This course is designed to introduce students to the practical aspects of chemical crystallography and to provide a working knowledge of a Rigaku Synergy-S 4-axis dual-source x-ray diffractometer for the purpose of small-molecule single-crystal structure determination by x-ray diffraction experiments. Students gain an understanding and appreciation of travel symmetry, space group symmetry, reciprocal space, Miller Indices, structure factors, diffraction theory and the underlying principles of single-crystal x-ray diffraction experiments through Bragg's Law and Laue's equations. Methods of crystal growing, selection, mounting, centering and data collection are presented. The course is taught by formal lecture coupled with significant time in the laboratory; hands-on experience is gained at the instrument to learn the basic functions and operation of our diffractometer. The following sections each have an associated lab practicum: (1) manipulating, shaping, and selecting proper crystals, (2) mounting and centering crystals, (3) screening crystals and collecting unit cell data with appropriate x-ray radiation and temperature, (4) searching the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) for matching cells, (5) data collection strategies, (6) structure solution, (7) structure refinement and common problems involving disorder. 

This course exposes students to specific technical and leadership skills geared to promote success in future academic or industrial settings. While the learning approach is a combination of lecture and interactive discussion formats, students also have the opportunity to learn visual statistical data analysis software (JMP) that is both advanced and user-friendly for industrial problem-solving. The course is segmented into four (4) modules; Grant Writing, Project Leadership, Statistical 6σ Tools, and Intellectual Property (IP). Students are introduced to an industrial scientist's endeavor and perspective to: (i) garner federal funding for R&D projects (successful proposal writing and general Principal Investigator (PI) training), (ii) effectively manage project work (administrative and programmatic aspects and tools, including effective presentations), (iii) execute on a project leveraging 6σ or so-called ‘Design of Experiment’ (DoE) tools aided by user-friendly statistical data analysis software, and (iv) protect project work-products through intellectual property (IP) filings and speak ‘patent-ese’. Outcomes of the course include student exposure to: (a) Grant Writing including (i) various funding agencies and types of grant opportunities available, (ii) evaluation of and structuring proposal layout as well as ‘funneling the reader’, and (iii) programmatic aspects/implications of federal R&D funding through the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy; (b) Project Leadership knowledge areas, e.g., scope-schedule-budget-risk etc., and leverage leadership/management tools such as work breakdown structure (WBS), Gantt charts, Ishikawa diagrams, and effective oral presentations; (c) Statistics, e.g., distributions, confidence intervals, error bars, hypothesis testing, regression, and be able to execute on a project applying so-called ‘Design of Experiment’ (DoE) tools (Taguchi designs) aided by user-friendly statistical data analysis software; and (d) Intellectual Property with a basic understanding of the requirements and importance of protecting work products from federally or corporate funded programs through patents; this module includes a discussion of types of patents and reading, licensing, and searching patents, plus patent infringement and workaround strategies. 

This course is focused on a systematic presentation of symmetry and group theory with emphasis on the formal development of the subject and its applications to studying inorganic chemical compounds. Against the backdrop of both molecular orbital theory and d-orbital electronic structure, the electronic, vibrational, magnetic properties, and reactivity of transition metal complexes are presented and their investigation by the appropriate spectroscopy described.