CHEM 335
Inorganic/Organometallic Chemistry Spring 2025
Division III

This course covers fundamental aspects of the chemistry of main group elements and transition metals, and highlights how these properties are key to understanding the roles of these elements in applications such as the catalysis of synthetic organic transformations, the functions of enzymatic processes, the production of commodity chemicals such as plastics, and the actions of metal-based drugs such as cis-platin. The course introduces concepts of symmetry and group theory, and their systematic application to the study of the structure, bonding, and spectroscopy of inorganic and organometallic compounds. The course also covers the kinetics and mechanism of selected inorganic and organometallic reactions. Class discussions will involve exploration of the primary literature and review articles around recent developments and applications in inorganic chemistry, such as finding molecular solutions to water oxidation, the capture of solar energy, to cancer treatments and the optimization of industrial-scale reactions.