Pathways To Modern Chemical Physics

In this historical volume Salvatore Califano traces the developments of ideas and theories in physical and theoretical chemistry throughout the 20th century. This seldom-told narrative provides details of topics from thermodynamics to atomic structure, radioactivity and quantum chemistry. Califano’s expertise as a physical chemist allows him to judge the historical developments from the point of view of modern chemistry. This detailed and unique historical narrative is fascinating for chemists working in the fields of physical chemistry and is also a useful resource for science historians who will enjoy access to material not previously dealt with in a coherent way.

Pathways to Modern Physical Chemistry: An Engineering Approach with Multidisciplinary Applications focuses on recent trends and takes a systematic and practical look at theoretical aspects of materials chemistry. The book describes the characterization and analysis methods for materials and explains physical transport mechanisms in various materials. Not only does this book summarize the classical theories of materials chemistry, but it also exhibits their engineering applications in response to the current key issues. Recent trends in several areas are explored, including polymer science, textile engineering, and chemical engineering science, which have important application to practice.

This book provides an English translation of the early fundamental contributions of Lothar Meyer (1830-1895) regarding his independent discovery, coincident with that of Dmitrii Mendeleev, of the periodic system of the elements. Although an English translation of the 5th edition of Meyer ́s book Modern Theories of Chemistry and their Significance for Chemical Statics was published in 1888, this will be the first time that these crucial early texts will be available in English. These writings reveal details regarding Meyer ́s research pathway to the idea of periodicity and to an arrangement of the chemical elements in tables and graphs. An introductory commentary and interpolated editorial footnotes to the texts clarify the (physico)-chemical background regarding the various shifts in thought during the crucial period from 1860 to the early 1870s. A short biography of Lothar Meyer completes the book. The volume includes a complete translation of the first edition of Modern Theories of Chemistry and their Significance for Chemical Statics (1864), the ground-breaking paper “The Nature of the Chemical Elements as a Function of their Atomic Weights” in Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie, suppl. vol. 7 (1870), 354-64, and portions of the revised second edition of Modern Theories of Chemistry and their Significance for Chemical Statics (1872).

In this new textbook on physical chemistry, fundamentals are introduced simply yet in more depth than is common. Topics are arranged in a progressive pattern, with simpler theory early and more complicated theory later. General principles are induced from key experimental results. Some mathematical background is supplied where it would be helpful. Each chapter includes worked-out examples and numerous references. Extensive problems, review, and discussion questions are included for each chapter. More detail than is common is devoted to the nature of work and heat and how they differ. Introductory Caratheodory theory and the standard integrating factor for dGrev are carefully developed. The fundamental role played by uncertainty and symmetry in quantum mechanics is emphasized. In chemical kinetics, various methods for determined rate laws are presented. The key mechanisms are detailed. Considerable statistical mechanics and reaction rate theory are then surveyed. Professor Duffey has given us a most readable, easily followed text in physical chemistry.

Theory and experiment in chemistry today provide a wealth of data, but such data have no meaning unless they are correctly interpreted by sound and transparent physical models. Linus Pauling was a grandmaster in the modelling of molecular properties. Indeed, many of his models have served chemistry for decades and that has been his lasting legacy for chemists all over the world. The aim of this book is to put such simple models into the language of modern quantum chemistry, thus providing a deeper justification for many of Pauling's ideas and concepts. However, it should be stressed that many contributions to this work, written by some of the world's most prominent theoretical chemists, do not merely follow Pauling's footprints. By taking his example, they made bold leaps forward to overcome the limitations of the old models, thereby opening new scientific vistas. This book is an important contribution to the chemical literature. It is an almost obligatory textbook for postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers in physical chemistry, chemical physics and advanced physical organic chemistry.

Written by one of the world's leading experts on the topic, this advanced textbook is the perfect introduction for newcomers to this exciting field. Concise and clear, the text focuses on such key aspects as kinetics, reaction mechanism and surface reactivity, concentrating on the essentials. The author also covers various catalytic systems, catalysis by design, and activation-deactivation. A website with supplementary material offers additional figures, original material and references.

The Encyclopedia of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics introduces possibly unfamiliar areas, explains important experimental and computational techniques, and describes modern endeavors. The encyclopedia quickly provides the basics, defines the scope of each subdiscipline, and indicates where to go for a more complete and detailed explanation. Particular attention has been paid to symbols and abbreviations to make this a user-friendly encyclopedia. Care has been taken to ensure that the reading level is suitable for the trained chemist or physicist. The encyclopedia is divided in three major sections: FUNDAMENTALS: the mechanics of atoms and molecules and their interactions, the macroscopic and statistical description of systems at equilibrium, and the basic ways of treating reacting systems. The contributions in this section assume a somewhat less sophisticated audience than the two subsequent sections. At least a portion of each article inevitably covers material that might also be found in a modern, undergraduate physical chemistry text. METHODS: the instrumentation and fundamental theory employed in the major spectroscopic techniques, the experimental means for characterizing materials, the instrumentation and basic theory employed in the study of chemical kinetics, and the computational techniques used to predict the static and dynamic properties of materials. APPLICATIONS: specific topics of current interest and intensive research.For the practicing physicist or chemist, this encyclopedia is the place to start when confronted with a new problem or when the techniques of an unfamiliar area might be exploited. For a graduate student in chemistry or physics, the encyclopedia gives a synopsis of the basics and an overview of the range of activities in which physical principles are applied to chemical problems. It will lead any of these groups to the salient points of a new field as rapidly as possible and gives pointers as to where to read about the topic in more detail.