Together on this channel we’ve discussed a great many topics in chemistry. In the
general chemistry series, we went over all the basics. We learned what atoms and molecules are,
and how they behave. Then in the organic chemistry series, we learned about carbon-based compounds,
their properties, and how to perform chemical synthesis. Now it’s time to expand further still,
by entering the realm of inorganic chemistry. Let’s begin by elucidating this term. What does
“inorganic” mean, precisely? Well if organic simply means carbon-based, then inorganic,
quite expectedly, means not carbon-based. So far from any popular connotations regarding
GMOs and pesticides and things of this nature, the difference is merely the presence or absence of
carbon. Compounds like methane and carbon dioxide are organic, and compounds like water and ammonia
are inorganic. It’s as simple as that. So where does that leave us in terms of the periodic table?
Well we know that carbon is a nonmetal, and nonmetals tend to make covalent bonds with
other nonmetals. That’s why the majority of organic compounds are comprised of carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. It’s just carbon and the elements carbon likes to bond with. But
with inorganic chemistry, we suddenly open up the rest of the periodic table, from other nonmetals,
to the metalloids, to all the varieties of metals, which make up the majority of the table.
So in a sense, inorganic chemistry is not really the opposite of organic chemistry
but rather an extension. We are beginning to leave this safe little corner of the periodic table and
learn about all of these other elements that we had more or less avoided during organic chemistry.
What do they do? What are their properties? This is the question that we will focus on first,
as this series will begin with a thorough survey of the periodic table, group by group.
With so many elements that have gone virtually unmentioned in our studies thus far, it’s time
to begin to get a sense of their properties, behaviors, and technological applications. After
that we will move into a study of transition metal complexes, which have some transition metal as a
central atom, that is bound to various ligands. We introduced these in the general chemistry series,
but now it’s time to go much deeper. Then with these understood, we will return to principles
in organic chemistry with a much broader scope available to us, as we will be able to discuss
organometallic chemistry. This is chemistry involving organic compounds that contain one or
more metal atoms. Over the past few decades, these compounds have revolutionized organic synthesis
in profound ways, offering novel reagents and catalysts that have enabled chemists
to perform transformations that were previously unthinkable. We are going to learn about many of
these catalysts and the reactions they promote, as well as their relevance in modern synthesis.
Now we should make it clear that since any compound with a bond between a carbon atom
and a metal atom qualifies as an organometallic compound, we actually have introduced a few
of these already in the organic chemistry series. We talked about Grignard reagents,
which involve magnesium. We talked about organolithium reagents, and organocuprates,
which contain lithium and copper, respectively. So this is already not a completely foreign concept.
The difference is that now we are really going to tackle the finer details
regarding how ligands interact with metal centers in coordination compounds,
and the precise mechanisms by which these compounds do chemistry, which will involve
many new concepts that were not relevant to pure organic chemistry. So while the d-block of the
periodic table may have seemed shrouded in mystery for the entirety of the organic chemistry series,
it is now time to shine some light on this region, and really learn about what these elements can do.
If it has not been made obvious by this point, it should be explicitly stated that general chemistry
and organic chemistry are firm prerequisites for this series. Apart from the first few tutorials
exploring the groups of the periodic table, virtually none of the content in this series will
be even remotely intelligible if the key concepts from those two subjects are not well understood.
While organometallic chemistry does build upon what we learned in organic chemistry,
it is decidedly new and arguably more complicated information. But if you’ve made it through those
topics already and are interested in broadening your understanding of chemistry in a profound way,
then buckle up, and let’s learn some inorganic chemistry.