NDLI: On the non-existence of parallel universes in chemistry

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Bader, Richard F. W.
Copyright Year	2011
Abstract	This treatise presents thoughts on the divide that exists in chemistry between those who seek their understanding within a universe wherein the laws of physics apply and those who prefer alternative universes wherein the laws are suspended or ‘bent’ to suit preconceived ideas. The former approach is embodied in the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), a theory based upon the properties of a system’s observable distribution of charge. Science is experimental observation followed by appeal to theory that, upon occasion, leads to new experiments. This is the path that led to the development of the molecular structure hypothesis—that a molecule is a collection atoms with characteristic properties linked by a network of bonds that impart a structure—a concept forged in the crucible of nineteenth century experimental chemistry. One hundred and fifty years of experimental chemistry underlie the realization that the properties of some total system are the sum of its atomic contributions. The concept of a functional group, consisting of a single atom or a linked set of atoms, with characteristic additive properties forms the cornerstone of chemical thinking of both molecules and crystals and Dalton’s atomic hypothesis has emerged as the operational theory of chemistry. We recognize the presence of a functional group in a given system and predict its effect upon the static, reactive and spectroscopic properties of the system in terms of the characteristic properties assigned to that group. QTAM gives physical substance to the concept of a functional group.
Starting Page	11
Ending Page	37
Page Count	27
File Format	PDF
ISSN	13864238
Journal	Foundations of Chemistry
Volume Number	13
Issue Number	1
e-ISSN	15728463
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Netherlands
Publisher Date	2011-04-24
Publisher Place	Dordrecht
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Electron density Atoms in molecules Molecular structure QTAIM History Physical Chemistry Philosophy of Science Chemistry/Food Science
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Chemistry History Biochemistry

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Atoms in molecules as non-overlapping, bounded, space-filling open quantum systems

What does shape a topological atom?

Special issue: Philosophical aspects and implications of the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM)

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Beyond the orthodox QTAIM: motivations, current status, prospects and challenges

Austere quantum mechanics as a reductive basis for chemistry

Letter to the editor: Are there “really” atoms in molecules?

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On the non-existence of parallel universes in chemistry

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