Overview
If organic chemistry is the study of carbon, inorganic chemistry is the study of the rest of the periodic table. It includes metals, minerals, and organometallic compounds.
Core Idea
Coordination Compounds: A central metal atom surrounded by non-metal atoms or groups called ligands. The color of gemstones and blood comes from these complexes.
Formal Definition (if applicable)
Crystal Field Theory: A model that describes the breaking of degeneracies of electron orbital states, usually d or f orbitals, due to a static electric field produced by a surrounding charge distribution (anion neighbors).
Intuition
Metals are the “social butterflies” of chemistry. They can bond with almost anything, often in complex, colorful geometries. Hemoglobin is an iron complex that grabs oxygen; chlorophyll is a magnesium complex that grabs light.
Examples
- Catalysts: Platinum in catalytic converters cleans car exhaust.
- Semiconductors: Silicon chips in computers.
- Pigments: Titanium dioxide (white paint), Prussian Blue.
Common Misconceptions
- “Inorganic means non-living.” (Many biological molecules, like hemoglobin and metalloenzymes, contain inorganic centers essential for life—Bioinorganic Chemistry.)
- “It’s just rocks.” (It includes high-tech materials, superconductors, and medicine.)
Related Concepts
- Ligand: An ion or molecule that binds to a central metal atom.
- Oxidation State: The hypothetical charge of an atom.
- Symmetry: Essential for understanding molecular orbitals and spectroscopy.
Applications
- Medicine: Cisplatin is a platinum-based anti-cancer drug.
- Materials Science: Superconductors, ceramics, and alloys.
- Energy: Solar cells and fuel cells rely on inorganic materials.
Criticism / Limitations
The boundary between organic and inorganic is blurry (Organometallic chemistry). Toxicity of heavy metals is a major concern.
Further Reading
- Miessler & Tarr, Inorganic Chemistry
- Cotton & Wilkinson, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry