Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell 2010

Submitted by Simon Garcia / Kenyon College on Tue, 08/03/2010 - 16:37
Description

In this laboratory experiment, students construct a solar cell from a combination of synthetic and natural materials. It touches on a variety of chemical principles (kinetics, photochemistry, electrochemistry, intermolecular forces, material properties); however, the primary aim is the experience of turning materials into components and then assembling them into a working device. This experiment is unique in that it emphasizes each material's function, and how its properties affect this function. Students can seal these solar cells and take them home afterward.

The Berry Pseudorotation in PF5

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Sat, 03/20/2010 - 00:37
Description

This activity makes use of Jmol animations created by Prof. Marion Cass at Carleton College to illustrate the Berry Pseudorotation in trigonal bipyramidal molecules such as PF5.  Students explore the animations and answer a series of questions that lead to a description of this intramolecular motion that exchanges equatorial and axial atoms in trigonal bipyramidal molecules.  

Link to Jmol animations of Berry Pseudorotation

Video explanations and practice problems of basic chemistry and math topics

Submitted by Lori Watson / Earlham College on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 15:34
Description

This is a website which links to a wide variety of good quality YouTube mini-lectures on basic topics in chemistry, mathematics, physics and a variety of other sciences.  Each video is about 10 minutes long and many go through example problems slowly and completely.  

Metals in Biological Systems - Who? How? and Why?

Submitted by Betsy Jamieson / Smith College on Wed, 01/20/2010 - 10:01
Description

This learning object was developed collaboratively by members of the IONiC Leadership Council.  The overall goal is to provide a general overview of metals in biological systems and introduce students to several of the important ideas in the field of bioinorganic chemistry.  Topics include toxic metals, metals used in biological systems and the overlap of these categories; issues associated with the uptake, transport and storage of metal ions; and the benefits gained by using metals in biological molecules.  

Dinitrogen activation with "Side-on" N2 complexes

Submitted by Tarun Narayan / Harvey Mudd College on Wed, 12/16/2009 - 16:49
Description
This powerpoint presentation was created as part of the requirements for Chemistry 165 "Organometallics" at Harvey Mudd College during the fall semester 2009.  The authors of this presentation are Kristine Fong, Eric Nacsa and Tarun Narayan, all from Harvey Mudd College.  The activity consists of three items:  a powerpoint presentation, a script that goes along with the presentation, and a literature review (annotated bibliography) for further reading. 

Energy Nuggets: Wise Energy Use – The Challenge of Nitrogen Fixation

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Tue, 06/16/2009 - 01:33
Description
This literature discussion activity is one of a series of “Energy Nuggets,” small curricular units designed to illustrate: The Role of Inorganic Chemistry in the Global Challenge for Clean Energy Production, Storage, and Use.

IR Spectroscopy of Rhodium Carbonyl Clusters

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Tue, 04/07/2009 - 02:07
Description
The structures of neutral rhodium carbonyl clusters containing two, four, and six rhodium atoms have been known for some time.  In a recent paper (J. Am. Chem.
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