[anmb]

I am at the end of my career and did not pay attention to chemistry at school and now have an interest in MOF technology - I have seen a formula and wondered how/where I can find, total newb information, as to what it means.

this is the formula: ho2c-c6h4-co2h+zn(no3)2 then an arrow zn4o(o2c-c6h4-co2)3 = mof-5

I type in ho2c and get a result dicarboxylic acid

I assume the symbols denote chemicals that are used together and the arrow is the result of this action - am I right?
what is the - + arrow sign denoting ?
how do I find what the process involved in producing the equation result is?

thanks for your understanding of my lack of knowledge

[Borek]

Note: capitalization is important here, as well as correct use of indices.

This is more or less standard way of writing reaction equations.

HO₂C-C₆H₄-CO₂H is one of the isomers of the phthalic acid (there is not enough information to tell which one):







"-" doesn't actually mean anything particular, it is sometimes used to denote bonds in organic compounds, but its not really needed.

Zn(NO₃)₂ is zinc nitrate.

Notation

A + B C

means - these on the left react producing these on the right. Typically there will be some numbers used to balance the equation (make it consistent with the real amounts of substances reacting).

[anmb]

thanks Borek
I am beginning to understand - I looked up isomers and understand what they mean but, and this may be a stupid question:
how do they make different isomers if they are using the same basic chemicals - if its a process what causes them to combine in different ways?

'HO2C-C6H4-CO2H is one of the isomers of the phthalic acid' - do this mean that phthalic acid is made up from dicarboxylic acid, benzine and carboxylic acid?

how would you identify the isomer from the equation or what further information would you need

[Meter]

thanks Borek
I am beginning to understand - I looked up isomers and understand what they mean but, and this may be a stupid question:
how do they make different isomers if they are using the same basic chemicals - if its a process what causes them to combine in different ways?

'HO2C-C6H4-CO2H is one of the isomers of the phthalic acid' - do this mean that phthalic acid is made up from dicarboxylic acid, benzine and carboxylic acid?

how would you identify the isomer from the equation or what further information would you need

Because some of the basic building blocks will combine to form one isomer, some will form another, and so on. Usually the isomer that is achieved in the highest yield is also the most stable one. It's more complicated than that, though.

[Borek]

how do they make different isomers if they are using the same basic chemicals

Sometimes you use different chemicals to make a different isomer, sometimes you use a different process, sometimes you get a mixture and you separate them and so on.

Phthalic acid contains an aromatic ring (that of a benzene) and two carboxylic groups - they can be attached at different positions (see the images in my previous post, -COOH - with a double bond between C and one of the oxygens - are carboxylic groups).

[anmb]

is the resultant isomer from experimentation over the years or is there a way to predict the result of mixing these different chemicals or processes?

thanks for being patient with a newbie

[Meter]

is the resultant isomer from experimentation over the years or is there a way to predict the result of mixing these different chemicals or processes?

thanks for being patient with a newbie

I don't think there's an easy way of accurately predicting an exact distribution, but you can argue why the formation of certain isomers will be preferred over others. This is beyond your level (for now ), but when working with di-substituted benzene rings (benzene ring with two groups attached to it), you can sometimes predict whether or not the majority of your products are ortho-, meta- or para- (1st, 2nd or 3rd position from functional group) using resonance structures depending on the of electron nature of the functional group. There's no simple explanation for what I just told you, unfortunately.

[Borek]

is the resultant isomer from experimentation over the years or is there a way to predict the result of mixing these different chemicals or processes?

Hard to tell one from another, we can do predictions based on many years of accumulating experimental knowledge.

[anmb]

thanks all I think I get it
the formula is not an exact mathematical term, more a recipe

further question:
if I wanted to find the answers to specific questions about, mofs construction and their performance, where would I post them? ie. are they enviro friendly, how long do they last etc. etc.

[Borek]

thanks all I think I get it
the formula is not an exact mathematical term, more a recipe

Not exactly. There are ways of drawing/naming/expressing the molecule in an unambiguous way, just the one used in your case was not one of them. It is nothing unusual to leave some information out when it either don't matter or is clear in the context (at least for people knowing the application).

if I wanted to find the answers to specific questions about, mofs construction and their performance, where would I post them? ie. are they enviro friendly, how long do they last etc. etc.

I am not sure anyone here will be able to help when you have too detailed questions - this is a relatively specialized area, and the questions you listed are highly specific, difficult to answer without access to rather obscure data*. We can be definitely able to help whenever the answer is based on some general concepts (that's what we did so far).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal–organic_framework

*Like: "how long do they last" is something that can be only measured experimentally. It is definitely possible to try to predict which ones should be more stable, but without solid, experimental data, such predictions will be only educated guesses and won't be quantitative.

[anmb]

thanks for all your help it has been very useful- I have a follow up question - If you are a complete chemical novice and find an industrial produced chemical (basf basolite a100)
how do you know how this is used? ie it is supplied as a powder and therefore I assume can be manufactured into many final forms
where do you look for application/specification/safety data on the basolite powder?
who would you ask to produce a product? chemical engineer ? research scientist? chemical tech company? university?