Housecroft and Sharpe: Inorganic Chemistry, 3ed

Submitted by Lori Watson / Earlham College on Wed, 03/26/2008 - 20:01
Description

Housecroft and Sharpe (Inorganic Chemistry, 3ed): This is a comprehensive inorganic textbook designed primarily for students at the Junior/Senior level. P-Chem would not be needed as a prerequisite for this text, but would be helpful. It includes both theoretical and descriptive material along with special topics, enough for a two semester course though it is easily adaptable to a one-semester "advanced inorganic" course by choosing only some topics. It is written in a clear and generally readable style and the full-color graphic contribute to student understanding.

Literature Discussion: "Analysis of an Unprecedented Mechanism for the Catalytic Hydrosilylation of Carbonyl Compounds"

Submitted by Lori Watson / Earlham College on Sun, 03/09/2008 - 16:14
Description

This is a literature discussion assignment in which students read a paper, come up with their own answers to the provided questions (and submit them).  This is followed by a general in-class discussion on the paper.  This particular article deals with hydrosilyation of carbonyl compounds by a Re catalyst and describes the mechanism and kinetics in detail.  I found it a good paper to help students connect their P-chem (and inorganic) kinetics with a "real" system.  As part of the literature assignment, I also ask students to draw an MO diagram of a simple substrate (for review).

Smelting with Thag and Friends

Submitted by Nancy Williams / Scripps College, Pitzer College, Claremont McKenna College on Thu, 03/06/2008 - 12:31
Description

This is just a little worksheet that I use in a General Chemistry course to teach Gibbs Free Energy calculations and the idea of a coupled reaction, while foreshadowing ideas from metallurgy and electrochemistry (sacrificial reductants, entropy-driven smelting, fuels as reductants) for the end of the course when I generally address these.

Bercaw vs Bergman

Submitted by Adam Johnson / Harvey Mudd College on Fri, 01/04/2008 - 13:26
Description

Relative metal-hydrogen, -oxygen, -nitrogen, and -carbon bond strengths for organoruthenium and organoplatinum compounds; equilibrium studies of Cp*(PMe3)2RuX and (DPPE)MePtX systems
Henry E. Bryndza, Lawrence K. Fong, Rocco A. Paciello, Wilson Tam, John E. Bercaw
J. Am. Chem. Soc.; 1987 ; 109(5); 1444-1456.

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