Problems in Structural Inorganic Chemistry

This book consists of over 422 problems and their acceptable answers on structural inorganic chemistry at the senior undergraduate and beginning graduate level. The central theme running through these questions is symmetry, bonding and structure: molecular or crystalline. A wide variety of topics are covered, including Electronic States and Configurations of Atoms and Molecules, Introductory Quantum Chemistry, Atomic Orbitals, Hybrid Orbitals, Molecular Symmetry, Molecular Geometry and Bonding, Crystal Field Theory, Molecular Orbital Theory, Vibrational Spectroscopy, Crystal Structure, Transition Metal Chemistry, Metal Clusters: Bonding and Reactivity, and Bioinorganic Chemistry.

The questions collected here originate from the examination papers and take-home assignments arising from the teaching of courses in Chemical Bonding, Elementary Quantum Chemistry, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, and X-Ray Crystallography by the book's two senior authors over the past five decades. The questions have been tested by generations of students taking these courses.

The questions in this volume cover essentially all the topics in a typical course in structural inorganic chemistry.
The text may be used as a supplement for a variety of inorganic chemistry courses at the senior undergraduate level. It also serves as a problem text to accompany the book Advanced Structural Inorganic Chemistry, co-authored by W.-K. Li, G.-D. Zhou, and T. C. W. Mak (Oxford University Press, 2008).

Wai-Kee Li, Formerly Emeritus Professor, Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,Hung Kay Lee, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,Dennis Kee Pui Ng, Professor, Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,Yu-San Cheung, Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,Kendrew Kin Wah Mak, Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,Thomas Chung Wai Mak, Wei Lun Research Professor, Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Wai-Kee Li obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan in 1968. He joined The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in 1968 and retired as Emeritus Professor of Chemistry in 2006. His keen interest in theoretical and computational chemistry led to over 200 research papers in international journals. He was a co-author of two textbooks in both English and Chinese editions. Professor Li sadly passed away due to illness in January 2016 while preparing this book manuscript.


Hung Kay Lee obtained his Ph.D. degree from CUHK in 1995. He joined CUHK in 1997 and is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry. His current research is focused on the chemistry of low-coordinate d- and f-block metal complexes supported by sterically bulky non-cyclopentadienyl ligand systems, and synthetic and structural studies of metal complexes of biological relevance. He has so far published more than 70 articles in international journals.


Dennis Kee Pui Ng obtained his D.Phil. degree from the University of Oxford in 1993. He joined CUHK in 1994 and is currently a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and a Pro-Vice-Chancellor/Vice-President. His research interests lie in the chemistry of various functional dyes, particularly phthalocyanines and boron dipyrromethenes, focusing on their biomedical applications and supramolecular chemistry. He has published about 190 articles in international journals with an h-index of 49.

Yu-San Cheung obtained his Ph.D. from Iowa State University in 1999. He joined CUHK in 1999 and is now a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry. He is currently engaged in teaching practical physical chemistry.


Kendrew Kin Wah Mak obtained his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from CUHK in 1998. He joined CUHK in 1999 and is now a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry. He is currently engaged in teaching practical organic chemistry.


Thomas Chung Wai Mak obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of British Columbia in 1963. He joined CUHK in 1969, where he is now Emeritus Professor of Chemistry and Wei Lun Research Professor. His research interests lie in inorganic synthesis, chemical crystallography, supramolecular assembly and crystal engineering, with over 1100 publications recorded in Web of Knowledge and an h-index of 64. He was elected as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2001.