Department of Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry boasts a series of scientific innovation and application platforms, featuring Key Laboratory of the  Ministry of Education (Advanced Catalysis Materials), Provincial Level  Key Laboratory (Solid Surface Reaction Chemistry), Provincial Level  Experiment Teaching Demonstration Center (Chemistry), Provincial Level Priority  Discipline (Chemistry), Provincial Level Class-A Top Discipline  (Chemistry), Provincial Level Key Discipline (Applied Chemistry), First  Level Discipline Doctor Station (Chemistry), Provincial Level  High-quality Specialty (Chemistry), Provincial Level Distinctive  Specialty (Applied Chemistry) etc. The Department has a total lab and facility space of 9,000 m² for research and education. The total value of laboratory equipment is about 100 million yuan. After years of construction and development, the Department has formed five research disciplines, including inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry and polymer chemistry and physics. Now, the Department has  the doctoral degree conferring spots of first-level disciplines for  Chemistry and postdoctoral research center for Chemistry.

The Department of Chemistry currently employs around 80 faculties, including 40 professors or researchers (30 Ph.D. supervisors); adjunct Academician of Chinese Academy of Science, National Overseas High-Level Talents, National Overseas High-Level Young Talents, NSFC Outstanding Youth Foundation Winners, Zhejiang Province 10000 Plan Experts, Zhejiang Province Overseas High-Level Talents, distinguished professors of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Province 151 Programs and so on.

The Department of Chemistry is research-intensive with total funding of up to 40 million yuan in the last five years. It has  delivered outstanding research outputs that generate significant impact  on scientific communities worldwide. Many research works have been  published in top peer-reviewed journals, including J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Chem. Sci. etc. According to the data published by ESI in the last five years, chemistry has entered top 1% ESI ranking among universities and research institutions worldwide.

Research Fields

Field 1, Inorganic Chemistry

The research interests include inorganic material chemistry, coordination chemistry and bioinorganic chemistry.

Field 2, Organic Chemistry

The research interests include organometallic chemistry, asymmetric synthesis, carbohydrate and development of green synthesis technology for drug intermediates.

Field 3, Physical Chemistry 

The research interests include electrochemistry, structural chemistry, material chemistry, green catalysts and applied catalysis.

Field 4, Analytical Chemistry

The research interests include biosensor, nano biological analysis, electrochemical analysis, spectrum analysis, environmental analysis, separation and enrichment.

Field 5, Polymer Chemistry and Physics

The research interests include structure and properties of polymer materials, design, synthesis, modification and application of functional polymer materials

Goals

Students must be able to read and summarize scientific literature independently.

Students must  be able to conduct inductive logic for the problems generated in the  process of summarizing literature, and then have a further improvement.

Students must be able to carry on research design and think independently.

Students must be able to investigate methods and problems and to propose some mature views and ideas.

Duration of Degree Programs

For students working toward an MS degree, the degree requirements should be completed by the end of the sixth semester of enrollment. Support  for enrollment beyond these expected timeframe may be provided for  students in good academic standing upon petition to the graduate  coordinator.

Programme of Study

Candidates will pursue a programme of study approved by the Graduate School, and shall present themselves for relevant examinations.

The programme of study shall comprise:

(a) Supervised original research work culminating in the submission of a thesis;

(b) Course work as required by the department of chemistry;

(c) Attendance at lectures, study groups and workshops as well as participation in seminars, colloquia and conferences as directed by the supervisors;

(d) The course work, which shall be completed satisfactorily before the arrangement of confirmation of candidature.

(e) Before  the end of the third semester, the graduate students shall have a  preliminary proposal defense, submit a dissertation work plan, and start  conducting their research. The proposal should include the source of  the selected topic, rationales, significance, research contents, research materials and methods.

(f) The  graduate students must submit the final version of dissertation three  months before the end of the graduation semester. The students have to  finish the dissertation defense one month before the end of the  graduation semester.

Confirmation of Master Candidature

Master students must have successfully completed the course work before the arrangement of confirmation of candidature. Between the 12th and 15th months after commencement of study, a full-time master student should apply for confirmation of his/her Master candidature. He/she must submit a research prospectus through the supervisors for the consideration of the Research Postgraduate Studies Committee. The Principal Supervisor is required to complete the Supervisors’ Report Form for confirmation of the candidature.

MS Thesis Requirements

The MS degree in chemistry at the Zhejiang Normal University is research-based, which means that the central feature of the program of study is the pursuit of an independent research project under the instruction of a chemistry faculty member. For the degree programs, the project  culminates in the preparation and defense of a thesis (MS) to be  written by the student which provides background material and summarizes  the research project.

Some notable facts regarding the thesis or dissertation preparation and defense are given below:

A. The research advisor will determine the amount of work required for the thesis or dissertation.

B. The thesis shall form an original contribution to knowledge in the given discipline. The originality shall be shown either by the discovery of new facts or theories or by the demonstration of innovative and critical thinking. The format of the thesis can include non-traditional element.

C. The  thesis shall be the candidate’s own account of his/her research and  shall be accompanied by a declaration to this effect signed by the  candidate. If a candidate’s research work is part of a collaborative project, the thesis must clearly indicate the candidate’s individual contribution and the extent of collaboration.

D. A candidate shall not submit work that has previously been included in a thesis, dissertation or report submitted to the University or any other institution in support of an application for a degree, a diploma or other qualification. The thesis shall be suitable for publication either as submitted or in an amended form.

Degree Conferment

The Research Postgraduate Studies Committee and Research Committee will confer a degree as appropriate to graduates who have fulfilled the requirements of candidature and coursework, submitted an acceptable thesis and satisfied the Board of Examiners.

The Curriculum of Full-Time Master of the First-Level Discipline of Zhejiang Normal University