Home      Discussion      Topics      Dictionary      Almanac
Signup       Login
Inorganic chemistry

Inorganic chemistry

Overview

Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions...

 concerned with the properties and behavior of inorganic compound
Inorganic compound
Traditionally, inorganic compounds are considered to be of a mineral, not biological, origin. Complementarily, most organic compounds are traditionally viewed as being of biological origin...

s. This field covers all chemical compound
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...

s except the myriad organic compound
Organic compound
An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of compounds such as carbonates, simple oxides of carbon and cyanides, as well as the allotropes of carbon, are considered inorganic...

s (compounds containing C-H bonds), which are the subjects of organic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a discipline within chemistry which involves the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of chemical compounds that contain carbon...

. The distinction between the two disciplines is far from absolute, and there is much overlap, most importantly in the sub-discipline of organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry is the study of chemical compounds containing bonds between carbon and a metal. Since many compounds without such bonds are chemically similar, an alternative may be compounds containing metal-element bonds of a largely covalent character...

.


The bulk of inorganic compound
Inorganic compound
Traditionally, inorganic compounds are considered to be of a mineral, not biological, origin. Complementarily, most organic compounds are traditionally viewed as being of biological origin...

s occur as salts, the combination of cations and anions joined by ionic bond
Ionic bond
An ionic bond is a type of chemical bond that involves a metal and a nonmetal ion through electrostatic attraction. In short, it is a bond formed by the attraction between two oppositely charged ions....

ing.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Inorganic chemistry'
Start a new discussion about 'Inorganic chemistry'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum
 
Unanswered Questions
Encyclopedia

Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions...

 concerned with the properties and behavior of inorganic compound
Inorganic compound
Traditionally, inorganic compounds are considered to be of a mineral, not biological, origin. Complementarily, most organic compounds are traditionally viewed as being of biological origin...

s. This field covers all chemical compound
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...

s except the myriad organic compound
Organic compound
An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of compounds such as carbonates, simple oxides of carbon and cyanides, as well as the allotropes of carbon, are considered inorganic...

s (compounds containing C-H bonds), which are the subjects of organic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a discipline within chemistry which involves the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of chemical compounds that contain carbon...

. The distinction between the two disciplines is far from absolute, and there is much overlap, most importantly in the sub-discipline of organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry is the study of chemical compounds containing bonds between carbon and a metal. Since many compounds without such bonds are chemically similar, an alternative may be compounds containing metal-element bonds of a largely covalent character...

.

Key concepts



The bulk of inorganic compound
Inorganic compound
Traditionally, inorganic compounds are considered to be of a mineral, not biological, origin. Complementarily, most organic compounds are traditionally viewed as being of biological origin...

s occur as salts, the combination of cations and anions joined by ionic bond
Ionic bond
An ionic bond is a type of chemical bond that involves a metal and a nonmetal ion through electrostatic attraction. In short, it is a bond formed by the attraction between two oppositely charged ions....

ing. Examples of cations are sodium
Sodium
Sodium is a metallic element with a symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals within "group 1"...

 Na+, and magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12 and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the earth's crust by mass, although ninth in the Universe as a whole...

 Mg2+ and examples of anions are oxide
Oxide
An oxide is a chemical compound containing at least one oxygen atom as well as at least one other element. Most of the Earth's crust consists of oxides. Oxides result when elements are oxidized by oxygen in air. Combustion of hydrocarbons affords the two principal oxides of carbon, carbon...

 O2− and chloride
Chloride
The chloride ion is formed when the element chlorine picks up one electron to form an anion Cl...

 Cl. As salts are neutrally charged, these ions form compounds such as sodium oxide
Sodium oxide
Sodium oxide is a chemical compound with the formula Na2O. It is used in ceramics and glasses. Treatment with water affords sodium hydroxide.The alkali metal oxides M2O crystallise in the antifluorite structure...

 Na2O or magnesium chloride
Magnesium chloride
Magnesium chloride is the name for the chemical compounds with the formulas MgCl2 and its various hydrates MgCl2x. These salts are typical ionic halides, being highly soluble in water. The hydrated magnesium chloride can be extracted from brine or sea water...

 MgCl2. The ions are described by their oxidation state
Oxidation state
In chemistry, the oxidation state is an indicator of the degree of oxidation of an atom in a chemical compound. The formal oxidation state is the hypothetical charge that an atom would have if all bonds to atoms of different elements were 100% ionic. Oxidation states are typically represented by...

 and their ease of formation can be inferred from the ionization potential
Ionization potential
The term ionization energy is most commonly used to refer to the energy required to remove the outermost electron in the atom or molecule when the gas atom or molecule is isolated in free space and is in its ground electronic state...

 (for cations) or from the electron affinity
Electron affinity
The electron affinity, Eea, of an atom or molecule is the amount of energy required to detach an electron from a singly charged negative ion, i.e., the energy change for the processAn equivalent definition is the energy released when an electron is attached to a neutral atom or...

 (anions) of the parent elements.

Important classes of inorganic compounds are the oxide
Oxide
An oxide is a chemical compound containing at least one oxygen atom as well as at least one other element. Most of the Earth's crust consists of oxides. Oxides result when elements are oxidized by oxygen in air. Combustion of hydrocarbons affords the two principal oxides of carbon, carbon...

s, the carbonate
Carbonate
In chemistry, a carbonate is a salt or ester of carbonic acid, characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, or a carbonate functional group O=C2....

s, the sulfate
Sulfate
In inorganic chemistry, a sulfate is a salt of sulfuric acid.-Chemical properties:...

s and the halide
Halide
A halide is a binary compound, of which one part is a halogen atom and the other part is an element or radical that is less electronegative than the halogen, to make a fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, or astatide compound. Many salts are halides...

s. Many inorganic compounds are characterized by high melting point
Melting point
The melting point of a solid is the temperature range at which it changes state from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase exist in equilibrium. When considered as the temperature of the reverse change from liquid to solid, it is referred to as the freezing point...

s. Inorganic salts typically are poor conductors
Electrical conductivity
Electrical conductivity or specific conductance is a measure of a material's ability to conduct an electric current. When an electrical potential difference is placed across a conductor, its movable charges flow, giving rise to an electric current...

 in the solid state. Another important feature is their solubility in e.g. water (see: solubility chart
Solubility chart
A blue solubility chart refers to a chart with a list of ions and how, when mixed with other ions, they can become precipitates or remain aqueous. The following chart shows the solubilities of various compounds at a pressure of 1 atm and at room temperature...

), and ease of crystallization
Crystallization
Crystallization is the process of formation of solid crystals precipitating from a solution, melt or more rarely deposited directly from a gas...

. Where some salts (e.g. NaCl
Sodium chloride
Sodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt, or halite, is an ionic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...

) are very soluble in water, others (e.g. SiO2
Silicon dioxide
The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica , is an oxide of silicon with a chemical formula of ' and has been known for its hardness since antiquity. Silica is most commonly found in nature as sand or quartz, as well as in the cell walls of diatoms...

) are not.

The simplest inorganic reaction is double displacement when in mixing of two salts the ions are swapped without a change in oxidation state. In redox reactions one reactant, the oxidant, lowers its oxidation state and another reactant, the reductant, has its oxidation state increased. The net result is an exchange of electron
Electron
An electron is a subatomic particle that carries a negative electric charge. It has no known substructure and is believed to be a point particle. An electron has a mass that is approximately 1836 times less than that of the proton. The intrinsic angular momentum of the electron is a half integer...

s. Electron exchange can occur indirectly as well, e.g. in batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is a combination of one or more electrochemical cells, used to convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first Voltaic pile in 1800 by Alessandro Volta, the battery has become a common power source for many household and industrial...

, a key concept in electrochemistry
Electrochemistry
Electrochemistry is a branch of chemistry that studies chemical reactions which take place in a solution at the interface of an electron conductor and an ionic conductor , and which involve electron transfer between the electrode and the electrolyte or species in solution.If a chemical reaction is...

.

When one reactant contains hydrogen atoms, a reaction can take place by exchanging protons in acid-base chemistry
Acid-base reaction theories
An acid-base reaction is a chemical reaction that occurs between an acid and a base. Several concepts that provide alternative definitions for the reaction mechanisms involved and their application in solving related problems exist...

. In a more general definition, an acid can be any chemical species capable of binding to electron pairs is called a Lewis acid
Lewis acid
A Lewis acid, A, is a chemical compound that can accept a pair of electrons from a Lewis base, B, that acts as an electron-pair donor, forming an adduct, AB:
A + :B → A—B
...

; conversely any molecule that tends to donate an electron pair is referred to as a Lewis base. As a refinement of acid-base interactions, the HSAB theory
HSAB theory
The HSAB concept is an acronym for 'hard and soft acids and bases'. Also known as the Pearson acid base concept, HSAB is widely used in chemistry for explaining stability of compounds, reaction mechanisms and pathways....

 takes into account polarizability and size of ions.

Inorganic compounds are found in nature as mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. A rock, by comparison, is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids, and need not have a specific...

s. Soil may contain iron sulfide as pyrite
Pyrite
The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold due to its resemblance to gold...

 or calcium sulfate as gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O.-Crystal varieties:...

. Inorganic compounds are also found multitasking as biomolecule
Biomolecule
A biomolecule is any organic molecule that is produced by a living organism, including large polymeric molecules such as proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids as well as small molecules such as primary metabolites, secondary metabolites, and natural products.As organic molecules,...

s: as electrolytes (sodium chloride
Sodium chloride
Sodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt, or halite, is an ionic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...

), in energy storage (ATP
Adenosine triphosphate
Adenosine-5'-triphosphate is a multifunctional nucleotide that plays an important role in cell biology as a coenzyme, that is, the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer. ATP transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism...

) or in construction (the polyphosphate
Polyphosphate
Polyphosphates are anionic phosphate polymers linked between hydroxyl groups and hydrogen atoms. The polymerization that takes place is known as a condensation reaction. Phosphate chemical bonds are typically high-energy covalent bonds, which means that energy is available upon breaking such bonds...

 backbone in DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses. The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information...

).

The first important man-made inorganic compound was ammonium nitrite
Ammonium nitrite
Ammonium nitrite, NH4NO2, is a salt containing ammonium and nitrite ions. It is used as a rodenticide, microbiocide and agricultural pesticide, and is acutely toxic to both humans and aquatic organisms.-Preparation:...

 for soil fertilization through the Haber process
Haber process
The Haber process, also called the Haber–Bosch process, is the nitrogen fixation reaction of nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas, over an enriched iron catalyst, to produce ammonia. The Haber process is important because ammonia is difficult to produce on an industrial scale, and the fertilizer...

. Inorganic compounds are synthesized for use as catalysts such as vanadium(V) oxide
Vanadium(V) oxide
Vanadium oxide is the chemical compound with the formula V2O5. Commonly known as vanadium pentoxide, this orange solid is the most important compound of vanadium. Upon heating it reversibly loses oxygen...

 and titanium(III) chloride
Titanium(III) chloride
Titanium chloride is the inorganic compound with the formula TiCl3. At least four distinct species have this formula; additionally hydrated derivatives are known...

, or as reagent
Reagent
A reagent or reactant is a substance or compound consumed during a chemical reaction. Solvents and catalysts, although they are involved in the reaction, are usually not referred to as reactants....

s in organic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a discipline within chemistry which involves the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of chemical compounds that contain carbon...

 such as lithium aluminium hydride
Lithium aluminium hydride
Lithium aluminium hydride , commonly abbreviated to LAH, is a reducing agent used in organic synthesis. It is more powerful than the related reagent sodium borohydride due to the weaker Al-H bond compared to the B-H bond...

.

Subdivisions of inorganic chemistry are organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry is the study of chemical compounds containing bonds between carbon and a metal. Since many compounds without such bonds are chemically similar, an alternative may be compounds containing metal-element bonds of a largely covalent character...

, cluster chemistry
Cluster chemistry
In chemistry, a cluster is an ensemble of bound atoms intermediate in size between a molecule and a bulk solid. Clusters exist of diverse stoichiometries and nuclearities. For example, carbon and boron atoms form fullerene and borane clusters, respectively. Transition metals and main group...

 and bioinorganic chemistry
Bioinorganic chemistry
Bioinorganic chemistry is a field that examines the role of metals in biology. Bioinorganic chemistry includes the study of both natural phenomena such as the behavior of metalloproteins as well artificially introduced metals, including those that are non-essential, in medicine and toxicology...

. These fields are active areas of research in inorganic chemistry, aimed toward new catalysts, superconductors, and therapies
Medicine
Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

.

Industrial inorganic chemistry


Inorganic chemistry is a highly practical area of science. Traditionally, the scale of a nation's economy could be evaluated by their productivity of sulfuric acid. The top 20 inorganic chemicals manufactured in Canada, China, Europe, Japan, and the US (2005 data):
aluminium sulfate
Aluminium sulfate
Aluminium sulfate or Aluminium Sulphate, written as Al23 or Al2O12S3 Aluminium sulfate is an industrial chemical used as a flocculating agent in the purification of drinking water and waste water treatment plants, and also in paper...

, ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to foodstuffs and fertilizers...

, ammonium nitrate
Ammonium nitrate
The chemical compound ammonium nitrate, the nitrate of ammonia with the chemical formula NH4NO3, is a white crystalline solid at room temperature and standard pressure...

, ammonium sulfate
Ammonium sulfate
Ammonium sulfate , 2SO4, is an inorganic salt with a number of commercial uses. The most common use is as a soil fertilizer. It contains 21% nitrogen as ammonium cations, and 24% sulfur as sulfate anions...

, carbon black
Carbon black
Carbon black is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products such as FCC tar, coal tar, ethylene cracking tar, and a small amount from vegetable oil. Carbon black is a form of amorphous carbon that has a high surface area to volume ratio, although its surface area to...

, chlorine
Chlorine
Chlorine Chlorine Chlorine ( , from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' (khlôros, meaning 'pale green'), is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is a halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17 (formerly VII, VIIa, or VIIb). As the chloride ion, which is part of common salt and...

, hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid is the solution of hydrogen chloride in water. It is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid and has major industrial uses. It is found naturally in gastric acid....

, hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, nonmetallic, tasteless, highly flammable diatomic gas with the molecular formula H2...

, hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a very pale blue liquid, slightly more viscous than water, that appears colorless in dilute solution. It is a weak acid, has strong oxidizing properties, and is a powerful bleaching agent. It is used as a disinfectant, antiseptic, oxidizer, and in rocketry as a propellant...

, nitric acid
Nitric acid
Nitric acid , also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosive and toxic strong acid.Colorless when pure older samples tend to acquire a stronger yellow cast due to the accumulation of oxides of nitrogen. If the solution contains more than 86% nitric acid, it is referred to as...

, nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N and atomic number 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78% by volume of Earth's atmosphere.Many industrially important...

, oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen Oxygen Oxygen (acid, literally "sharp", from the taste of acids) and -γενής (-genēs) (producer, literally begetter) is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O...

, phosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid, also known as orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric acid, is a mineral acid having the chemical formula H3PO4. Orthophosphoric acid molecules can combine with themselves to form a variety of compounds which are also referred to as phosphoric acids, but in a more...

, sodium carbonate
Sodium carbonate
Sodium carbonate , , is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It most commonly occurs as a crystalline heptahydrate, which readily effloresces to form a white powder, the monohydrate; and is domestically well known for its everyday use as a water softener...

, sodium chlorate
Sodium chlorate
Sodium chlorate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . When pure, it is a white crystalline powder that is readily soluble in water. It is hygroscopic...

, sodium hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide , also known as lye and caustic soda, is a caustic metallic base. It is used in many industries, mostly as a strong chemical base in the manufacture of pulp and paper, textiles, drinking water, soaps and detergents and as a drain cleaner. Worldwide production in 1998 was around...

, sodium silicate
Sodium silicate
Sodium silicate is the common name for a compound sodium metasilicate, Na2SiO3, also known as water glass or liquid glass. It is available in aqueous solution and in solid form and is used in cements, passive fire protection, refractories, textile and lumber processing, and...

, sodium sulfate
Sodium sulfate
Sodium sulfate is the sodium salt of sulfuric acid. Anhydrous, it is a white crystalline solid of formula Na2SO4 known as the mineral thenardite; the decahydrate Na2SO4·10H2O has been known as Glauber's salt or, historically, sal mirabilis...

, sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid, , is a strong mineral acid. It is soluble in water at all concentrations. Sulfuric acid has many applications, and is one of the top products of the chemical industry. World production in 2001 was 165 million tonnes, with an approximate value of US$8 billion...

, and titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium, chemical formula TiO2. When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white, Pigment White 6, or CI 77891...

.

The manufacturing of fertilizers is another practical application of industrial inorganic chemistry.

Descriptive inorganic chemistry


Descriptive inorganic chemistry focuses on the classification of compounds based on their properties. Partly the classification focuses on the position in the periodic table of the heaviest element (the element with the highest atomic weight) in the compound, partly by grouping compounds by their structural similarities. When studying inorganic compounds, one often encounters parts of the different classes of inorganic chemistry (an organometallic compound is characterized by its coordination chemistry, and may show interesting solid state properties).

Different classifications are:

Coordination compounds



Classical coordination compounds feature metals bound to "lone pair
Lone pair
A lone pair is a electron pair without bonding or sharing with other atoms. They are found in the outermost electron shell of an atom, so lone pairs are a subset of a molecule's valence electrons...

s" of electrons residing on the main group atoms of ligands such as H2O, NH3, Cl
Chloride
The chloride ion is formed when the element chlorine picks up one electron to form an anion Cl...

, and CN
Cyanide
A cyanide is any chemical compound that contains the cyano group , which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Inorganic cyanides are hydrogen cyanide salts in which cyanide is generally the anion CN-. Organic compounds that have a -C≡N functional group bonded to...

. In modern coordination compounds almost all organic and inorganic compounds can be used as ligands. The "metal" usually is a metal from the groups 3-13, as well as the trans-lanthanide
Lanthanide
According to the IUPAC terminology, the lanthanoid series comprises the fifteen elements with atomic numbers 57 through 71, from lanthanum to lutetium. All lanthanoids are f-block elements, corresponding to the filling of the 4f electron shell, except for lutetium which is a d-block lanthanoid...

s and trans-actinide
Actinide
The actinoid or actinide series encompasses the 15 chemical elements that lie between actinium and lawrencium included on the periodic table, with atomic numbers 89 - 103...

s, but from a certain perspective, all chemical compounds can be described as coordination complexes.

The stereochemistry of coordination complexes can be quite rich, as hinted at by Werner's separation of two enantiomers of [Co((OH)2Co(NH3)4)3]6+
Hexol
Hexol is a cobalt compound that was first prepared by Alfred Werner in 1914 and represented the first non-carbon-containing chiral compound. The salt with the molecular formula of...

, an early demonstration that chirality is not inherent to organic compounds. A topical theme within this specialization is supramolecular coordination chemistry.
  • Examples: [Co(EDTA
    EDTA
    EDTA is a widely used initialism for the chemical compound ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid . EDTA is a polyamino carboxylic acid with the formula [CH2N2]2. This colourless, water-soluble solid is widely used to dissolve scale...

    )], [Co(NH3)6]3+
    Cobalt(III) hexammine chloride
    Hexamminecobalt chloride is the chemical compound with the formula [Co6]Cl3. This coordination compound is considered an archetypal "Werner complex", named after the pioneer of coordination chemistry, Alfred Werner. This salt consists of [Co6]3+...

    , TiCl4
    Titanium tetrachloride
    Titanium tetrachloride is the inorganic compound with the formula TiCl4. It is an important intermediate in the production of titanium metal and the pigment titanium dioxide. TiCl4 is an unusual example of a metal halide that is highly volatile...

    (THF
    ThF
    Follicular B helper T cells , are antigen-experienced CD4+ T cells found in the B cell follicles of secondary lymphoid organs such as lymph nodes, spleens and Peyer's patches, and are identified by their constitutive expression of the B cell follicle homming receptor CXCR5...

    )2.

Main group compounds



These species feature elements from groups
Periodic table group
In chemistry, a group is a vertical column in the periodic table of the chemical elements. The name family is derived from the fact that the elements share similar characteristics and traits, just as members of any human family would...

 1, 2 and 13-18 (excluding hydrogen) of the periodic table. Due to their often similar reactivity, the elements in group 3 (Sc
Scandium
Scandium is a chemical element with symbol Sc and atomic number 21. A silvery-white metallic transition metal, it has historically been sometimes classified as a rare earth element, together with yttrium and the lanthanides...

, Y
Yttrium
Yttrium is a chemical element with symbol Y and atomic number 39. It is a silvery-metallic transition metal chemically similar to the lanthanoids and has historically been classified as a rare earth element. Yttrium is almost always found combined with the lanthanoids in rare earth minerals and is...

, and La
Lanthanum
Lanthanum is a chemical element with the symbol La and atomic number 57.Lanthanum is a silvery white metallic element that belongs to group 3 of the periodic table and is a lanthanoid. It is found in some rare-earth minerals, usually in combination with cerium and other rare earth elements...

) and group 12 (Zn
Zinc
Zinc , also known as spelter, is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...

, Cd
Cadmium
Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. The soft, bluish-white transition metal is chemically similar to the two other metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Similar to zinc it prefers oxidation state +2 in most of its compounds and similar to mercury it shows a low...

, and Hg
Mercury (element)
Mercury , also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum , is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80...

) are also generally included.

Main group compounds have been known since the beginnings of chemistry, e.g. elemental sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element that has the atomic number 16. It is denoted with the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Sulfur, in its native form, is a yellow crystalline solid. In nature, it can be found as the pure element and as sulfide and sulfate minerals...

 and the distillable white phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus is commonly found in inorganic phosphate rocks. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms - white phosphorus and red phosphorus...

. Experiments on oxygen, O2
Oxygen
Oxygen Oxygen Oxygen (acid, literally "sharp", from the taste of acids) and -γενής (-genēs) (producer, literally begetter) is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O...

, by Lavoisier
Antoine Lavoisier
Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier ; ), the father of modern chemistry, was a French noble prominent in the histories of chemistry and biology...

 and Priestley
Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley was an 18th-century English theologian, Dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, educator, and political theorist who published over 150 works...

 not only identified an important diatomic
Diatomic
Diatomic molecules are molecules composed only of two atoms, of either the same or different chemical elements. The prefix di- means two in Greek. Common diatomic molecules are hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon monoxide...

 gas, but opened the way for describing compounds and reactions according to stoichiometric
Stoichiometry
Stoichiometry is the calculation of quantitative relationships of the reactants and products in a balanced chemical reaction...

 ratios. The discovery of a practical synthesis of ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to foodstuffs and fertilizers...

 using iron catalysts by Carl Bosch
Carl Bosch
Carl Bosch was a German chemist and engineer and Nobel laureate in chemistry. He was a pioneer in the field of high-pressure industrial chemistry and founder of IG Farben, at one point the world's largest chemical company....

 and Fritz Haber
Fritz Haber
Fritz Haber was a German chemist, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for his development for synthesizing ammonia, important for fertilizers and explosives. Haber, along with Max Born, proposed the Born–Haber cycle as a method for evaluating the lattice energy of an ionic solid...

 in the early 1900’s deeply impacted mankind, demonstrating the significance of inorganic chemical synthesis.
Typical main group compounds are SiO2, SnCl4, and N2O. Many main group compounds can also be classed as “organometallic”, as they contain organic groups, e.g. B(CH3
Methyl group
In chemistry, a methyl group is a hydrophobic alkyl functional group named after methane . It has the formula -3 and is often abbreviated -Me...

)3). Main group compounds also occur in nature, e.g. phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...

 in DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses. The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information...

, and therefore may be classed as bioinorganic. Conversely, organic compounds lacking (many) hydrogen ligands can be classed as “inorganic”, such as the fullerenes, buckytube
Carbon nanotube
Carbon nanotubes are allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure. Nanotubes have been constructed with length-to-diameter ratio of up to 28,000,000:1, which is significantly larger than any other material...

s and binary carbon oxides.
  • Examples: tetrasulfur tetranitride
    Tetrasulfur tetranitride
    Tetrasulfur tetranitride is an inorganic compound with the formula S4N4. This gold-poppy coloured solid is the most important binary sulfur nitride, which are compounds that contain only the elements sulfur and nitrogen...

     S4N4, diborane
    Diborane
    Diborane is the chemical compound consisting of boron and hydrogen with the formula B2H6. It is a colorless gas at room temperature with a repulsively sweet odor. Diborane mixes well with air, easily forming explosive mixtures. Diborane will ignite spontaneously in moist air...

     B2H6, silicone
    Silicone
    Silicones are largely inert, man-made compounds with a wide variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant, nonstick, and rubber-like, they are commonly used in cookware, medical applications, sealants, adhesives, lubricants, insulation, and breast implants.Silicones are polymers that include...

    s, buckminsterfullerene
    Fullerene
    A fullerene is any molecule composed entirely of carbon, in the form of a hollow sphere, ellipsoid, or tube. Spherical fullerenes are also called buckyballs, and cylindrical ones are called carbon nanotubes or buckytubes...

     C60.

Transition metal compounds



Compounds containing metals from group 4 to 11 are considered transition metal compounds. Compounds with a metal from group 3 or 12 are sometimes also incorporated into this group, but also often classified as main group compounds.

Transition metal compounds show a rich coordination chemistry, varying from tetrahedral for titanium (e.g. TiCl4) to square planar for some nickel complexes to octahedral for coordination complexes of cobalt. A range of transition metals can be found in biologically important compounds, such as iron in hemoglobin.
  • Examples: iron pentacarbonyl
    Iron pentacarbonyl
    Iron pentacarbonyl, also known as iron carbonyl, is the compound with formula 5. Under standard conditions Fe5 is a free-flowing, straw-colored liquid with a pungent odour. This compound is a common precursor to diverse iron compounds, including many that are useful in...

    , titanium tetrachloride
    Titanium tetrachloride
    Titanium tetrachloride is the inorganic compound with the formula TiCl4. It is an important intermediate in the production of titanium metal and the pigment titanium dioxide. TiCl4 is an unusual example of a metal halide that is highly volatile...

    , cisplatin
    Cisplatin
    Cisplatin, cisplatinum, or cis-diamminedichloroplatinum is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug used to treat various types of cancers, including sarcomas, some carcinomas , lymphomas, and germ cell tumors. It was the first member of a class of anti-cancer drugs which now also includes carboplatin...


Organometallic compounds




Usually, organometallic compounds are considered to contain the M-C-H group. The metal (M) in these species can either be a main group element or a transition metal. Operationally, the definition of an organometallic compound is more relaxed to include also highly lipophilic
Lipophilic
Lipophilicity, , refers to the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents such as hexane or toluene. These non-polar solvents are themselves lipophilic — the axiom that like dissolves like generally holds true...

 complexes such as metal carbonyl
Metal carbonyl
Metal carbonyls are coordination complexes of transition metals with carbon monoxide. These complexes may be homoleptic, i.e. contain only CO ligands, such as nickel carbonyl , but more commonly metal carbonyls contain a mix of ligands, such as Re3Cl...

s and even metal alkoxide
Alkoxide
An alkoxide is the conjugate base of an alcohol and therefore consists of an organic group bonded to a negatively charged oxygen atom. They can be written as RO, where R is the organic substituent. Alkoxides are strong bases and, when R is not bulky, good nucleophiles and good...

s.

Organometallic compounds are mainly considered a special category because organic ligands are often sensitive to hydrolysis or oxidation, necessitating that organometallic chemistry employs more specialized preparative methods than was traditional in Werner-type complexes. Synthetic methodology, especially the ability to manipulate complexes in solvents of low coordinating power, enabled the exploration of very weakly coordinating ligands such as hydrocarbons, H2, and N2. Because the ligands are petrochemicals in some sense, the area of organometallic chemistry has greatly benefited from its relevance to industry.
  • Examples: Cyclopentadienyliron dicarbonyl dimer
    Cyclopentadienyliron dicarbonyl dimer
    Cyclopentadienyliron dicarbonyl dimer is an organometallic compound with the formula 2Fe24, also abbreviated Cp2Fe24...

     (C5H5)Fe(CO)2CH3, Ferrocene
    Ferrocene
    Ferrocene is an organometallic compound with the formula Fe2. It is the prototypical metallocene, a type of organometallic chemical compound consisting of two cyclopentadienyl rings bound on opposite sides of a central metal atom. Such organometallic compounds are also known as...

     Fe(C5H5)2, Molybdenum hexacarbonyl
    Molybdenum hexacarbonyl
    Molybdenum hexacarbonyl is the chemical compound with the formula Mo6. This colorless solid, like its chromium and tungsten analogues, is noteworthy as a volatile, air-stable derivative of a metal in its zero oxidation state.-Structure and properties:Mo6 adopts an octahedral...

     Mo(CO)6, Diborane
    Diborane
    Diborane is the chemical compound consisting of boron and hydrogen with the formula B2H6. It is a colorless gas at room temperature with a repulsively sweet odor. Diborane mixes well with air, easily forming explosive mixtures. Diborane will ignite spontaneously in moist air...

     B2H6, Tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0)
    Tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0)
    Tetrakispalladium is the chemical compound Pd[P3]4, often abbreviated Pd4, or even PdP4...

     Pd[P(C6H5)3]4

Cluster compounds





Clusters can be found in all classes of chemical compounds. According to the commonly accepted definition, a cluster consists minimally of a triangular set of atoms that are directly bonded to each other. But metal-metal bonded dimetallic complexes are highly relevant to the area. Clusters occur in "pure" inorganic systems, organometallic chemistry, main group chemistry, and bioinorganic chemistry. The distinction between very large clusters and bulk solids is increasingly blurred. This interface is the chemical basis of nanoscience or nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology, shortened to "nanotech", is the study of the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometers or smaller, and involves developing materials or devices within that size.Nanotechnology is very diverse,...

 and specifically arise from the study of quantum size effects in cadmium selenide
Cadmium selenide
Cadmium selenide is a solid, binary compound of cadmium and selenium. Common names for this compound are cadmium selenide, cadmium selenide, and cadmoselite ....

 clusters. Thus, large clusters can be described as an array of bound atoms intermediate in character between a molecule and a solid.
  • Examples: Fe3(CO)12
    Triiron dodecacarbonyl
    Triiron dodecarbonyl is the chemical compound with the formula Fe312. It was one of the first metal carbonyl clusters synthesized. It is a more reactive source of iron than is iron pentacarbonyl.-General properties:...

    , B10H14
    Decaborane
    Decaborane, also called decaborane, is the borane with the chemical formula B10H14. This white crystalline compound is one of the principal boron hydride clusters, both as a reference structure and as a precursor to other boron hydrides.-Handling properties and...

    , [Mo6Cl14]2−
    Molybdenum(II) chloride
    Molybdenum dichloride describes chemical compounds with the empirical formula MoCl2. At least two forms are known, and both have attracted much attention from academic researchers because of the unexpected structures seen for these compounds and the fact that they give rise to hundreds...

    , 4Fe-4S
    Iron-sulfur protein
    Iron-sulfur proteins are proteins characterized by the presence of iron-sulfur clusters containing sulfide-linked di-, tri-, and tetrairon centers in variable oxidation states...


Bioinorganic compounds



By definition, these compounds occur in nature, but the subfield includes anthropogenic species, such as pollutants (e.g. methylmercury
Methylmercury
Methylmercury is an organometallic cation with the formula [CH3Hg]+. It is a bioaccumulative environmental toxicant.-Structure:...

) and drugs (e.g. Cisplatin
Cisplatin
Cisplatin, cisplatinum, or cis-diamminedichloroplatinum is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug used to treat various types of cancers, including sarcomas, some carcinomas , lymphomas, and germ cell tumors. It was the first member of a class of anti-cancer drugs which now also includes carboplatin...

). The field, which incorporates many aspects of biochemistry, includes many kinds of compounds, e.g. the phosphates in DNA, and also metal complexes containing ligands that range from biological macromolecules, commonly peptide
Peptide
Peptides are short polymers formed from the linking, in a defined order, of α-amino acids. The link between one amino acid residue and the next is called an amide bond or a peptide bond....

s, to ill-defined species such as humic acid
Humic acid
Humic acid is one of the major components of humic substances which are dark brown and major constituents of soil organic matter humus that contributes to soil chemical and physical quality and are also precursors of some fossil fuels...

, and to water
Water
Water is an ubiquitous chemical substance that is composed of hydrogen and oxygen and is essential for all known forms of life.In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or state, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam. Water covers 71%...

 (e.g. coordinated to gadolinium
Gadolinium
Gadolinium is a chemical element that has the symbol Gd and atomic number 64. It is a silvery-white, malleable and ductile rare-earth metal. Gadolinium has exceptionally high absorption of neutrons and therefore is used for shielding in neutron radiography and in nuclear reactors...

 complexes employed for MRI). Traditionally bioinorganic chemistry focuses on electron- and energy-transfer in proteins relevant to respiration. Medicinal inorganic chemistry includes the study of both non-essential and essential element
Dietary mineral
Dietary minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen present in common organic molecules...

s with applications to diagnosis and therapies.
  • Examples: hemoglobin
    Hemoglobin
    Hemoglobin is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells of vertebrates, and the tissues of some invertebrates....

    , methylmercury
    Methylmercury
    Methylmercury is an organometallic cation with the formula [CH3Hg]+. It is a bioaccumulative environmental toxicant.-Structure:...

    , carboxypeptidase
    Carboxypeptidase
    Carboxypeptidase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes the carboxy-terminal end of a peptide bond. Humans, animals, and plants contain several types of carboxypeptidases with diverse functions ranging from catabolism to protein maturation.-Functions:The first carboxypeptidases studied were those involved...


Solid state compounds


This important area focuses on structure
Chemical structure
A chemical structure includes molecular geometry, electronic structure and crystal structure of a chemical compound. Molecular geometry refers to the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule and the chemical bonds that hold the atoms together...

, bonding, and the physical properties of materials. In practice, solid state inorganic chemistry uses techniques such as crystallography
Crystallography
Crystallography is the experimental science of determining the arrangement of atoms in solids. In older usage, it is the scientific study of crystals...

 to gain an understanding of the properties that result from collective interactions between the subunits of the solid. Included in solid state chemistry are metals and their alloys or intermetallic derivatives. Related fields are condensed matter physics
Condensed matter physics
Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter. In particular, it is concerned with the "condensed" phases that appear whenever the number of constituents in a system is extremely large and the interactions between the...

, mineralogy
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is an Earth Science focused around the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their...

, and materials science
Materials science
Materials science or materials engineering is an interdisciplinary field involving the properties of matter and its applications to various areas of science and engineering. This science investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their...

.
  • Examples: silicon chips
    Semiconductor
    A semiconductor is a material that has an electrical resistivity between that of a conductor and an insulator, that is, generally in the range 103 Siemens/cm to 10−8 S/cm. Devices made from semiconductor materials are the foundation of modern electronics, including radio,...

    , zeolites, YBa2Cu3O7
    Yttrium barium copper oxide
    Yttrium barium copper oxide, often abbreviated YBCO, is a crystalline chemical compound with the formula YBa2Cu3O7...


Theoretical inorganic chemistry


An alternative perspective on the area of inorganic chemistry begins with the Bohr model
Bohr model
In atomic physics, the Bohr model, devised by Niels Bohr, depicts the atom as a small, positively charged nucleus surrounded by electrons that travel in circular orbits around the nucleus—similar in structure to the solar system, but with electrostatic forces providing...

 of the atom and, using the tools and models of theoretical chemistry
Theoretical chemistry
Theoretical chemistry involves the use of physics to explain or predict chemical phenomena. In recent years, it has consisted primarily of quantum chemistry, i.e., the application of quantum mechanics to problems in chemistry. Theoretical chemistry may be broadly divided into electronic structure,...

 and computational chemistry
Computational chemistry
Computational chemistry is a branch of chemistry that uses computers to assist in solving chemical problems. It uses the results of theoretical chemistry, incorporated into efficient computer programs, to calculate the structures and properties of molecules and solids...

, expands into bonding in simple and then more complex molecules. Precise quantum mechanical descriptions for multielectron species, the province of inorganic chemistry, is difficult. This challenge has spawned many semi-quantitative or semi-empirical approaches including molecular orbital theory
Molecular orbital theory
In chemistry, molecular orbital theory is a method for determining molecular structure in which electrons are not assigned to individual bonds between atoms, but are treated as moving under the influence of the nuclei in the whole molecule...

 and ligand field theory
Ligand field theory
Ligand field theory describes the bonding, orbital arrangement, and other characteristics of coordination complexes. It represents an application of molecular orbital theory to transition metal complexes. A transition metal ion has nine valence atomic orbitals, five nd, one s, and three p orbitals...

, In parallel with these theoretical descriptions, approximate methodologies are employed, including density functional theory
Density functional theory
Density functional theory is a quantum mechanical theory used in physics and chemistry to investigate the electronic structure of many-body systems, in particular atoms, molecules, and the condensed phases. With this theory, the properties of a many-electron system can be determined by using...

.

Exceptions to theories, qualitative and quantitative, are extremely important in the development of the field. For example, CuII2(OAc)4(H2O)2
Copper(II) acetate
Copper acetate, also referred to as cupric acetate, is the chemical compound with the formula Cu2 where AcO- is acetate . The hydrated derivative, which contains one molecule of water for each Cu atom, is available commercially...

 is almost diamagnetic below room temperature whereas Crystal Field Theory predicts that the molecule would have two unpaired electrons. The disagreement between qualitative theory (paramagnetic) and observation (diamagnetic) led to the development of models for "magnetic coupling." These improved models led to the development of new magnetic materials and new technologies.

Qualitative theories



Inorganic chemistry has greatly benefited from qualitative theories. Such theories are easier to learn as they require little background in quantum theory. Within main group compounds, VSEPR theory powerfully predicts, or at least rationalizes, the structures
Chemical structure
A chemical structure includes molecular geometry, electronic structure and crystal structure of a chemical compound. Molecular geometry refers to the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule and the chemical bonds that hold the atoms together...

 of main group compounds, such as an explanation for why NH3 is pyramidal whereas ClF3 is T-shaped. For the transition metals, crystal field theory
Crystal field theory
Crystal field theory is a model that describes the electronic structure of transition metal compounds, all of which can be considered coordination complexes. CFT successfully accounts for some magnetic properties, colours, hydration enthalpies, and spinel structures of transition metal complexes,...

 allows one to understand the magnetism of many simple complexes, such as why [FeIII(CN)6]3−
Ferricyanide
Ferricyanide is the name for the anion [Fe6]3−. Its systematic name is hexacyanoferrate ion. The most common salt of this anion is potassium ferricyanide, a red crystalline material that is used as an oxidant in organic chemistry.[Fe6]3− consists of an...

 has only one unpaired electron, whereas [FeIII(H2O)6]3+ has five. A particularly powerful qualitative approach to assessing the structure and reactivity begins with classifying molecules according to electron counting
Electron counting
Electron counting is a formalism used for classifying compounds and for explaining or predicting electronic structure and bonding. Many rules in chemistry rely on electron-counting:...

, focusing on the numbers of valence electron
Valence electron
In science, valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom, which are important in determining how the atom reacts chemically with other atoms. Atoms with a complete shell of valence electrons tend to be chemically inert...

s, usually at the central atom in a molecule.

Molecular symmetry group theory



A central construct in inorganic chemistry is the theory of molecular symmetry
Molecular symmetry
Molecular symmetry in chemistry describes the symmetry present in molecules and the classification of molecules according to their symmetry. Molecular symmetry is a fundamental concept in chemistry, as it can predict or explain many of a molecule's chemical properties, such as its dipole moment...

. Mathematical group theory
Group theory
In mathematics and abstract algebra, group theory studies the algebraic structures known as groups.The concept of a group is central to abstract algebra: other well-known algebraic structures, such as rings, fields, and vector spaces can all be seen as groups endowed with additional operations and...

 provides the language to describe the shapes of molecules according to their point group symmetry
Point groups in three dimensions
In geometry, a point group in three dimensions is an isometry group in three dimensions that leaves the origin fixed, or correspondingly, an isometry group of a sphere. It is a subgroup of the orthogonal group O, the group of all isometries that leave the origin fixed, or correspondingly, the group...

. Group theory also enables factoring and simplification of theoretical calculations.

Spectroscopic features are analyzed and described with respect to the symmetry properties of the, inter alia, vibrational or electronic states. Knowledge of the symmetry properties of the ground and excited states allows one to predict the numbers and intensities of absorptions in vibrational and electronic spectra. A classic application of group theory is the prediction of the number of C-O vibrations in substituted metal carbonyl complexes. The most common applications of symmetry to spectroscopy involve vibrational and electronic spectra.

As an instructional tool, group theory highlights commonalities and differences in the bonding of otherwise disparate species, such as WF6
Tungsten(VI) fluoride
Tungsten fluoride, also known as tungsten hexafluoride, is the inorganic compound of tungsten and fluorine with the formula WF6. This corrosive, colourless compound is the densest known gas at a pressure of 1 atm and room temperature . The molecule is octahedral with the symmetry point...

 and Mo(CO)6
Molybdenum hexacarbonyl
Molybdenum hexacarbonyl is the chemical compound with the formula Mo6. This colorless solid, like its chromium and tungsten analogues, is noteworthy as a volatile, air-stable derivative of a metal in its zero oxidation state.-Structure and properties:Mo6 adopts an octahedral...

 or CO2
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state...

 and NO2
Nitrogen dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It exists as a radical in nature. One of several nitrogen oxides, is an intermediate in the industrial synthesis of nitric acid, millions of tons of which are produced each year. This reddish-brown toxic gas has a characteristic sharp,...

.

Reaction pathways


The theory of chemical reactions is more challenging than the theory for a static molecule. Marcus theory
Marcus Theory
Marcus Theory is a theory originally developed by Rudolph A. Marcus, starting in 1956, to explain the rates of electron transfer reactions – the rate at which an electron can move or hop from one chemical species to another...

 provides a powerful linkage between bonding, mechanism, and reactivity. The relative strengths of metal-ligand bonds, which can be calculated theoretically, anticipates the kinetically accessible pathways.

Thermodynamics and inorganic chemistry


An alternative quantitative approach to inorganic chemistry focuses on energies of reactions. This approach is highly traditional and empirical
Empirical
The word empirical denotes information gained by means of observation, experience, or experiment. A central concept in science and the scientific method is that all evidence must be empirical, or empirically based, that is, dependent on evidence or consequences that are observable by the senses...

, but it is also useful. Broad concepts that are couched in thermodynamic terms include redox potential, acidity, phase
Phase (matter)
In the physical sciences, a phase is a region of space , throughout which all physical properties of a material are essentially uniform. Examples of physical properties include density, index of refraction, and chemical composition...

 changes. A classic concept in inorganic thermodynamics is the Born-Haber cycle
Born-Haber cycle
The Born-Haber cycle is an approach to analyzing reaction energies. It was named after and developed by the two German scientists Max Born and Fritz Haber....

, which is used for assessing the energies of elementary processes such as electron affinity
Electron affinity
The electron affinity, Eea, of an atom or molecule is the amount of energy required to detach an electron from a singly charged negative ion, i.e., the energy change for the processAn equivalent definition is the energy released when an electron is attached to a neutral atom or...

, some of which cannot be observed directly.

Mechanistic inorganic chemistry


An important and increasingly popular aspect of inorganic chemistry focuses on reaction pathways. The mechanisms of reactions are discussed differently for different classes of compounds.

Main group elements and lanthanides


The mechanisms of main group compounds of groups 13-18 are usually discussed in the context of organic chemistry (organic compounds are main group compounds, after all). Elements heavier than C, N, O, and F often form compounds with more electrons than predicted by the octet rule
Octet rule
The octet rule is a simple chemical rule of thumb that states that atoms tend to combine in such a way that they each have eight electrons in their valence shells, giving them the same electronic configuration as a noble gas. The rule is applicable to the main-group elements, especially carbon,...

, as explained in the article on hypervalent molecules. The mechanisms of their reactions differ from organic compounds for this reason. Elements lighter than carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...

 (B
Boron
Boron is the chemical element with atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. Boron is a trivalent metalloid element which occurs abundantly in the evaporite ores borax and ulexite....

, Be
Beryllium
Beryllium is the chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4.A bivalent element, beryllium is found naturally only combined with other elements in minerals. Notable gemstones which contain beryllium include Beryl and Chrysoberyl...

, Li
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number three. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...

) as well as Al
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white and ductile member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al; its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....

 and Mg
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12 and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the earth's crust by mass, although ninth in the Universe as a whole...

 often form electron-deficient structures that are electronically akin to carbocation
Carbocation
A carbocation is an ion with a positively-charged carbon atom. The charged carbon atom in a carbocation is a "sextet", i.e. it has only six electrons in its outer valence shell instead of the eight valence electrons that ensures maximum stability . Therefore carbocations are often reactive,...

s. Such electron-deficient species tend to react via associative pathways. The chemistry of the lanthanides mirrors many aspects of chemistry seen for aluminium.

Transition metal complexes


Mechanisms for the reactions of transition metals are discussed differently from main group compounds. The important role of d-orbitals in bonding strongly influences the pathways and rates of ligand substitution and dissociation. These themes are covered in articles on coordination chemistry and ligand
Ligand
In chemistry, a ligand is either an atom, ion, or molecule that binds to a central metal-atom to produce a coordination complex. The bonding between the metal and ligand generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's electron pairs. The metal-ligand bonding ranges from covalent...

. Both associative and dissociative pathways are observed.

An overarching aspect of mechanistic transition metal chemistry is the kinetic lability of the complex illustrated by the exchange of free and bound water in the prototypical complexes [M(H2O)6]n+:
[M(H2O)6]n+ + 6 H2O* → [M(H2O*)6]n+ + 6 H2O
where H2O* denotes isotopically
Isotope
Isotopes are different types of atoms of the same chemical element, each having a different number of neutrons. Correspondingly, isotopes differ in mass number but not in atomic number. The difference in the number of nucleons comes from a difference how many neutrons are in the atomic nucleus...

 enriched water, e.g. H217O

The rates of water exchange varies by 20 orders of magnitude across the periodic table, with lanthanide complexes at one extreme and Ir(III) species being the slowest.

Redox reactions


Redox reactions are prevalent for the transition elements. Two classes of redox reaction are considered: atom-transfer reactions, such as oxidative addition/reductive elimination, and electron-transfer
Electron transfer
Electron transfer is the process by which an electron moves from one atom or molecule to another atom or molecule. ET is a mechanistic description of the thermodynamic concept of redox, wherein the oxidation states of both reaction partners change....

. A fundamental redox reaction is "self-exchange", which involves the degenerate
Degenerate energy level
In physics two or more different physical states are said to be degenerate if they are all at the same energy level. Physical states differ if and only if they are linearly independent. An energy level is said to be degenerate if it contains two or more different states...

 reaction between an oxidant and a reductant. For example, permanganate
Permanganate
A permanganate is the general name for a chemical compound containing the manganate ion, . Because manganese is in the +7 oxidation state, the manganate ion is a strong oxidizing agent...

 and its one-electron reduced relative manganate
Potassium manganate
Potassium manganate is the chemical compound with the formula K2MnO4. This green salt is an intermediate in the industrial synthesis of potassium permanganate, KMnO4, a common chemical...

 exchange one electron:
[MnO4] + [Mn*O4]2− → [MnO4]2− + [Mn*O4]

Reactions at ligands


Coordinated ligands display reactivity distinct from the free ligands. For example, the acidity of the ammonia ligands in [Co(NH3)6]3+
Cobalt(III) hexammine chloride
Hexamminecobalt chloride is the chemical compound with the formula [Co6]Cl3. This coordination compound is considered an archetypal "Werner complex", named after the pioneer of coordination chemistry, Alfred Werner. This salt consists of [Co6]3+...

 is elevated relative to NH3 itself. Alkenes bound to metal cations are reactive toward nucleophiles whereas alkenes normally are not. The large and industrially important area of catalysis
Catalysis
Catalysis is the process in which the rate of a chemical reaction is either increased or decreased by means of a chemical substance known as a catalyst. Unlike other reagents that participate in the chemical reaction, a catalyst is not consumed by the reaction itself. The catalyst may participate...

 hinges on the ability of metals to modify the reactivity of organic ligands. Homogeneous catalysis
Homogeneous catalysis
Homogeneous catalysis is a chemistry term which describes catalysis where the catalyst is in the same state , as the reactants. It is the opposite to heterogeneous catalysis.Notice that two liquids can be different phases...

 occurs in solution and heterogeneous catalysis
Heterogeneous catalysis
Heterogeneous catalysis is a chemistry term which describes catalysis where the catalyst is in a different phase to the reactants. Heterogeneous catalysts provide a surface on which the reaction may take place.In order for the reaction to occur, one or more of the reactants must diffuse to the...

 occurs when gas
Gas
This page is about the physical properties of gas as a state of matter. For the uses of gases, and other meanings, see Gas .A gas is one of four states of matter. Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid...

eous or dissolved
Solution
In chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. In such a mixture, a solute is dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent. Gases may dissolve in liquids, for example, carbon dioxide or oxygen in water. Liquids may dissolve in other liquids. Gases can...

 substrates interact with surfaces of solids. Traditionally homogeneous catalysis
Homogeneous catalysis
Homogeneous catalysis is a chemistry term which describes catalysis where the catalyst is in the same state , as the reactants. It is the opposite to heterogeneous catalysis.Notice that two liquids can be different phases...

 is considered part of organometallic chemistry and heterogeneous catalysis
Heterogeneous catalysis
Heterogeneous catalysis is a chemistry term which describes catalysis where the catalyst is in a different phase to the reactants. Heterogeneous catalysts provide a surface on which the reaction may take place.In order for the reaction to occur, one or more of the reactants must diffuse to the...

 is discussed in the context of surface science, a subfield of solid state chemistry. But the basic inorganic chemical principles are the same. Transition metals, almost uniquely, react with small molecules such as CO, H2, O2, and C2H4. The industrial significance of these feedstocks drives the active area of catalysis.

Characterization of inorganic compounds


Because of the diverse range of elements and the correspondingly diverse properties of the resulting derivatives, inorganic chemistry is closely associated with many methods of analysis. Older methods tended to examine bulk properties such as the electrical conductivity of solutions, melting point
Melting point
The melting point of a solid is the temperature range at which it changes state from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase exist in equilibrium. When considered as the temperature of the reverse change from liquid to solid, it is referred to as the freezing point...

s, solubility
Solubility
Solubility is the property of a solid, liquid, or gaseous chemical substance called solute to dissolve in a liquid solvent to form a homogeneous solution. The solubility of a substance strongly depends on the used solvent as well as on temperature and pressure...

, and acidity. With the advent of quantum theory
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics is a set of principles describing the physical reality at the atomic level of matter and the subatomic . These descriptions include the simultaneous wave-like and particle-like behavior of both matter and radiation...

 and the corresponding expansion of electronic apparatus, new tools have been introduced to probe the electronic properties of inorganic molecules and solids. Often these measurements provide insights relevant to theoretical models. For example, measurements on the photoelectron spectrum of methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, and the principal component of natural gas. Methane's bond angles are 109.5 degrees. Burning methane in the presence of oxygen produces carbon dioxide and water. The relative abundance of methane and its clean...

 demonstrated that describing the bonding by the two-center, two-electron bonds predicted between the carbon and hydrogen using Valence Bond Theory
Valence bond theory
In chemistry, valence bond theory is one of two basic theories, along with molecular orbital theory, that developed to use the methods of quantum mechanics to explain chemical bonding. It focuses on how the atomic orbitals of the dissociated atoms combine on molecular formation to give individual...

 is not appropriate for describing ionisation processes in a simple way. Such insights led to the popularization of molecular orbital theory
Molecular orbital theory
In chemistry, molecular orbital theory is a method for determining molecular structure in which electrons are not assigned to individual bonds between atoms, but are treated as moving under the influence of the nuclei in the whole molecule...

 as fully delocalised orbitals are a more appropriate simple description of electron removal and electron excitation.

Commonly encountered techniques are:
  • X-ray crystallography
    X-ray crystallography
    X-ray crystallography is a method of determining the arrangement of atoms within a crystal, in which a beam of X-rays strikes a crystal and diffracts into many specific directions. From the angles and intensities of these diffracted beams, a crystallographer can produce a three-dimensional picture...

    : This technique allows for the 3D determination of molecular structures.
  • Various forms of spectroscopy
    Spectroscopy
    Spectroscopy was originally the study of the interaction between radiation and matter as a function of wavelength . In fact, historically, spectroscopy referred to the use of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g. by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise...

    • Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy
      Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy
      Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy or ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry involves the spectroscopy of photons in the UV-visible region. This means it uses light in the visible and adjacent ranges. The absorption in the visible ranges directly affects the color of the chemicals involved...

      : Historically, this has been an important tool, since many inorganic compounds are strongly colored
    • NMR spectroscopy
      NMR spectroscopy
      Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, most commonly known as NMR spectroscopy, is the name given to a technique which exploits the magnetic properties of certain nuclei. This phenomenon and its origins are detailed in a separate section on nuclear magnetic resonance. The most important...

      : Besides 1H
      Hydrogen
      Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, nonmetallic, tasteless, highly flammable diatomic gas with the molecular formula H2...

       and 13C
      Carbon
      Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...

       many other "good" NMR nuclei (e.g. 11B
      Boron
      Boron is the chemical element with atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. Boron is a trivalent metalloid element which occurs abundantly in the evaporite ores borax and ulexite....

      , 19F
      Fluorine
      Fluorine is the chemical element with atomic number 9, represented by the symbol F. Fluorine forms a single bond with itself in elemental form, resulting in the diatomic F2 molecule. F2 is a supremely reactive, poisonous, pale, yellowish brown gas. Elemental fluorine is the...

      , 31P
      Phosphorus
      Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus is commonly found in inorganic phosphate rocks. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms - white phosphorus and red phosphorus...

      , and 195Pt
      Platinum
      Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is in Group 10 of the periodic table of elements...

      ) give important information on compound properties and structure. Also the NMR of paramagnetic species can result in important structural information. Proton NMR is also important because the light hydrogen nucleus is not easily detected by X-ray crystallography.
    • Infrared spectroscopy
      Infrared spectroscopy
      Infrared spectroscopy is the subset of spectroscopy that deals with the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. It covers a range of techniques, the most common being a form of absorption spectroscopy. As with all spectroscopic techniques, it can be used to identify compounds or...

      : Mostly for absorptions from carbonyl ligands
    • Electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy
    • Mössbauer spectroscopy
    • Electron-spin resonance: ESR (or EPR) allows for the measurement of the environment of paramagnetic metal centres.
  • Electrochemistry: Cyclic voltammetry
    Cyclic voltammetry
    Cyclic voltammetry or CV is a type of potentiodynamic electrochemical measurement. In a cyclic voltammetry experiment the working electrode potential is ramped linearly versus time like linear sweep voltammetry. Cyclic voltammetry takes the experiment a step farther than linear sweep voltammetry...

     and related techniques probe the redox characteristics of compounds.

Synthetic inorganic chemistry


Although some inorganic species can be obtained in pure form from nature, most are synthesized in chemical plants and in the laboratory.

Inorganic synthetic methods can be classified roughly according the volatility or solubility of the component reactants. Soluble inorganic compounds are prepared using methods of organic synthesis
Organic synthesis
Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the construction of organic compounds via organic reactions. Organic molecules can often contain a higher level of complexity compared to purely inorganic compounds, so the synthesis of organic compounds has...

. For metal-containing compounds that are reactive toward air, Schlenk line
Schlenk line
225px|thumb|Vacuum gas manifold set up: 1 inert gas in, 2 inert gas out , 3 vacuum 4 reaction line, 5 Teflon tap to gas, 6 Teflon tap to vacuum 225px|thumb| Vacuum gas manifold set up: 1 inert gas in, 2 inert gas out , 3 vacuum , 4 reaction line, 5 double oblique stopcock...

 and glove box techniques are followed. Volatile compounds and gases are manipulated in “vacuum manifolds” consisting of glass piping interconnected through valves, the entirety of which can be evacuated to 0.001 mm Hg or less. Compounds are condensed using liquid nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen is nitrogen in a liquid state at a very low temperature. It is produced industrially by fractional distillation of liquid air. Liquid nitrogen is a colourless clear liquid with density at its boiling point of 0.807 g/mL and a dielectric constant of 1.4...

 (b.p. 78K) or other cryogens. Solids are typically prepared using tube furnaces, the reactants and products being sealed in containers, often made of fused silica (amorphous SiO2) but sometimes more specialized materials such as welded Ta tubes or Pt “boats”. Products and reactants are transported between temperature zones to drive reactions.

See also

  • Important publications in inorganic chemistry

External links