For many inorganic chemistry courses, the spectrochemical series is a classic topic to introduce students to ligand field theory and crystal field theory, as well as providing an entryway to magnetic susceptibility. Our goal was to adapt a lab based off of previously established syntheses for determining the spectrochemical series and number of unpaired electrons. Through this lab, students can compare the different colors and properties of various ligands in cobalt complexes, including glycine, oxalate, water, and ethylenediamine through UV-Vis analysis. The UV-Vis absorption can be used to determine the ligand strength and the d-orbital splitting. We were able to successfully synthesize these four cobalt complexes, perform UV-Vis absorption studies on them, and complete calculations to determine molar absorptivity and <i>d</i>-orbital splitting during a 3-hour lab class. During an additional lab class, magnetic susceptibility and number of unpaired electrons was determined using the Evans method on NMR or an Evans Balance.

Optimizing an inorganic chemistry lab experiment for determining the spectrochemical series and magnetic susceptibility of various cobalt complexes

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.