CHMY 401
Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
Fall, 2011
Goal: This course will examine the coordination chemistry of metals with a focus on structure,
bonding of ligands, electronic spectra and the role of metals in biological systems. Concepts
in atomic structure, molecular symmetry, and molecular orbitals will provide the underpinnings
for developing an understanding of the chemistry of metals and how it contrasts with carbonbased chemistry.
When:
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3:10 to 4:00 pm, in Chem 102
Instructor:
Bruce Bowler, Chem 310, x6114, bruce.bowler@umontana.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, 3:10 to 4:00 pm, Chem 310, or by appointment
Text:
Shriver and Atkins’, Inorganic Chemistry, 5th ed., Freeman
Text website: http://bcs.whfreeman.com/ichem5e
Evaluation:
a) three 1-hour in-class exams – 100 points each
b) nine quizzes – 15 points each
c) 2-hour final exam – 200 points
50% of grade
20% of grade
30% of grade
Course Content and Exam Date Overview:
Topic
Text
Atomic Structure
Chap. 1
Simple Bonding Theories
Chap. 2.1-2.3
Symmetry and Group Theory
Chap. 6
Exam 1 (Friday, Sept. 30)
Molecular Orbitals
Chap. 2.7-2.12
Coord. Chem.: Structures & Isomers
Chap. 7
Exam 2 (Friday, Oct. 28)
Coord. Chem.: Bonding and Electronic
Chap. 20
Spectra
Biological Inorganic Chemistry
Chap. 27
Exam 3 (Friday, Dec. 2)
Biological Inorganic Chemistry
Chap. 27
Final Exam (Monday, Dec. 12, 1:10 - 3:00 pm, Chem 102)
Course Notes:
 All quizzes are on Mondays. Quizzes (15 minutes) will be given at the end of class.

Quizzes will test material covered since the previous quiz or exam.

All Hour Exams are on Fridays. There is no quiz on the Monday following an hour exam.

The Final Exam is comprehensive. It is on the Monday of Exam Period (Dec. 12, 2011)

Suggested problems will be assigned weekly on Fridays. Homework problems are meant to
reinforce lecture material. They will not be collected or graded. Answers to these problems are
available in the Solutions Manual (available at the UM Bookstore or on 1 hr reserve at the
Mansfield Library).

The course website is on Moodle. Login at: http://umonline.umt.edu . The course syllabus, lecture
notes, last years exams, and answers to quizzes and exams will be provided on the web site.

If you have a legitimate conflict with an exam date, you must inform the instructor at least 1 week
before the exam to make alternate arrangements.

Missed quizzes or exams will receive a grade of zero.

The  grading system will be employed.

See Cyberbear, Catalog, and/or Student Conduct Code for policies regarding incomplete grades,
disability accommodations, and the definition and potential consequences of plagiarism.

Last date to drop without a fee and with a partial refund is Sept. 19, 2011 by 5:00 pm.

Last date to drop without a petition is Oct. 21, 2011. A “W” will be assigned. After this date a
signed petition must be obtained and a grade of WP or WF will be assigned. A fee of $10 is
assessed for each add/drop after Sept. 19, 2011.

Courses may not be dropped after Dec. 9, 2011 at 5:00 pm. More details on add/drop policies are
available at: http://www.umt.edu/registrar/default.aspx.
Month
August
September
October
November
December
Date
29
31
2
5
7
9
12
14
16
19
21
23
26
28
30
3
5
7
10
12
14
17
19
21
24
26
28
31
2
4
7
9
11
14
16
18
21
Day
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
23
25
28
30
2
5
7
9
12
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
Tentative Schedule
Topic
Overview of Inorganic Chemistry
Bohr atom, Heisenberg uncertainty, Schrödinger Eq.
Particle in a box, Quantum numbers
Labor Day Holiday, no class
Orbital shapes, Pauli exclusion, Shielding
Periodic trends,
Quiz 1; Lewis theory
VSEPR theory
Symmetry and point groups
Quiz 2; Symmetry and point groups
Character tables
Character tables
Quiz 3; Applications of symmetry
Other aspects of symmetry
Hour Exam 1 (Chapters 1, 2.1-2.3, 6)
Molecular Orbital theory
Homonuclear diatomic molecules
Heteronuclear diatomics
Quiz 4; Polyatomic molecules
Polyatomic molecules
Polyatomic molecules
Quiz 5; Coordination chemistry, structure
Coord. Chem., structure and nomenclature
Coord. Chem., isomerism
Quiz 6; Coord. Chem, thermodynamics
Bonding, crystal field theory
Hour Exam 2 (Chapters 2.7-2.12 and 7)
Bonding, crystal field theory
Bonding, crystal field theory
Bonding, ligand field theory
Quiz 7; Bonding, ligand field theory
Spectroscopy, Introduction and term symbols
Veterans Day Holiday, no class
Quiz 8; Spectroscopy, ligand field transitions
Spectroscopy, correlation diagrams
Spectroscopy, Tunabe-Sugano diagrams
Quiz 9; Spectroscopy, selection rules and charge transfer
bands
Thanksgiving Holiday, no class
Thanksgiving Holiday, no class
Biological Inorganic Chemistry
Biological Inorganic Chemistry
Hour Exam 3 (Chapter 20)
Biological Inorganic Chemistry
Biological Inorganic Chemistry
Biological Inorganic Chemistry
Final exam, 1:10 – 3:00 pm, Chem 102
Reading
1.1-1.4
1.4
1.5, 1.6
1.7-1.9
2.1, 2.2
2.3
6.1
6.1
6.2
6.2
6.3-6.5
6.6-6.9
2.7
2.8
2.9, 2.10
2.11, 2.12
2.11, 2.12
2.11, 2.12
7.1-7.6
7.1-7.6
7.7-7.11
7.12-7.15
20.1
20.1
20.1
20.2
20.2
20.3
20.4
20.4
20.4
20.5-20.6
Ch 27
Ch 27
Ch 27
Ch 27
Ch 27