In SLiThEr #39 Chip Nataro (Lafayette University) introduces us to the discussion LOs he uses in his senior-level inorganic course and the topics covered.
This paper describes the use of a catalytic nickel system for the hydrodefluorination of aryl amides. While organofluorine compounds are extremely useful because of their unique properties, there are growing concerns about the impact of these compounds on the environment. Carbon-fluorine bonds are extremely strong, and so getting them to react is a significant challenge for chemists.
This paper describes work from the Milstein group in which ruthenium catalysts with pincer ligands are used to depolymerize nylons by breaking the C-N bond and hydrogenating the resulting products to amines and alcohols. Waste plastic is a serious environmental concern that needs a solution. Organometallic chemists put significant effort into finding ways to convert monomers into polymers, and now we must figure out ways to do the reverse.
From the course catalog: The chemistry of the Main Group elements and the transition metals are studied with emphasis on the properties, structures, and reactivities of these elements and their compounds.
A systematic study of chemical principles as applied to inorganic systems. This class consist of a 3 hour lecture and a 4 hour lab. Special emphasis is placed on group theory and the use of molecular orbital, ligand field, and crystal field theories as tools to understanding the structure and reactivity of inorganic compounds.
The goal of this course is to provide an in-depth introduction to the broad subject of organometallic chemistry. Selected topics include: main group organometallics, oxidation states, ligands, structure and bonding, mechanism and mechanistic analysis, cross coupling, hydrogenation, hydroformylation, olefin polymerization, olefin metathesis, and other applications in homogeneous catalysis and organic synthesis.
This LO is a literature discussion based on one figure in Chan et. al.
The second cohort of VIPEr fellows pulled together learning objects that they've used and liked or want to try the next time they teach their inorganic courses.
The course will cover the elements of the periodic table that are omitted in general and organic chemistry, mainly the transition (d-block) metals.