General Chemistry II Major topics include chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium, acid-base equilibria, chemical thermodynamics, electrochemistry, descriptive inorganic chemistry, and coordination chemistry. Lab work includes inorganic synthesis, qualitative analysis, and quantitative analysis in kinetics, acid-base and redox chemistry.

Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Laboratory In this course students will carry out experiments in the field of inorganic and physical chemistry and write journal-style reports based on their results.  In the first half of the semester students will conduct a multi-step synthesis and characterization of a Mo-Mo complex with a quadruple bond.  Students will learn inert atmosphere synthetic techniques and how to use a glove box.  The synthesized Mo-Mo complex will be characterized by UV-Vis, IR, 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopies, and cyclic voltammetry.  In the second half of the semester students will conduct two physical chemistry experiments.  First students will carry out a kinetic study of the  isomerization of the  Mo-Mo (alpha to beta or beta to alpha) complex by UV-Vis spectroscopy.  Finally, students will obtain the high-resolution IR spectra of acetylene and deuterated acetylene and analyze the rotation-vibration spectra using statistical and quantum mechanics to obtain structural data and interpret the peak intensities.  In addition to the laboratory activities, there will be lectures on metal quadruple bonds, principles of UV-Vis , IR, 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopies, cyclic voltammetry, and statistical mechanics.

Advanced General Chemistry This course is a one-semester alternative to one year of general chemistry (CHEM 0103 and CHEM 0104). It is open to all students who have received a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement test in Chemistry. Students who have two or more years of high school chemistry without AP credit may enroll with permission of the instructor. Topics will be drawn from the traditional general chemistry curriculum, but discussed in greater detail with a more thorough mathematical treatment. Special emphasis will be placed on chemical bonding, coordination chemistry, and real world research in chemistry.

Instrumental Analysis In this course we will learn fundamental concepts of analytical chemistry, instrumental analysis, and scientific writing. Lecture topics include experimental design and quality control; sample collection and preparation; calibration, error, and data analysis; statistics; and the theory and operation of chemical instrumentation. Multi-week laboratory projects provide hands-on experience in qualitative and quantitative analysis using a variety of research-quality instrumentation (e.g., UV/Vis spectrophotometry, gas chromatography mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry). Writing workshops promote professional scientific writing skills through guided practice in writing analysis, peer review, and revision. (CHEM 0204 or CHEM 0242) 3 hr. lect., 6 hrs. lab.

World of Chemistry The goal of this course is to investigate how chemistry impacts our daily lives in both common and extraordinary ways.  After learning basic concepts of elements, atoms, and molecules, we will explore topics in energy (petroleum, nuclear, batteries, and solar), environment (global warming and the ozone hole), health (food and drug), and art (color, conservation, and forgery detection).  We will perform occasional hands-on activities.

AJ Vasiliou

Reviews and ratings for AJ Vasiliou at Middlebury College.AJ Vasiliou teaches General Chemistry II, Inorganic & Physical Chemistry, Advanced General Chemistry and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is AJ Vasiliou good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

This class was great! I loved AJ's enthusiasm for the subject. However, lectures could be a bit hard to follow on occasion. Exams were graded very fairly and extremely doable as long as you had a basic understanding of the concepts.

AJ is so knowledgeable and teaches so effectively. I really enjoyed her lectures. I sometimes need extra time to work on some problems in her homework problem sets. Her grading was fair if you study hard for the exams. I learned a lot.

This is a great class, especially for students who took Chemistry in high school. Although the lab was intense, Prof. AJ and Prof. Dube were both very helpful. The problem sets are important as the exams were generally easier.