Reactivity and Bonding of Complexes with Metal-Metal Bonds

Submitted by Chantal Stieber / Cal Poly Pomona on Wed, 03/01/2017 - 19:04
Description

This problem set was designed to be an in-class activity for students to practice applying their knowledge of metal-metal bonding (as discussed in the previous lecture) to recently published complexes in the literature. In this activity, complexes from four papers by Christine M. Thomas and coworkers are examined to give students practice in electron counting (CBC method), drawing molecular orbitals, and fundamental organometallic reactions.

calistry calculators

Submitted by Adam Johnson / Harvey Mudd College on Wed, 01/18/2017 - 18:17
Description

I just stumbled on this site while refreshing myself on the use of Slater's rules for calculating Zeff for electrons. There are a variety of calculators on there including some for visualizing lattice planes and diffraction, equilibrium, pH and pKa, equation balancing, Born-Landé, radioactive decay, wavelengths, electronegativities, Curie Law, solution preparation crystal field stabilization energy, and more.

I checked and it calculated Zeff correctly but I can't vouch for the accuracy of any of the other calculators. 

Inorganic Chemistry for Geochemistry and Environmental Sciences Fundamentals and Applications by George W. Luther III

Submitted by Rachel Narehood Austin / Barnard College, Columbia University on Wed, 01/04/2017 - 16:10
Description

This is a great new textbook by George Luther III from the University of Delaware.  The textbook represents the results of a course he has taught for graduate students in chemical oceanography, geochemistry and related disciplines.  It is clear that the point of the book is to provide students with the core material from inorganic chemistry that they will  need to explain inorganic processes in the environment.

Molecular Hydrogen Complexes of Mo and W

Submitted by Kyle Grice / DePaul University on Fri, 11/11/2016 - 19:28
Description

Literature discussion about the first examples of molecular hydrogen complexes isolated by Gregory J. Kubas in the early 80s. The questions are divided into groups with two levels of difficulty.

The more basic group of questions includes topics on:

1)      Coordination Chemistry: electron count, geometry, oxidation state, orbital interactions, types of ligands, binding modes, cis/trans and fac/mer isomers.

2)      Symmetry elements and point groups.

3)      Basic concepts on spectroscopy: NMR, Raman, IR, UV/Vis, XANES, EXAFS, neutron and X-ray diffraction

Building Molecular Orbitals for a Square Pyramidal Oxorhenium(V) Complex

Submitted by M. Watzky / University of Northern Colorado on Thu, 06/30/2016 - 17:21
Description

This activity guides students into building a Molecular Orbital diagram, which focuses on metal-centered orbitals of mostly d character, for a square pyramidal complex that includes different types of ligands. Students are then asked to "fill" the resulting orbitals with metal d electrons, and examine the stability of the complex.

Electrochemical and Carbonyl Frequencies to Explain Ligand Non-Innocence in Organometallic Pincer Complexes

Submitted by Bryan Sears / Emmanuel College on Thu, 06/30/2016 - 10:52
Description

In this literature discussion, students read an Inorganic Chemistry paper (doi: 10.1021/ic503062w) about diarylamido-based PNZ pincer ligands and their Ni, Pd, and Rh complexes. Specifically, this paper uses IR and E1/2 potentials to demonstrate that the redox events occur not on the metal center but on the pincer ligands.

Ligand Design for Selectivity and Complex Stability

Submitted by Daniel Kissel / Lewis University on Wed, 06/29/2016 - 00:49
Description

This is an overview of some important principles of ligand design. Topics covered include HSAB theory, the chelate effect, the chelate ring size effect, the macrocyclic effect, the cryptate effect, and steric focus in ligand design.