Lattice Systems Origami

Submitted by Jeremiah / Plymouth State University on Mon, 06/24/2013 - 10:31
Description

Covers the geometries and symmetries of the seven crystal systems in an inquiry-based manner. 2-D paper templates are provided, which the students cut out, fold, and tape together to create 3-D representations of the seven crystal systems: triclinic, monoclinic, orthorhombic, tetragonal, rhombohedral, hexagonal, and cubic. The students can then use these to determine the geometries and symmetries of the systems for themselves.

Lithium Diazenide Surprise!

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Fri, 05/31/2013 - 23:00
Description

Students in a sophomore-level inorganic chemistry course were asked to read the paper “High-Pressure Synthesis and Characterization of the Alkali Diazenide Li2N2” (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 1873-1875. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201108252) in preparation for a class discussion.  For many students, this was a first exposure to reading the primary literature. 

University of Cambridge Teaching and Learning Packages

Submitted by Barbara Reisner / James Madison University on Fri, 01/25/2013 - 05:00
Description

These are a group of outstanding resources for materials science and solid state chemistry. They are all tutorials with Flash animation. I find these to be an excellent review for myself and an excellent primer for my students. Because there are so many useful tutorials on the site, I've highlighted the ones that I think are most appropriate for use in an undergraduate curriculum. These range from introductory to advanced material.

Crystallography & Diffraction

Solid State Models with ICE Solid State Model Kits

Submitted by Nicole Crowder / University of Mary Washington on Mon, 01/07/2013 - 15:56
Description

In this in-class activity, students are broken up into teams of 4, which are then sub-divided into two teams of two for the building of the structures. The activity makes use of the ICE Solid State Model kits, and each group should have their own full kit.

The activity has 6 sets of structures for the teams to build; depending on the length of your class, you could have each team build all six sets OR have each team build one of the six sets to then share with the rest of the class.

A - HCP and CCP

B - Primitive cubic and CsCl

Exploring the Nanoworld Innovating through Materials from the University of Wisconsin Madison

Submitted by Patricia Stan / Taylor University on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 13:29
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.

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.

Effects of defects on the properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Submitted by Sherri Lovelace-Cameron / Youngstown State University on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 21:49
Description

I teach advanced inorganic chemistry and wanted to find ways to bring in the primary literature, applications, and current research areas.  Students read the article, "Role of Defects in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Chemical Sensors" by Eric S. Snow, Nanoletters 2006, 6 (8) pp.

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.

Polypropylene Stereochemistry and Identification by 13C NMR Spectroscopy

Submitted by Shirley Lin / United States Naval Academy on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 11:55
Description

These 6 slides introduce the nomenclature used to describe the stereochemistry of various polypropylenes (PPs) that can be synthesized by metallocene-catalyzed polymerizations. Although PP is the specific polymer discussed, the nomenclature applies to other alpha-olefin polymerizations.

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.