Significance of Inorganic Chemistry: Applications for Humankind

This essay discusses the significance of inorganic chemistry to humankind, covering several key applications. It begins with synthetic inorganic chemistry, which involves the creation and synthesis of compounds without carbon-hydrogen bonds, highlighting its role in producing plastics and fibers. The essay then explores the medical applications of inorganic chemistry, focusing on metal complexes used in treating diseases and diagnostic imaging, noting the increasing trend of inorganic drugs. It also covers the production of materials for human consumption, such as fuels, pigments, and coatings, emphasizing compounds like ammonia, titanium dioxide, and chlorine. Furthermore, the essay examines the use of inorganic chemistry in construction, particularly in adhesives for joinery work, detailing different types of adhesives and their chemical compositions. Finally, it discusses the catalytic applications of inorganic chemistry, citing processes like the Contact Process and the Haber process, which are crucial for producing sulfuric acid and ammonia, respectively. The essay references various studies to support its points, providing a comprehensive overview of inorganic chemistry's diverse and vital roles.

SIGNIFICANCE OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY TO HUMAN KIND
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Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry
Inorganic chemistry defines the study of the creation, synthesis as well as the
characteristics of compounds that are not having carbon-hydrogen bonds in their structures.
Inorganic chemistry handles the synthesis and conduct of the inorganic as well as organometallic
compounds. In as much as some of the inorganic species may be achieved in the pure forms from
nature, quite a large number of them are often synthesized in the laboratory as well as in
chemical plants. Inorganic chemistry is applied in the synthesis of plastics as well as fibres
(Tsugawa et al., 2016).
While fibre defines any material which is continuous filaments or in elongated pieces that
are directs, having the same length as thread, a plastics refers to any of the broad range of
synthetic organic solids that is often applied during the manufacture of industrial products.
Fibres find their applications in numerous areas among them holding together of tissues in both
animals as well as plants. Inorganic chemistry has been applied in the manufacture of various
types of fibres among them textile and human made also called synthetic fibres for example
microfibers, cellulose, mineral as well as polymers (Tsugawa et al., 2016).
Fibres may be made into string, filaments or even rope. They may as well be used as
commonest of various composite materials or even mattered for the manufacture of products
among them paper. Plastics are on the other hand polymers that have great molecular mass and
could often be composed of other materials so as to enhance their performance or otherwise
lower their cost of production (Comini, 2016).

Medicine
The extensive knowledge of inorganic chemists on the coordination, redox, ligand exchanges
as well as the photo physical properties of the various metal ions have aided in gaining an in-
depth understanding of the interactions between the different inorganic compounds and the
biological molecules of the human body (Comini, 2016). There is a trend of shift of focus by the
pharmaceutical industry on inorganic drugs from the dominant organic drugs. Among the main
reasons for this include:
 Chances of transferring inorganic dugs in the body through reactions of ligand
substitution and oxidation are high
 Numerous activities of the metal ions with regard to biology have initiated the
establishment of therapeutics based on metals (Müller & Krebs, 2016).
Metal complexes are being widely used in various therapeutic applications in which they are
used in the treatment of an avalanche of human diseases. The science and concept of medical
chemistry started with the realization of the drugs that are based on metals that were used for the
treatment of syphilis. At the moment, metals or metalloids as well as their accompanying
elements are being used and are incorporated into numerals therapeutic drugs as well as agents of
diagnostic imaging (Malavath & Kumar, 2018).
Among the metals and/or metalloids commonly used include iron, silver, platinum, copper,
selenium, bismuth, vanadium, antimony, arsenic, germanium, ruthenium, titanium, manganese,
gadolinium as well as technetium among other metals and metalloids. There has also been
noticed worldwide increase and tremendous growth in the sales of inorganic drugs, a trend that is
expected to increase even further.

Production of materials for human consumption
Inorganic chemistry is applied in the production of inorganic compounds that are used for
various purposes such as fuels, pigments, coatings or even surfactants. Such substances in most
case have relatively very high melting points as well as specific low or high properties of
electrical conductivities that render them useful for categorical purposes for example:
Ammonia is a source of nitrogen for manufacture of nitrogenous fertilizer and tends to be
one of the main inorganic chemist that is used in the generation of plastics, fibres, nylons as well
plastics alongside polyurethanes that are used in hard coatings that are resistant to pain, foams
and adhesives as well as hydrazine which is used in rocket and jet fuels besides explosives
(Roux, Hansson & Claustres, 2016).
Titanium dioxide is a neutrally available oxide of titanium that is often used in the form
of a pigment of white powder in plastics, paper, paint, cosmetics, food, inks, coatings and even
fibres. Titanium dioxide as well has excellent properties of resistance to ultraviolet light and thus
its growing demand for application in photo catalysts (Comini, 2016).
Chlorine is yet another very important inorganic substance that is often used in the
manufacture of polyvinyl chloride that is used in the manufacture of furniture, pipes as well as
clothing. The substance is also used as a component in agrichemicals for example treatment of
soil, fertilizers or even insecticides alongside finding its applications in pharmaceuticals and
chemical for use in sterilization and treatment of water (Nbina & Avwiri, 2014).

Fabrication of materials for construction work
Inorganic chemistry has found wide applications in the construction industry especially
when it comes to joinery work. One of such examples is the case of adhesives which are
materials used for holding solid materials together by the use of surface attachment (Burrows et
al., 2017). The main focus for this case is structure adhesives that are materials used in joinery
work of engineering materials including wood, composites and metals. It is anticipated that an
adhesive joint should be made using a structural adhesive that is able to sustain a load stress that
is beyond 6.9 MPa for the increased period of time. One of such adhesives that have been found
to be having such properties is hot melt adhesives which are often applied from the melt and
have their properties attained upon the solidification of the adhesives (Nbina & Avwiri, 2014).
Pressure sensitive adhesives offer strength as well as adherence using just finger pressure
during the process of application (Sekiguchi et al., 2015). Adhesive tapes that are commonly
used in engineering joinery work are made through the application of an adhesive that is
sensitive to pressure to a backing. Any of the ain classes of adhesive can be define into further
details using its chemistry hence most of the structural adhesives are determined by one or more
of the given chemistries: imide, epoxy, protein, acrylic, phenolic and bismaleimide. On the other
hand, most of the hot melt adhesive is determined by the named chemistries: polyesters,
polypropylene, polyethene, polyamides, ethylene-vinyl acetate as well as polyesters (Malavath &
Kumar, 2018). The pressure sensitive adhesive is normally based on silicones, natural rubber,
vinyl ethers, isoprene-styrene block co-polymers as well as acrylics.

Catalytic
Just like organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry is as well applicable in various catalysis
reactions that are used in the production of some of the products and compounds that are
essential for human kind. Among the process that use inorganic catalysts include the Contact
Process that is used in the manufacture of sulphuric acid as well as the Haber process that is sued
in the manufacture of ammonia. Another process of a similar nature is the conversion into nitric
acid from ammonia (Smiley & Jackson, 2016).
The contact process is the chemical process that is used in the production of sulphuric
acid and encompasses the conversion of sulphur dioxide into sulphur (VI) oxide. The process is
done in such a way that sulphur dioxide is passed over heated vanadium (V) oxide catalyst in the
company of oxygen or air. Such is an example of a heterogeneous catalysis and the reaction is
normally reversible. By virtue that the reaction is a reversible one makes it challenging and
hence no difference to the functioning of the catalyst. (Malavath & Kumar, 2018) It enhances the
rate of the forward reaction as well as the backward reaction in equal measure.
In the Haber process, nitrogen and hydrogen are combined to form ammonia in the
presence iron catalysts, yet another reversible reaction and hence a heterogeneous catalyst. The
manufacture of nitric acid from ammonia is also another heterogeneous catalysis example. The
process encompasses the oxidation of ammonia from the Haber process using oxygen that is in
the air in the presence of a catalyst, platinum rhodium (Malavath & Kumar, 2018).

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