Palladium-Catalyzed Biaryl Coupling Using PEPPSI Under Aqueous Microwave Conditions

Submitted by Gerard Rowe / University of South Carolina Aiken on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 11:53
Description

This is a lab that gives students a chance to use a catalyst to perform "green" chemistry.  Specifically, they will make one of the new generation of palladium cross-coupling catalysts called PEPPSI, which is a highly active, water soluble catalyst and use it in a Suzuki coupling reaction.  Student groups of 2 or 3 will synthesize an NHC ligand, incorporate it into a metal compound, and then perform catalysis in an aqueous microwave reaction using a variety of different reaction conditions in order to determine the optimal catalytic system.

Application of Organometallic Chemistry – Breaking the Inert C-H Bond

Submitted by John Lee / University of Tennessee Chattanooga on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 11:39
Description

This learning object is a literature discussion based on a paper published in Nature (Labinger, J. A.; Bercaw, J. E. Nature 2002, 417, 507-514; doi:10.1038/446391a) discussing the mechanisms of C-H activation by transition metal complexes. This is a topic that could be covered at the end of a section on organometallic chemistry that shows a “newer” application.

Metal MACiE Database

Submitted by Anthony L. Fernandez / Merrimack College on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 11:21
Description

As a non-bioinorganic chemist, I am always looking for resources to help me teach bioinorganic chemistry in both my sophomore-level and advanced inorganic chemistry courses.  The "metalloproteome" was the subject of an article in the December 12, 2011 issue of C&E News ("Merging Metals into Proteomics: Tackling the Systematic Study of Metalloproteins").  In this article, the author mentions a new database, called Metal MACiE, of metals in metalloenzymes.

Writing assignment series related to topics discussed in organometallic chemistry - Assignment 1 Literature Summary

Submitted by Abby O'Connor / The College of New Jersey on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 10:58
Description

Searching and reading the literature is an important tool in teaching organometallic chemistry. This overall project focuses on the improving students' writing skills and to begin to think critically about articles in the literature through a series of different writing assignments. This project is used in a semester long course on organometallics and reaction mechanisms. The first assignment (this LO) is a summary, the second is related to the NSF highlight, and the third is a literature critique.

Synthesis and Characterization of Ferrocene, Acetylferrocene and Ferrocenylethanol

Submitted by Henry Acquaye / Department of Chemistry, University of Redlands on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 10:57
Description

This project is designed to develop the research skills that are required to tackle projects that are larger and more complex than those encountered in first and second year chemistry courses.  The lab is an integrated project-oriented laboratory including synthesis and the use of instrumental techniques such as UV-Visible and infrared, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectrometry, chromatography (HPLC, TLC) and cyclic voltammetry.

Solubility and the Need for Bioinorganic Metal Ion Transport and Storage

Submitted by Sheila Smith / University of Michigan- Dearborn on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 09:42
Description

 

This is an in class exercise that I use to emphasize the need for metal ion transport and storage in biochemistry.  Applying the Van't Hoff equation to the Ksp value at 25°C for ferric hydroxide, students calculate the iron concentration at which ferric hydroxide would begin to precipitate out in the blood.  It' s an interesting problem that requires very little math beyond that used in gen chem, and the answer is in stark contrast to the amount of iron that we actually store in our bodies.  

High Energy Density Materials: A laboratory and literature investigation (Christe)

Submitted by Kevin Hoke / Berry College on Fri, 07/13/2012 - 21:12
Description

The synthesis of the nitrogen triiodide ammoniate shock-sensitive explosive is a simple laboratory exercise, but it does require a lengthy time for the material to dry before it is active.  This activity uses that time to have students investigate some simple thermodynamics behind their explosive, as well as consult the literature on high energy density materials from the work of Karl O. Christe.

There is also a shorter version of the activity posted as an in-class activity that omits most of the literature investigation.

NMR Coin-Flip Game

Submitted by azmanam / Butler University on Fri, 06/15/2012 - 09:19
Description

A simple coin-flipping game to help students understand the origin of spin/spin splitting in 1H NMR.

The Covalent Bond Classification (CBC) website

Submitted by Chip Nataro / Lafayette College on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 09:27
Description

The covalent bond classification (CBC) method is a way to count electrons for transition metal compounds. It classifies ligands based on their type, either L, X or Z. This is the website for all things CBC. It contains a library which list useful materials for teaching CBC including books that teach the CBC method. The site also has teaching materials that contain MLX plots for all of the transition metals. The MLX plots are charts that show various electron counts and valence for a given metal.

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