Monthly Challenges

Participate in each monthly challenge to learn new skills and expand your knowledge. Explore the current challenge below, share your accomplishments on social media with the monthly hashtag, and check back soon for next month's challenge.

#ChemTour: Inorganic Chemistry

Get a little closer to chemistry each month with the 2022 #ChemTour. This month is all about inorganic chemistry!

Sure, you can study carbon with organic, but don’t the other 117 elements deserve some love? After all, it’s oxygen that comprises 61-65% of your body mass, nitrogen that gives fertilizers enough oomph to grow your food, and a wide array of transition and rare earth metals that make all your technology work. From the zinc oxide in mineral sunscreens to the color in gemstones and paints to the silica in our windows, glasses, and phone screens, inorganic chemistry is everywhere!

Share your favorite element, compound, or fun fact all month long. Need a starting point? Check out these resources!

Get to know #inorganic

• Periodic Table of Elements
  Get everything from elemental data to history and trivia about all of the elements in this interactive periodic table from the Royal Chemical Society
• Inorganic infographics
  Whether you’re trying to remember polyatomic ions or wondering Li batteries work, Andy Brunning has you covered with fun and informative infographics
• ACS Reactions: Water
  Learn some of the mysteries still surround this inorganic compound that is central to life as we know it
• Unit cells
  Need to brush up on your unit cells? Check out this comprehensive coverage from Purdue University

Inorganic community

Get to know people who love inorganic chemistry as much as you do!

• Division of Fluorine Chemistry   
  The most electronegative of all the elements, fluorine has unique chemistry that earns it its own division. Find programs and awards here.
• Division of Inorganic Chemistry
  Established in 1908 with the physical chemistry division, this is one of the original ACS technical divisions. It’s the place for ACS technical programming, outreach opportunities, grants, awards and connection with other inorganic chemists? This is the technical division for you!
• Geochemistry division
  Over 90% of the Earth is iron, oxygen, silicon, and magnesium, geochemistry is definitely a subdivision of inorganic. Check out this division’s collection of programming, awards, and volunteer opportunities

Careers

Interested in career in inorganic chemistry? Check out these Careers & the Chemical Sciences and inChemistry profiles:

• Chemistry Staff Scientist, Vernier Software and Technology, LLC, Elaine Nam
• Faculty, Oregon State University, Richard Nafshun
• President, Chelonia, Inc., John Gerlach
• Research Scientist, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Eric Breitung
• Senior Scientist, Savannah River National Laboratory, Katie Heroux

Journals

Want to catch up on the latest inorganic research? These journals are go-to sources:

• ACS Applied Electronic Materials
• ACS Catalysis
• ACS Earth and Space Chemistry
• ACS Materials Au  
• ACS Materials Letters
• ACS Nano
• ACS Nanoscience Au
• ACS Organic & Inorganic Au
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Langmuir
• Nano Letters
• Organometallics