First use of the term "bioinorganic"

Submitted by Joshua Telser / Roosevelt University on Wed, 03/19/2014 - 20:19
Description

Thanks to information first provided to me by Prof. Brian M. Hoffman, Northwestern University, I believe that the first documented use of the term "bioinorganic chemistry" occurred at a meeting held at Virginia Tech (VPI&SU) in June, 1970. This meeting was jointly organized with Canadian researchers and was thus an international meeting.

This meeting resulted in an Advances in Chemistry Series book, which has the following URL:

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/book/10.1021/ba-1971-0100

Five Slides about Tanabe-Sugano Diagrams

Submitted by Sabrina Sobel / Hofstra University on Sat, 03/08/2014 - 15:32
Description

Brief introduction to d-orbital splitting, Russell-Saunders coupling, and application to UV-Vis spectroscopy using Tanabe-Sugano diagrams

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.

Electronic Absorption Spectroscopy of Aquated Transition Metal Ions

Submitted by Zachary Tonzetich / University of Texas at San Antonio on Thu, 01/23/2014 - 12:07
Description

I developed this laboratory experiment for our instrumental analysis class. The course is taken by junior and senior chemistry majors, who for the most part have had one inorganic chemistry course and some physical chemistry. The laboratory is operationally very simple and has students record the UV-vis spectra of transition metal sulfate salts in water using volumetric technique. They record the molar absorptivities for each peak and use this data to determine the number of waters of hydration for each salt by comparing with literature absorptivity values.

Crystal Field Theory: Analysis of the Iron Sites in Gillespite

Submitted by Zachary Tonzetich / University of Texas at San Antonio on Fri, 01/03/2014 - 17:36
Description

This in-class activity explores the electronic structure and spectroscopy of the square-planar iron(II) sites in the mineral gillespite through a crystal field theory approach. This activity is designed for an advanced inorganic chemistry course where group theory and more advanced topics in ligand field theory are taught. The activity is based on the work detailed in the paper: Burn, R. G.; Clark, M. G.; Stone, A. J. Inorg.

Introduction to Synchrotron Radiation

Submitted by Megan Strayer / The Pennsylvania State University on Thu, 06/27/2013 - 15:35
Description

This 5 slides about gives a basic introduction to synchrotron radiation.  Information includes how the particles are accelerated, how they travel to the individual instruments, and where synchrotrons in the USA are located.

Tuning the band gap of CZT(S,Se) nanocrystals by anion substitution

Submitted by Benny Chan / The College of New Jersey on Thu, 06/27/2013 - 09:45
Description

The paper from the Prieto group, Riha, S. C.; Parkinson, B. A.; Prieto, A. L. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 15272-15275, is proposed to be an excellent literature article for achieving several learning goals in the understanding of fundamental solid state and materials chemistry. The learning object was developed as a part of the 2013 VIPEr workshop and has not been tested in the classroom. We have developed a set of discussion questions that can be used as a guide for the students.

Concept mapping the primary literature: "Compositionally Tunable Cu2ZnSn(S1-x,Sex)4 nanocrystals"

Submitted by Benny Chan / The College of New Jersey on Thu, 06/27/2013 - 09:26
Description

Concept maps are a visual way to organize and represent information. In this literature discussion, we introduce a novel technique for teaching literature analysis to students where concept maps are used for establishing relationships between the key ideas, theories, procedures, and methods of a proposed literature article. Using the article “Compositionally Tunable Cu2ZnSn(S1-xSex)4 Nanocrystals: Probing the Effect of Se-Inclusion in Mixed Chalcogenide Thin Films” (Riha, S.C.; Parkinson, B.A.; Prieto, A.L. J. Am. Chem.

Kool-Aid analysis: Visible Spectroscopy and Paper Chromatography

Submitted by Megan Strayer / The Pennsylvania State University on Wed, 06/26/2013 - 13:55
Description

This lab experiment is designed to introduce the electromagnetic spectrum to non-science majors in a food chemistry course by using everyday food (i.e. Kool-Aid packets). Students will use a spectrophotometer to correlate wavelength to color, as well as determine the mass percent of certain colored dyes in a Kool-Aid sample. Paper chromatography is also introduced to determine the number of dyes in a Kool-Aid sample. This lab is adapted from Sigmann, S; Wheeler, D. J. Chem. Ed., 2004, 81, p. 1475.

Literature summary through student presentation - free choice of topic.

Submitted by Cameron Gren / University of North Alabama on Wed, 06/26/2013 - 07:59
Description

(1) Student choses and reads a journal article of his/her choice that is related to a topic we have discussed during the semester. (i.e. atomic structure, MO theory, group theory, solid state structure, band theory, coordination chemistry, organometallics, catalysis). Suggested journals include, but are not limited to JACS, Inorg. Chem., Organometallics, Angew. Chem., JOMC, Chem. Comm.)

(2) Student answers the following questions regarding their chosen article:

    (a) Describe, in 1 or 2 sentences the goal of this work.