11286 - Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory

Learning outcomes

To acquire knowledge and methodologies necessary to work in an inorganic chemical laboratory. To illustrate the chemistry of coordination compounds and their main properties.

Course contents

Chemical bonding: fundamental concepts and Lewis structures

Coordination compounds: mono- and polydentate ligands; coordination sphere; coordination number (factors which determine it and corresponding compound geometry); isomerism and chirality; nomenclature. Synthesis and stability (chelate and template effect), coordination equilibria and diagram of species distribution.

Crystal Field Theory (CFT) for an octahedral, tetrahedral and square planar ligand field. Factors which determine the d orbital separation, spectrochemical series, stabilization energy. Interpretation according to CFT theory of: absorption spectra, magnetic properties, and periodic properties. Jahn-Teller effect (tetragonal distorsion of Cu(II) complex, splitting of absorption bands). Pros and Cons of CFT theory.

Molecular Orbital Theory (MOT): sigma and pi interaction, classification of electronic transitions.

Brief discussions on technological and most recent applications of coordination compounds.

Laboratory experimental work involving: (a) construction of models of simple inorganic molecules and coordination compounds; (b) synthesis of transition metal complexes; (c) analysis of the chemical-physical properties (by IR, UV, VIS spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility) and reactivity of the previously synthesized complexes.

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture notes on the teacher web site.
D. F. Shriver, P. W. Atkins, Inorganic Chemistry, Oxford University Press

Teaching methods

Lectures and laboratory experiments. Attendance of the laboratory is compulsory. The students must write a brief report at the end of each laboratory experiment.

Assessment methods

Oral examination. Evaluation of the work in the laboratory and the corresponding reports will be taken into account for the final grade. The reports have to be presented within two weeks from the date of the corresponding laboratory.

Teaching tools

Video projector for lectures. In the laboratory the prepared species are characterized by means of UV, VIS and FT-IR spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and conventional analytical techniques.

Office hours

See the website of Paola Ceroni