Distinguishing Between Metal Catalysts for Inner- and Outer-Sphere C-H Bond Functionalization

Submitted by David R. Weinberg / Colorado Mesa University on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 14:13
Description

This activity is meant to teach students about the types of homogeneous transition metal C-H bond functionalization catalysts. Before class, the students will read a short discussion of inner- and outer-sphere C-H bond functionalization catalysts. Then they will use their knowledge of transition metal oxidation states and ligands in order to assess whether a variety of catalysts react via inner- or outer-sphere pathways.

Palladium-Catalyzed Biaryl Coupling Using PEPPSI Under Aqueous Microwave Conditions

Submitted by Gerard Rowe / University of South Carolina Aiken on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 11:53
Description

This is a lab that gives students a chance to use a catalyst to perform "green" chemistry.  Specifically, they will make one of the new generation of palladium cross-coupling catalysts called PEPPSI, which is a highly active, water soluble catalyst and use it in a Suzuki coupling reaction.  Student groups of 2 or 3 will synthesize an NHC ligand, incorporate it into a metal compound, and then perform catalysis in an aqueous microwave reaction using a variety of different reaction conditions in order to determine the optimal catalytic system.

Learning to Search the Chemical Literature

Submitted by Nicole Crowder / University of Mary Washington on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 11:27
Description

This assignment is intended as an introduction to searching the chemical literature to identify an article on specific topic (in this case a specific metal within a specified time range). Once they have located their articles, they are expected to name a metal complex and give the oxidation state, d electron count, and geometry.

Metal MACiE Database

Submitted by Anthony L. Fernandez / Merrimack College on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 11:21
Description

As a non-bioinorganic chemist, I am always looking for resources to help me teach bioinorganic chemistry in both my sophomore-level and advanced inorganic chemistry courses.  The "metalloproteome" was the subject of an article in the December 12, 2011 issue of C&E News ("Merging Metals into Proteomics: Tackling the Systematic Study of Metalloproteins").  In this article, the author mentions a new database, called Metal MACiE, of metals in metalloenzymes.

Assignment of thiocyanate bonding mode by FT-IR data

Submitted by Anne Ryter / Western State Colorado University on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 11:16
Description

This in class activity focuses on the ambidentate ligand thiocyanate.  Students compare data for known compounds to data for unknowns to make the bonding assignments. Data is provided from Baer, C.; Pike, J. J. Chem. Ed. 2010, 87, 724 where the authors  have the students synthesize all the compounds and then complete the data analysis.  My course does not include a lab component but I want the students to use literature to support their learning.

Writing assignment series related to topics discussed in organometallic chemistry - Assignment 1 Literature Summary

Submitted by Abby O'Connor / The College of New Jersey on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 10:58
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.

High Energy Density Materials: A laboratory and literature investigation (Christe)

Submitted by Kevin Hoke / Berry College on Fri, 07/13/2012 - 21:12
Description

The synthesis of the nitrogen triiodide ammoniate shock-sensitive explosive is a simple laboratory exercise, but it does require a lengthy time for the material to dry before it is active.  This activity uses that time to have students investigate some simple thermodynamics behind their explosive, as well as consult the literature on high energy density materials from the work of Karl O. Christe.

There is also a shorter version of the activity posted as an in-class activity that omits most of the literature investigation.

The Covalent Bond Classification (CBC) website

Submitted by Chip Nataro / Lafayette College on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 09:27
Description

The covalent bond classification (CBC) method is a way to count electrons for transition metal compounds. It classifies ligands based on their type, either L, X or Z. This is the website for all things CBC. It contains a library which list useful materials for teaching CBC including books that teach the CBC method. The site also has teaching materials that contain MLX plots for all of the transition metals. The MLX plots are charts that show various electron counts and valence for a given metal.

VIPEr Screencast

Submitted by Chip Nataro / Lafayette College on Wed, 05/09/2012 - 10:27
Description

This screencast is a brief introduction to some of the features of VIPEr.

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