Viewing Jmol Images and Animations (currently blocked) that call a Jmol Applet

Submitted by Marion Cass / Carleton College on Thu, 03/13/2014 - 22:31
Description

 

    Every day when I teach Inorganic Chemistry (and in most of my problem sets and take home exams) I create Web pages to show 3D images of selected molecules to my students.  I am a visual learner and I find the structures beautiful and informative.

    In the past few months, you likely have found that web sites scripted with Jmol scripts calling a Jmol applet (which is a Java applet) are blocked. 

Water Oxidation Catalyzed by NHC Complexes of Iridium

Submitted by Peter M Graham / Saint Joseph's University on Wed, 02/19/2014 - 12:08
Description

A literature discussion based on an interesting paper from Bernhard and Albrecht about a catalytic water oxidation promoted by irdium complexes featuring abnormal/mesoionic NHC ligands.

I used this in an upper-level Organometallics course after discussing NHC ligands in class.

 

Student choice literature-based take home exam question

Submitted by Hilary Eppley / DePauw University on Fri, 01/24/2014 - 15:27
Description

During my junior/senior level inorganic course, we did several guided literature discussions over the course of the semester where the students read papers and answered a series of questions based on them (some from this site!).  As part of my take home final exam, I gave the students an open choice literature analysis question where they had the chance to integrate topics from the semester into their interpretation of a recent paper of their own choice from Inorganic Chemistry, this time with limited guidance.

IC Top 10 first day activity

Submitted by Sheila Smith / University of Michigan- Dearborn on Thu, 09/05/2013 - 09:32
Description

I modified the Barb Reisner/Joanne Stewart/Maggie Geselbracht First Day TOC activity (https://www.ionicviper.org/class-activity/introducing-inorganic-chemist…) to take advantage of the quarterly list of Top 10 Most Read articles that IC sends out.  This is delivered to me as an email from ACS pubs and I am sure that it is available to anyone who wished to subscribe to the updates.  I have attached a pdf copy of the August 2013 update as an example.

Synthesis and Migratory-Insertion Reactivity of CpMo(CO)3(CH3): Small-Scale Organometallic Preparations Utilizing Modern Glove-Box Techniques

Submitted by Matt Whited / Carleton College on Mon, 08/26/2013 - 14:22
Description

This laboratory experiment spans three weeks and introduces advanced undergraduates to modern small-scale synthesis techniques involving an inert-atmosphere glove box.  The robust syntheses transform [CpMo(CO3]2 into the methylated CpMo(CO)3(CH3) and examine the phosphine-induced migratory insertion to form various Cp-supported Mo(II) acetyl complexes.  At each step in the synthesis, a combination of IR and multinuclear (1H, 13C, and 31P) NMR spectroscopies allow students to assess the purity of their products and

Molecular Structure - The Curious Case of Iron Tetracarbonyl

Submitted by Zachary Tonzetich / University of Texas at San Antonio on Thu, 06/27/2013 - 12:16
Description

This in-class activity traces the many contributions leading to the correct assignment for the solid-state structure of triiron dodecacarbonyl, [Fe3(CO)12],  with the aim of reinforcing ideas about IR spectroscopy and group theory. I give this activity to my advanced inorganic chemistry class (graduate students and senior undergrads). The activity is loosely based on the paper: Desiderato, R., Jr.; Dobson, G. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1982, 59, 752-756 and incorporates questions about symmetry and group theory for metal carbonyls.

Symmetry, Group Theory, and Computational Chemistry

Submitted by Joanne Stewart / Hope College on Mon, 06/24/2013 - 22:46

These Learning Objects were used in an advanced undergraduate chemistry course that used computational chemistry as an integrative tool to help students deepen their understanding of structure, bonding, and reactivity and practice their integrative expertise by addressing complex problems in the literature and in their own research.

Virtual Schlenk Line

Submitted by Amanda Reig / Ursinus College on Mon, 06/24/2013 - 10:10
Description

This website provides a link to a simple downloadable program that introduces students to a Schlenk line through a series of short animations.  It is designed for Windows (does not appear to work on Windows 8 or on Macs).  While a bit rudimentary, it does a nice job of showing students the basic setup, discussing safety concerns with the liquid nitrogen trap, and outlining the general procedure for starting up and shutting down the Schlenk line.

Student Led Point Group Determinations

Submitted by John Lee / University of Tennessee Chattanooga on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 09:43
Description

All chemistry is learned best by "doing," and I believe this is especially true for determining molecular symmetry.  This activity was designed to end a three-part lecture/activity on symmetry and point groups for my advanced inorganic class.  I call this unit on symmetry a lecture/activity series because it was designed to be student-guided learning and requires the students to teach each other how to determine a molecular point group.  I only gave one formal lecture on symmetry and point groups, which was followed by the symmetry scavenger hunt activity LO.  Finally this assignment was do

A DFT Study of Metal Pentacarbonyls

Submitted by Sibrina Collins / College of Arts and Sciences at Lawrence Technological University on Thu, 05/09/2013 - 16:57
Description

Metal carbonyls are the most widely studied organometallic complexes.  This exercise uses Gaussian with the GaussView interface to investigate the role of the metal centers on backbonding to the CO ligand. Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods were used to evaluate two classic metal pentacarbonyls, namely Fe(CO)5 and Ru(CO)5.

 

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