An overview of the Periodic Table, stressing trends in properties of the elements and their compounds; principles of ionic and covalent bonding; molecular orbital theory of simple molecules; solution and solid state chemistry of Group 1 and 2 compounds, with examples relevant to biology and everyday life.
Chemistry 2281G will be composed of two main components; (1) Introduction to bonding in polyatomic molecules followed by (2) The chemistry of selected main group elements.
Part 1: Experimental methods in inorganic chemistry and an introduction to bonding in polyatomic molecules. This will include a brief review of Lewis, VSEPR and valence bond models followed by a study of molecular shape, symmetry and molecular orbital theory.
Part 2: We will then use what we learned in Part 1 to understand the structure bonding and reactivity of selected elements and their simple compounds. This will include a discussion of main group element hydrides, halides and oxides.
Homogeneous catalysis is commonly employed in organic synthesis as an efficient and selective method to generate high-value products. New catalytic systems are continually being reported for known and new reactions. How is one to identify what is the best catalyst? How would you go about designing a better system? We will tackle these questions by identifying suitable methods for catalyst comparison. Methods and techniques to elucidate catalyst performance (activity and selectivity) and mechanism will be covered. Examples will be taken from the literature focusing on current and useful catalytic transformations.
