Questions tagged [inorganic-chemistry]
Inorganic compounds generally do not have C-H bonds, while organic compounds do have such bonds. The distinction between inorganic and organic chemistry, however, is far from absolute.
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Why do XeO and XeF8 not exist?
Since Neil Bartlett's 1962 discovery that xenon was capable of forming chemical compounds, a large number of xenon compounds have been discovered and described. Almost all known xenon compounds ...
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Why is the inversion barrier larger in PH3 than it is in NH3?
The inversion barrier in $\ce{NH3}$ is approximately $5~\mathrm{kcal~mol^{-1}}$ and that of $\ce{PH3}$ is $35~\mathrm{kcal~mol^{-1}}$. This has well-known stereochemical consequences in that amines ...
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Structure of Br3O8
What is the structure of $\ce{Br3O8}$? It has an odd number of electrons; does that make it a free radical?
The structure given in my book shows
Where did the 7th electron of the central atom go?
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Why is distillation not a viable way to separate ammonia from water?
Since the steam pressure of ammonia is higher than that of water, I would expect distillation to be a reasonable way of separating a mixture of both.
However, in industrial applications known to me ...
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Why are lithides not known?
In the last few decades, many alkalides - anions of alkali metals - have been synthesised. The most famous is undoubtedly that of sodium: $\ce{[Na(\text{2.2.2-cryptand})]+Na-}$, but the alkalides $\ce{...
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Why is sand, sand; and why is glass, glass; While both mainly contain Silicon Dioxide?
I know that there is the famous process of heating material and converting them to glass; but what I don't know is, what is the chemical process of the creation of glass? Is it crystallization?
How ...
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What is the favoured geometry of chlorine trifluoride?
Why is the first structure on the left more stable than the second one on the right?
In the first one the angle between the two pair of nonbonding electrons is about 120° which is a lot less than ...
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What is the meaning of the "-osic" suffix on a metal (e.g., cobaltosic oxide)?
I just came across the term cobaltosic for the first time in the abstract of Ind Eng Chem Res 52(18): 6076, 2013 (emphasis added):
A nanocomposite of cobaltosic oxide and nitrogen-doped graphene ($\...
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Why is NaCl3 possible?
There. And there. Almost a year ago, a group of scientists claimed to have reached compounds of $\ce{Na}$ and $\ce{Cl}$ with weird stochiometries ($\ce{NaCl3, Na3Cl, NaCl7, Na3Cl2}$ and $\ce{Na2Cl}$).
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What is the perfect definition for chirality?
Why is chirality defined differently for organic and inorganic compounds?
Why are inorganic compounds deemed to be optically active if they have more than one of the same ligands attached to the ...
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Why is the magnesium(II) ion preferred over other ions in chlorophyll?
Chlorophyll has a $\ce{Mg^2+}$ ion. Why is it preferred over other ions? For example, what happens if there is $\ce{Zn^2+}$ or $\ce{Ca^2+}$ or any other (divalent) cation instead of $\ce{Mg^2+}$?
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Why is ligand substitution only partial with copper(II) ions and ammonia?
When studying ligand substitution (at UK year 13 level), the following example has been given:
\begin{align}
\ce{[Cu(H2O)_6]^2+ + 2NH3 &<=> [Cu(OH)_2(H2O)_6] + 2NH4^+}\\
\ce{[Cu(OH)_2(H2O)...
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Why is the boiling point of fluorine lower than that of oxygen?
Fluorine boils at -188.1 °C and oxygen boils at -183 °C, but shouldn't $\ce{F2}$ boil after $\ce{O2}$?
Despite being electronegative elements, both are nonpolar molecules and posses dispersion forces ...
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Does freezing a solution with water always cause the water to separate and form the ice lattice?
I'm curious, I was trying to look into the affect of freezing a solution with water even when the solution is completely miscible. I came across something that detailed this regarding salt water and ...
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Why doesn't nitrogen monoxide dimerize?
Why doesn't Nitrogen monoxide dimerize even though there is an odd electron present whereas nitrogen dioxide does (because of the odd electron on nitrogen)?
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