Teaching the VSEPR (valence shell electron-pair repulsion) model can be a tedious process. Traditionally, Lewis structures are drawn and the number of "electron clouds" (groups) around the central atom are counted and related to the standard VSEPR table of possible geometries. A simpler method to deduce the VSEPR structure without first drawing…

A pedagogical experiment is described to examine the physical absorption of gases, in this case carbon dioxide, in a hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC) where the absorption concentration profile can be followed by a color change. The HFMC is used to teach important concepts and can be used in interesting applications for students, such as…

To determine the carbonation degree of materials used in mineral carbonation experiments, a fast, simple, and sufficiently accurate method is required. For this purpose, a method based on the reaction between carbonates and hydrochloric acid was developed. It was noted that this method could also be used to teach undergraduate students some basic…

A two-week laboratory experiment for students in advanced inorganic chemistry is described. Students prepare and characterize a cobalt(III) complex coordinated by a thioether ligand during the first week of the experiment and then study the kinetics of Co-S bond cleavage in basic solution during the second week. The synthetic portion of the…

The experiment described here for advanced inorganic chemistry undergraduate students includes a solvolysis reaction of [CoCl(NH[subscript 3])[subscript 5]][superscript 2+] in nonaqueous (H[subscript 3]PO[subscript 4]) medium, followed by an alternative way of using ion-exchange chromatography based on the capability of changing the charges of the…

In these two classroom demonstrations, students observe the reaction between H[subscript 2] gas and Pd foil. In the first demonstration, hydrogen and palladium combine within one minute at 1 atm and room temperature to yield the non-stoichiometric, interstitial hydride with formula close to the maximum known value, PdH[subscript 0.7]. In the…

An experiment is presented that has the student execute a Knoevenagel initiated annulation reaction. The reaction can be carried out either through use of a microwave reactor or by allowing the mixture to stand at room temperature for two days. The student is then challenged to identify the reaction product through a guided prelab exercise of the…

The combustion of hydrogen in air is quite complex with at least 28 mechanistic steps and twelve reaction species. Most of the species involved are radicals (having unpaired electrons) in nature. Among the various species generated, a few are stable, including hydrogen peroxide. In a normal hydrogen flame, the hydrogen peroxide goes on to further…

The photochemical synthesis and subsequent ligand exchange reactions of Ru(CO)[subscript 4] (eta[superscript2]-alkene) compounds has provided a novel experiment for upper-level inorganic chemistry laboratory courses. The experiment is designed to provide a system in which the changing electronic properties of the alkene ligands could be easily…

The connectivity of a hexane-soluble silver salt is established by using NMR spectroscopy to describe the synthesis, characterization and reactivity of the salt. The results found hexane-soluble silver to be an effective transfer agent.

We present a new laboratory experiment on the photochemistry of organometallic [eta][superscript 5],[eta][superscript 6]-mixed-sandwich compounds, which is suitable for both the physical chemistry and inorganic chemistry laboratory. Specifically, students use 1,10-phenanthroline to trap the intermediate formed when…

The three-step synthesis of Geodken's macrocycle, H[subscript 2]C[subscript 22]H[subscript 22]N[subscript 4], (5,14-dihydro-6,8,15,17-tetramethyldibenzo[b,i]-[1,4,8,11] tetraazacyclotetradecahexane), in an overall yield of 65% is described. By utilizing the synthesis of the macrocycle's dichloride salt, H[subscript 2]C[subscript 22]H[subscript…

A project which exposes students to biologically important transition-metal chemistry is illustrated by taking an example of the iron-carbonyl compound, [mu]-(1,3-Propanedithiolaro)-hexa-carbonyldiiron as a structural model for an iron-only hydro-genase. The project provides the students with experience of Schlenk line techniques, purification,…

Cyclic voltammetry experiments on [60]fullerene, (C[subscript 60]), and (dihapto-[60]fullerene) pentacarbonyl tungsten(0), ([eta][superscript 2]-C[subscript 60])W(CO)[subscript 5], constitute an educational experiment for the inorganic chemistry laboratory with a primary objective to teach the chemical interpretation of a voltammogram, in…

A detailed description of the synthesis of bis(1,2-dimethylimidazole)copper(I) hexafluorophosphate by using techniques in a glove box is presented. The results shows that the synthesis of the copper complex has a distinct color change indicating by-product oxidation by oxygen.