Chemical Bonding

Inorganic Chemistry

Definition and Scope

• Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the study of inorganic compounds, which are typically derived from mineral sources.
• It involves the study of the properties, composition, and reactions of inorganic compounds, which are typically devoid of carbon-hydrogen bonds.

Branches of Inorganic Chemistry

• Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry: deals with the preparation, properties, and reactions of inorganic compounds.
• Theoretical Inorganic Chemistry: focuses on the theoretical aspects of inorganic chemistry, including bonding theories and molecular orbital theory.
• Physical Inorganic Chemistry: explores the physical properties and behaviors of inorganic compounds.
• Organometallic Chemistry: deals with the study of compounds containing metal-carbon bonds.

Main Groups of Inorganic Compounds

• Acidic Oxides: oxides that react with water to form acids (e.g., CO2, SO2).
• Basic Oxides: oxides that react with water to form bases (e.g., Na2O, CaO).
• Amphoteric Oxides: oxides that can react with both acids and bases (e.g., Al2O3, ZnO).
• Salts: ionic compounds formed by the reaction of an acid and a base.

Important Inorganic Compounds

• Water (H2O): a universal solvent and a vital component of many biological processes.
• Ammonia (NH3): a highly reactive gas used in the production of fertilizers and cleaning products.
• Silicates: a group of compounds containing silicon and oxygen, commonly found in rocks and minerals.
• Chlorine (Cl2): a highly reactive gas used in water treatment and as a disinfectant.

Reactions in Inorganic Chemistry

• Redox Reactions: reactions involving the transfer of electrons, resulting in a change in oxidation state.
• Acid-Base Reactions: reactions involving the transfer of protons (H+ ions).
• Precipitation Reactions: reactions involving the formation of an insoluble solid (precipitate) from a solution.

Applications of Inorganic Chemistry

• Materials Science: inorganic compounds are used in the development of new materials with unique properties.
• Catalysis: inorganic compounds are used as catalysts to speed up chemical reactions.
• Environmental Remediation: inorganic compounds are used to clean up pollutants in the environment.
• Pharmaceuticals: inorganic compounds are used in the development of new drugs and medicines.

Inorganic Chemistry

Definition and Scope

• Deals with the study of inorganic compounds, typically derived from mineral sources.
• Involves the study of properties, composition, and reactions of inorganic compounds, typically devoid of carbon-hydrogen bonds.

Branches of Inorganic Chemistry

• Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry: preparation, properties, and reactions of inorganic compounds.
• Theoretical Inorganic Chemistry: focuses on theoretical aspects, including bonding theories and molecular orbital theory.
• Physical Inorganic Chemistry: explores physical properties and behaviors of inorganic compounds.
• Organometallic Chemistry: studies compounds containing metal-carbon bonds.

Main Groups of Inorganic Compounds

• Acidic Oxides: oxides reacting with water to form acids (e.g., CO2, SO2).
• Basic Oxides: oxides reacting with water to form bases (e.g., Na2O, CaO).
• Amphoteric Oxides: oxides reacting with both acids and bases (e.g., Al2O3, ZnO).
• Salts: ionic compounds formed by reaction of acid and base.

Important Inorganic Compounds

• Water (H2O): universal solvent, vital component of biological processes.
• Ammonia (NH3): highly reactive gas used in fertilizer production, cleaning products.
• Silicates: group of compounds containing silicon, oxygen, commonly found in rocks, minerals.
• Chlorine (Cl2): highly reactive gas used in water treatment, disinfectant.

Reactions in Inorganic Chemistry

• Redox Reactions: reactions involving electron transfer, resulting in oxidation state change.
• Acid-Base Reactions: reactions involving proton transfer (H+ ions).
• Precipitation Reactions: reactions involving formation of insoluble solid (precipitate) from solution.

Applications of Inorganic Chemistry

• Materials Science: development of new materials with unique properties.
• Catalysis: inorganic compounds used as catalysts to speed up chemical reactions.
• Environmental Remediation: inorganic compounds used to clean up pollutants in the environment.
• Pharmaceuticals: inorganic compounds used in development of new drugs, medicines.

Chemical Bonding

Ionic Bonding

• Forms between atoms with a large electronegativity difference (> 1.7)
• Involves the transfer of electrons, resulting in a cation and an anion
• Electrostatic attraction holds the oppositely charged ions together
• Typically occurs between a metal and a non-metal
• Examples: NaCl (sodium chloride), CaCO3 (calcium carbonate)

Covalent Bonding

• Forms between atoms with a small electronegativity difference (< 1.7)
• Involves the sharing of one or more electron pairs
• Can be polar or non-polar, depending on the electronegativity difference
• Typically occurs between two non-metals
• Examples: H2 (hydrogen gas), CO2 (carbon dioxide), H2O (water)

Hydrogen Bonding

• A type of intermolecular force between molecules
• Involves the attraction between a hydrogen atom bonded to a highly electronegative atom (e.g. O, N, F) and another electronegative atom
• Strengthens the attractive forces between molecules, increasing boiling and melting points
• Important in biological molecules, such as DNA and proteins

Van Der Waals Forces

• Weak intermolecular forces between non-polar molecules
• Include London dispersion forces and deformation-induced dipoles
• Responsible for physical properties, such as boiling and melting points, and solubility
• Weaker than hydrogen bonds and ionic bonds

Electronegativity

• A measure of an atom's ability to attract electrons in a covalent bond
• Increases from left to right across a period and decreases down a group in the periodic table
• Range: 0 (low) to 4.0 (high)
• Important in determining the type of bond formed (ionic or covalent) and the polarity of a bond