Chemical Structure and Reactivity: An Integrated Approach

Citation

Keeler, J., & Wothers, P. (2013). Chemical Structure and Reactivity: An Integrated Approach (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

Chapter Summary

The second edition has 22 chapters in two parts. Part I, "The fundamentals" (Chapters 1 to 12), develops the core ideas of structure, bonding, thermodynamics and reactivity. Part II, "Going further" (Chapters 13 to 22), extends these ideas into spectroscopy, further organic and inorganic chemistry, and more detailed physical chemistry. The publisher presents the book as a single discipline in which organic, inorganic and physical concepts are blended to explain chemical systems, so the chapter titles below cross the usual subject boundaries.

Chapters 1–3: Molecules and molecular structures: an overview; Electrons in atoms; Symmetry

The book opens with an overview of molecules and molecular structures, then turns to electrons in atoms, and then to symmetry, which is placed before the chapters on electrons in molecules.

Chapters 4–6: Electrons in molecules: diatomics; Electrons in molecules: polyatomics; Bonding in solids

These chapters develop the electronic structure of molecules, first for diatomic and then for polyatomic molecules, and extend bonding ideas to solids.

Chapters 7–9: Thermodynamics and the Second Law; Trends in bonding; Bonding between the elements

Chapter 7 introduces thermodynamics and the Second Law. Chapters 8 and 9 survey trends in bonding and the bonding between the elements.

Chapters 10–12: Describing reactions using orbitals; Organic chemistry 1: functional groups; The rates of reactions

Chapter 10 applies the orbital description to reactions. Chapter 11 introduces functional groups as the first of three organic chapters in the book, and Chapter 12 treats the rates of reactions, which closes Part I.

Chapters 13–15: Spectroscopy; Organic chemistry 2: three-dimensional shapes; Organic chemistry 3: reactions of π systems

Part II begins with spectroscopy, then returns to organic chemistry with a chapter on three-dimensional shapes and one on reactions of π systems.

Chapters 16–17: Main group chemistry; Transition metals

These two chapters cover the chemistry of the main-group elements and of the transition metals.

Chapters 18–21: Quantum mechanics and spectroscopy; Chemical thermodynamics; Chemical kinetics; Electrochemistry

The last four subject chapters return to physical chemistry in more depth: quantum mechanics and spectroscopy, chemical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics and electrochemistry.

Chapter 22: Dimensions, units and some key mathematical ideas

The book closes with a chapter on dimensions, units and mathematical ideas that the other chapters rely on.

Key Concepts

Part I: The fundamentals (Chapters 1–12)

• Molecular orbital description of bonding: electrons in atoms, diatomic and polyatomic molecules, and solids, developed with the help of symmetry.
• Thermodynamics and the Second Law: introduced in Part I as a basis for understanding reactions.
• Reactions described with orbitals: orbital interactions used to explain how reactions occur.
• Reaction rates: how rates are described and measured.

Part II: Going further (Chapters 13–22)

• Spectroscopy: introduced as a tool for probing structure.
• Three-dimensional shape and π-system reactivity in organic chemistry: the second and third organic chapters.
• Main-group and transition metal chemistry: inorganic chemistry placed alongside the physical and organic chapters.
• Chemical thermodynamics, kinetics and electrochemistry: the more detailed physical chemistry treatments.

Critical Analysis

Strengths

• A genuinely integrated plan. The publisher describes the book as showing chemistry as a seamless discipline, and the contents bear this out: symmetry and molecular orbitals precede both organic functional groups and the inorganic chapters, and thermodynamics and kinetics appear twice, first as foundations in Part I and then in more detail in Part II.
• Part II as separate extensions. Each Part II chapter is devoted to one area (spectroscopy, organic, main-group, transition-metal, quantum, thermodynamic, kinetic or electrochemical), so a reader or course can finish Part I and then pick among them.
• Online resources tied to chapters. The authors' resource pages provide weblinks for most chapters, including movies showing how key molecular orbitals change during reactions such as the protonation of water and the reaction of hydride with borane, and views of solid-state structures. The publisher's Learning Link lists question sets for each chapter and custom multimedia for students.

Limitations

• Solutions are for instructors. The publisher lists the solutions to the question sets among the instructor resources, not the student resources, so independent readers may lack worked answers.
• Not a complete course in any one branch. Three chapters are titled organic chemistry and two cover main-group and transition-metal chemistry, so a student taking a full organic or inorganic course will still need a specialist text.
• Uneven online support. The authors' web-link pages have folders for Chapters 1 to 10 and 12 to 19 only; there are none for Chapters 11 and 20 to 22.

Where It Fits in the Course

Within the general chemistry course, this book is the one to read when the aim is to see organic, inorganic and physical chemistry as parts of one subject. Chemistry 2e is a free, openly licensed two-semester text, Chemistry: The Central Science is a two-semester text built on clear explanations and extensive problem practice, and Petrucci and colleagues' General Chemistry emphasizes problem-solving and applications; any of them is a sensible first pass. Atkins and colleagues' Chemical Principles also builds chemistry from physical principles but follows the conventional order of atoms, bonding, states of matter, thermodynamics, equilibrium and kinetics before descriptive and organic chemistry.

Keeler and Wothers is therefore best read after a first course, or alongside a more conventional text, by a student who wants the unifying ideas of orbitals, thermodynamics and kinetics put to work on organic and inorganic compounds alike.

How to Use This Book

The book suits university chemistry students who have completed an introductory course and want a unified treatment before specializing. It is also useful to readers heading into physical, inorganic or organic chemistry who want the common framework first.

A practical plan:

• Core: Part I in order. Chapter 3 (symmetry) comes before the chapters on electrons in molecules, so do not skip it.
• Choose from Part II: Chapter 13 for spectroscopy, Chapters 14 and 15 for organic chemistry, Chapters 16 and 17 for inorganic chemistry, and Chapters 18 to 21 for physical chemistry, according to the course or interest.
• Reference: Chapter 22 when units or mathematical ideas cause trouble.
• Alongside the text: use the question sets for each chapter and the online movies and structures, especially for Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 10.

If working without an instructor, pair the book with a text that supplies worked solutions.