Course Description Chem 4380 partially satisfies requirements for UCA's ACS certified B.S. degree in chemistry . More importantly, this course is an intensive study in one of the five major chemical subdisciplines and therefore is a necessary component of a modern degree in chemistry.
Inorganic chemistry is the chemistry of the whole periodic table.
To make sense of this vast problem, the organization of the periodic table, reinforced by quantum mechanical principles, is used as a recurring theme throughout the course. A detailed treatment of chemical bonding and molecular structure and solid state structure is built on the periodic chemistry of the elements. Transition metal chemistry is treated in detail, including the structure, thermodynamic, and kinetic properties of transition metal compounds. Organometallic chemistry is used as an opportunity to apply transition metal concepts, and this is extended to a brief survey of metal catalyzed organic transformations. Through catalysis this course brings closure to topics studied previously in organic chemistry, but now viewed from the metal catalyst's perspective.