How much inorganic spectroscopy and photochemistry?

Abstract

All modern courses in inorganic chemistry include some discussion of the electronic structures of molecules. Treatment of this important topic varies widely, however, from course to course and book to book. It is clearly essential for students to have a firm understanding of the ground state electronic structures of inorganic molecules, but there is nowhere near universal agreement on the exact list of topics to be covered nor on the time to be spent on said topics in the various inorganic courses. And the confusion only increases when the treatment of electronic excited states is thrown in for consideration. Surely a serious student of chemistry should know something about inorganic electronic spectroscopy and photochemistry. The question is, "How much?"

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