Introduction to Chemistry

• Chemistry is the study of matter, its properties, and how it changes.
• It is a natural science that covers elements composing matter, compounds made of atoms, molecules, and ions.
• Chemistry studies composition, structure, properties, behavior, and changes during reactions.

Organic Chemistry

• Organic chemistry studies carbon-containing compounds, their structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation.
• Carbon uniquely forms stable chains and rings, leading to a diverse array of organic compounds.
• Key areas:
  • Hydrocarbons consist of only carbon and hydrogen.
  • Functional groups are atoms or groups of atoms within molecules responsible for reactions.
  • Isomerism involves molecules with the same chemical formula but different structural formulas and properties.
  • Reaction mechanisms are step-by-step sequences of elementary reactions creating chemical changes.

Inorganic Chemistry

• Inorganic chemistry deals with the properties and behavior of inorganic compounds, which are non-organic.
• It encompasses:
  • Coordination chemistry studies compounds formed between metal ions and ligands.
  • Organometallic chemistry focuses on compounds with bonds between carbon and a metal.
  • Solid-state chemistry studies the synthesis, structure, and properties of solid materials.
  • Bioinorganic chemistry studies the roles of metals in biology.

Biochemistry

• Biochemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms.
• It combines biology and chemistry to investigate biological macromolecules' structure, function, and interactions.
• Macromolecules include proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids.
• Important areas:
  • Enzymology studies enzymes, which are biological catalysts.
  • Metabolism includes all chemical reactions in an organism, including anabolism and catabolism.
  • Molecular biology studies the molecular basis of biological activity.

Analytical Chemistry

• Analytical chemistry focuses on the identification, separation, and quantification of chemical components.
• These components are in natural and artificial materials.
• Analytical chemistry uses instruments and methods to:
  • Identify substances (qualitative analysis).
  • Determine the amount of substances (quantitative analysis).
• Key techniques:
  • Spectroscopy studies the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation.
  • Chromatography separates components of a mixture.
  • Mass spectrometry measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions.

Pharmaceutical Chemistry

• Pharmaceutical chemistry involves the design, synthesis, and development of new drug molecules.
• It applies chemical principles to study drugs and their effects on biological systems.
• Key aspects:
  • Drug discovery identifies new drug candidates.
  • Drug design rationally designs drug molecules based on structure and activity.
  • Drug synthesis chemically synthesizes drug molecules.
  • Drug metabolism studies how the body processes drugs.

Nanochemistry

• Nanochemistry deals with the design, synthesis, and properties of nanomaterials.
• Nanomaterials have dimensions in the nanometer range (1-100 nm).
• It involves:
  • Synthesis of nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, and other nanostructures.
  • Characterization of nanomaterials uses techniques like electron and atomic force microscopy.
  • Applications of nanomaterials span electronics, medicine, and energy.