THE JOURNAL OF
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY (Registered in U. 9. Patent Office) (Copyright, 1955, by the American Chemical Society)
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VOLUME59
APRIL19, 1955
NUMBER 4
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ISOMERISM IN INORGANIC CHEMISTRY-INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY HANSB. JONASSEN Department of Chemistry, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana Received November 88, 1964
Isomerism in Inorganic Chemistry is a field of optical activity in the extremely interesting comstudy that has been greatly neglected in most plexes where hexadentate chelate groups are academic research circles in this country for many present. This will be followed by Dr. Yalman's years. This subject brings to mind the name of work, reported by Mr. Kuwana, on structural Dr. John C. Bailar, Jr., whose continually ex- isomerism involving nitro-nitrito isomerism. The panding research in this field at the University of last paper will discuss cis and trans isomerism in Illinois has kept interest alive. His early papers on palladium(I1) complex compounds. this subject were in the Journal of Chemical To discuss all types of isomerism would take Education,' and in the Transactions of the Illinois much more time than is allotted, but it might be State Academy of Science in 1931.2 These mere well to append here a list of some other important followed by numerous papers, mostly in the varieties of isomerism that will not be covered in Journal of the American Chemical Society. the papers scheduled for these sessions: His infectious enthusiasm for this topic excited 1. Coordination isomerism, such as in [Cothe interest of his students and several of them (en)31 [Cr(CN)d and [Cr(en)d [Co(CN)d. have developed active research programs in this 2. Hydrate isomerism, such as in [Co(NH,)HzO difficult but rewarding field. Several of his students, C1]C ~ and Z [Co (NH3)&12] C1.H20. Drs. Basolo, Quagliano, Holtzclaw and Jonassen 3. Polymerization isomerism, such as in Ptare participating in this program. It is, therefore, (NH3)2C12 and [Pt(NH&] [PtCh]. a great pleasure to dedicate this symposium to Dr. 4. Valence isomerism, such as in John C. Bailar, Jr., of the University of Illinois. During the morning session Dr. Holtzclaw will discuss the differences in polarographic behavior of several pairs of octahedral cis and trans isomers. This will be followed by a paper given by Dr. L Hz J Basolo in which the rates of acid hydrolysis of a series of chelated octahedral complexes will be discussed. Next Dr. Quagliano will give a report of the infrared data which he obtained on several cis and trans isomers of planar and octahedral 5. Structural isomerism, such as in thioselencomplexes. During the afternoon Dr. Martell will discuss ates and selenosulfates. 6 . Bond type isomerism, such as the two forms stability of complex compounds as affected by isomeric changes in the ligand. Next, Dr. Dwyer of HgIz and of nickelstilbenediamine complexes. Perhaps in some future meeting these latter will discuss another phase of isomerism, namely, topics can be presented as learnedly as are the (1) John C. Bailar, Jr., J . Chem. Ed., 8,310 (1931). problems under present consideration in the papers (2) John C. Bailar, Jr., Transaction8 ILL Stale Acad. Sci., 23, 307 1931). which it is now our pleasure to hear.
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