A national survey of inorganic chemists explored the self-reported topics covered in foundation-level courses in inorganic chemistry at the postsecondary level; the American Chemical Society's Committee on Professional Training defines a foundation course as one at the conclusion of which, "a student should have mastered the vocabulary, concepts, and skills required to pursue in-depth study in that area." Anecdotal evidence suggested that more than one type of Inorganic Chemistry Foundation course was offered in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. Cluster analysis confirmed this evidence, revealing four distinct foundation courses, each with unique profiles of topics covered. Faculty reported changes in content coverage over the past five years that mirror the evolving foci of inorganic chemistry research. These results potentially complicate how graduate programs evaluate incoming students' understanding of inorganic chemistry and the design of national assessments of undergraduate inorganic chemistry courses.

A national survey of inorganic chemists explored the self-reported topics covered in in-depth inorganic chemistry courses at the postsecondary level; an in-depth course is defined by the American Chemical Society's Committee on Professional Training as a course that integrates and covers topics that were introduced in introductory and foundation courses in a more thorough manner. Anecdotal evidence suggested that more than one type of in-depth course was offered in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. Cluster analysis confirmed this evidence and revealed three distinct types of in-depth inorganic chemistry courses with unique topical profiles. These results confirm diversity in the inorganic chemistry curriculum and the need for awareness that our students leave degree programs with varying understanding of inorganic chemistry based on the coursework offered at their respective institutions.

The undergraduate inorganic chemistry curriculum in the United States mirrors the broad diversity of the inorganic research community and poses a challenge for the development of a coherent curriculum that is thorough, rigorous, and engaging. A recent large survey of the inorganic community has provided information about the current organization and content of the inorganic curriculum from an institutional level. The data reveal shared "core" concepts that are broadly taught, with tremendous variation in content coverage beyond these central ideas. The data provide an opportunity for a community-driven discussion about how the American Chemical Society's Committee on Professional Training's vision of a foundation and in-depth course for each of the five subdisciplines maps onto an inorganic chemistry curriculum that is consistent in its coverage of the core inorganic concepts, yet reflects the diversity and creativity of the inorganic community. The goal of this Viewpoint is to present the current state of the diverse undergraduate curriculum and lay a framework for an effective and engaging curriculum that illustrates the essential role inorganic chemistry plays within the chemistry community.

This advanced undergraduate laboratory experiment involves the synthesis and characterization of a metal−organic framework with microporous channels that are held intact via hydrogen bonding of the coordinated water molecules. The hydrothermal synthesis of Co 3 (BTC) 2 •12H 2 O (BTC = 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylic acid) is carried out using one of four different reactors (stainless steel, microwave, polypropylene bottle, or sealed glass ampules) and the products are evaluated and compared using thermogravimetric analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, and IR spectroscopy. Powder X-ray diffraction is also used to monitor the changes in structure of the framework during the partial or complete removal of the associated water molecules, as well as after reabsorption of water.

Communications ADVANCED MATERIALSraised to 250°C and maintained for half an hour. The deep red solution formed was allowed to cool down to 75"C, after which a large excess of dry MeOH (BDH) was added. A flocculate precipitate formed and was isolated by centrifugation and redispersed in toluene; any insoluble material was discarded. The toluene was pumped off under vacuum (IO-*Torr) to give a deep red material, which was washed with MeOH. The solid was redispersed in toluene to give solutions with a port-wine red color that remained optically clear for weeks. Size-selective precipitation was performed by adding MeOH to this solution until turbidity was observed, followed by centrifugation of the solid.This procedure was successively applied to the supernatant solutions obtained during the fractionation process until no optical absorption was detected.The toluene solutions containing the nanocrystallites were characterized by optical absorption spectroscopy (Philips PU 8710 spectrophotometer) and fluorescence emission spectroscopy (Perkin Elmer LS50 luminescence spectrometer), at room temperature. The fluorescence spectra were normalized with the maximum set to 100. The X-ray powder diffraction experiments were performed using a Philips 1130 X-ray generator and a Guinier camera. Conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the nanocrystallites was performed using a JEOL-JEM 1200 EX I1 scanning and transmission electron microscope, operating at 100 kV, on samples deposited over carboncoated copper grids. The histogram was obtained after measuring the diameter of around 300 nanoparticles shown on the TEM images. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) was performed using a JEOL FX 2000 instrument, operating at 200 kV, on samples deposited over carboncoated copper grids.