Chemistry Education and Research

Advances in nanofabrication technologies are fueling the increasing interest in well-controlled multilayered thin films or nanocomposites. The unique properties of surfaces and interfaces, particularly between materials with dissimilar properties, can lead to new and improved multifunctional properties. However, the complexity of interfaces and the difficulty to study buried structures, makes it difficult to unravel the correlation between the interfaces and the enhanced properties of these materials, resulting in slowing down the progress towards advanced applications and devices. Thus, this Symposium is aimed at bringing together experts in the different aspects of “Surfaces and Interfaces of in Multilayered Thin Films and Nano-composites” ranging from fabrication and characterization, to devices.

Nanochemistry is the combination of chemistry and nanoscience. Nanochemistry is associated with synthesis of building blocks which are dependent on size, surface, shape and defect properties. Nanochemistry is being used in chemical, materials and physical, science as well as engineering, biological and medical applications. Nanochemistry and other nanoscience fields have the same core concepts but the usages of those concepts are different. Nanochemistry can be characterized by concepts of size, shape, self-assembly, defects and bio-nano; So the synthesis of any new nano-construct is associated with all these concepts. Nano-construct synthesis is dependent on how the surface, size and shape will lead to self-assembly of the building blocks into the functional structures; they probably have functional defects and might be useful for electronic, photonic, medical or bioanalytical problems.

Materials Chemistry is the section of Materials Science and Engineering that investigates the chemical nature of materials. This is a fast-growing and highly interdisciplinary area with very flexible boundaries. The diverse nature of materials arises from their atomic composition and their complex molecular structures, which are organised over many different length scales. The resulting intricate micro- and nanostructures lead to striking physical properties, such as electrical, optical and mechanical behaviour, which are of both scientific and technological importance. Such materials range from the everyday (concrete, glass, aluminium) to those used in aerospace, microelectronics and medicine.

Analytical chemistry is the process of isolating specific compounds, identifying those compounds, and determining how much of the compounds are in a product. Analytical chemistry is used in many different areas of science. It can be used to determine how much cholesterol is in your blood, to identify an unknown compound found at a crime scene, or to purify the oil you put into your car.

Environmental chemistry is the study of chemical processes occurring in the environment which are impacted by humankind's activities. These impacts may be felt on a local scale, through the presence of urban cities' air pollutants or toxic substances arising from a chemical waste site, or on a global scale, through depletion of stratospheric ozone or global warming.  Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry applies across the life cycle of a chemical product, including its design, manufacture, use, and ultimate disposal. Green chemistry is also known as sustainable chemistry.

Catalyzed reactions are typically used to accelerate the rate by which a specific chemistry proceeds. Essentially, the action of the catalyst is to provide an alternative, lower energy pathway for the reaction.  For this to occur, the catalytic substance interacts with a reactant and forms an intermediate compound. This intermediate is transient in that after it forms, it breaks apart leaving the original catalyst species unchanged. A catalyst is not affected by the reaction as far as the chemical structure or mass at reaction completion.

In chemistry, a macrocyclic ligand is a macrocycle with a ring size of at least nine (including all hetero atoms) and three or more donor sites. Classic examples are crown ethers and porphyrins. Macrocyclic ligands exhibit particularly high affinity for metal ions. Heterocyclic compound, also called heterocycle, any of a major class of organic chemical compounds characterized by the fact that some or all of the atoms in their molecules are joined in rings containing at least one atom of an element other than carbon (C). The cyclic part (from Greek kyklos, meaning “circle”) of heterocyclic indicates that at least one ring structure is present in such a compound, while the prefix hetero- (from Greek heteros, meaning “other” or “different”) refers to the noncarbon atoms, or heteroatoms, in the ring. In their general structure, heterocyclic compounds resemble cyclic organic compounds that incorporate only carbon atoms in the rings.

Organic Materials Chemistry is a major area of research which leads to the development of advanced organic and polymeric materials by investigating into the process of synthesis, processing, control, characterization and establishment of the structural properties relationship among these materials. Nomenclature to the compounds was given based on the chemical structure and isomerism was observed in relation to the radical displacement of atoms within the structures. Structural chemistry involves the determination of structure of compounds using various instrumental techniques. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are materials in which metal-to-organic ligand interactions yield porous coordination networks with record-setting surface areas surpassing activated carbons and zeolites. De-localization of orbitals within the complex substances form conjugated systems of materials which lead to the derivation of chromophores used in synthetic processes. Diamond and carbon materials are widely used in the applications of organic synthesis from novel materials.

Organic materials are used for made wood furniture, feathers, leather, and synthetic materials such as petroleum-based plastics. Functional properties were studied, and related structural applications will be considered to play a key role. Inorganic Materials Chemistry includes the study of metallic or non-metallic properties. Metals are materials holding or possessing the characteristics of metals. Non – metals are materials they are not possessing.

Geochemistry studies the origin, evolution and distribution of chemical elements on Earth which are contained in the rock-forming minerals and the products derived from it, as well as in living beings, water and atmosphere. One of the goals of geochemistry is to determine the abundance of elements in nature, as this information is essential to hypotheses development about the origin and structure of our planet and the universe.

In chemistry, a cluster is an ensemble of bound atoms or molecules that is intermediate in size between a molecule and a bulk solid. ... In another definition a cluster compound contains a group of two or more metal atoms where direct and substantial metal bonding is present. The main cluster types are "naked" clusters (without stabilizing ligands) and those with ligands. For transition metal clusters, typical stabilizing ligands include carbon monoxide, halides, isocyanides, alkenes, and hydrides. For main group elements, typical clusters are stabilized by hydride ligands.

Organometallic chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkaline, alkaline earth, and transition metals, and sometimes broadened to include metalloids like boron, silicon, and tin, as well. Aside from bonds to organyl fragments or molecules, bonds to 'inorganic' carbon, like carbon monoxide (metal carbonyls), cyanide, or carbide, are generally considered to be organometallic as well. Some related compounds such as transition metal hydrides and metal phosphine complexes are often included in discussions of organometallic compounds, though strictly speaking, they are not necessarily organometallic.

Theoretical chemistry is the branch of chemistry which develops theoretical generalizations that are part of the theoretical arsenal of modern chemistry. The term computational chemistry is usually used when a mathematical method is sufficiently well developed that it can be automated for implementation on a computer. Computational chemistry is the application of chemical, mathematical and computing skills to the solution of interesting chemical problems. It uses computers to generate information such as properties of molecules or simulated experimental results. Very few aspects of chemistry can be computed exactly, but almost every aspect of chemistry has been described in a qualitative or approximate quantitative computational scheme.

Polymer chemistry is a sub-discipline of chemistry that focuses on the chemical synthesis, structure, chemical and physical properties of polymers and macromolecules. The principles and methods used within polymer chemistry are also applicable through a wide range of other chemistry sub-disciplines like organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and physical chemistry Many materials have polymeric structures, from fully inorganic metals and ceramics to DNA and other biological molecules, however, polymer chemistry is typically referred to in the context of synthetic, organic compositions. Synthetic polymers are ubiquitous in commercial materials and products in everyday use, commonly referred to as plastics, and rubbers, and are major components of composite materials.

Supramolecular chemistry as defined by Lehn ‘chemistry beyond the molecule’ focuses on the development of functional complex architectures through non-covalent interactions. Supramolecular chemistry is the domain of chemistry concerning chemical systems composed of a discrete number of molecules. ... Whereas traditional chemistry concentrates on the covalent bond, supramolecular chemistry examines the weaker and reversible non-covalent interactions between molecules.

The research in Electronic and Magnetic materials field unites the essential values of solid state physics and chemistry for manufacturing of materials science. Intermolecular interactions are also known as molecular interactions. Changes in molecular interactions involves in melting, unfolding, strand separation, boiling. The basic parameters of electronic and magnetic materials are rigid rotation and time dependence. This is related to the computer simulation method to identify the movements physically to interact with atoms and molecules for a given period in order to generate the system for evolution.

Physical chemistry is one of the traditional sub-disciplines of chemistry and is concerned with the application of the concepts and theories of physics to the analysis of the chemical properties and reactive behaviour of matter. While also at the interface between physics and chemistry, it is distinct from chemical physics. Physical chemistry, in contrast to chemical physics, is predominantly (but not always) a macroscopic or supra-molecular science, as the majority of the principles on which it was founded relate to the bulk rather than the molecular/atomic structure alone (for example, chemical equilibrium and colloids).

Proteins are organic compounds that contain the element nitrogen as well as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Proteins are the most diverse group of biologically important substances and are often considered to be the central compound necessary for life. In fact, the translation from the Greek root word means “first place.” Skin and muscles are composed of proteins; antibodies and enzymes are proteins; some hormones are proteins; and some proteins are involved with digestion, respiration, reproduction, and even normal vision, just to mention a few. Lipid is the collective name for fats, oils, waxes and fat-like molecules (such as steroids) found in the body. The basic unit of lipids is a triglyceride, synthesised from glycerol (propane-1,2,3-triol) and fatty acids.

Biochemistry is the study of the chemical substances and vital processes occurring in live organisms. Biochemists focus heavily on the chemistry behind the role, function, and structure of biomolecules. The study of the chemistry behind biological processes defines the field of biochemistry. Biochemistry has become the foundation for understanding all biological processes. It has provided explanations for the causes of many diseases in humans, animals and plants.

Research chemicals are chemical substances used by scientists for medical and scientific research purposes. One characteristic of a research chemical is that it is for laboratory research use only; a research chemical is not intended for human or veterinary use. Research and development (R&D) consists of three main activities: basic research, applied research, and development. Basic research is where it all starts: new ideas, fundamental theories, unanswered questions, and investigation into something that doesn't quite make sense. The basic researcher is driven by curiosity and a desire to explore unknown territory. Some ideas pan out, some don't, and that is all part of the process. Basic research includes theoretical research, but it also includes early-stage investigations in the laboratory or field.

Pharmaceutical (medicinal) chemistry is concerned with the design (drug design) and synthesis of biologically active molecules. The aim is to gain new chemical molecules that could enable the discovery of new pharmaceuticals or optimize already known drug structures, thereby to expand the portfolio of chemical drugs. Although organic chemistry plays a crucial role, only knowledgeable pharmaceutical chemists are able to work effectively in a highly interdisciplinary environment and interact with scientists in other disciplines, such as molecular biology, structural biology, pharmacology, physical chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacokinetics, pharmaceutical technology, toxicology or with experts from the field of translational medicine, etc.