Inorganic Challenges

Submitted by Patrick Holland / Yale University on Tue, 03/10/2009 - 15:39
Description

The Interactive Inorganic Challenge Forum is a resource for inorganic chemistry teachers who want to incorporate team learning questions (“Challenges”) into an upper level undergraduate inorganic course. Through this site, teachers can exchange their ideas with others who have used inorganic chemistry Challenges. As a result, students benefit from field-tested group questions.

Group 10 and 11 Metal Boratranes (Ni, Pd, Pt, CuCl, AgCl, AuCl, and Au+) Derived from a Triphosphine-Borane

Submitted by Lori Watson / Earlham College on Sun, 03/08/2009 - 15:21
Description
This is a guided set of questions for the paper: Group 10 and 11 Metal Boratranes (Ni, Pd, Pt, CuCl, AgCl,
AuCl, and Au+) Derived from a Triphosphine-Borane.  It was used to help students integrate the study of a variety of techniques (for example NMR, X-ray, computational studies) and basic organometallic chemistry into reading a "real" paper.

House: Inorganic Chemistry

Submitted by Adam Johnson / Harvey Mudd College on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 15:35
Description

House (Inorganic chemistry):  The book is divided into 5 parts:  first, an introductory section on atomic structure, symmetry, and bonding; second, ionic bonding and solids; third, acids, bases and nonaqueous solvents; fourth, descriptive chemistry; and fifth, coordination chemistry.  The first three sections are short, 2-4 chapters each, while the descriptive section (five chapters) and coordination chemistry section (seven chapters covering ligand field theory, spectroscopy, synthesis and reaction chemistry, organometallics, and bioinorganic chemistry.) are longer.  Each chapter includes

Bonding and Electronic Structure of a 14-electron W(II) bound to 4-electron pi-donors

Submitted by Hilary Eppley / DePauw University on Sun, 01/11/2009 - 12:01
Description

This paper is a meaty communication that covers novel bonding of 4 e- π-donors to a 14-electron species. Requires students to apply their knowledge of electron counting and organometallic bonding to ligands that are acting in novel ways.  This also includes exercises dealing with chemical information and general questions that require students to put the science in context. 

Identifying residual solvents

Submitted by Joe Fritsch / Pepperdine University on Thu, 06/26/2008 - 14:50
Description
Identifying residual solvents is important in helping students to interpret their NMR spectra and in the preparation of elemental analysis samples.  I have found the NMR work of Gottlieb and Nudelman to be valuable in my research and the teaching lab. The tabular data for many residual solvents in common NMR solvents for both proton and carbon spectra has been extremely valuable. Interpreting an NMR spectrum containing a residual solvent becomes  easier when the chemical shifts and multiplicity for the solvent are known.

Fivefold Bonding in Cr(I) Dimer

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Thu, 04/17/2008 - 19:47
Description

This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of a Cr(I) dimer with a very short Cr-Cr distance.  Computational studies support fivefold bonding between the chromium atoms.  I have used this paper to introduce metal-metal multiple bonds and discuss the molecular orbital interactions of homonuclear diatomics including d-orbitals.  More generally, it is a nice example to stimulate the discussion of what constitutes a bond and the various interpretations of bond order.

Nitrogenase primary literature

Submitted by Adam Johnson / Harvey Mudd College on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 17:58
Description
Some in-class materials for discussion of the nitrogenase enzyme, including some background reading on the bacterial process, the industrial process, X-ray structure data of the P-cluster and the Mo-Fe cluster, and Schrock's reaction cycle that models the biological process.  Also included are the literature sources I use in my in-class discussion of nitrogenase;  2 X-ray crystal structures by Rees, and the synthetic work by Schrock.

Fluoro Analogue of Wilkinson's Catalyst

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 01:24
Description
This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of the fluoro analogue of Wilkinson's catalyst [(Ph3P)3RhF]. The fluorine for chlorine switch causes an interesting change in the reactivity, promoting activation of C-Cl bonds in chloroarenes. Discussion of this paper nicely pairs with the chemistry of Wilkinson's catalyst, highlighting periodic trends in bonding and reactivity.

Miessler and Tarr: Inorganic Chemistry, 3rd. Ed

Submitted by Nancy Williams / Scripps College, Pitzer College, Claremont McKenna College on Fri, 03/28/2008 - 16:44
Description

Miessler and Tarr is an inorganic textbook which is is best suited to an upper-division one-semester inorganic course, though there is more material than can be covered in a single semester, so some choice of topics is necessary.  It is very well suited for a course oriented around structure, bonding, and reaction chemistry of transition metal compounds, but is very limited in its treatment of solids, main-group, descriptive chemistry, and bioinorganic.  Pchem would be helpful but is not necessary.  In particular, the treatment of MO theory is very in-depth.  The quality of end-of chapter p