Physical chemistry of adsorption and catalysis

Like literature, philosophy is not distinguished from other subjects by a specific approach to a subject-matter independent of it. Chemistry deals with chemicals, biology with life and astronomy with very large, very distant objects. Philosophy can boast no such definite subject-matter.

Due to economic and ecological factors, catalytic processes in the pro duction of fine chemicals are gaining in importance, especially in the area of asymmetric catalysis (Collins et al. 1997; Breuer et al. 2004). Accordingly, the practicing chemist has three major options: transition metal catalysts (Jacobsen et al. 1999), organocatalysts (Berkessel and Gröger 2004) or enzymes (Drauz and Waldmann 2002; Liese et al. 2006). All of them have advantages and disadvantages, which means that a given type of catalysis cannot be expected to provide general so lutions to all problems of relevance in academic and industrial labora tories. Therefore, research in all three approaches needs to be intensified.

Just think of the differences today. A young person gets interested in chemistry and is given a chemical set. But it doesn't contain potassium cyanide. It doesn't even contain copper sulfate or anything else interesting because all the interesting chemicals are considered dangerous substances. Therefore, these budding young chemists don't get a chance to do anything engrossing with their chemistry sets. As I look back, I think it is pretty remarkable that Mr. Ziegler, this friend of the family, would have so easily turned over one-third of an ounce of potassium cyanide to me, an eleven-year-old boy.