AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to deepen some aspects of inorganic chemistry, highlighting some specific topics, such as coordination chemistry, organometallic chemistry, clusters chemistry and bioinorganic chemistry. The knowledge acquired in the lectures is applied to the laboratory activity, which concerns the synthesis and characterization of selected compounds belonging to the above mentioned classes.

Teaching methods

The course includes both lectures and practical activity, carried out in the laboratory and followed by the preparation of written individual reports. Attendance is mandatory both in the laboratory sessions and in the corresponding lessons

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Chemistry of acids and bases (extension of the acid-base concept). Advanced coordination chemistry: electronic spectra, reactions, mechanisms. Metallorganic chemistry: carbonyl, di-nitrogen, dioxygen, metal-hydride complexes, metal-olefin complexes, allyl derivatives, metallocenes, alkyl, metal carbene and metal carbyne complexes. Reactions of organometallic complexes, catalysis by organometallic compounds. Clusters. Boranes, heteroboranes, metalloboranes. Carbonyl clusters. High valence clusters. Multiple metal-metal bonds. Symmetry and group theory (symmetry elements and operations, point groups and molecular symmetry, applications of point group symmetry). Selected aspects of bioinorganic chemistry: iron biochemistry, biochemistry of other metals such as Zn, Cu, Co, Mo.

Laboratory experiences:

Preparation of cis and trans [Mo(CO)4(PPh3)2] coordination compounds;

Preparation of Fe (η5-C5H5)2. Purification and characterization. Ferrocene acetylation

Preparation and thermochromic luminescence of copper (I) -pyridine-iodide clusters

Preparation and characterization of the carbonyl cluster Fe3(CO)12

Preparation of a model compound of vitamin B12 and its methylation

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Material distributed by the teacher, available on the AulaWeb site
• Chimica Inorganica, G.L.Miessler, D.A.Tarr, Edizioni Piccin
• Chimica Inorganica, Principi, Strutture, Reattività J.E.Huheey, E.A.Keiter, R.L.Keiter, Edizioni Piccin
• Chimica Inorganica, D.F.Shriver, P.W.Atkins, C.H.Langford, Edizioni Zanichelli
• The Organometallic Chemistry of the Transition Metals, R.H.Crabtree, John Wiley & Sons.
• Group Theory for Chemists: Fundamental Theory and Applications, Kieran C Molloy, Woodhead Publishing, 2nd edition
• Bioinorganic Chemistry: Inorganic Elements in the Chemistry of Life, W. Kaim, B. Schwederski, A. Klein, John Wiley & Sons

Exam Board

SERENA DE NEGRI (President)

PAVLO SOLOKHA

ADRIANA SACCONE (President Substitute)

SIMONA DELSANTE (Substitute)

DIEGO COLOMBARA (Substitute)

Teaching methods

The course includes both lectures and practical activity, carried out in the laboratory and followed by the preparation of written individual reports. Attendance is mandatory both in the laboratory sessions and in the corresponding lessons

LESSONS START

Starting from October, 19th, 2020, according to the timetable shown on  http://www.chimica.unige.it/didattica/Home_SC  or  https://corsi.unige.it/9018  ) 

Exam description

The exam is oral, it is always conducted by two teachers and lasts approximately 45 minutes

Assessment methods

With the exam description mentioned above the Commission can verify with high accuracy the achievement of learning outcomes of teaching. When goals are not achieved, the student is asked to deepen the study and to ask further explanations to teachers.

Exam schedule