This Course Guide has been taken from the most recent presentation of the course. It would be useful for reference purposes but please note that there may be updates for the following presentation.
CHEM S340
Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM S340 Inorganic Chemistry is a two-semester, ten-credit undergraduate course presented for the first time in April 2012. It is an elective course for the Bachelor of Science in Applied Science (Biology and Chemistry) and the Bachelor of Science with Honours in Applied Science (Biology and Chemistry), and for any other students who would like to further their studies in inorganic chemistry. There is no compulsory prerequisite course for CHEM S340. However, you are strongly encouraged to take SCI S121 and CHEM S251 prior to this course in order to gain some background knowledge about inorganic chemistry.
The purpose of the course is to explore different aspects of inorganic chemistry, and to combine fundamental chemical knowledge acquired from other chemistry courses with new, more advanced concepts, in order to understand and appreciate the roles that inorganic chemistry plays in top-end scientific research, as well as the pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries. In this course, inorganic chemistry has been sub-divided into five areas. However, as in many other disciplines, the fundamental principles of chemistry are universal. In this course, we will adopt a complementary approach in studying various aspects of inorganic chemistry.
Purpose of this Course Guide
This Course Guide provides pertinent information on how the course is organized, and it describes the structure and learning outcomes of the course. You will find information on the resources that you would need to effectively study this course, and the support you can expect to receive and the assessment procedures. Please read through this document carefully and keep it for reference throughout the progress of the course.
Course aims
CHEM S340 Inorganic Chemistry aims to:
Course learning outcomes
Upon the completion of CHEM S340, you should be able to:
The course is divided into five study units. Each study unit begins with an overview that outlines the main focus of the subject area. Each unit is then divided into a number of sub-topics. Each sub-topic is supplemented with indicated readings as well as online activities. Self- tests are provided at appropriate intervals in order to ensure attainment of sufficient understanding of each sub-topic prior to progressing to the next one. Answers to self-tests are included at the end of each study unit.
Other than the study units, compulsory day schools will be organized to enable face-to-face teaching in selected topics of inorganic chemistry. Practical experience will be gathered through laboratory sessions, allowing you to gain hands-on experience of synthesizing different types of inorganic compounds and performing different kinds of spectroscopic techniques.
Assignments are incorporated into the course as part of continuous assessment. There are five assignments in this course. The four highest marks will be counted towards the continuous assessment. You are required to submit at least four assignments.
Course materials
A brief description of each study unit is given below.
Unit 1 Concepts in transition metal chemistry
For this unit, you need to use the book Concepts in Transition Metal Chemistry provided as part of your course materials.
The behaviour of the transition metals and their aqueous ions is introduced in this unit. The concept of coordination chemistry, such as crystal field theory is introduced. These concepts can explain some of the magnetic and spectral properties of the metal complexes. Finally, molecular orbital theory of transition metal complexes is discussed to give you a thorough picture of transition metal chemistry. In this unit, the transition metal chemistry of metal-containing proteins and complexes of biological importance are highlighted.
Unit 2 Bioinorganic chemistry
For this unit, you need to use the book Metals and Life provided as part of your course materials.
Bioinorganic chemistry is an interdisciplinary subject involving inorganic chemistry and biochemistry. This unit begins by introducing you to the metals essential for life, and the functions that metals fulfil in the physiology of animals. Following the introduction, the unit moves on to consider the methods that organisms employ to acquire metal ions, and how they transport and store them. In addition, metal complexes of biological importance will be introduced, such as metalloproteins and enzymes. Some key biological processes involving metalloproteins, such as respiration and photosynthesis, will be discussed in detail.
Unit 3 Organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry, as its name suggests, is a subfield that bridges organic and inorganic chemistry. By definition, organometallic chemistry involves the study of compounds containing metal-carbon bonds.
Organometallic compounds bear some resemblance to classical inorganic, coordination compounds in terms of structure, bonding and reactivity. At the same time, there are many other properties and fundamental reactions that are unique to organometallic compounds, such as instability under ambient conditions, and ligand-based reactions.
In this unit, we will start with a list of general considerations regarding organometallic chemistry. We follow up the introduction with a survey of common organometallic ligands, synthetic methods and different classes of reactions of organometallic compounds. We will conclude this unit with some very important examples of organometallic application pertaining to the petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries.
Unit 4 Solid-state inorganic chemistry
Solid-state chemistry is a rapidly expanding field in chemistry in the last century. As its name suggests, solid-state chemistry involves the study of the structures and characteristics, in particular the physical properties, of solid phase inorganic materials.
Solid-state inorganic chemistry has been strongly driven by technology to meet the needs of products of commerce. The synthesis of novel materials and their characterization may also involve other fields like solid-state physics, mineralogy, crystallography, material science and electronics.
In this unit, we will start with a revision of crystal structure. We then present four of the hottest topics in solid-state material chemistry: zeolite, semiconductors, superconductors and magnetism. We will give you a brief idea of their properties and working principles. We will also look at some applications which impact the world.
Unit 5 Instrumental methods for inorganic chemistry
Instrumental analysis is a key subfield of all main fields of chemistry. During research, new compounds are analysed both in the solid state and in solution in order for chemists to understand their steric and electronic properties, which allow an accurate explanation or prediction of reactivity patterns. Secondly, unknown mixtures are analysed spectroscopically in order for researchers to obtain information on their chemical composition. Finally, spectroscopy allows chemists to identify the authenticity and purity of a compound.
This unit will take you through the details of some of the common spectroscopic techniques that you will inevitably come across during the study of chemistry, namely, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), infrared spectroscopy (IR), UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS), mass spectrometry (MS) and X-ray crystallography (XRC). We will focus on how these techniques are applied during the investigation of inorganic problems.
Presentation Schedule
The Presentation Schedule (academic timetable) is available on the Online Learning Environment (OLE), and it gives the dates for completing assignments and laboratory sessions.
Optional reference books
There is no compulsory set book. However, the following are recommended reference books for the course:
Face-to-face instruction
Other than the study units, you are required to attend TWO compulsory day schools planned for the course.
Five laboratory experiments will be arranged for you to gain hands-on experience in lab work. The scope of the five laboratory sessions is as follows:
Attendance of ANY TWO of these sessions can be counted to fulfil the compulsory day school requirement. The schedule and outline of these experiments will be provided in due course.
Equipment requirements
Both students and tutors need to have at least the following equipment for the course:
Hardware
Portable computer with the following minimum configuration
Software
The assignments, laboratory work and a final examination combine to serve as the means of formal assessment. Assignments, which include laboratory written work such as guided laboratory reports, serve as the overall continuous assessment (OCAS) component during the study period and account for 50% of the total course assessment, while a final examination to be conducted at the end of the course accounts for the other 50% of the total course assessment. To pass the course, you are required to obtain at least 40% or above in each criteria of assessment.
Assignments
There are five assignments for the course, but only the marks for the four best performances will be used. Upon receiving the assignments from the students, tutors will mark and return them to respective students with their comments and feedback.
Examination
At the end of the course, students are required to attend a final examination. The examination aims to test students' thorough understanding of the topic areas covered in the course. The examination will be of three hours' duration. It will consist of a mixture of short questions, journal reading and data-interpretation questions, and the content of the exam will emphasize understanding and application in addition to memorization. The total score of the examination paper contributes 50% of the total course mark.
Assessment summary
The assessment items are summarized in the following table.
| Assessment type | Assessment area | Marks | Total marks |
| Assignments 1–5 (best four out of five) | Units 1–5 | 12.50% each | 50% |
| Final examination | All areas | 50% | 50% |
| Total | 100% | ||
The following chart gives a general overview of the course structure.
| Unit | Title | Study time (weeks) | Laboratory session | Assignment (end of unit) |
| 1 | Concepts in transition-metal chemistry | 7 | Laboratory sessions 1–2 | Assignment 1 |
| 2 | Bioinorganic chemistry | 7 | Assignment 2 | |
| 3 | Organometallic chemistry | 7 | Laboratory sessions 3–5 | Assignment 3 |
| 4 | Solid-state inorganic chemistry | 7 | Assignment 4 | |
| 5 | Instrumental methods for inorganic chemistry | 6 | Assignment 5 | |
| Revision | 2 | |||
| Total study weeks | 36 | |||
* You are required to submit four of the five assignments for assessment.
Teaching and learning support for this course will be provided according to direct and electronic means:
Direct personal contact support
Direct personal contact support includes telephone tutoring, tutorials, surgeries and laboratory sessions.
Telephone tutoring
Each tutor will allocate four to six hours per week for answering telephone calls from students.
Tutorials
There are ten tutorial sessions in the course, totalling 20 hours. They will involve a number of presentations and interactive learning activities.
Surgeries
There are ten surgery sessions in the course, totalling 20 hours. Surgeries are planned for students to discuss with their tutors difficulties encountered during this course. Tutors on duty will provide students with individual help.
Laboratories
Laboratory sessions have been scheduled for this course — two of the sessions are compulsory day schools while the others are optional. Laboratory officers and the tutor will assist you in the completion of your practical assignments.
Electronic means
Electronic mail
You may submit any study problems to your assigned tutor through email. This channel provides flexibility to both tutors and students in overcoming the limitations of telephone tutoring in solving more technical issues.
Online Learning Environment
This course is supported by HKMU's Online Learning Environment (OLE). You can find course materials, particularly diagrams and animations, and the latest course information from the OLE and use the discussion board to communicate with your tutor, the Course Coordinator and fellow students.
ISIS/Draw
ISIS Accelrys 4.0 is a chemical structure drawing software. It is a freeware and can be downloaded from http://accelrys.com/products/informatics/cheminformatics/draw/no-fee.php once students have registered for a free account. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with chemical drawing software to assist them in completing future paperwork and presentations that require electronic drawing of chemical structures.
CHEM S340 Inorganic Chemistry is a two-semester, higher-level course which provides students with knowledge on a wide range of advanced inorganic chemistry topics, and how inorganic chemistry has found its way into the frontier of research science, with numerous applications in biological systems, the petrochemical industry and the materials industry. The course is presented using a combination of print- based study units, laboratory sessions, online activities and face-to-face teaching. Topics to be covered include basic inorganic chemistry concepts, bioinorganic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, solid-state inorganic chemistry and instrumental methods for inorganic chemistry.
Assessment for the course takes the form of four assignments and a final examination. You will receive assistance throughout the course via both online and face-to face interactions.
Best wishes for your study of CHEM S340 Inorganic Chemistry!
Dr Jenkins Y K Tsang obtained a BSc Combined Honours Degree in Mathematics and Chemistry from the University of British Columbia (UBC), and a PhD degree in Chemistry from the same institute. Upon completion of his degree he returned to Hong Kong where he worked as a postdoctoral research assistant at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Dr Tsang has a solid publication record, with first-author articles published in renowned journals such as The Journal of the American Chemical Society. Dr Tsang's most relevant experience is serving as the course tutor for third- and fourth-year inorganic chemistry courses at UBC.
