An inorganic compound is a compound that is not considered "organic". Inorganic compounds
are traditionally viewed as being synthesized by the agency of geological systems. In contrast,
organic compounds are found in biological systems. Organic chemists traditionally refer
to any molecule containing carbon as an organic compound and by default this means that inorganic
chemistry deals with molecules lacking carbon. The 19th century chemist, Berzelius, described
inorganic compounds as inanimate, not biological, origin, although many minerals are of biological
origin. Biologists may distinguish organic from inorganic compounds in a different way
that does not hinge on the presence of a carbon atom. Pools of organic matter, for example,
that have been metabolically incorporated into living tissues persist in decomposing
tissues, but as molecules become oxidized into the open environment, such as atmospheric
CO2, this creates a separate pool of inorganic compounds. The distinction between inorganic
and organic compounds is not always clear. Some scientists, for example, view the open
environment as an extension of life and from this perspective may consider atmospheric
CO2 as an organic compound. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, an agency
widely recognized for defining chemical terms, does not offer definitions of inorganic or
organic. Hence, the definition for an inorganic versus an organic compound in a multidisciplinary
context spans the division between living and non-living matter and remains open to
debate according to the way that one views the world.
Modern usage Inorganic compounds can be formally defined
with reference to what they are not: organic compounds. Organic compounds contain carbon
bonds in which at least one carbon atom is covalently linked to an atom of another type.
Some carbon-containing compounds are traditionally considered inorganic. When considering inorganic
chemistry and life, it is useful to recall that many species in nature are not compounds
per se but are ions. Sodium, chloride, and phosphate ions are essential for life, as
are some inorganic molecules such as carbonic acid, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water, and
oxygen. Aside from these simple ions and molecules, virtually all compounds covered by bioinorganic
chemistry contain carbon and can be considered organic or organometallic.
Inorganic carbon compounds Many compounds that contain carbon are considered
inorganic, for example, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonates, cyanides, cyanates, carbides,
and thiocyanates. The Inorganic Crystal Structure Database, in its definition of "inorganic"
carbon compounds, states that such compounds should contain either C-H or C-C bonds, but
not both. Coordination chemistry
A large class of compounds discussed in inorganic chemistry textbooks are coordination compounds.
Examples range from substances that are strictly inorganic, such as [Co(NH3)6]Cl3, to organometallic
compounds, such as Fe(C5H5)2, and extending to bioinorganic compounds, such as the hydrogenase
enzymes. Mineralogy
Minerals are mainly oxides and sulfides, which are strictly inorganic, although they may
be of biological origin. In fact, most of the earth is inorganic. Although the components
of Earth's crust are well-elucidated, the processes of mineralization and the composition
of the deep mantle remain active areas of investigation, which are covered mainly in
geology-oriented venues. See also
List of inorganic compounds Named inorganic compounds
Inorganic compounds by element Organic compound
References ^ Major textbooks on inorganic chemistry,
however, decline to define inorganic compounds: Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. "Inorganic Chemistry"
Academic Press: San Francisco, 2001. ISBN 0-12-352651-5; Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw,
Alan. Chemistry of the Elements. Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0080379419. , Cotton, F. Albert; Wilkinson,
Geoffrey, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, New York: Wiley-Interscience, ISBN 0-471-84997-9
^ J. J. Berzelius "Lehrbuch der Chemie," 1st ed., Arnoldischen Buchhandlung, Dresden and
Leipzig, 1827. ISBN 1-148-99953-1. Brief English commentary in English can be found in Bent
Soren Jorgensen "More on Berzelius and the vital force" J. Chem. Educ., 1965, vol. 42,
p 394. doi:10.1021/ed042p394 ^ a b http:www.britannica.comtopicorganic-compound
^ http:icsd.fiz-karlsruhe.de/. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
^ http:www.fiz-karlsruhe.debe_userPDF/sci_man_ICSD_v1.pdf. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
^ Newman, D. K.; Banfield, J. F.. "Geomicrobiology: How Molecular-Scale Interactions Underpin
Biogeochemical Systems". Science 296: 1071–1077. doi:10.1126/science.1010716. PMID 12004119.
External links Dan Berger, Bluffton College, analysis of
varying inappropriate definitions of the inorganic-organic distinction: Otherwise consistent linked material
differing from current article in downplaying the carbon present vs carbon absent distinctive:
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