Scheduling for the reading assignments is tentative and may change as the course develops. In addition to the assigned readings, further information on lecture topics are also available in the various textbooks on reserve.
Introduction and Background
Weeks 1-2 Miessler, Fischer, and Tarr, Chapter 9
This chapter provides introduces basic descriptive terminology and concepts used in molecular transition metal chemistry. By way of background, students should be familiar with material from CHEM 212, Structure and Bonding, especially Lewis structures and VSEPR (M & T, Ch. 3), periodic trends (M & T, Ch. 2), and symmetry (M & T, Ch. 4).
Bonding in Transition Metal Complexes
Weeks 2-5 Miessler, Fischer, and Tarr, Chapter 10
This section applies topics from CHEM 212, Structure and Bonding, especially symmetry and group theory (M & T, Ch. 4) and molecular orbital theory (M & T, Ch. 5) to the analysis of electronic structure in transition metal complexes. Note that the course textbook has relatively limited coverage of crystal / ligand field theory; a more extensive treatment can be found in Huheey, Keiter, and Keiter, Inorganic Chemistry, 4th Ed., pp. 394-413, which is available on reserve in Davis Library. For a detailed discussion of AOM with technical references, see this article from J. Chem. Ed..
Electronic Spectroscopy
Weeks 6-7 Miessler, Fischer, and Tarr, Chapter 11
Fundamental Reactivity and Mechanism
Weeks 8-10 Miessler, Fischer, and Tarr, Chapter 12
The course textbook provides only a limited discussion of electron transfer (Chapter 12.8). A deeper textbook treatment can be found in Huheey, Keiter, and Keiter (on course reserve), Chapter 13, pp.557-572; for a technically detailed presentation with references, see this article from J. Chem. Ed..
Organometallic Chemistry
Week 11 Miessler, Fischer, and Tarr, Chapter 13
Week 12 Miessler, Fischer, and Tarr, Chapter 14
Chemical foundations: the discovery and structural assignment of ferrocene, and the discovery of the first alkylidene.