At the frontiers of knowledge in chemistry: the 47th Bürgenstock Conference

A solute is a component of a solution that is typically present at a much lower concentration than the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
Concentrations may be quantitatively assessed using a wide variety of measurement units, each convenient for particular applications. Molarity (M) is a useful concentration unit for many applications in chemistry.

The free energy change associated with dissolving a solute in a liter of solvent is called the free energy of a solution, ΔGsolution. The overall ΔGsolution is expressed as the balance of ΔGinteraction against the always-favorable free-energy of mixing, ΔGmixing. Solution formation is favorable if  ΔGsolution is less than zero, whereas it is unfavorable if ΔGsolution is greater than zero. In short, for a solution to form and complete dissolution to take place, the Gibbs energy change must be...

Atoms participate in a chemical bond formation to acquire a completed valence-shell electron configuration similar to that of the noble gas nearest to it in atomic number. Ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds are some of the important types of chemical bonds. Bond energy and bond length determine the strength of a chemical bond.
Types of Chemical Bonds
An ionic bond is formed due to electrostatic attraction between cations and anions. Often, the ions are formed by the transfer of electrons from...

The effect of an inert salt on the solubility of a sparingly soluble salt is known as the salt effect. The degree of the salt effect varies with the ionic strength of the solution, which in turn depends on the activity of the species in the solution. The activity is expressed as the product of concentration and the activity coefficient of the species.
To calculate the equilibrium constants of solutions of moderately high ionic strength, one must account for the salt effect. This redefined...

Cycloalkanes are saturated cyclic hydrocarbons with carbon atoms arranged in the form of rings. They have two fewer hydrogen atoms than the corresponding acyclic alkane; therefore, their general formula is CnH2n. The structural formulas of cycloalkanes are simplified using the line-angle representation. The regular polygons are used to represent the cycloalkane rings, with each side representing a carbon-carbon bond.
The IUPAC nomenclature of cycloalkanes follows similar rules that apply to...

In an NMR sample, precise measurement of the absolute absorption frequencies of nuclei is difficult. A standard internal reference compound is added, and the frequency difference between the reference signal and sample signals is measured.
The internal reference compound generally used in NMR spectroscopy is tetramethylsilane (TMS). TMS is preferred because it is chemically inert, soluble in NMR solvents, and easily removable. Also, the highly shielded methyl protons in TMS yield an intense...