, organic pollutants such as pesticides, herbicides, insecticides , and waste and recycling.

PBIO 112: Preparatory Biochemistry

This introductory course is designed to provide a solid foundation in basic biochemistry for pre-medical students and students entering the allied health sciences. The course begins with a brief survey of the principles of organic chemistry including functional groups, acidity, basicity, stereochemistry, and chirality of organic molecules. This is followed by a comprehensive survey of biochemistry with emphasis on the structure and function of biomolecules including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, enzymes, neurotransmitters, hormones, and nucleotides. The course also provides an introduction to metabolic pathways and bioenergetics.

PBIO 112/BIO 113: Principles of Biochemistry

This course will help student to understand and appreciate organic chemistry as a necessary tool and an integral part of understanding biochemistry and the important biological molecules, their physical, chemical and biological properties and functions. This course will start with reviewing general chemistry concepts, to progress with organic functional groups and important organic reactions, structure and reactivity of aromatic compounds, polymers, and biopolymers. Important structures, and functions of biological macromolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids, which provide the structure of cells will also be discussed.

PCHE 101: Preparatory Chemistry I

This course designed to give students a solid foundation in basic chemistry as a preparation for undergraduate studies. Students will learn of the central role of chemistry in science, the history and development of simple models used to describe the material world, with an emphasis on structure of matter at the atomic and molecular level. Students will learn how major classes of compounds, with characteristic properties, can be identified by gaining an appreciation of how different atoms interact with each other. They will understand that structure determines physical and chemical properties. They will understand different types of chemical bonds; covalent, metallic and ionic bonds. They will learn also, the structure of organic compounds and their relative properties depending on the functional groups.

PCHE 101/ CHM 103: Chemistry I

This course is designed to give students a solid foundation in basic chemistry as a preparation for undergraduate studies. Students will learn of the central role of chemistry in science. They will learn the history and development of simple models used to describe the material world, with an emphasis on structure of matter at the atomic and molecular level. Students will learn how major classes of compounds, with characteristic properties, can be identified by gaining an appreciation of chemical bonding and how different molecules interact with each other. They will understand that structure determines physical and chemical properties. Then they will learn how chemists quantify matter, and finally they will study some of the major types of chemical reactions. Students will also develop practical skills in laboratory protocols and writing of formal laboratory reports.

PCHE 112: Preparatory Chemistry II

This course is designed to give students a solid foundation in basic chemistry as a preparation for undergraduate studies. Students will learn the arithmetic of chemical equations and to carry out calculations using balanced equations. They will apply kinetic theory to gases to explain their properties. Students will explore the gas laws experimentally and use these laws to carry out calculations. They will understand the thermochemical reactions and how to calculate the energy released or absorbed during a chemical change. The properties of acids and bases will be discusses along with measurement and calculation of pH. A basic appreciation of buffer action will be attained. Oxidation and reduction will be defined and reactions involving these processes will be carried out and their balanced equations deduced. Electrochemical reactions and electrochemical equations will be introduced to the students with the emphasis on the importance of the different applications of electrochemical reactions such as batteries, fuel cells and electrolytic cells.

PCHE 112/CHM 113: Chemistry II

This course is designed to give students a solid foundation in basic chemistry as a preparation for undergraduate studies. Students will learn the stoichiometry of chemical equations and to carry out calculations using balanced equations. They will apply kinetic theory to gases to explain their properties. Students will learn about the gas laws both theoretically and experimentally and use these laws to carry out calculations. They will learn about the flow of energy in chemical reactions and how energy is quantified experimentally. The properties of acids and bases will be studied along with measurement and calculation of pH. The fundamental principles governing buffer action will be learned. Oxidation and reduction will be defined and reactions involving these processes will be carried out and their balanced equations deduced. The sources, properties and major uses of hydrocarbons will be emphasized. Students will learn to classify organic molecules according to functional groups. They will study basic reactions of selected functional groups. The importance of polymerization and polymers will be emphasized.