Chemical speciesA chemical species is a type of matter that displays a specific, uniquely identifying, set of properties. A systematic chemical name can be used to refer to a chemical species.In practice, chemists identify chemical species by differentiating between features of molecular structure that affect the interactions between molecules of a species and between molecules of different species.
ChemistryScientific study of matter's behavior and propertiesImages relating to the six main branches of chemistry, clockwise from the upper left : a BeF₂ glass network (inorganic chemistry), a caffeine molecule (organic chemistry), a reaction coordinate diagram (physical chemistry), a proton NMR spectrum (analytical chemistry), the RGS4 protein (biochemistry), and a glowstick using chemiluminescence (applied chemistry).Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter.
LigandIn coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule with a functional group that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding with the metal generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's electron pairs, often through Lewis bases. The nature of metal–ligand bonding can range from covalent to ionic. Furthermore, the metal–ligand bond order can range from one to three.Salt metathesis reactionA salt metathesis reaction (also called a double displacement reaction, double replacement reaction, or double decomposition) is a type of chemical reaction in which two compounds exchange their component ions to form two new compounds. Often, one of the products precipitates. Furthermore one of the reactants is typically a salt. AB + CD -> AD + CB In older literature, the term double decomposition is common.
Lewis acids and basesA Lewis acid is a chemical species that contains an empty orbital which is capable of accepting an electron pair from a Lewis base to form a Lewis adduct. A Lewis base, then, is any species that has a filled orbital containing an electron pair which is not involved in bonding but may form a dative bond with a Lewis acid to form a Lewis adduct. For example, NH3 is a Lewis base, because it can donate its lone pair of electrons.
Reaction mechanismIn chemistry, a reaction mechanism is the step by step sequence of elementary reactions by which overall chemical reaction occurs. A chemical mechanism is a theoretical conjecture that tries to describe in detail what takes place at each stage of an overall chemical reaction. The detailed steps of a reaction are not observable in most cases.Ralph PearsonRalph Gottfrid Pearson (January 12, 1919 – October 12, 2022) was an American physical inorganic chemist best known for the development of the concept of hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB). He received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1943 from Northwestern University, and taught chemistry at Northwestern faculty from 1946 until 1976, when he moved to University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB).
Transition metalIn chemistry, a transition metal (or transition element) is a chemical element in the d-block of the periodic table (groups 3 to 12), though the elements of group 12 (and less often group 3) are sometimes excluded. The lanthanide and actinide elements (the f-block) are called inner transition metals and are sometimes considered to be transition metals as well. They are lustrous metals with good electrical and thermal conductivity.
Chemical compoundA chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element is therefore not a compound. A compound can be transformed into a different substance by a chemical reaction, which may involve interactions with other substances.
Inorganic chemistryInorganic 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.
PolarizabilityPolarizability usually refers to the tendency of matter, when subjected to an electric field, to acquire an electric dipole moment in proportion to that applied field. It is a property of particles with an electric charge. When subject to an electric field, the negatively charged electrons and positively charged atomic nuclei are subject to opposite forces and undergo charge separation.
AcronymAn acronym is an abbreviation formed using the initial letters of a multi-word name or phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial letter of each word in all caps with no punctuation. In English, the word is used in two ways. In the narrow sense, an acronym is a sequence of letters (representing the initial letters of words in a phrase) when pronounced together as a single word, like NASA, NATO, or laser.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.