(1) Identify a paper employing computational chemistry in the current literature. Important topic. Important method. "Well established corresponding author" papers preferred. No side shows! Top-notch not-for-profit journals only.

(2) Mail the title, authors, and journal reference to the Chemistry 433 discussion list. If you want to be really kind, you may distribute copies of the article to the students in the class. Send your contribution to the discussion list no later than noon of the Monday of the week in which discussion will take place. Do not send the message earlier than the preceeding Friday! Send the message even if you distribute hardcopies in lecture that morning! Note that the discussion leader of week X must complete his/her paper selection prior to week X!!

(3) Write a synopsis of the paper and add personal comments, questions, and assessments. Start by giving the title, the authors, and the reference. Describe goals and objectives of the paper. Describe the methods employed. Discuss the data and how conclusions have been reached. Then write a statement as to why you selected this particular paper, what you liked best and what you liked the least about this paper. If there are things you did not understand, then say so and ask for clarifying comments. Mail your contribution to the Chemistry 433 discussion list between 5 pm and midnight of the Wednesday of your week. Be brief! No more than the equivalent of 1 typed page. Everybody will read the paper and there is no need to be epic. Refer to the tables and figures just be their numbers without any more qualification. Abstraction is called for and discussion is wanted.

(4) The synopsis of your chosen paper will lead to comments, answers, responses, and criticisms from the students. Lead the ensueing discussion. Try to answer any questions that might come up. The discussion should be completed no later than 6 pm of the Sunday of your week.

(1) The Subject line for any email message having to do with a paper of the month issue should start with "POTW" for "Paper of the Week" and be followed by the name of the discussion leader of that paper of the week. If I were to contribute a synopsis on gradient vector fields, my subject line could read "POTW Glaser - Gradient Vector Fields". If Mike Lewis were to respond with a comments, his subject line should be "POTW Glaser - Comments on computation of GVFs".

(2) I want you to think about the papers you read. Do not consume the article. Take the article apart! Question everything! I want you to be bold and provokative when you write the synopsis and I want you equally bold, challenging, and provokative when you comment! Nothing of what you say will leave "the classroom", that is, the discussion list is private!

(3) It is absolutely essential for the success of these exercises, that everybody reads the papers and does participate in the discussion. While it is not essential that everybody contributes to the discussion of every paper, I think it might be good to comment on some aspect on every second paper.

(4) These efforts associated with the POTW will not be graded. You should participate because you are responsible for your own education. I also think that the participation will improve your performance on the projects which are graded.

(5) The instructor will monitor these discussions but will largely refrain from interfering with the process. The monitoring of the discussion will allow the instructor to gauge the level of know-how of the class providing required feedback to his teaching and mentoring activities. Should there be blatant errors in some contributions which are left uncorrected for two days or so, then the instructor might step in and point out such possible errors.

"Investigation of Cyclopropane Stereomutation by Quasiclassical Trajectories on an Analytical Potential Energy Surface" David A. Hrovat, Shu Fang, Weston Thatcher Borden, and Barry K. Carpenter J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 5253-5254.

"Theoretical Studies of Eliminations. 5. Intermolecular vs Intramolecular Eliminations: An ab Initio Study of the Gas-Phase Reaction of Amide Anion with Et-S-Me." Scott Gronert and Peter Freed J. Org. Chem. 1996, 61, 9430-9433.

"Quantum Chemical Investigation of Structures, Rotational Barriers, and Vibrational Spectra of the Rotatmers of Ethyl Nitrite (CH₃CH₂ONO)" H. U. Suter and M. Nonella J. Phys. Chem. A 1997, 101, 5580-5586.

"Chemistry of the 2,5-Didehydropyridine Biradical: Computational, Kinetic, and Trapping Studies toward Drug Design" J. Hoffner, M. J. Schottelius, D. Feichtinger, and P. Chen J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 376-385.

"Ab initio molecular dynamics of molecular hydrogen desorption from Si(100)." A. da Silva, M. R. Radeke, E. A. Carter Surface Science 1997, 381, L628-L635.

"Theoretical Aspects of a Novel Mode of Hydrogen-Hydrogen Bonding" Q. Liu and R. Hoffmann J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 10108-10112.

"Computational Investigations of Carbenium Ion Reactions Relevant to Sterol Biosynthesis" Corky Jenson and William L. Jorgensen J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 10846-10854.

"Chemoselectivity in the Reactions of Acetylketene and Acetimidoylketene: Confirmation of Theoretical Predictions." David M. Birney, Xiaolian Xu, Sihyun Ham, and Xiaomeng Huang J. Org. Chem. 1997, 62, 7114-7120.

"Ab-Initio MO Study of the Peracid Oxidation of Dimethyl Thiosulfinate." Rois Benassi, Luca G. Fiandri, Ferdinando Taddei J. Org. Chem. 1997, 62, 8018-8023.

"An ab-Initio Study of Facial Selectivity in the Diels-Alder Reaction." James D. Xidos, Raymond A. Poirier, Cory C. Pye, and D. Jean Burnell J. Org. Chem. 1998, 63, 105-112.