Centennial Congress Day F i r s t Centennial Congress Plenary Lecture: Reactions of Atoms Speaker: Phillip S. Skell, Pennsylvania State University Brief ooenine ceremonies were interiected Tuesday into the convi&alit; that was appropriatel; designated " ~ r i e s t ley Water" night. Needless to say, the formalities did not seriously interfere with the celebration by participants of Priestley's discovery. The formal program began onWednesday with the lecture presented by Phillip S. Skell of the host institution, Pennsylvania State University. In his lecture, "Reactions of Atoms," he reviewed the limited number of atoms whose reactions had been investieated throueh about 1960 and then summarized more recent work in his laboratories. Little chemistw of atoms was known early because they were either unreactive or already existed in a combined state. A maior inhibitina factor in early work was the difficulty of finding an appropriate method for carryingout the required reactions of atoms. Generation of atoms
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under high temperature conditions was not difficult hut resulting products of reaction could seldom stand the high temperatures of atomization of the elements. Skell's innovative approach was to vaporize elements under high vacuum conditions and allow deposition of these atoms with the other reactant at surfaces held at low temperatures. If reaction does not occur during deposition. warmine of the matrix eenerallv allows reaction. ~ a t h &classic~lwork-up and purification will typically vield around 500 me of oroducts which are often unavailable by other methods. he synthetic aspects of the method offer potential for preparation of many heretofore unknown compounds. The lecture also included description of the reaction apparatus, typical systems investigated, and prospects for futureuse of the approach.
Volume 52, Number 1, January 1975
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