Tetrahedral Tellurate

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Sun, 02/17/2008 - 23:27
Description

This communication describes the first example of a discrete tetrahedral tellurate ion, analogous to sulfate and selenate.  This assignment was used as an introduction to the inorganic literature early in the semester.  Pre-discussion questions were adapted from the "How to Read an Inorganic Paper" learning object by Hilary Eppley.  In class discussion focused on communications vs. full papers, the essentials of X-ray crystallographic information, multinuclear NMR, and the periodic trends discussed in this paper.   

The Lanthanide Contraction

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Fri, 02/08/2008 - 01:20
Description

This recent article discusses a series of isostructural complexes across the lanthanides using a multidentate ligand.  In these structures, the lanthanides are all eight-coordinate, bonded to all oxygen donors.  Copious structural data is presented that provides excellent experimental verification of the lanthanide contraction.  

Nobel Prizes

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 18:08
Description

This is a list of Nobel Prizes that in my opinion were either in Inorganic Chemistry or in an area that has impacted Inorganic Chemistry.  I pass this out to students on the first day of class when we are talking very generally about what inorganic chemistry is all about.  This could be extended into a longer discussion at this point or at a later point on one or more of the prizes.  For example, later in the semester I have them read the Nobel Prize address of Alfred Werner.  This helps to inform their lab work and introduces coordination chemistry, which we have not yet discussed in lectu

H atom radial factors

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 17:46
Description

This is an Excel spreadsheet that contains the radial factors of the H-atom wavefunctions for the 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 3d, and 4s orbitals as a function of multiples of the Bohr radius.  Plots are also included of the radial factors (R) vs. r and the radial probability distribution (4πr2R2) vs. r.  These can be used during lecture to illustrate to students how these plots change for each type of orbital, or for different principal quantum numbers, or for changing effective nuclear charge.

Two Communications on Bioinorganic and Coordination Chemistry

Submitted by Hilary Eppley / DePauw University on Fri, 01/04/2008 - 20:39
Description
This assignment would make a good choice for a first attempt at actually having a discussion on primary literature articles since these are two short communications. They also touch on two important applications of coordination chemistry so might be appropriate early in a course, namely modeling biological systems and non-linear optical applications.

Personal Radiation Dose

Submitted by Lori Watson / Earlham College on Fri, 01/04/2008 - 18:43
Description
I mostly use this exercise as a "see, most of your radiation does is NOT from nuclear plants."  I have used this in both General Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry when doing a nuclear chemistry or energy production unit.

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.

Point groups and character tables

Submitted by Joanne Stewart / Hope College on Sun, 11/18/2007 - 14:27
Description

Students practice assignment of symmetry elements and point groups, practice developing a character table, and learn about the link between orbitals and irreducible representations.

Lewis structures and formal charges

Submitted by Joanne Stewart / Hope College on Sun, 11/18/2007 - 14:17
Description

This is a worksheet on Lewis structures and formal charges. The learning goal is for students to be able to use formal charges to defend the relative stabilities of resonance structures of molecules.

Descriptive Chemical Jeopardy

Submitted by Nancy Williams / Scripps College, Pitzer College, Claremont McKenna College on Sun, 11/18/2007 - 13:55
Description

Students assigned a portion of the periodic table.  Generally, a student is given a column of the main group, but this can easily be varied, depending on the size of the class.