chemistry 4
C H E M I S T R Y
and has received increased industrial sup- and an ‘inorganic chemist’ is not always ob-
port in recent years. Programmes include vious. A key defining issue might relate to
those focusing on the design of appropri- the ability of inorganic chemists to synthe-
ate coordination compounds as solid state sise non-organic compounds. Once made,
sensors and the design and development the characterisation techniques merge the
of ligands for d- and f-block elements and, disciplines.
in particular, for the separation of the plati-
num metals. One shortcoming in the inorganic research
scene is the limited research carried out at
It is clear that the field of inorganic chem-
universities that relates to the South African
istry as practised today is very different
mining industry. This applies in particular
from that practised in the 1950s. The clas-
to the chemistry of minerals extraction. It
sical techniques such as infrared and NMR
is not clear why South Africa has not devel-
spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography
oped world-class groups in this important
still dominate in the characterisation of
area. This is an area that should be stimu-
homogeneous systems, but the advent of
lated as the country switches from being
nanotechnology, driven by materials sci-
a provider of raw materials to being an ex-
ence, has led to the use of new techniques,
porter of value-added products.
in particular the microscopies (transmis-
sion and scanning electron microscopy
4.3 Organic chemistry, includ-
and scanning probe microscopy) and solid
ing bio-organic and biologi-
state NMR for studying solid systems. The
cal chemistry
strong support given to this area by the DST
through the South African Nanotechnol-
ogy Initiative (SANi) will mean remarkable
Organic chemistry research at South Afri-
growth in this area in this country in the fu-
can universities has for a long period been
ture. Furthermore, in line with international
relatively healthy; one of the doyens of
trends, computational chemistry methods
chemistry, let alone organic chemistry, was
(and especially the Density Function Theory
Frank Warren, who was noted for his work
(DFT) method) will continue to be increas-
in natural products. The late-1960s and the
ingly utilised by inorganic chemists.
1970s witnessed the return of many young
South African chemists who had studied
Inorganic chemistry is clearly moving in
abroad, as well as the arrival of many young
two distinct directions in South Africa. One chemists from Europe, and this undoubt-
is in the area of an organic/inorganic merge edly had a considerable influence in creat-
(bio-inorganic chemistry, medicinal chem- ing and providing a platform for an era of
istry, ligand design) and the other of an in- some outstanding research. A focal point
organic/physical merge (materials science, of organic research activity was the NCRL,
heterogeneous and, to some extent, homo- where leading research on mycotoxins and
geneous catalysis). Indeed, in the latter case steroids was being carried out, the former
the difference between a ‘physical chemist’ focusing more on structural aspects and
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