My Notes
Categories
This is a literature-based activity that focuses on a review I recently published as part of a thematic series on C-H activation.
The review highlights similarities between the newly discovered frustrated Lewis pairs and polarized metal-ligand multiple bonds. There are many ways to use the review, but the attached set of questions focuses on drawing analogies among seemingly diverse types of reactivity using frontier-molecular-orbital considerations.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Whited Lit Discussion - M-L Multiple Bonds and FLPs.docx | 21.18 KB |
- Students should be able to use molecular-orbital theory to rationalize the electronic structure and observed reactivity of species containing polarized metal-ligand multiple bonds
- Students should be able to draw analogies between the reactivity of organic/main-group molecules and many transition-metal species using frontier molecular-orbital arguments
I am hoping to use some version of this in my inorganic chemistry class next spring, but it is as yet untested in a classroom setting, though I have had my research students work through the review and some related questions as they prepared a presentation on our work several months ago. Since it is more or less untested, I am especially happy to hear feedback!
Evaluation
I suggest evaluating learning through a class discussion where different students (or groups) present answers to different questions and solicit comments and/or responses. A number of these questions are open-ended enough that there should be room for discussion and disagreement.
The answers I have attached are only starting points. I suspect that students will have other ideas and valuable insights.
I have not used this LO yet, though I hope to use a version of it (possibly a shortened version) for my inorganic course next spring.
I have used the review and some related questions for my research students to help them get their heads wrapped around a presentation they were giving on our research (which is related to aspects of the review) last summer. It seemed to help them understand the concepts of Lewis acidity/basicity and the frontier MO basis for reactivity quite a bit better.
Since this LO is as yet untested, I am very happy to hear feedback!