CONCLUSION
Through the introduction of more sophisticated and extensive
spectroscopic characterization, computational analysis and
molecular visualizations we have taken two classic coordination
chemistry syntheses and expanded the pedagogical breadth of
the combined laboratory experiment. Small modifications to the
published synthetic procedure have enabled students to achieve
reasonable yields and higher enantiomeric purity for the
Co(en)3
3+ product, key to their success in the subsequent
synthesis of Λ-(or Δ-)Co(diNOsar)Br3. With these new
additions, we expand our pedagogy in the inorganic curriculum
to include circular dichroism and more advanced topics in
electronic spectroscopy. In addition, this experiment revisits
and reinforces topics seen earlier in the undergraduate
curriculum, such as chemical equivalence, magnetic inequivlence,
molecular modeling and statistical thermodynamic
population analysis.