431 Manual

INORGANIC CHEMISTRY CH 431
LABORATORY INSTRUCTIONAL MANUAL
The University of Texas at Austin
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Safety Guidelines
General Report Guidelines
Inert Atmosphere Arrangement

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List of Experiments
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Glassblowing
Silicone Polymers
Dimolybdenum Tetraacetate Mo2(OAc)4
CoordinationComplexes of Cobalt
EPR Study of Vanadium Complexes
Preparation and Purification of Ferrocene

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Inorganic Chemistry (CH 431) Laboratory Manual
This manual details the experiments and procedures to be followed in the laboratory section of
CH 431. Read through it and use this manual as a guide for safety, grading, and the conducting of
experiments during the semester.Please be advised that there may be instances when this manual may
not be followed exactly due to space, time, or safety considerations. Your T.A. will advise you of any
possible changes as well as answer any questions you may have about the course.
You are expected to be adequately prepared before coming to each of the laboratory class
periods. This includes, but is not limited to, a thoroughreading of the experiment that is to be
performed. You should have a good idea of what it is you are going to do before coming to the
laboratory class period. Please read the introduction and safety precautions that follow before coming
to your first laboratory class period. The information contained in these sections concerns your safety
and the inert nitrogen gas atmosphere apparatus. Theseinstructions and safety precautions will apply to
all of the experiments and they should be referred to periodically throughout this laboratory course.
Safety Guidelines
The following safety rules will be obeyed at all times by everyone in the laboratory. Failure to properly
abide by these rules will be grounds for dismissal from the laboratory period and/or dropped from the
course.


Safetyglasses will be worn at all times by all personnel in the laboratory. Anyone discovered in
the laboratory not wearing safety glasses will be dismissed from the laboratory section. NO
EXCUSES!



No open-toed shoes or shorts will be allowed in the laboratory.



All flasks used in the laboratory should be labeled, whether they are solvents, compounds, or
starting materials. Any flasksor vials discovered without labels will be discarded by the T.A.



Note the location and types of fire extinguishers (e.g., CO2, dry powder, etc.) that have been
strategically placed around the laboratory room.



Do not pour any organic solvents or wastes down the sink. Deposit all waste in the properly
labeled containers.



Research the hazards associated with the startingmaterials and products formed in the reaction
before you attend lab. This information can be found by referring to the Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDS) located in the chemistry library.

1

General Report Guidelines
Each report will be worth 100 points. The glassblowing exercise is for credit only, but failure to complete
it will result in the lowering of your course average by a lettergrade. Attendance and participation in the
quizzes are mandatory. Failure in either regard will have a negative effect on your report grade.
An electronic template will be provided for you to structure your report. Follow the template carefully,
as a full explanation of the report requirements is contained in each section. In general, your reports
should be structured in accordance with the ACSStyle Guide, which can be found on reference in the
chemistry library. Please use this reference as a guide for writing each report. For specific examples,
please use the current peer reviewed literature as a guide (e.g. ]. Am. Chem. Soc., Inorg. Chem., etc.).
An approximate point distribution follows:
Proper Template Use
Abstract
Introduction
Experimental Method
Results & Discussion...