Chemistry 211 » Fall » Full Semester
4 Credits
Inorganic Chemistry
Instructor(s): Richard Eisenberg

Prerequisites: Organic chemistry.
Crosslisting: CHM 411

Course Summary:
This course covers descriptive chemistry of main group elements, bonding in inorganic systems, coordination chemistry and the properties and reactions of transition metal complexes. Two 75 minute lectures per week. Three 90 minute examinations plus group projects and problem sets.

Course Topics:
  1. What is Inorganic Chemistry?
  2. Atomic Structure
    1. Atomic orbitals - hydrogen-like wavefunctions
    2. Energy levels and many electron atoms
    3. Configurations and the Periodic Table - an atomic structural view
    4. Periodic trends - ionization energies, electron affinities, electronegativities
  3. Covalent Bonding in Inorganic Systems I
    1. Localized bond approach
    2. Orbitals, overlap and hybridization
    3. M.O. theory
    4. Homonuclear and heteronuclear diatomics
  4. Molecular Symmetry
    1. Symmetry operations and point groups
    2. Representations and character tables
    3. Symmetry of orbitals
    4. Symmetry considerations in bonding and molecular vibrations
  5. Covalent Bonding in Inorganic Systems II
    1. Delocalized bonding
    2. Triatomic and AB3 systems
  6. Introduction to Coordination Compounds
    1. Coordinate covalence and coordination number
    2. Ligands of various types
    3. Coordination geometries of different coordination numbers
    4. Isomerism and chirality in coordination compounds
  7. Main Group Chemistry - covalent chemistry surrounding carbon
    1. Hydrogen
    2. The inorganic chemistry of carbon
    3. Silicon and the rest of Group 4
    4. A silicon world - electronic structure of semiconductors
    5. Silicates and silicones
    6. Boron, Group 3 elements and electron deficient compounds
    7. Nitrogen, phosphorus and other pnicogens
    8. Other main group elements – briefly
  8. Coordination Chemistry I – Bonding
    1. Crystal field theory, symmetry and MO theory
    2. Crystal field stabilization energy
    3. Electronic spectra
    4. The colors of metal complexes
    5. LS coupling, CF splittings and correlation diagrams
  9. Coordination Chemistry. II - Reactions and Mechanisms
    1. Substitution - associative and dissociative
    2. Representative chemistry of Co(III) and Pt(II)
    3. Lability and Inertness
    4. Electron transfer - inner and outer sphere
    5. Photochemistry
  10.  Bioinorganic Chemistry - a sampler
    1. Metalloenzymes examples with different metal ions
    2. Heme proteins
    3. FeS clusters and ferridoxins
  11. Organometallic Chemistry
    1. 18e– rule and counting electrons
    2. Metal carbonyls and other π-acid ligands – backbonding
    3. Organic π systems as ligands – examples
    4. Reactions of organometallic compounds - applications in catalysis

Required Text:
"Inorganic Chemistry," 3rd ed., Miessler and Tarr, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2004