THE CHALLENGES OF INORGANIC-CHEMISTRY IN THE 21ST-CENTURY

The problems being addressed by inorganic chemistry in the 1990s will continue to be challenges well into the 21st century. For example, coo rdination chemistry will continue to provide compounds with unusual pr operties and uses, and will become an increasingly important component in bioinorganic chemistry. Nuclear technology will continue to challe nge the inorganic chemist in issues related to the treatment of nuclea r wastes and the cleanup of environmental contamination. Organometalli c chemistry will continue as one of the most active areas of catalysis research, especially in the chemical, energy, pharmaceuticals and pol lution control industries. Solid-state chemistry will advance with the growing requirements for better batteries, electronic components, pho tovoltaic devices, etc., and the synthetic procedures being conducted at high pressures and temperatures will assist the needs of geochemist s. Synthetic inorganic chemistry will tend to be more directed to meet ing specific goals, such as new compounds as reagents in organic synth esis, compounds with superconducting properties and inorganic polymers with unusual mechanical and thermal properties. New methods to meet t he needs of the production of inorganic chemicals will involve environ mental friendly synthesis. Thus inorganic chemistry will continue in i mportance to meet the needs for chemical, energy and materials product ion.