Students

Chemistry 310: d- and f-Block Elements: Chemistry and Applications

Course Level: 
Third Year
Academic Year: 
2014/2015

d-Block Chemistry

Topic 1 – Review – 2 lectures

Reading:  M & T Chapter 9, 10.2-2

           Structure

           Isomerism

           Valence Bond Theory

           Crystal Field Theory

Topic 2 – Bonding Theories – 4-5 lectures

Reading:  M & T Sections 10.3 – 10.5

            Molecular Orbital Theory – Octahedral Complexes

            Ligand Field Theory – The Spectrochemical Series

            Angular Overlap – Tetrahedral and Square-Planar Complexes

            Jahn-Teller Effect

Topic 3 – Spectroscopic and Magnetic Properties – 4-5 lectures

Reading:  M & T Sections 10.1 and 10.3, and Chapter 11

            Term Symbols

            Electronic Spectra

            Magnetic Properties

            Ligand Field Stabilization Energies

Topic 4 – Introductory Organometallic Chemistry – 5–6 lectures

Reading:  M & T Sections 13.2 - 13.5.2, 13.7, 14.1 – 14.2.2

           Ligands

           18-Electron Rule

           Metal Carbonyl Complexes

           Dihydrogen and Hydride Complexes

           p-Complexes

           Spectroscopy 

Topic 5 – Reactions and Mechanisms – 4-5 lectures

Reading:  M & T Sections 12.1 - 12.4.3, 12.6 – 12.9

            Substitution Reactions

            Associative/Dissociative Mechanisms

            Trans Effects

            Oxidation/Reduction Reactions

Topic 6 – Reactions in Organometallic Chemistry – 4-5 lectures

Reading:  M & T Sections 14.1 – 14.2, 13.6

           Ligand Dissociation and Substitution Reactions

           Oxidative Addition/Reductive Elimination Reactions

           Nucleophilic Displacement Reactions

           Insertion Reactions

           Elimination Reactions

           Metal-Carbon Double Bonds

           Metal-Carbon Triple Bonds       

Topic 7 – Catalysis – 4–5 lectures

Reading:  M & T Sections 14.2 - 14.3

            Ziegler-Natta Catalysis

            Hydrogenation of Alkenes

            Hydroformylation of Alkenes

            Monsanto Acetic Acid Process

            Wacker (Smidt) Process

            Olefin Metathesis

            Heck and Stille Coupling Reactions

            Deuteration of Hydrocarbons

f-Block Chemistry

Topic – Overview – 3 lectures

Reading:  As assigned in class.

           Properties of the Atoms and Ions

            Solid-state Compounds

            Coordination Chemistry

            Organometallics

M & T refers to the required textbook for this course, namely “Inorganic Chemistry”, Fourth Edition, by Gary L. Miessler and Donald A. Tarr, Pearson Prentice Hall Publishers, 2010.  Textbook material is often augmented by online handouts.

Review from Chemistry 202

Þ  Ligands and common abbreviations.

Þ  Nomenclature rules.

Þ  Elements of VBT and CFT.