Electrochemistry of (Dihapto-Buckminster-Fullerene) Pentacarbonyl Tungsten(0)
An Experiment for the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Part III
Elvin Igartúa-Nieves, Yessenia Ocasio-Delgado, José Rivera-Pagán, and José E. Cortés-Figueroa
Department of Chemistry, Organometallic Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR 00681-9019
Cyclic voltammetry experiments on [60]fullerene, (C60), and (dihapto-[60]fullerene) pentacarbonyl tungsten(0), (η2-C60)W(CO)5, constitute an educational experiment for the inorganic chemistry laboratory with a primary objective to teach the chemical interpretation of a voltammogram, in particular the relation between the frontier LUMOs of [60]fullerene and the number of reduction–oxidation waves of [60]fullerene and (dihapto-[60]fullerene)W(CO)5. The proposed experiments may be combined with the kinetics experiments on the ligand–exchange reactions on (η2-C60)W(CO)5, and with the sunlight-induced photosynthesis and characterization of (η2-C60)W(CO)5, published in this Journal, to complete a series of three experiments for the inorganic chemistry laboratory that promotes understanding and integration of the following inorganic chemistry concepts: activation parameters, bonding, electronic structure, kinetics, mechanisms, and thermodynamic bond enthalpy.
Supplement
Instructions for the students, notes for the instructor, and a schematic of the electrochemical cell are available.
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