Chemistry (MSc)

Master of Science in Chemistry

Program Website: Chemistry

Field(s) of Specialization

• Organic Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Physical and Computational Methods

Faculty and Administration

For a listing of program faculty and administrative contacts, please visit the program directory.

Program Description

The Department provides facilities for students intending to work towards their Master’s and/or Doctoral degrees in Chemistry. Faculty members specialize in Organic/Bio-organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, and Physical/Theoretical Chemistry. The Department also supports MSc and PhD degrees in Biotechnology.

The following research fields are currently represented, and are described in detail on our department website.

• Organic Chemistry: Synthesis of biologically active and medicinally important compounds including carbohydrates; antimicrobial compounds, macrocyclic peptides, including bioconjugation methods. Enzymatic synthesis of natural and silicone analogues of lipids; chiral synthon production; isotopically labelled compounds; fluorescent nucleic acids and lipids for bioanalytical applications and microscopy; affinity labels and bioconjugates; protein and nucleic acid chemistry and biochemistry, protein-membrane interactions. Organocatalysis and photocatalysis, design, synthesis and computational analysis of novel superbases and hydrogen bond catalysts. Enantioselective synthesis, including synthesis of chiral ligands, chiral auxiliaries; organometallic catalyst design and synthesis; methodology and synthesis of biologically active compounds.
• Inorganic Chemistry: Current research emphasis lies at the interface of coordination chemistry, structural chemistry, and molecular magnetism, and is aimed at the synthesis of dual property single molecule magnets (SMMs), spin crossover complexes, Ln-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and MRI contrast agents. Other areas of interest include the synthesis and study of organosulfur compounds as the semi-conducting components of organic electronic devices, and emissive compounds for solid-state light emitting devices. Synthesis of redox-active ligands and switchable coordination complexes featuring reversible ligand to metal electron transfer reactions and semiconducting properties toward new molecular spintronic materials. In the organometallic/catalysis stream, the research emphasis is placed on the design of new ligand platforms for stabilization of main-group compounds in very low oxidation states for applications in activation of small molecules and molecular catalysis. Research in analytical chemistry includes methodological development for characterizing organic matter and quantifying environmental pollutants using mass spectrometry-based techniques. Applied bioanalytical chemistry research focuses on developing new point-of-care diagnostic devices for the rapid detection of infectious diseases, specific pathogens, and blood biomarkers (e.g., cardiac, cancer, bacteria).
• Physical and Computational Methods: Research includes modern time-resolved electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy to study the structure and function of photosynthetic reaction centres and porphyrin-based model systems. Other areas include optical and electrical property of nanostructured materials characterized by advanced laser spectroscopy and microscopy; synthesis of nanostructured organic and inorganic semiconductors and their applications in solar energy, catalysts, optoelectronics. Computational research focuses on theoretical studies to understand charge and energy transfer reactions in photosynthetic proteins.

Admission Requirements

• Successful completion of an Honours Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in Chemistry or a cognate discipline such as Biochemistry or Biotechnology normally with an average of not less than 78%.
• Agreement from a faculty supervisor to supervise the student is required for admission to the program.
• Applicants required to demonstrate English language proficiency must meet the standard minimum requirements established for graduate-level study.
• Those lacking sufficient background preparation may be required to complete a qualifying term/year to upgrade their applications. Completion of a qualifying term/year does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
• The Departmental Graduate Committee will review all applications and recommend for admission a limited number of candidates.
• Students interested in part-time study at the MSc level should consult the Graduate Program Director.