This activity is designed to give students a deeper understanding of what post-translational modification does in a metalloenzyme using nitrile hydratase (NHase) as a model system.  The metallo-active site of NHase contains a cobalt(III) center that is bound to an unusual coodination sphere containing bis-amidate, cysteinate, sulfenate (RSO^-), and sulfinate (RSO₂^-) ligands.

This is a fun chemistry project where students make model compounds to learn various structural aspects of the compound. This is an individual project that is each student is assigned with one compound.  They can use any item (for e.g. Styrofoam balls etc) to make their very own model compound. The model should contain all the atoms (visually distinctive), bonds, lone pairs. Student is expected to create something novel rather using molecular model kit. They can use text book and lecture material for the resources.

This in-class activity is to introduce the pairing of diatomic MO diagrams and photoelectron spectroscopy (PES).  I will be testing this out in the fall, and will post how it goes.  

This learning objective focuses on the enzyme aconitase.  The iron-sulfur cluster is used to regulate iron in the cell and isomerize citrate for energy – two very different mechanisms.  The activity consists of an introduction to the enzyme and a student discussion on the mechanism of the isomerization of citrate to isocitrate; starting in a small group setting followed by a class debriefing.  

This is an in-class assignment designed to help students integrate their understanding of periodic trends and materials properties. Using the color of alum crystals as an example of octahedral coordination chemistry, students use their knowledge of electronic structure and periodic trends to predict which of the isomorphous alum crystals will be colored, and to qualtitatively rank the degree of crystal field splitting in a family of alum crystals.

This is the second part of a two-day class discussion on molecular and inorganic spectroscopy. In this activity, upper level students learn about spectroscopic tecniques used in inorganic chemistry and then devise an experiment to follow the progress of a hypothetical reaction. The activity also prepares students for the inorganic laboratory "Linkage isomerism of nitrogen dioxide" in which infrared spectroscopy is used to monitor changes to the N-O vibrational stretch upon coordination to a metal.