Chemical Synthesis

Chemical synthesis is a procedure employed to create molecules from elements or simpler compounds. The process typically entails mixing together reagents under specific environmental conditions, as well as employing catalysts, and adjusting temperatures, pressures, pH or other factors as required. Depending on the complexity of the molecules being created, several chemical reactions may need to be accurately sequenced in order to succeed. The goal of chemical synthesis is often to develop new chemical compounds or materials that can have useful industrial, medical, or even recreational purposes. Pharmaceutical companies rely heavily on chemical synthesis to produce novel drugs, while other industries may use it to form new polymers or plastics. One research team from the ETH Zurich recently created novel electrically conductive compounds by concentrating on the chemistry of an individual link between two molecular units. This new approach involves breaking one covalent bond between these two units, inserting a lower-energy structure, and subsequently creating a stronger bond. These compounds have the potential to increase the speed and data-carrying capacity of next-generation electronics. Chemical synthesis is an important part of the material sciences, as it addresses an immense variety of tasks ranging from the production of novel drugs and compounds, to the fabrication of efficient and useful materials. Its field has developed greatly over the past decades, introducing safer and more precise techniques to synthesizing chemicals and allowing scientists to further their understanding of matter. Thanks to these procedures, many advances in the fields of energy, medicine, and technology have been achieved.