I wanted a modern organometallic experiment showing the utility of Pd for coupling reactions. Students attempted a variety of reaction conditions during the spring of 2007 and 2008. Eventually, we were able to get the reaction to work with a variety of primary amines (linear, cyclohexylamine) and t-butylamine. Yields are not great (40-80%) and this experiment needs some optimization. However, products were observed by GC-MS and NMR.
This is G. N.
Relative metal-hydrogen, -oxygen, -nitrogen, and -carbon bond strengths for organoruthenium and organoplatinum compounds; equilibrium studies of Cp*(PMe3)2RuX and (DPPE)MePtX systems
Henry E. Bryndza, Lawrence K. Fong, Rocco A. Paciello, Wilson Tam, John E. Bercaw
J. Am. Chem. Soc.; 1987 ; 109(5); 1444-1456.
Students are sent to find (and take pictures) of items in various point groups around campus. Generally, I give them a list of possible offices (though they are free to go to other places) and point groups (some hard) and the following ground rules:
This assignment takes students through the process of learning how to find and read a paper from the primary literature, specifically to get experimental details (synthesis, characterization). It also focuses on how to use a variety of chemical information resources. It could be combined with the questions from Chemical Information Assignment to create a longer assignment.
This paper discusses the synthesis and characterization of a novel compound of nitrogen. The pre-discussion assignment asks students draw a Lewis structure for the N5+ cation, and using the tools of group theory, conduct a normal mode vibrational analysis, comparing the results to the experimental Raman spectral data.
This experiment has been modified and expanded from the J. Chem. Ed. article linked below (J. Chem.