A DFT Study of Metal Pentacarbonyls

Submitted by Sibrina Collins / College of Arts and Sciences at Lawrence Technological University on Thu, 05/09/2013 - 16:57
Description

Metal carbonyls are the most widely studied organometallic complexes.  This exercise uses Gaussian with the GaussView interface to investigate the role of the metal centers on backbonding to the CO ligand. Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods were used to evaluate two classic metal pentacarbonyls, namely Fe(CO)5 and Ru(CO)5.

 

Inorganic Chemistry Forums

Submitted by Adam Johnson / Harvey Mudd College on Fri, 04/26/2013 - 12:55
Description

Beginning with Volume 43, Issue 25, Inorganic Chemistry began publishing Forums.

Inorganic Chemistry Forums consist of a set of thematically linked papers from leading scientists on a multidisciplinary topic of growing interest. Papers present overviews, research perspectives and original research reports on the Forum theme and are highlighted on the cover of the journal issue in which they appear.

Online Courses Directory

Submitted by Adam Johnson / Harvey Mudd College on Mon, 04/01/2013 - 07:41
Description

This website is a free and comprehensive resource that is a collection of open college courses that spans videos, audio lectures, and notes given by professors at a variety of universities. The website is designed to be friendly and designed to be easily accessed on any mobile device.

So Much Nitrogen: Maggie's Explosive Main Group Compounds

Submitted by W. Stephen McNeil / University of British Columbia Okanagan on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 00:47

Maggie Geselbracht has a great fondness for compounds with too many nitrogen atoms next to each other.  This is a collection of problem sets and class activites based on the structure, bonding, and spectroscopy of a number of such compounds, drawn from the recent literature.

Voices of Inorganic Chemistry

Submitted by Sibrina Collins / College of Arts and Sciences at Lawrence Technological University on Sun, 01/27/2013 - 17:08
Description

This learning object focuses on the new video series, “Voices in Inorganic Chemistry,” established to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the American Chemical Society journal, Inorganic Chemistry. The are currently 12 videos celebrating pioneers in the field of inorganic chemistry.  This activity consists of two components, namely the students watching one interview and writing an essay about their chosen inorganic chemist.

(mu-NO)2[CoCp]2 is not paramagnetic

Submitted by Joanne Stewart / Hope College on Fri, 10/26/2012 - 02:05
Description

In this paper by Andersen and Berg (J. Am. Chem. Soc.1988110 (14), pp 4849–4850) the authors present magnetic measurements that refute the calculated ground state of an organometallic cobalt nitrosyl dimer. Students will learn about two physical techniques for measuring magnetism and will learn how magnetic measurements can be used to indicate paramagnetism versus diamagnetism.

Alkyne Semihydrogenation with Niobium(II) Imido Complexes: Exploring An Unconventional Hydrogenation Mechanism

Submitted by Matt Whited / Carleton College on Thu, 08/09/2012 - 11:30
Description

This is a literature discussion based on an interesting Bergman/Arnold paper utilizing d2 niobium imido complexes for the semihydrogenation of arylalkynes to Z-alkenes.  The mechanism is quite unusual, and I found it to be an interesting paper to discuss after we had talked about the classical hydrogenation mechanisms (typically observed for late transition metals).  The students should come into the discussion understanding fundamental reaction mechanisms (including σ-bond metathesis), and it's helpful if they are somewhat familiar with mono- and dihydride mech

Analyzing a journal article for non-content issues of style and convention

Submitted by Sarah K. St. Angelo / Dickinson College on Mon, 07/30/2012 - 15:59
Description

This is an in-class activity--or an activity students do prior to class to in preparation for an in-class discussion--to help students identify stylistic components of published writing.  I provide the students with an appropriate journal article, typically a communication from Inorganic Chemistry, such as Inorg. Chem. 2008, 47, 2922-2924 (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/ic702373b) or Inorg. Chem.

Exploration of Nitrosyl Complexes

Submitted by Brad Kraft / St. John Fisher College on Mon, 07/30/2012 - 15:33
Description

This in-class activity and the related problem set allows students to discover the linear and bent bonding modes of NO to metals based on VSEPR theory through guided inquiry.  Two examples follow which illustrate how the electrons are counted in NO complexes depending on the coordination mode/formal charge of NO. Students must have had prior practice in counting electrons of complexes to complete the problems.   

Dioxygen Activation in Non-heme Iron Enzymes

Submitted by Gerard Rowe / University of South Carolina Aiken on Fri, 07/20/2012 - 09:26
Description

This lecture provides a short introduction to the other half of biological iron chemistry:  enzymes that do not contain a porphyrin group that ligates the iron atom.  There are several important applications for non-heme iron in cells, both mammalian and bacterial.  Oxygen activating non-heme iron enzymes fall into a few basic categories and includes mononuclear iron monooxygenases and dioxygenases, and binuclear iron monooxygenases. The requirements to activate and utilize dioxygen will be given.