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'''Inorganic chemistry''' is a subdiscipline of [[chemistry]] involving the [[science|scientific]] study of the properties and [[Chemical reaction|reactions]] of all [[chemical elements]] and  [[chemical compound]]s other than the vast number of [[organic compound]]s (compounds containing at least one [[carbon]]-[[hydrogen]] [[chemical bond]]).<ref>[http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/applychem/inorganic.html Inorganic Chemistry: A Study Guide]  From the website of the [[University of Waterloo]], [[Canada]]</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Christopher G. Morris (Editor)|title=Academic Press Dictionary  of Science and Technology|edition =1st Edition|publisher=Academic Press|year=1992|id=ISBN 0-12-200400-0}}</ref>


There are a number of subdivisions of inorganic chemistry such as the four subdivisions of the [[American Chemical Society]]'s Division of Inorganic Chemistry, namely [[organometallic chemistry]], [[bioinorganic chemistry]], [[solid-state chemistry]] and [[nanoscience]].<ref>[http://www.acsdic.org/officers.htm Division of Inorganic Chemistry, 2010 Officers] From the website of the American Chemical Society</ref>
Inorganic chemistry is closely related to other disciplines such as [[materials science]], [[earth science]], [[mineralogy]], [[geology]] and [[crystallography]].
==Distinctions between inorganic and organic chemistry==
The distinction or boundary between inorganic chemistry and [[organic chemistry]] is not very well defined. In general, the above definition of inorganic chemistry seemingly excludes carbon compounds but it does not exclude elemental [[carbon]] itself. Hence, carbon [[oxide]]s, carbon [[sulfide]]s, [[cyanide]]s and [[cyanate]]s, metallic [[carbides]] and [[carbonates]] are included as inorganic compounds.<ref>'''Note''': For example, [[carbon monoxide]] (CO), [[carbon dioxide]] (CO<sub>2</sub>), [[carbon disulfide]] (CS<sub>2</sub>), [[sodium cyanide]] (NaCN), [[potassium cyanate]] (KOCN),  [[silicon carbide]] (SiC) and [[calcium carbonate]] (CaCO<sub>3</sub>)</ref>
As another example of the ill-defined distinction between inorganic and organic chemistry, oxalic acid (H<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub>0<sub>4</sub>) is commonly considered to be an organic compound even though it does not contain a carbon-hydrogen bond.
==Types of inorganic compounds ==
Inorganic chemistry encompasses a very complicated variety of substances which the distinguished American chemist, F. Albert Cotton (1930 − 2007), grouped into these four classes:<ref name=Cotton>{{cite book|author=F. Albert Cotton, Geoffrey Wilkinson and Paul L. Gaus|title=Basic Inorganic Chemistry|edition=3rd Edition|publisher=John Wiley|year=1995|id=ISBN 0-471-50532-3}}  First published in 1976 with F. Albert Cotton as the main author.</ref>
'''''The chemical elements:''''' These have a variety of structure and properties and include:
* Atomic [[gas]]es such [[argon]] (Ar) and [[krypton]] (Kr) , as well as molecular gases such as [[hydrogen]] (H<sub>2</sub>) and [[oxygen]] (O<sub>2</sub>).
* [[Molecular solid]]s such as the [[phosphorus]] [[allotrope]] (P<sub>4</sub>), the [[sulfur]] allotrope (S<sub>8</sub>), and the carbon allotrope (C<sub>60</sub>).<ref>'''Note:''' [[Allotrope]]s are molecules having different molecular structures. This differs from [[isotope]]s which are elements having different atomic structures (i.e., the same number of [[proton]]s  but different numbers of [[neutron]]s in the atomic [[nucleus]].</ref>
* [[Network solid]]s such as [[diamond]] and [[graphite]].<ref>'''Note:''' Network solids are chemical compounds with the atoms being bonded by covalent bonds in a continuous network. Thus, there are no individual molecules in a network solid and the entire solid may be considered to be a macromolecule. Diamond is an example of a network solid with a continuous network of carbon atoms. Another example is graphite, which consists of continuous two dimensional layers of carbon atoms covalently bonded within each layer and with other bond types holding the layers together.</ref>
* [[Metal]]s, either solid such as [[copper]] (Cu)  and [[tungsten]] (W) or liquid such as [[mercury]] (Hg) and [[gallium]] (Ga).
'''''Ionic compounds:'''''  These are always solids at reference conditions of  0 °[[Celsius (unit)|C]] [[temperature]] and 101.325 k[[Pascal (unit)|Pa]] absolute [[pressure]] and include:
* Simple [[ion|ionic]] compounds such as [[sodium chloride]] (NaCl), which are soluble in water or other [[polar solvent]]s.
* Ionic oxides that are insoluble in water, such as [[zirconium oxide]] (ZrO<sub>2</sub>) and mixed oxides such as the [[mineral]] "spinel" (MgAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>), the mineral "diopside" (CaMg(SiO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>) and various [[silicates]].
* Other binary halides, carbides, arsenides, nitrides and similar materials. A few examples are [[silver chloride]] (AgCl), [[gallium arsenide]] (GaAs), and [[boron nitride]] (BN), some of which could also be considered to be network solids.
* Compounds containing polyatomic ions (also called "complex ions") such as the [[silicon hexafluoride]] anion [SiF<sub>6</sub>]<sup> 2−</sup>, the [[cobalt hexammine complex]] cation [Co(NH<sub>3</sub>)<sub> 6</sub>]<sup> 3+</sup> and the [[ferricyanide]] anion [Fe(CN)<sub> 6</sub>]<sup> 3−</sup>.
'''''Molecular compounds:''''' These may be solids, liquids or gases  and include:
* Simple binary compounds such as [[phosphorus trifluoride]] (PF<sub>3</sub>), [[sulfur dioxide]] (SO<sub>2</sub>) and [[osmium tetroxide]] (OsO<sub>4</sub>).
* [[Organometallic]] compounds that characteristically have metal−to−carbon bonds such as [[nickel carbonyl]] (Ni(CO)<sub>4</sub>) and [[tetra-benzyl-zirconium]] (Zr(CH<sub>2</sub>C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>5</sub>)<sub>4</sub>).
* Complex metal-containing compounds.
'''''Inorganic polymers and superconductors:''''' These include numerous and varied inorganic polymers and superconductors. One example of an inorganic polymer has the [[chemical formula]] of YBa<sub>2</sub>Cu<sub>3</sub>O<sub>7</sub>.
==Typical inorganic chemical reactions==
<BR><BR><BR>
==Analysis and characterization of  inorganic compounds==
The number of known chemical elements that occur naturally on [[Earth]] is 94 and the number of diverse inorganic chemical compounds derived by combinations of those elements is virtually innumerable. The characterization of those compounds includes the [[measurement]] of chemical and physical  properties such as [[boiling point]]s, [[melting point]]s, [[density (chemistry)|density]], [[solubility]], [[refractive index]] and the  [[pH]] and [[electrical conductivity]] of solutions.
The  techniques of qualitative and quantitative [[analytical chemistry]] can provide the composition of a chemical compound in terms of its constituent chemical elements and can thus determine the [[chemical formula]] of  a compound.
Modern laboratory equipment and techniques can provide many more details for characterizing chemical compounds. Some of the more commonly used modern techniques are:
* [[Chromatography]]: A process for separating mixtures into their component constituents.
* [[X-ray diffraction]] or [[X-ray crystallography]]: A technique that determines three-dimensional arrangement of [[atom]]s within a [[molecule]].
* [[Spectrometry]] or qualitative [[Spectroscopy]]: A technique for the identification of substances through the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] emitted from or absorbed by them.
* [[Voltammetry]]: An [[Electrochemistryl|electrochemical]] method for studying a chemical substance by measuring the [[Voltage|electrical potential ]] and/or [[electric current]] in an [[electrochemical cell]] containing the substance.
==References==
{{reflist}}

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