Inorganic chemistry deals with synthesis and behavior of inorganic and organometallic compounds. This field covers chemical compounds that are not carbon-based, which are the subjects of organic chemistry. The distinction between the two disciplines is far from absolute, as there is much overlap in the subdiscipline of organometallic chemistry.
An inorganic material is any substance that lacks a carbon-and-hydrogen backbone, the defining structural feature of organic (living or life-derived) chemistry. That simple distinction covers an enormous range of matter: the metals in your walls, the minerals beneath your feet, the salt on your table, and the silicon chip in your phone. More than 90% of the Earth’s crust is composed of ...
Inorganic Chemistry in the Natural World Though often associated with laboratory work and industrial processes, inorganic chemistry is deeply embedded in the natural world. Earth’s crust is composed primarily of inorganic minerals, including silicates, carbonates, and oxides.
The names "organic" and "inorganic" come from science history, and still today a generally-accepted definition of Inorganic Chemistry is the study of non-carbon molecules, or all the elements on the periodic table except carbon (Figure 1 1 1.
Inorganic compounds, like simple salts or minerals, are typically smaller and possess simpler structures. Both categories of compounds are fundamental to chemistry and play distinct, yet equally important, roles in natural systems and human applications.
Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with investigation of the properties of all elements, and the properties and methods of syntheses of their compounds, except for carbon and most carbon-containing compounds. (The study of some carbon-containing compounds—such as carbon dioxide, carbonates, and cyanides—is considered part of inorganic chemistry.) This field stands in ...