Thinking, chemistry

Think chemistry. Focus on the solution components and their reactions. It will almost always be possible to choose one reaction that is the most important. 

Lewis, M. and Walter, G., Thinking Chemistry, Oxford University Press, Oxford (1980) Jones, M., Johnson, D., Netterville, J. and VVood, J., Chemistry, Man and Society, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Eastbourne (1980)... 

Think chemistry in some of the simpler theoretical areas and visualize what happens on the atomic or molecular level. 

By its nature, the application of direct dynamics requires a detailed knowledge of both molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry. This chapter is aimed more at the quantum chemist who would like to use dynamical methods to expand the tools at theh disposal for the study of photochemistry, rather than at the dynamicist who would like to learn some quantum chemishy. It hies therefore to introduce the concepts and problems of dynamics simulations, shessing that one cannot strictly think of a molecule moving along a trajectory even though this is what is being calculated. 

Once I had decided on a career in chemistry, I was determined rather single-mindedly to make a success of it. I sometimes think about what would have happened had I chosen a different occupation or field. Having a rather competitive nature, I could probably have done reasonably well in a number of other areas. Certainly for some fields you must be born with a special talent. Musical talent, artistic ability, business acumen, leadership ability, and vision can be further developed. 

Some people think that 48% aq, HBr is good enough and, until recently, some underground chemistry texts agreed. But it is not The 48% is only strong enough to promote what is called acid catalyzed hydration (don t ask) when the medium it is in is water. That means that a water molecule (an OH) will add instead of a Br. 

The field of fullerene chemistry expanded in an unexpected direction in 1991 when Sumio lijima of the NEC Fundamental Research Laboratories in Japan discovered fibrous carbon clusters in one of his fullerene preparations This led within a short time to substances of the type portrayed in Figure 11 7 called single-walled nanotubes The best way to think about this material IS as a stretched fullerene Take a molecule of Ceo cut it in half and place a cylindrical tube of fused six membered carbon rings between the two halves... 

Calculating the solubility of Pb(I03)2 in distilled water is a straightforward problem since the dissolution of the solid is the only source of Pb + or lOa. How is the solubility of Pb(I03)2 affected if we add Pb(I03)2 to a solution of 0.10 M Pb(N03)2 Before we set up and solve the problem algebraically, think about the chemistry occurring in this system, and decide whether the solubility of Pb(I03)2 will increase, decrease, or remain the same. This is a good habit to develop. Knowing what answers are reasonable will help you spot errors in your calculations and give you more confidence that your solution to a problem is correct. 

Many of the topics covered in analytical chemistry benefit from the availability of appropriate computer software. In preparing this text, however, I made a conscious decision to avoid a presentation tied to a single computer platform or software package. Students and faculty are increasingly experienced in the use of computers, spreadsheets, and data analysis software their use is, I think, best left to the personal choice of each student and instructor. 

Approximately 300 students have joined me in thinking and learning about analytical chemistry their questions and comments helped guide the development of this textbook. I realize that working without a formal textbook has been frustrating and awkward all the more reason why I appreciate their effort and hard work. 

An eminent researcher at the boundaries between physics and chemistry, Howard Reiss, some years ago explained the difference between a solid-state chemist and a solid-state physicist. The first thinks in configuration space, the second in momentum space so, one is the Fourier transform of the other. 

Phenolic resins were the first totally synthetic plastics invented. They were commercialized by 1910 [I]. Their history begins before the development of the structural theory of chemistry and even before Kekule had his famous dreams of snakes biting their tails. It commences with Gerhardt s 1853 observations of insoluble resin formation while dehydrating sodium salicylate [2]. These were followed by similar reports on the behavior of salicylic acid derivatives under a variety of reaction conditions by Schroder et al. (1869), Baeyer (1872), Velden (1877), Doebner (1896 and 1898), Speyer (1897) and Baekeland (1909-1912) [3-17]. Many of these early reports appear to involve the formation of phenolic polyesters rather than the phenol-aldehyde resins that we think of today. For... 

Molecular complexity can be used as an indicator of the frontiers of synthesis, since it often causes failures which expose gaps in existing methodology. The realization of such limitations can stimulate the discovery of new chemistry and new ways of thinking about synthesis. 

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