Exploring Molecular Orbitals With Spartan

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 21:24
Description

Molecular models and selected molecular orbital surfaces and slices were calculated with Spartan for HF, LiH, CO2, XeF2, and BF3, and the results were used by students in an in-class activity (covering several class sessions) to answer a series of questions.

Interactive Lewis Structures

Submitted by Adam Bridgeman / The University of Sydney on Wed, 01/20/2010 - 21:51
Description

http://firstyear.chem.usyd.edu.au/iChem/lewis.shtml

A set of Flash-based, interactive tools for students to construct Lewis structures for electron deficient, octet rule obeying and hypervalent MLx molecules and ions (x = 2 - 6).

The user chooses the number of electrons and bond type (single, double or triple) and is steered towards the correct stucture.

For cases where resonance structures are possible, the user must construct each form to complete the puzzle.

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.  

Siderophore Building: In class Exercise

Submitted by Sheila Smith / University of Michigan- Dearborn on Tue, 10/27/2009 - 21:25
Description
This is an in-class exercise (brainstorming) designed to lead the student through the design of a siderophore (or "iron lover") by applying his knowledge of Lewis acid- base chemistry (specifically HSAB theory), geometry and entropy. This is a good start for a discussion of iron transport and storage in the bioinorganic section of Inorganic II (transition metals). I also use it in my junior level descriptive course when we discuss coordination chemistry.

Metals in Acid Base Chemistry

Submitted by Sheila Smith / University of Michigan- Dearborn on Sun, 10/18/2009 - 08:26
Description

This is a simple in class exercise to review acid- base equilibria and to lead the students to thinking about metals as both Lewis and Bronsted- Lowry acids. I use it as a discussion starter when I introduce the role of metals in biological acid/base chemistry in my upper division inorganic course, but it can be used at any level once acid-base equilibria has been covered.

Bioinorganic Chemistry- Metals in Purely Structural Roles

Submitted by Sheila Smith / University of Michigan- Dearborn on Sat, 10/17/2009 - 14:28
Description
This is a discussion leader to bring students into the topic of "Metals in Biochemistry- Structural Roles" by reminding them of pieces they already know from General Chemistry and other courses.

One hour lanthanides overview

Submitted by Ana de Bettencourt-Dias / University of Nevada, Reno on Tue, 09/29/2009 - 14:51
Description
This is a set of 36 slides with an overview on the history, production, industrial applications, coordination and organometallic chemistry of the lanthanides.  This is a condensed version of a semester long course for graduate students.  It does not include any lanthanides spectroscopy.  Some of the content was obtained from Prof. Jean-Claude Bunzli's lectures on lanthanides and actinides.

Coordination chemistry via Inorganic Chemistry ASAP

Submitted by Hilary Eppley / DePauw University on Mon, 09/14/2009 - 11:23
Description
This in-class activity is a fun way to show students how to apply basic concepts of coordination chemistry to complicated systems that appear in a recent issue of Inorganic Chemistry. After quickly reviewing types of ligands (monodentate, chelating, bridging), how we assign charge to ligands and metals in complexes, and the idea of coordination number, I took my class through a number of "real world" examples from the latest ASAP edition of Inorganic Chemistry.

Bioinorganic Techniques in a Nutshell

Submitted by Betsy Jamieson / Smith College on Tue, 09/08/2009 - 14:20
Description
This website is from the Center for Metalloenzyme Studies at the University of Georgia.  It contains brief summaries of common techniques used in bioinorganic chemistry.  I really liked that for each technique lists what kind of information you can obtain, as well as what the limitations of the method are.  It also provides examples of what kinds of questions can be answered with each technique.  It does not provide in-depth information about how each method works, but rather simply lists the basic facts about each technique.