Advances in Inorganic Chemistry

Equally important to advances in chemistry, the field of biology also developed rapidly during the period of the Renaissance. More sophisticated biological techniques and an evolving scientific method allowed for improved observation and documentation of a drug s effects. 

Pierre Blaud (1774-1858), a French physician, first noted the medicinal use of ferrous (Fe+2) sulfate (FeS04) in 1832. Blaud used ferrous sulfate to treat anemia, a condition that was then called chlorosis or love sickness and frequently observed in younger women. The standard treatment had been ferric (Fe+3) oxide (Fe ). Blaud s protocols soon became the treatment of choice because of the higher solubility of the sulfate over the oxide. Blaud s nephew, who was a pharmacist, marketed the veritable pills of Doctor Blaud worldwide.1 

Zinc sulfate (ZnS04) was reportedly used by the Dutch physician Sylvius de le Boe (1614-1672) as an emetic (induces vomiting). Thereafter, zinc sulfate was widely used whenever it was necessary to empty a patient s stomach. The rapid onset of zinc sulfate made it more desirable than other treatments. Today, zinc sulfate is sometimes used in small quantities to treat a deficiency of zinc, a required trace element in the body.1 

The development of arsenic derivatives for medicinal purposes bridges inorganic and organic chemistry as well as older and modern pharmaceutical practices. Although these compounds do contain at least one arsenic atom (a metalloid), they are still considered to be organic molecules. The highly covalent carbon-arsenic bond makes these organometal-lic compounds stable and easy to isolate. 

FIGURE 1.8 Arsenical antimicrobial drugs developed by Ehrlich 

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These other concepts of acids and bases are not so easily applied quantitatively as the Lowry-Bronsted concept. Nevertheless they have proved to be very useful as ways of classifying chemical substances and—more importantly— these ideas have been a stimulus to many advances in inorganic chemistry. 

E. M. Larsen, in H. J. Emelnus and A. F. Sharpe, eds.. Advances in Inorganic Chemistry and Radiochemisty, Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1988, pp. 92—97. Covers some aspects of chemical behavior of hafnium. 

Schmidbaur, H. and Dash, K.C. (1982) Compounds Of Gold In Unusual Oxidation-States. Advances in Inorganic Chemistry, 25, 239—266. 

The present volume marks the last in the series to be edited by Professor A.G. Sykes FRS in whose capable hands it has been since he took up the position of Editor in 1985 with responsibility for Volume 32. Prior to this, he edited four volumes of the Academic Press series Advances in Inorganic and Bioinorganic Mechanisms 1982-1986. The acclaim for the Advances in Inorganic Chemistry series and the large number of citations it has received are reflected in the high standards he set and the quality of the authors he was able to enlist to write reviews on topics of interest to inorganic and bioinorganic chemists. 

Hagen, W.R. 1992. EPR spectroscopy of iron-sulfur proteins. In Advances in Inorganic Chemistry, vol 38 Iron-Sulfur Proteins, eds. R. Cammack and A.G. Sykes. San Diego, CA Academic Press. 

From the viewpoint of structural chemistry, structure and bonding lie at the heart of rational syntheses that have already contributed to many significant scientific advances in inorganic chemistry and material chemistry, and especially to the discovery of some functional materials. Naturally the first step to novel functional material is synthesis , and in many cases exploratory synthesis seems to be the only workable route to new compound. However, rational synthesis will surely make property-oriented exploration more fruitful and pleasing. 

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