This is an in class activity that I just used to replace a lecture! After students have the basic ideas of how to perform symmetry operations and put molecules in point groups, I like to reflect on the idea of a 'mathematical group' and what that means in terms of symmetry and group theory in inorganic chemistry.
This literature discussion on the Hot Paper communication in Chemistry, A European Journal; highlights the first examples of borepinium and borfluorenium cations whose optical properties can be tuned and also the very first reported example of thermochromism in these cationic species. R. J. Gilliard, Chem. Eur. J. 2019, 25, 12512. https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201903348
This is a list of all of the learning objects developed in association with the 2023 content building workshop. Prof. Robert Gilliard was the featured speaker for this workshop, so most of the LOs will focus on his work.
In Fall 2022, R. David Britt was awarded the ACS Alfred Bader Award in Bioinorganic Chemistry for pioneering pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of the photosystem II oxygen-evolving complex, plus the advanced EPR spectroscopic characterization of numerous and varied key metalloenzymes and catalysts.
This Literature Discussion LO was created for the 2023 ACS Inorganic Chemistry Award Winners collection. Professor Shannon Stahl was the recipient of the 2023 Organometallic Chemistry Award. This LO is based on a recent paper from the Stahl group entitled "Can Donor Ligands Make Pd(OAc)2 a Stronger Oxidant? Access to Elusive Palladium(II) Reduction Potentials and Effects of Ancillary Ligands via Palladium(II)/Hydroquinone Reox Equilibria" published in J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 19678-19688.
Chip Nataro (Lafayette College) hosts a live discussion covering the favorite labs that people teach. The discussion somewhat evolved into a conversation on "so, you are teaching inorganic lab for the first time...what do you do?"
My advanced inorganic students often have trouble conceptualizing microstates and term symbols. This exercise is intended to provide a hands-on assembly of microstate models and their combination to form term symbols.
This literature discussion is based on a 2022 Science paper describing a series of dilanthanide complexes with exceptional magnetic properties due to the presence of metal-metal bonding. These molecules are the first reported species to feature direct bonding between two lanthanides! The paper contains ample material for discussion of molecular symmetry and bonding, oxidation states and electron configurations, and magnetism. The handout includes a description, glossary, discussion questions, and pre-class worksheet.
The second cohort of VIPEr fellows pulled together learning objects that they've used and liked or want to try the next time they teach their inorganic courses.