Teaching Tanabe-Sugano Diagrams

Submitted by Sheila Smith / University of Michigan- Dearborn on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 11:12
Description

For years, I spent 2-3 days a semester working through Tanabe-Sugano diagrams, their development from terms, their evolution from Orgel diagrams, their analysis to give transition energies (the old ruler- trial and error analysis) and nephalauxetic parameters.  Recently, colleagues in VIPEr convinced me that my time in class could be better spent, but I am not willing to completely give up on Tanabe-Sugano.

hybrid orbitals for main group and transition metal complexes

Submitted by Adam Johnson / Harvey Mudd College on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 22:58
Description
This handout shows how the s, p and d orbitals of appropriate symmetry can mix in Cnv and Dnh point groups (n = 3-4). A high-level Gaussian calculation serves to "back up" my "back-of-the-envelope" drawings of some of the hybrid orbitals.

First Isolation of the AsP3 Molecule

Submitted by Anne Bentley / Lewis & Clark College on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 13:47
Description

Early in 2009, Christopher Cummins’ group at MIT reported (in Science) the synthesis of AsP3, a compound that had never been isolated at room temperature.  Later that year, a full article was published in JACS comparing the properties and reactivity of AsP3 to those of its molecular cousins, P4 and As4.  The longer article is full of possibilities for discussion in inorganic chemistry courses, with topics including periodic trends, NMR, vibrational spectroscopy, electrochemistry, molecular orbital theory, and coordination chemistry.

Synthesis and Molecular Modeling of Sodium Tetrathionate

Submitted by Kim Lance / Ohio Wesleyan University on Sat, 07/17/2010 - 12:01
Description
This experiment is a computational supplement to synthesis of sodium tetrathionate described in "Macroscale Inorganic Chemistry:  A Comprehensive Laboratory Experience".*  Students will synthesize one sulfur oxyanion (tetrathionate), optimize and compute IR spectra for their synthesized product.   In addition, students will predict (using symmetry arguments) and then compute the IR vibrational modes for six additional sulfur oxyanions.  A comparison of theoretical (IR spectra),

IR Spectroscopy of Rhodium Carbonyl Clusters

Submitted by Maggie Geselbracht / Reed College on Tue, 04/07/2009 - 02:07
Description
The structures of neutral rhodium carbonyl clusters containing two, four, and six rhodium atoms have been known for some time.  In a recent paper (J. Am. Chem.

Symmetry Resources at Otterbein University

Submitted by Dean Johnston / Otterbein University on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 23:42
Description

The resources contained within this web site are designed to help students learn concepts of molecular symmetry and to help faculty teach concepts of molecular symmetry.

Inorganic Challenges

Submitted by Patrick Holland / Yale University on Tue, 03/10/2009 - 15:39
Description

The Interactive Inorganic Challenge Forum is a resource for inorganic chemistry teachers who want to incorporate team learning questions (“Challenges”) into an upper level undergraduate inorganic course. Through this site, teachers can exchange their ideas with others who have used inorganic chemistry Challenges. As a result, students benefit from field-tested group questions.

Interactive Spreadsheets for Inorganic Chemistry

Submitted by Lori Watson / Earlham College on Sun, 03/08/2009 - 15:28
Description

This web site contains a number of interactive spreadsheets, most of which are applicable to inorganic chemistry (or a physical chemistry class that uses inorganic examples).  Here's the list of the most relevant for most inorganic classes:

 

ABC kinetics - interactively plot concentration versus reaction extent for A, B and C in A -> B -> C by varying k values

House: Inorganic Chemistry

Submitted by Adam Johnson / Harvey Mudd College on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 15:35
Description

House (Inorganic chemistry):  The book is divided into 5 parts:  first, an introductory section on atomic structure, symmetry, and bonding; second, ionic bonding and solids; third, acids, bases and nonaqueous solvents; fourth, descriptive chemistry; and fifth, coordination chemistry.  The first three sections are short, 2-4 chapters each, while the descriptive section (five chapters) and coordination chemistry section (seven chapters covering ligand field theory, spectroscopy, synthesis and reaction chemistry, organometallics, and bioinorganic chemistry.) are longer.  Each chapter includes