CHEM 332 Organic Chemistry II
The second semester of a comprehensive course in organic chemistry. This course introduces organic functional groups that include carbonyl, amine, and aromatic systems and related reaction mechanisms, radical reactions, multi-step synthetic routes, polymers, and the chemical structures common in many biomolecules. Instrumental methods (e.g. NMR, IR, MS, UV) are discussed in greater detail. The lab portion of this course continues the introduction of the techniques, specialized equipment, instrumental methods and safety procedures that was begun in Chem 231 Organic Chem I Lab. Students get hands-on experience with the instrumentation, equipment, hazardous material procedures, and multi-step methods employed in the synthesis of larger, more complicated organic structures from simpler molecules. Intended for chemistry majors and minors, biochemistry majors, and biology majors.
Prerequisites
5 Undergraduate credits
Effective May 6, 2026 to present
Meets graduation requirements for
Learning outcomes
General
- Articulate the structures, physical properties, spectroscopic properties and key reactions pertaining to the chemistry of radicals, aromatic systems, dienes, carbonyls, carboxyls, amines, and biomolecules
- Develop multistep syntheses converting among appropriate chemical families
- Construct protecting group strategies appropriate for competing functional groups in syntheses
- Apply principles of simple organic molecules to interpreting complex biomolecular behavior
- Summarize chemistry primary literature articles
- Construct a scientific poster on a selected research topic
- Refine techniques of structural determination using NMR, MS, IR using given lab instrumentation
- Determine which appropriate laboratory techniques should be utilized in scientific experiments, and apply these techniques to solve given problems in lab settings
- Apply principles of scientific ethics and academic integrity.
- Develop observations into formal lab reports, using proper laboratory, data analysis, and scientific writing conventions.
Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
Goal 3: Natural Sciences
- Demonstrate understanding of scientific theories.
- Formulate and test hypotheses by performing laboratory, simulation, or field experiments in at least two of the natural science disciplines. One of these experimental components should develop, in greater depth, students' laboratory experience in the collection of data, its statistical and graphical analysis, and an appreciation of its sources of error and uncertainty.
- Communicate their experimental findings, analyses, and interpretations both orally and in writing.
- Evaluate societal issues from a natural science perspective, ask questions about the evidence presented, and make informed judgments about science-related topics and policies.