Twenty-five years of thermochemistry research - a personal review

Abstract

The research in thermochemistry, conducted by the author over the period 1966-1991 is summarised and concisely reviewed. Significant advances have been made in the solution calorimetric determination of the standard formation enthalpies of coordination compounds, particularly metal dithiocarbamates, the application of thermometric titrimetry as an analytical technique, particularly for the determination of metals in aqueous systems of environmental significance and the rationalisation of speciation phenomena in aqueous metal-ligand systems, and the application of thermal analysis (TG, DTA, DSC, EGA and TMA) to study a wide variety of systems, particularly metal complexes. These thermal analysis studies also include the DSC determination of the sublimation enthalpies of metal complexes, the DTA study of phenols and phenol derivatives and a comprehensive TA study of Australian brown coal. This review reveals the diversity of application of calorimetric and thermal analysis techniques and the primary significance of thermodynamic data in the fundamental rationalisation of chemical phenomena. © 1992.