Backdonation Board Pins
Description
Soluble Methane Monooxgenase Spectroscopy
Description
Determining the reactive intermediates in metalloenzymes is a very involved task, and requires drawing from many different spectroscopies and physical methods. The facile activation and oxidation of methane to produce methanol is one of the "holy grails" of inorganic chemistry. Strategies exist within materials science and organometallic chemistry to activate methane, but using the enzyme methane monooxygenase, nature is able to carry out this difficult reaction at ambient temperatures and pressures (and in water, too!).
Dioxygen Activation in Non-heme Iron Enzymes
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.
Electrocatalysis and Proton Reduction
Description
These slides provide a brief introduction to the concept of electrocatalysis using the glyoximato cobalt catalysts for hydrogen production recently examined by Peters, Gray, and others. They provide a suitable introduction to the topic for students interested in reading the primary literature on these topics.
Home Built Equipment Links
Description
I am always interested in building/modifying equipment and glassware, and the following C and E News article led me to an interesting website, also linked, where details on building homemade rotators and stir plates are in place. Both models can be constructed with materials for less than $30. As I'm always looking to keep costs down for equipment like this, I thought I would share it. If anyone knows of other links, please let me know.
Computational Chemistry for Chemistry Educators
Description
I learned of this website after attending the Computational Chemistry for Chemistry Educators (CCCE) workshop last summer '11. In this webpage you will find all the workshop lectures intended for audiences who do not have a computational expertise. You will also find lab exercises already written.
Catalysis: Copper-Mediated Cross Coupling Reactions
Description
This in-class activity introduces students to copper-mediated cross coupling reactions. In the literature, many cross coupling reactions are often discussed using palladium as a catalyst, not copper. In my laboratory, we are synthesizing 7-azaindole-based ligands for the development of potential anti-tumor platinum(II) complexes. In addition, I use one of my own publications to demonstrate an application of this synthetic strategy. The students calculate the actual turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF) for the copper catalyst.
Identifying Organometallic Reaction Classes in Literature Examples of Catalytic Cycles
Description
This learning object has the student search the chemical literature for a paper focusing on a catalytic cycle (Wilkinson’s, Grubbs, Heck, Wacker, Suzuki, Click, etc.). They answer a set of guiding questions for reading the literature, then analyze the catalytic cycle presented in the paper to assign oxidation state, d electron count, valence electron count, and preferred geometry for each complex in the cycle. They also identify the process(es) occurring during each step in the cycle.
Exploring the Nanoworld Innovating through Materials from the University of Wisconsin Madison
Description
This is a great web resource for all types of nano materials. There are lesson plans, demos, activites, labs and lots of background information. It is very easy to navigate and there are videos of the labs so you can see each step - very useful when doing a type of synthesis or technique new to you.
Recyclable Catalyst for Conversion of Carbon Dioxide into Formate Attributable to an Oxyanion on the Catalyst Ligand
Description
This is a literature discussion of a short JACS communication that describes an iridium catalyst for the reduction of bicarbonate to formate. It addresses green chemistry, potential industrial processes, bridges between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, pH-dependent solubility, electron counting, oxidation state assignments, and thermodynamic analyses.