Department of Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry at Saint Mary’s University offers undergraduate education in a supportive and friendly environment. Our broad range of courses offers a rigorous core education in the theory and practice of chemistry. We also provide students in other disciplines with an introduction to the principles and practices of this central science, which contributes to their fundamental understanding and appreciation of the physical world.

Our chemistry professors are committed to engaging undergraduate students in research activities. Motivated students have the opportunity to gain valuable experience as research assistants. Many present their research projects at regional and national conferences. Students who may have an interest in a specific area of research are encouraged to contact our Chemistry Faculty members directly. Both our Majors and Honours programs are fully accredited by the Canadian Society for Chemistry.

To contact a Chemistry Department member directly, visit our Faculty and Staff page for our department members contact information.

NEWS

Refereed article for Chemistry Professor Emeritus, John C. O'C Young April 11, 2024 "An Enhance Colorimetric Integrated Rate Procedure for Determining Kinetic Reaction Order Values" (refereed article). Published in Chem. Educator 2024 29 88-92. Author: John C. O'C. Young
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Student & Faculty Members, Mary Stackaruk, Jason Masuda, Robert Singer, and Christa Brosseau April 8, 2024 Nanostructured Copper Screen-Printed Electrodes as a Platform for Plasmon-Enhanced Spectroelectrochemistry, Published in ACS Applied Nano Materials, 7, 7, 8247-8257. Authors: Mary C. Stackaruk, Darcie L. Stack, Jason D. Masuda, Robert D. Singer and Christa L. Brosseau Mary Stackaruk is a current research student with the Brosseau Research Group and was lead author along with Darcie Stack, a SMU Alum member and former research student with the Masuda Research Group.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Cory Pye April 1, 2024 An Ab Initio Investigation of the Hydration of Antimony(III). Published in Liquids, Vol 4(2), Pages 322-331 (2024). Authors: Cory C. Pye and C. Mahesh Gunasekara. Co-author Mahesh was a former undergraduate co-operative education research student of Dr. Pye and is a graduate of Saint Mary’s University.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Cory Pye November 27, 2023 A Raman spectroscopic and ab initio investigation of aqueous boron speciation under alkaline hydrothermal conditions: evidence for the structure and thermodynamic stability of the diborate ion. Published in Dalton Transactions. Authors: Swaroop Sasidharanpillai, Jenny S. Cox, Cory C. Pye, and Peter R. Tremaine. Spectroscopic evidence for the existence of diborate anion was found at elevated temperatures. Based on ab initio and density functional theory, as well as chemical modelling studies, the diborate ion was shown to be most likely [B₂(OH)₇]^-(aq).A possible second ion present might be the cyclic [B₂O₂(OH)₄]^2-(aq) ion.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Danielle TokarzNovember 14, 2023Effect of out of plane orientation on polarization second harmonic generation of single collagen fibrils. Published in Biomedical Optics Express 14, 12 (2023). Authors: MacAulay Harvey, Richard Cisek, Danielle Tokarz and Laurent Kreplak.Co-author MacAulay Harvey is a current graduate student supervised by Danielle Tokarz at Saint Mary's University. Co-author Richard Cisek is a Saint Mary's University part-time faculty member with both the Astronomy & Physics Department and the Chemistry Department.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Christa BrosseauOctober 26, 2023 Electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Published in Nat Rev Methods Primers 3, 80 (2023). Authors: Christa L. Brosseau, Alvaro Colina, Juan V. Perales-Rondon, Andrew J. Wilson, Padmanabh B. Joshi, Bin Ren & Xiang Wang.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Danielle TokarzSeptember 22, 2023Characterization of pathological stomach tissue using polarization-sensitive second harmonic generation microscopy. Published in the journal, Biomedical Optics Express (2023). Authors: Hwanhee Jeon, MacAulay Harvey, Richard Cisek, Elisha Bennett and Danielle Tokarz.Co-author Hwanhee Jeon was an NSERC USRA student, MacAulay Harvey is a current graduate student and Elisha Bennett is a current undergraduate student, all supervised by Danielle Tokarz at Saint Mary's University. Co-author Richard Cisek is a Saint Mary's University part-time faculty member with both the Astronomy & Physics Department and the Chemistry Department.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Robert Singer September 8, 2023 The partitioning of primary alcohols into the aggregates of gemini amphiphiles determined from diffusion NMR experiments. Published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. Authors: Brooke Morris, Ahmed Elgendy, Nicole MacNeil, Olivia Singer, Jacob Hoare, Robert Singer, Gerrard Marangoni Co-authors Olivia Singer and Jacob Hoare are former research students with Dr. Singer. UPDATE!!! As of October 23, 2023 this article is on the Journal’s “2023 PCCP HOT Articles” listing
SMU Chemistry Applied Science Student, Mal Hedrick, recipient of a "Scotia Scholars Award" August 10, 2023 Mal was a recent recipient of one of the many awards awarded under the Scotia Scholars Award. The Scotia Scholars Award provides financial support to research trainees with exceptional potential who are engaged in health research at participating Nova Scotia institutions. The award supports the growth and retention of highly skilled individuals who are advancing and translating knowledge in disease detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, strengthening health care delivery systems, caring for vulnerable populations, and promoting better opportunities for future health and wellbeing. Funding for this award is provided by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness. Mal's award was based on their research project titled "Fabric-based Wearable Sensors for Early Detection of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)" and their supervisor is Dr. Christa Brosseau. Congratulations Mal!
SMU Chemistry Department Now Accepting Fall 2023 TA Applications! July 28, 2023 The Chemistry Department is now seeking TA applications for the upcoming semester. Visit www.smu.ca/chemistryta for instructions, applications & job descriptions. Deadline to apply is Tuesday (noon), August 15, 2023
Chemistry Students multiple ChemCon 2023 Award Winners! May 27, 2023 Dalhousie University recently hosted ChemCon 2023 with the theme focusing on diversity in Chemistry. Being the first in-person ChemCon event post the Covid-19 pandemic, it allowed for many our students to participate in this annual event with a number of our students also being award winners. Our Chemistry Students who received awards at this year’s Chemcon were: Sumayyah Ayesha Bibi Chotoye: Gordon Young Award for the Best Undergraduate Research: Thai Do: Best Undergraduate Poster Presentation in Inorganic Chemistry Tanner George: Best Graduate Oral Presentation in Inorganic Chemistry MacAulay Harvey: Best Graduate Oral Presentation in Physical Chemistry Lo Grant: Best Graduate Oral Presentation in Macromolecular Chemistry Congratulations Sumayyah, Thai, Tanner, MacAulay and Lo!
Chemistry Faculty Member, Dr. Mary Sheppard, medal recipient at Spring Convocation May 23, 2023 At May 2023’s Spring Convocation, professor Mary Sheppard was the recipient of the Father William A. Stewart, SJ Medal for Excellence in Teaching. This award, given by the Saint Mary’s University Alumni Association and Faculty Union, was determined by nominations from current and former students and colleagues. *Congratulations, Dr. Sheppard!*
Chemistry Student, Sumayyah Chotoye, one of four Spring Graduates, ties for the Bachelor of Science Undergraduate Gold Medal May 23, 2023 In a first in Saint Mary’s University history, four Spring graduates tied for the Bachelor of Science Undergraduate Gold Medal, earning the top GPA marks in the program. Abby Brouwer, Sumayyah Chotoye, Jaylynn Skeete and Allison Vandaele received their medals at the recent May convocation ceremony. Typically, only one undergraduate student in each faculty receives this award. “We could have approached this four-way tie as a problem, but instead we celebrate the outstanding performance of these hardworking graduates whose commitment and perseverance are an inspiration to us all,” said Interim Vice-President, Academic and Research Madine VanderPlaat at the May 18 ceremony. All four graduates received numerous awards and scholarships during their time at Saint Mary’s. Sumayyah Chotoye, from Port Louis, Mauritius, majored in chemistry (honours) with a minor in French and is currently in the Master of Science, Applied Science program at Saint Mary’s. Congratulations, Sumayyah!
Undergraduate Scholarships Program - Applications now being accepted April 20, 2023 Applications for the Undergraduate Scholarships Program is now available for the 2023-24 academic year! Some of the awards that the Chemistry Department is involved in selecting applicants are: Cleary Family Scholarship Joseph & Charles Hinman Canadian Memorial Bursary Jack Ginsburg Memorial Scholarship John C. O’C. Young Scholarship All students who attended Saint Mary’s University for the 2022-2023 academic year and who will be continuing their undergraduate studies in the 2023-2024 academic year are encouraged to apply, and outline their unique, individual qualities in their personal statement. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2021 at 11:59pm Students can visit smu.ca/awards to find the Saint Mary’s University Undergraduate Scholarships Program application, as well as other applications that are currently available for the 2023-2024 academic year. Questions can be emailed to financial.aid@smu.ca.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Danielle Tokarz April 19, 2023 High numerical aperture imaging allows chirality measurement in individual collagen fibrils using polarization second harmonic generation microscopy. Published in the journal, Nanophotonics (2023). Authors: MacAulay Harvey, Richard Cisek, Mehdi Alizadeh, Virginijus Barzda, Laurent Kreplak and Danielle Tokarz. Co-author MacAulay Harvey is a current graduate student supervised by Danielle Tokarz at Saint Mary's University. Co-author Richard Cisek is a Saint Mary's University part-time faculty member with both the Astronomy & Physics Department and the Chemistry Department.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Christa Brosseau and associate research students April 19, 2023 Development of an Electrochemical Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Biosensor for the Direct Detection of Glutathione. Published in Journal of Raman Spectroscopy (2023). Authors: Sumayyah Chotoye, Rachael Ball, Maddison Eisnor and Christa Brosseau. Co-authors Sumayyah Chotoye and Rachael Ballare current research students supervised by Christa Brosseau. Co-author Maddison Eisnor is a SMU Chemistry alumnus.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Jason D. Masuda and PhD student Tanner George April 6, 2023 Planar bismuth triamides: a tunable platform for main group Lewis acidity and polymerization catalysis. Published in Chemical Science (2023). Authors: Tyler J. Hannah, W. Michael McCarvell, Tamina Kirsch, Joseph Bedard, Toren Hynes, Jacqueline Mayho, Karlee L. Bamford, Cyler W. Vos, Christopher M. Kozak, Tanner George, Jason D. Masuda, and S S. ChitnisCo-author Tanner George is currently a PhD research student working in the Masuda research group
SMU Student Chemistry Society hosted successful fundraiser March 30, 2023 On March 27, 2023 our Chemistry Student Society held a bake sale where all proceeds will be donated the Canadian Cancer Society. The society raised $310 to aid the Canadian Cancer Society in its research and programs. A successful (and tasty) event! Well Done! SMU Chemistry Society!
Chemistry Student, Sumayyah Ayesha Bibi Chotoye, wins national award March 29, 2023 Fourth year chemistry student Sumayyah Ayesha Bibi Chotoye has won the Chemical Institute of Canada’s CIC Analytical Chemistry Division Undergraduate Travel Award in Honor of Dr. Nick Toltl. This award will give Sumayyah the opportunity to talk about her thesis, titled “Two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC): A Novel Technique For the Analysis of Bisphenol Contaminants in Canned Food Item,” at the Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition in Vancouver. Sumayyah was also a 2022 Dean of Science summer research scholarship holder. Past Chemistry Students who were also recipients of this award were Maddison Eisnor (2020) and Kaleigh McLeod (2021). To learn more about Sumayyah, visit their award profile here. Congratulations Sumayyah!
Two refereed articles for Chemistry Professor Emeritus, John C. O'C Young March 20, 2023 "Reaction Kentics with Flowthrough Colorimetry" (refereed article). Published in Chem. Educator, 2023, 28, 60-64. Author: Young, John C. O'C. - and - "A Kinetic Non-Flooded Initial Reaction Rate Procedure for Determining Reactant Order Values" (refereed article). Published in Chem. Educator, 2023, 28 15-28. Author: Young, John C. O'C.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Jason D. Masuda March 15, 2023 Synthesis and crystal structures of halogenated oxathiazolones and an unexpected propanamide. Published in Acta Cryst. (2023). C79. Authors: T. George, S. W. McWilliams, J. D. Masuda and M. J. Schriver Co-author Tanner George is currently a PhD research student working in the Masuda research group.
Chemistry Faculty Member, Cory C. Pye, to serve on the editorial board of the journal "ACS Chemical Health and Safety"March 3, 2023Dr. Cory C. Pye has accepted an invitation to serve on the editorial board of the journal "ACS Chemical Health and Safety". "ACS Chemical Health and Safety" is a global platform for ensuring that all members of the chemical enterprise receive access to new research, safety information, regulatory updates, effective chemical hygiene practices, and hazard assessment tools. It is published by the American Chemical Society.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Jason Masuda February 23, 2023 Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activities of Boron-Containing Isoniazid Derivatives. Published in Chemistry Africa, 2023, 2522-5766. Authors: Kostelnik, T.I.; Morrissey, M.K.; Vogels. C.M.; Masuda, J.D.; Westcott, S.A
SMU Chemistry Department Hosts IUPAC Women in Chemistry Global Women's Breakfast 2023 February 16, 2023 Having participating in this global event since 2019, the Department again part-took in this event by hosting a pizza lunch and connecting with various like-minded organizations, globally. The year's event theme was "Breaking Barriers of Science" where the group discussed barriers specifically encountered by women.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Danielle Tokarz February 15, 2023 Investigation into the structure of crystalline maltodextrin particles by second harmonic generation microscopy. Published in the journal “Biomedical Optics Express”, vol. 14, Authors: Elisha Bennett, MacAulay Harvey, Richard Cisek and Danielle Tokarz.Co-author Elisha Bennett is a current Honours student in the Department of Chemistry at Saint Mary’s University.Co-author MacAulay Harvey is a current graduate student at Saint Mary’s University
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Jason Masuda February 8, 2023 Iminophosphine platinum(II) complexes containing long chain aniline derivatives: synthesis, characterization, and anticancer properties; Published in Polyhedron, 2022, 116236; Authors: Hsu, S.Y.; Murphy, M.C.; Smolensky, N.T.; Vogels, C.M.; Lebel, A.A.; Masuda, J.D.; Boudreau, L.H.; Morin, P.J.; Westcott, S.A.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Cory C. Pye February 8, 2023Interpreting the Microwave Spectra of Diatomic Molecules, Published in Spectroscopy Journal, 1(1), 3-27 (2023) (Feb 8, 2023) Author: Pye, Cory C. This paper is meant as a review/tutorial for learning the basics of microwave/rotational spectroscopy.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Cory C. Pye Dec 14, 2022 An Ab Initio Investigation of the Hydration of Tin(II), Published in Liquids, 2(4), 465-473 (2022) (Dec 14, 2022) Authors: Pye, Cory C.; Gunasekara, C. Mahesh. Co-author Mahesh was a former undergraduate co-operative education research student of Dr. Pye and is a graduate of Saint Mary’s University.
Chemistry Department Member, Katherine Robinson, receives recognition for 2 authored articles December 6, 2022 Editors of Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A! have chosen and promoted as an Editor's Pick “Cut-and-Pasting Ligands: The Structure/Function Relationships of a Thermally Robust Mo(VI) Precursor.” Accepted for publication in the Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A, November 9, 2022. Authors: Michael A. Land, Dexter A. Dimova, Katherine N. Robertson and Seán T. Barry - And – Editors-in-Chief have selected as Editor's Choice article “Reaction of bis(dialkyl-phosphino)amines R₂PNHPNR₂ (R = i-Pr, t-Bu, Ph) with halogens X₂ (X = Cl, Br, I): different solvents – different stories.” Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 100, 737–750 (2022). Authors: Robert D. Riley, Katherine N. Robertson and Jason A. C. Clyburne. Congratulations Katherine!
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Cory C. Pye November 25, 2022 An ab initio study of the effect of hydration on the vibrational spectrum of hydrogen vanadate ion, Published in Journal of Solution Chemistry, (November 25, 2022) Authors: Pye, Cory C.; Berryman, Victoria E. J.; Goodall, Barbara L. Co-authors Victoria and Barbara were former undergraduate research students of Dr. Pye and are graduates of Saint Mary's University. This work was based on part of the honours thesis of Victoria (“Vikki”) Berryman (nee Walker).
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Member, Katherine Robertson October 25, 2022 Synthesis of 5’-thymidine conjugated formylphenylboronic acids as potential lysine targeting iminoboronate reversible covalent enzyme probes. Authors: Alana M. M. Rangaswamy, Michael H. R. Beh, Ebrahim Soleimani, Steve Sequeira, Julie Cormier, Katherine N. Robertson and David L. Jakeman. Published in Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2022
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Member, Katherine Robertson October 25, 2022 Gram-Scale Synthesis of the N-Phenyl Phenothiazine Photocatalyst by Benzyne Addition. Authors: Erin N. Welsh, Katherine N. Robertson and Alexander W. H. Speed. Published in the Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 2022
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Member Katherine Robertson and Chemistry Faculty member Jason Clyburne October 25, 2022 Reaction of bis(dialkyl-phosphino)amines R2PNHPNR2 (R = i-Pr, t-Bu, Ph) with halogens X2 (X = Cl, Br, I): different solvents – different stories. Authors: Robert D. Riley, Katherine N. Robertson and Jason A. C. Clyburne. Published in Inorganic Chemistry, 2022
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Member, Katherine Robertson October 25, 2022 Mapping ‘Dual-Base’-Enabled Ni-Catalyzed Aryl Amidations: Application in the Synthesis of 4-Quinolones. Authors: Ryan T. McGuire, Travis Lundrigan, Joshua W. M. MacMillan, Katherine N. Robertson, Arun A. Yadav and Mark Stradiotto. Published in Angewandte Chem International Edition, 2022
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Member, Katherine Robertson October 12, 2022 Origin of Decomposition in a Family of Molybdenum Precursor Compounds. Authors: Michael A. Land, Goran Bačić, Katherine N. Robertson, Seán T. Barry. Published in Inorganic Chemistry, 2022
Journal Cover featuring recently published paper from faculty member Robert Singer and co-workers October 4, 2022 The recently published paper by Singer et al. Improved Green Synthesis and Crystal Structures of Symmetrical Cationic Gemini Surfactants has a related cover. Artwork finalized by Olivia Singer with pictures supplied by the other authors. Link to cover on the journal website.
Undergraduate Research Day 2022 On Friday Oct 7th, from 12:45pm to 2:15pm, the SMU Chemistry society is hosting 'Undergraduate Research Day 2022' in SB 265. Students who did research in the Chemistry Department during summer 2022 will provide an insight on the project they have been working on. Presentation topics include EC-SERS and LSPR, second harmonic generation microscopy, two-dimensional liquid chromatography, fungal inhibitory metabolites, and demethylation of alkaloids. It is great a opportunity for undergraduate students to see the various research interests of the faculty members in the chemistry department. Attendance will count as bonus for second year chemistry courses and above. Pizza and drinks will be offered.
Chemistry Food Cupboard A Success! September 28, 2022 In March of 2022, the Department of Chemistry EDI (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Committee launched an initiative for Nutrition Month, where we hosted a food cupboard on the 5^th floor hallway. The food cupboard was generously supported by the staff, faculty, and students of the department, as well as individuals outside of chemistry.Lauren Grant, a PhD student in Clarissa Sit’s lab and a member of our EDI committee helped get this initiative up and running. Over the month of March, we gave out an estimated 15-20 bags of groceries and over $150 in gift cards. It was very popular indeed, and anonymous comments from users collected afterwards gave the initiative lots of praise. During the LOGIC retreat this year (Leaders Overcoming Great Inequalities in Chemistry, a satellite event of the Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition), Lauren presented a poster on the Chemistry food cupboard via Twitter, and her poster won. Congrats Lauren!
Chemistry Faculty Member, Cory C. Pye, promoted to Section Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Liquids”. September 13, 2022 Dr. Cory C. Pye, editorial board member of Liquids, has been promoted to the Editor-in-chief for the “Chemical Physics of Liquids” section, and is a guest editor for the special issue “Hydration of Ions in Aqueous Solution”. This journal is published quarterly by MDPI.
Chemistry Faculty Member, Cory C. Pye, to serve on the editorial board of the journal "Spectroscopy Journal" August 16, 2022 Dr. Cory C. Pye has accepted an invitation to serve on the editorial board of the new journal "Spectroscopy Journal". "Spectroscopy Journal" is an international open-access peer-reviewed journal, focusing on publications on spectroscopy, This journal will be published quarterly online by MDPI.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Members, Christa Brosseau and Robert Singer September 26, 2022 Gold Extraction Using Novel Ionic Thiourea Derivatives Published in Australian Journal of Chemistry, 2022. Authors: Megan Himmelman, Amir Joorab-Doozha, Christa Brosseau, Robert Singer Co-author Megan Himmelman is a recent MSc graduate (co-supervised by Brosseau and Singer) and Amir Joorab-Doozha was a research associate in the Brosseau grroup at Saint Mary's University.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Jason Masuda September 24, 2022 An Unusual Tri-coordinate Co(II) Silylamide with Potential for Chemical Vapor Deposition Processes, Published in Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie. Authors: Zanders, D.; Masuda, J.D.; Lowe, B.; Curtis, S.; Devi, A.; Barry, S.T.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Jason Masuda September 22, 2022 Atomic Layer Deposition of PbCl2, PbBr2 and mixed lead halide (Cl, Br, I) PbXnY2-n thin films, Published in Dalton Transactions, 2022. Authors: Popov, G.; Bacic, G.; Van Dijck, C.; Junkers, L.S.; Weiss, A.; Mattinen, M.; Viheraara, A.; Jalkanen, P.; Mizohata, K.; Leskela, M.; Masuda, J.D.; Barry, S.T.; Ritala, M.; Kemell, M.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Members, Robert Singer and Jason Masuda September 20, 2022 Improved Green Synthesis and Crystal Structures of Symmetrical Cationic Gemini Surfactants, Published in ACS Omega, 2022. Authors: Olivia M. Singer, Jacob W. Campbell, Jacob G. Hoare, Jason D. Masuda, Gerrard Marangoni, and Robert D. Singer Co-authors Olivia Singer, Jacob Campbell and Jacob Hoare were research students in Dr. Singer's lab and Campbell and Hoare are graduates of Saint Mary's University.
Peer-reviewed publication for Chemistry Faculty Member, Jason Masuda September 13, 2022 Mesomeric Tuning at Planar Bi centres: Unexpected Dimerization and Benzyl C-H Activation in [CN2]Bi Complexes, Published in ChemPlusChem, 2022. Authors: Toren Hynes, Jason D. Masuda, and Saurabh S. Chitnis.