Outline of chemistry

Summary

• An academic discipline – one with academic departments, curricula and degrees; national and international societies; and specialized journals.
• A scientific field – widely recognized category of specialized expertise within science, and typically embodies its own terminology and nomenclature. Such a field will usually be represented by one or more scientific journals, where peer-reviewed research is published. There are several chemistry-related scientific journals.
• * A natural science – one that seeks to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world using empirical and scientific method.
• ** A physical science – one that studies non-living systems.
• ** A biological science – one that studies the role of chemicals and chemical processes in living organisms. ''See Outline of biochemistry.''

  Branches

• Physical chemistry – study of the physical and fundamental basis of chemical systems and processes. In particular, the energetics and dynamics of such systems and processes are of interest to physical chemists. Important areas of study include chemical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, electrochemistry, statistical mechanics, spectroscopy, and more recently, astrochemistry. Physical chemistry has large overlap with molecular physics. Physical chemistry involves the use of infinitesimal calculus in deriving equations. It is usually associated with quantum chemistry and theoretical chemistry. Physical chemistry is a distinct discipline from chemical physics, but again, there is very strong overlap.
• * Chemical kinetics – study of rates of chemical processes.
• * Chemical physics – investigates physicochemical phenomena using techniques from atomic and molecular physics and condensed matter physics; it is the branch of physics that studies chemical processes.
• * Electrochemistry – branch of chemistry that studies chemical reactions which take place in a solution at the interface of an electron conductor and an ionic conductor, and which involve electron transfer between the electrode and the electrolyte or species in solution.
• * Femtochemistry – area of physical chemistry that studies chemical reactions on extremely short timescales, approximately 10⁻¹⁵ seconds.
• * Geochemistry – chemical study of the mechanisms behind major systems studied in geology.
• * Photochemistry – study of chemical reactions that proceed with the absorption of light by atoms or molecules.
• * Quantum chemistry – branch of chemistry whose primary focus is the application of quantum mechanics in physical models and experiments of chemical systems.
• * Solid-state chemistry – study of the synthesis, structure, and properties of solid phase materials, particularly, but not necessarily exclusively of, non-molecular solids.
• * Spectroscopy – study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy.
• * Stereochemistry – study of the relative spatial arrangement of atoms that form the structure of molecules
• * Surface science – study of physical and chemical phenomena that occur at the interface of two phases, including solid–liquid interfaces, solid–gas interfaces, solid–vacuum interfaces, and liquid-gas interfaces.
• * Thermochemistry – the branch of chemistry that studies the relation between chemical action and the amount of heat absorbed or generated.
• ** Calorimetry – the study of heat changes in physical and chemical processes.
• Organic chemistry – study of the structure, properties, composition, mechanisms, and reactions of organic compounds. An organic compound is defined as any compound based on a carbon skeleton.
• * Biochemistry – study of the chemicals, chemical reactions and chemical interactions that take place in living organisms. Biochemistry and organic chemistry are closely related, as in medicinal chemistry or neurochemistry. Biochemistry is also associated with molecular biology and genetics.
• ** Neurochemistry – study of neurochemicals; including transmitters, peptides, proteins, lipids, sugars, and nucleic acids; their interactions, and the roles they play in forming, maintaining, and modifying the nervous system.
• **Molecular biochemistry and genetic engineering – an area of biochemistry and molecular biology that studies the genes, their heritage and their expression.
• * Bioorganic chemistry – combines organic chemistry and biochemistry toward biology.
• * Biophysical chemistry – is a physical science that uses the concepts of physics and physical chemistry for the study of biological systems.
• * Medicinal chemistry – discipline which applies chemistry for medical or drug related purposes.
• * Organometallic chemistry – is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkaline, alkaline earth, and transition metals, and sometimes broadened to include metalloids like boron, silicon, and tin.
• * Physical organic chemistry – study of the interrelationships between structure and reactivity in organic molecules.
• Inorganic chemistry – study of the properties and reactions of inorganic compounds. The distinction between organic and inorganic disciplines is not absolute and there is much overlap, most importantly in the sub-discipline of organometallic chemistry.
• * Bioinorganic chemistry – is a field that examines the role of metals in biology.
• * Cluster chemistry – focuses on crystalline materials most often existing on the 0–2 nanometer scale and characterizing their crystal structures and understanding their role in the nucleation and growth mechanisms of larger materials.
• Nuclear chemistry – study of how subatomic particles come together and make nuclei. Modern transmutation is a large component of nuclear chemistry, and the table of nuclides is an important result and tool for this field.
• Analytical chemistry – analysis of material samples to gain an understanding of their chemical composition and structure. Analytical chemistry incorporates standardized experimental methods in chemistry. These methods may be used in all subdisciplines of chemistry, excluding purely theoretical chemistry.

• Astrochemistry – study of the abundance and reactions of chemical elements and molecules in the universe, and their interaction with radiation.
• * Cosmochemistry – study of the chemical composition of matter in the universe and the processes that led to those compositions.
• Computational chemistry – is a branch of chemistry that uses computer simulations for solving chemical problems.
• Environmental chemistry – study of chemical and biochemical phenomena that occur diverse aspects of the environment such the air, soil, and water. It also studies the effects of human activity on the environment.
• Green chemistry is a philosophy of chemical research and engineering that encourages the design of products and processes that minimize the use and generation of hazardous substances.
• Supramolecular chemistry – refers to the domain of chemistry beyond that of molecules and focuses on the chemical systems made up of a discrete number of assembled molecular subunits or components.
• Theoretical chemistry – study of chemistry via fundamental theoretical reasoning. In particular the application of quantum mechanics to chemistry is called quantum chemistry. Since the end of the Second World War, the development of computers has allowed a systematic development of computational chemistry, which is the art of developing and applying computer programs for solving chemical problems. Theoretical chemistry has large overlap with condensed matter physics and molecular physics.
• Polymer chemistry – multidisciplinary science that deals with the chemical synthesis and chemical properties of polymers or macromolecules.
• Wet chemistry – is a form of analytical chemistry that uses classical methods such as observation to analyze materials usually in liquid phase.
• Agrochemistry – study and application of both chemistry and biochemistry for agricultural production, the processing of raw products into foods and beverages, and environmental monitoring and remediation.
• Atmospheric chemistry – branch of atmospheric science which studies the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and that of other planets.
• Chemical biology – scientific discipline spanning the fields of chemistry and biology and involves the application of chemical techniques and tools, often compounds produced through synthetic chemistry, to analyze and manipulation of biological systems.
• Chemo-informatics – use of computer and informational techniques applied to a range of problems in the field of chemistry.
• Flow chemistry – study of chemical reactions in continuous flow, not as stationary batches, in industry and macro processing equipment.
• Immunohistochemistry – involves the process of detecting antigens in cells of a tissue section by exploiting the principle of antibodies binding specifically to antigens in biological tissues.
• Immunochemistry – is a branch of chemistry that involves the study of the reactions and components on the immune system.
• Chemical oceanography – study of ocean chemistry: the behavior of the chemical elements within the Earth's oceans.
• Mathematical chemistry – area of study engaged in novel applications of mathematics to chemistry. It concerns itself principally with the mathematical modeling of chemical phenomena.
• Mechanochemistry – coupling of mechanical and chemical phenomena on a molecular scale.
• Molecular biology – study of interactions between the various systems of a cell. It overlaps with biochemistry.
• Petrochemistry – study of the transformation of petroleum and natural gas into useful products or raw materials.
• Phytochemistry – study of phytochemicals which come from plants.
• Radiochemistry – chemistry of radioactive materials.
• Sonochemistry – study of effect of sonic waves and wave properties on chemical systems.
• Synthetic chemistry – study of chemical synthesis.