Oscillating Stereocontrol: A Strategy for the Synthesis of Thermoplastic Elastomeric Polypropylene

Submitted by Shirley Lin / United States Naval Academy on Mon, 05/18/2020 - 15:25
Description

This literature discussion focuses upon the Science article by Coates and Waymouth reporting the synthesis of thermoplastic elastomeric polypropylene by an unbridged zirconocene. This article was the basis for the work done for my PhD thesis in the Waymouth group. The LO was written in May 2020 in honor of Bob Waymouth's 60th birthday. See the BITeS post announcing the LO here. 

Handling Air Sensitive Reagents and Working with a Schlenk Line (the COVID19 version)

Submitted by Lori Watson / Earlham College on Thu, 03/26/2020 - 13:18
Description

One of the features of the laboratory associated with my Inorganic chemistry course is learning to do some air sensitive chemistry using Schlenk lines (and sometimes gloveboxes).  Of course, COVID19 is keeping us out of the lab this year!  This is a collection of short web based resources (text and video) detailing begining use of a Schlenk line, something about drying and degassing solvents, and transferring liquids to a reaction flask.  It is accompanied by questions I am having students answer as part of the alternate lab I am creating in place of our usual organometallic lab experiemnt.

Ferrocene acylation - The Covid-19 Version

Submitted by Chip Nataro / Lafayette College on Sat, 03/21/2020 - 12:56
Description

This is the classic Chromatography of Ferrocene Derivatives experiment from "Synthesis and Technique in Inorganic Chemistry" 3rd Ed. (1986 pp 157-168) by R. J. Angelici.

Job's Method - The Covid-19 Version

Submitted by Chip Nataro / Lafayette College on Thu, 03/19/2020 - 23:03
Description

This is the classic Job's Method experiment from "Synthesis and Technique in Inorganic Chemistry" 2nd Ed. (1977 or 1986 pp 108-114) by R. J. Angelici. There are slight changes from the experiment published in the book but they just include running solutions with ethylenediamine mole fractions of 0.67 and 0.75, so details will not be provided. What is provided are a series of pictures and videos showing the experiment being performed. Also included are the raw files of the absorbance spectra in EXCEL.

Online Seminar Talks

Submitted by Amanda Reig / Ursinus College on Thu, 03/19/2020 - 22:55
Description

In an attempt to find a substitute for our chemistry seminar program, I have found a number of YouTube videos of chemists giving seminar lectures, mostly between 2017-2020. The topics span a range of chemistry disciplines, and are all around 1 hour in length (typical seminar length).  I have not watched them, so I cannot vouch for video quality. Feel free to add additional links in the comments below if you know of or find any great talks.

We will ask students to select and watch a certain number of lectures from the list and then write and submit a one-page summary of the talk.

Ionic Liquids in Action

Submitted by Brad Wile / Ohio Northern University on Thu, 03/05/2020 - 11:46
Description

This was a short LO developed to give the students some context for ionic liquids in use. Since this paper is from a chemical engineering perspective, it supported a goal of having the students think about chemistry outside of the typical inorganic journal/research boundaries. This LO was implemented after a discussion of HSAB/ECW, frustrated Lewis pairs, non-aqueous media, and superacids. No explicit discussion of catalysis prior to this class discussion. 

Applications of Frustrated Lewis Pairs (FLPs)

Submitted by Brad Wile / Ohio Northern University on Thu, 03/05/2020 - 11:22
Description

Short prompts for a mini review about recent applications in FLP chemistry. Trends in Chemistry also includes highlights and outstanding questions in the sidebar, which makes this an approachable review for students. 

Inorganic Chemistry 2020

Submitted by Adam Johnson / Harvey Mudd College on Tue, 01/21/2020 - 17:35
Description

Inorganic chemistry interfaces and overlaps with the other areas of chemistry. Inorganic chemists  synthesize molecules of academic and commercial interest, measure properties such as magnetism and unpaired electron spin with sophisticated instruments, study metal ion uptake in living cells, and prepare new materials like photovoltaics. Inorganic chemistry is a diverse field, and we will only be able to touch on some of the chemistry of the 118 elements that currently reside in the periodic table.

Formal oxidation states in Ru-catalyzed water oxidation

Submitted by Margaret Scheuermann / Western Washington University on Fri, 01/17/2020 - 16:36
Description

This LO is an in-class assignment to prepare students for literature readings involving catalytic cycles in which multiple protons and electrons are transferred. Students practice assigning oxidation states to complexes with aquo, oxo, superoxo, and hydroperoxo ligands then use this information to analyze a proposed water oxidation mechanism from the literature.

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