29: Inorganic Chemistry: Frontiers and Future (1994)

Ian Gordon Dance

Authors

Ian Gordon Dance School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales

Abstract

Liversidge Research Lecture delivered before the Royal Society of New south Wales, 9th August, 1994. Reproduced by permission of the Royal Society of New South Wales from J. Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.W., 1995, 128, 131-140.

"Inorganic chemistry - the chemistry of all elements - has turned up some real surprises in the last few years. Even elemental carbon is undergoing a revolution, literally. Molecules which are simply binary combinations of the elements, such as MxSy and MxCy, have been discovered. These are molecular fragments of compounds otherwise known only as non-molecular solids, and are totally unexpected and unpredictable: their structures are being explored by computational methods. The multiple "non-bonded" interactions between inorganic molecules in crystals are being recognised and understood, and can be deployed in crystal engineering. Highly evolved molecular biology reveals tantalising chemical possibilities beyond current laboratory capabilities, such as the mild reduction of the most recalcitrant molecule in chemistry, N2, by the enzyme nitrogenase. Insight into the mechanism of this enzyme comes from investigations of the clusters MxCy."

Author Biography

Ian Gordon Dance, School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales

Ian Gordon Dance worked under the supervision of Hans Freeman, the 1978 Liversidge Lecturer, on the crystal structure of chromium trichloride hexahydrate to receive his MSc from the University of Sydney in 1963. After researching and teaching in the UK and the USA, including at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),he was appointed Lecturer of Chemistry at UNSW in 1975.

Dance’s work included research on metal chalcogenides, and he developed the use of mass spectroscopy in polychalcogenide chemistry.

Although now officially retired, Emeritus Professor Dance continues his research into various chemical mechanisms at UNSW.

For additional biographical information, photographic permissions, references and a list of honours, awards and publications, please see pages 2–4 of the transcript.

References

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Chan, M.K., Kim, J. and Rees, D.C, 1993. Science, 260, 792-794.

Dance, I.G., 1992. Geometric and Electronic Structures of [Ti8C12]: Analogies with C60, J. Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, 1779.

Dance, I.G., 1993a. Structural Principles for Copper Carbohedrene Clusters [Cux(C2)y]+, J. Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, 1306-1308.

Dance, I.G., 1993b. Structures and Structural Principles for Copper Carbohedrene Clusters [Cu13C12]+ to [Cu25C24]+, J. American Chemical Society, 115, 11052-3.

Dance, I.G., 1994. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 47, 979-990.

Dance, I.G., 1995. Supramolecular Inorganic Chemistry, in Perspectives in Supramolecular Chemistry, G. Desiraju (Ed.), John Wiley.

Dance, I.G., Dean, P.A.W.D. and Fisher, K.J., 1994. Gas Phase Metal Cyanide Chemistry: Formation, Reactions and Structures of Copper(I) and Silver(I) Cyanide Clusters, Inorganic Chemistry, 33, 6261-6269.

Dance, I.G., Dean, P.A.W.D. and Fisher, K.J., 1995. Self-assembled Helicates of Zinc and Cadmium Cyanides, Angewandte Chemie, International Edition in English, 34, 314-316.

Dance, I.G. and Fisher, K.J. 1994. Metal Chalcogenide Clusters, MxEy: Generation and Structure, in Soft Chemistry Routes to New Materials, J. Rouxel, M. Tournoux and R. Brec (eds), Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.

Dance, I.G., Garbutt, R.G., Craig, D.C. and Scudder, M.L., 1987. Inorganic Chemistry, 26, 4057-4064.

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