Introductory Inorganic Chemistry

Module code: CH1202

Inorganic chemistry is the branch that deals with inorganic compounds; namely, those not based on carbon. It incorporates key studies of the properties and reactivities of the majority of elements and the functions of metals in biological systems. This module will introduce you to some of the core principles and theories behind inorganic chemistry. These fundamental ideas will be used in future modules to, amongst other things: explore the industrial applications of inorganic compounds as catalysts for use in both the petrochemical and pharmaceutical sectors; understand the role they play in biology; explore both their therapeutic and diagnostic applications in modern medicine.

Topics covered

• Calculations of oxidation states and dn configurations for transition metal complexes
• Identifying the common types of ligand and methods of complex preparation
• Bonding in transition metal complexes using ionic (crystal field theory) and covalent (molecular orbital) models
• Magnetic and spectroscopic properties of transition metal complexes
• Geometries of complexes, recognising rotational axes, mirror planes and centres of inversion
• Drawing these on diagrams of molecules, using these to assign point groups to molecules and identifying the possibility of distortions from ideal geometries and isomerism
• Describing the inorganic chemistry of a range of main group compounds and discuss the broader applications of descriptive inorganic chemistry
• Interpreting solid-state structures in terms of the type of unit cell adopted, the coordination number and coordination geometry of each atom, the radius ratio, and the relevant bonding models for ionic and metallic solids