SLiThEr #57: What to do when your published results are questioned?

Submitted by Kyle Grice / DePaul University on Tue, 02/13/2024 - 15:19
Description

This was the 57th SLiThEr, presented by Dr. George Stanley, retired professor from LSU. It was a very interesting story and would be a valuable lesson to students about proper characterization and working with challenging and paramagnetic systems. 

“Five” Slides About: Multiple Bonds

Submitted by Rebecca Eikey / Chestnut Hill College on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 09:15
Description

Here are 10 slides to introduce students to multiple bonds formed between transition metals and between transition metals and ligands. This can be adapted to general chemistry, as long as students have learned Lewis diagrams. This can also be extended to add more information on the nature of the multiple bonds for upper division use in inorganic and physical chemistry. 

Stable Borepinium and Borafluorenium Heterocycles: A Reversible Thermochromic “Switch” Based on Boron–Oxygen Interactions by Robert J. Gilliard Jr.
Description

This literature discussion on the Hot Paper communication in Chemistry, A European Journal; highlights the first examples of borepinium and borfluorenium cations whose optical properties can be tuned and also the very first reported example of thermochromism in these cationic species. R. J. Gilliard, Chem. Eur. J. 2019, 25, 12512. https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201903348

Niharika K Botcha / Carnegie Mellon University Fri, 06/30/2023 - 10:27
Under pressure: Structure and bonding in actinide complexes (Arnold)
Description


This literature discussion focuses on a 2022 Nature Comm paper looking at the reasons behind the pyramidal structures of tri-coordinate f-element complexes. There is plenty to discuss in terms of bonding and coordination geometries in metal complexes, and the effects of pressure on coordination geometry.

Amy Price / UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fri, 05/26/2023 - 15:24

Synthesis and Characterization of Aluminum Complexes of Redox-Active Pyridyl Nitroxide Ligands (Graves/Schelter)

Submitted by Shirley Lin / United States Naval Academy on Mon, 05/08/2023 - 08:32
Description

This literature discussion focuses on a Inorg. Chem. article that describes a series of Pt complexes that exhibit competitive reductive elimination reactions to form either an sp2-sp3 bond or an sp3-sp3 bond. One of the complexes also contains a C-C agostic interaction with the metal. The questions are written to be addressed by students in a foundation-level inorganic course.

Zr/Hf Polyoxocation Chemistry (Nyman)

Submitted by Hilary Eppley / DePauw University on Mon, 03/20/2023 - 20:37
Description

In fall 2022, May Nyman from Oregon State was awarded the F. Albert Cotton Award in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry for her outstanding accomplishments in synthesis and development of polyoxometalates and metal oxohydroxoclusters, including their structures, speciation, reaction mechanisms, and function. In this literature discussion, students will examine her recent paper “Differentiating Zr/Hf Aqueous Polyoxocation Chemistry with Peroxide Ligation," Inorg. Chem. 2021, 60, 1631-1640 which is related to that work.

Can donor ligands make Pd(OAc)2 a stronger oxidant? (Stahl)

Submitted by Sarah Shaner / Southeast Missouri State University on Mon, 03/20/2023 - 15:29
Description

This Literature Discussion LO was created for the 2023 ACS Inorganic Chemistry Award Winners collection. Professor Shannon Stahl was the recipient of the 2023 Organometallic Chemistry Award. This LO is based on a recent paper from the Stahl group entitled "Can Donor Ligands Make Pd(OAc)2 a Stronger Oxidant? Access to Elusive Palladium(II) Reduction Potentials and Effects of Ancillary Ligands via Palladium(II)/Hydroquinone Reox Equilibria" published in J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 19678-19688.

National ACS Award Winners 2023 LO Collection

Submitted by Shirley Lin / United States Naval Academy on Mon, 03/06/2023 - 11:47

This collection of learning objects was created to celebrate the National ACS Award Winners 2023 who are members of the Division of Inorganic Chemistry. The list of award winners is shown below.