National ACS Award Winners 2022 LO Collection

Submitted by Shirley Lin / United States Naval Academy on Sat, 03/12/2022 - 07:01

This collection of learning objects was created to celebrate the National ACS Award Winners 2022 who are members of the Division of Inorganic Chemistry. The list of award winners is shown below. 

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Scandium Carbonyls - mysterious myth or legendary legend?
Description

This literature discussion is based on a short JACS communication reporting the first isolable Sc(II) carbonyls (not a typo) and isocyanides.  The paper discusses some standard synthesis and characterization while exploring a more fundamental question regarding why Sc, a d-block metal, is considered a rare-earth and when it stops reacting analogously to the rare-earth metals.  The LO focuses on ye olde carbonyl stretching frequencies and back-bonding and makes a nice follow up to an introduction to that concept.  It tries to make students explicitly connect electron configuration to changes

James F. Dunne / Central College Thu, 03/06/2025 - 14:36

Adducts of XeO3

Submitted by Chip Nataro / Lafayette College on Wed, 02/26/2025 - 14:03
Description

This literature discussion was prepared as part of the 2025 ACS awards collection in honor of Gary J. Schrobilgen, winner of the M. Frederick Hawthorne Award in Main Group Inorganic Chemistry.

AsF5 - a superacid for super review!

Submitted by James F. Dunne / Central College on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 13:02
Description

This LO was developed as a review activity for the end of the semester.  Students are required to touch on a wide range of topics including acid-base theories, crystal systems, point groups, the spectrochemical series, and 19F NMR spectroscopy.  A close reading of the paper is required helping to build student comprehension of the literature.

Eight Coordinate Zirconium?

Submitted by James F. Dunne / Central College on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 11:43
Description

This discussion is intended as a brief application of symmetry and ligand coordination to a novel Zr compound. Students apply VSEPR and molecular symmetry to an uncommon organometallic compound, and apply the coordination mode to basic reactivity. It is intended for an in-class activity but could easily be assigned as a short homework assignment.

Exploring the Electronegativity and Hardness of the Noble Gases

Submitted by James F. Dunne / Central College on Fri, 02/21/2025 - 11:15
Description

This is a literature discussion focused on calculating and comparing the Mulliken electronegativites of the noble gases. Students can explore how this periodic property extends into the noble gases and impacts the observed reactivity of Group 18 compounds.  The discussion could be used either as an in-class activity or a homework assignment.