Literature Discussion on “Mechanisms for the Activation of Carbon Monoxide via Oxorhenium Complexes.”

Submitted by Nicole Crowder / University of Mary Washington on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 09:54
Description

This is intended as a guided reading assignment for the JACS Communication, Mechanism for the Activation of Carbon Monoxide via Oxorhenium Complexes” by Smeltz, Boyle, and Ison; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 13288-13291. This article will expose students to newly published research and novel reaction mechanisms. It will require students to apply their knowledge of electron counting and organometallic mechanisms.

Deciphering Mechanisms of Organometallic Reactions

Submitted by Nicole Crowder / University of Mary Washington on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 09:42
Description

A detailed in-class analysis of the paper Mechanism for the Activation of Carbon Monoxide via Oxorhenium Complexes” by Smeltz, Boyle, and Ison; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 13288-13291.  Students will apply their knowledge of organometallic chemistry concepts to the mechanistic scheme in the paper.

ChemTube3D

Submitted by Anthony L. Fernandez / Merrimack College on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 08:51
Description

ChemTube3D is a website maintained by the University of Liverpool that has interactive 3D animations ans structures.  The content is broken up into several areas:

  • A Level;
  • Organic Reactions;
  • Structure and Bonding;
  • Polymers;
  • Solid State.

There is a lot of information on the site, and the information could be used in many courses.  The areas that I find most useful in my sophomore-level inorganic chemistry course.

Oxidative Suzuki-Type C-H Functionalization (Learning to Read a Detailed Organic Paper)

Submitted by Matt Whited / Carleton College on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 21:09
Description

This is a literature excercise I used in my upper-level organometallic course to guide students through some of the important points of a detailed organic/organometallic paper.  I have found that the first hurdles in some of these papers involve getting students to the point where they can understand (a) what specific reaction is being performed, and (b) what the role of each reagent is.  This set of questions includes a mix of material, including some things that are specifically stated in the article and some that are implied or referenced elsewhere.  I found that excercises like this one

Periodic Table Videos

Submitted by John Lee / University of Tennessee Chattanooga on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 10:43
Description

The periodic table video website was developed by a group from the University of Nottingham.  In addition to the link to the website there a link to a publication in Science on the website is included below.  This is a great website that has a periodic table hyperlinked by element to a you tube video on that particular element.  On any given element video you see a mixture of general properties of the element (lecture) and an experiment that shows the element.  In addition, a new subheading has been added at the top for molecular videos where (a somewhat random yet interesting) list of mole

Colored Note Cards as a Quick and Cheap Substitute for Clickers

Submitted by Chris Bradley / Mount St. Mary's University on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 10:23
Description

For many years I have resisted using clickers, mainly because at our university there is no standard universal clicker. I wanted to keep student costs as low as possible but also desired the type of live feedback during a lecture that clicker questions can provide. In both my general chem. (200-300 students) and upper division courses (50-75 students), I now pass out 4 or 5 colored notecards on the first day of class and make sure everyone has one of each color.

Simple synthesis of MoO2(acac)2 and evaluation of spectra

Submitted by Patricia Stan / Taylor University on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 15:23
Description

A very simple lab synthesis that allows the student to carry out a coordination reaction and then look at the NMR and IR spectra.  I use this as a first lab to introduce them to using the NMR and IR.  If students work through the spectroscopy tutorial they should be able to explain the IR and NMR spectra.

Writing assignment series related to topics discussed in organometallic chemistry - Assignment 2 Literature Highlights

Submitted by Abby O'Connor / The College of New Jersey on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 15:15
Description

Searching and reading the literature is an important tool in teaching organometallic chemistry. This overall project focuses on the improving students' writing skills and to begin to think critically about articles in the literature through a series of different writing assignments. This project is used in a semester long course on organometallics and reaction mechanisms. The first assignment (this LO) is a summary, the second is related to the NSF highlight, and the third is a literature critique.

Quiz Show Review of Simple Bonding Theory

Submitted by Carol Breaux / College of the Ozarks on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 15:13
Description

 

This is a powerpoint quiz show review that can be used to help students assess themselves on their level of understanding of simple bonding theory and some simple molecular orbital theory. It is appropriate for use in a general chemistry course or at the beginning of an advanced inorganic chemistry course to review simple bonding theory.  It was developed as an alternative to using clickers for those departments that do not have clickers or would prefer not to set up clicker questions.  Correct answers are shown at the end of each slide. 

Crystal Lattice Structures Web Site

Submitted by Chris Hamaker / Illinois State University on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 14:50
Description

A really nice site with several lattice structures indexed by several methods, and new structures are continuously being added.  I find it useful for getting images for problems sets and exams.