Another glove box question from a "formerly dry box-now working with a few solvents in the box" neophyte...

As a solid state chemist, I've done suprisingly little crystal growth from solution at temperatures under 100 ^oC.  (I've also never taken an inorganic chemistry laboratory course; there wasn't one offered at my undergraduate institution.  I've run across a few paper that talks about layering solvents - a 1:1 ethanol:water solution containing the ligand was layered over an aqueous solution containing the metal source.  I'd like to give the reaction a try.

I've been playing around with WebMO and Gaussian for the past couple weeks, and I have come across the term NBO.  What is the difference between Molecular orbitals and Natural Bond orbitals?  Is there a reason you'd use one over the other?  Are both publishable?  Is one easier to calculate?  For the record, I am interested in Ti/Ta/W complexes of N-O and C based polydentate ligands, if that makes a difference.

thanks,

Adam

Time for a post for any non-organometallic folks...(although I may not get any responses!)

We are looking at cyclic voltammograms of cathode materials for lithium ion batteries and working in a typical electrolyte, 1M LiClO₄ in propylene carbonate.  This electrolyte is hygroscopic, so we make up the solutions and store them in a glove box.

do you require research reports from your students?  If so, how extensive are they? what do you ask them to include?

I am attempting research reports for this summer and am getting push back, probably because I haven't done it before and I have no samples to show them.  What I was expecting is:

(1)    Broad lit review and introduction to your topic
(2)    Your experimental results
(3)    Discussion and conclusions
(4)    10-20 pages
(5)    due on last day of summer