Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the properties and behavior of compounds that do not contain carbon-hydrogen bonds, encompassing metals, minerals, organometallic compounds and materials such as ceramics and semiconductors. The discipline studies the structure and reactivity of coordination compounds, in which a central metal atom binds to surrounding molecules or ions called ligands, work substantially advanced by Alfred Werner's coordination theory around 1893, for which he later received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Inorganic chemistry underlies the development of catalysts, batteries, industrial materials and many pharmaceuticals that rely on metal-containing compounds.
Facts
Central QuestionHow compounds built from elements other than carbon are synthesized and behave, and where that behavior overlaps organic chemistry through organometallic compounds. 1 ScopeInorganic chemistry studies the synthesis and behavior of inorganic and organometallic compounds, covering chemical compounds that are not carbon based. 1 SignificanceInorganic chemistry has applications across the chemical industry, including catalysis, materials science, pigments, surfactants, coatings, medications, fuels and agriculture. 1 Connections
Sources
1. Inorganic chemistry (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section, definition sentence
Inorganic chemistry deals with synthesis and behavior of inorganic and organometallic compounds.
Lead section, scope sentence
The distinction between the two disciplines is far from absolute, as there is much overlap in the subdiscipline of organometallic chemistry.
Lead section, closing sentence
It has applications in every aspect of the chemical industry, including catalysis, materials science, pigments, surfactants, coatings, medications, fuels, and agriculture.
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