International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, better known by its acronym IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry), is a working group whose members are national chemical societies. It is the recognized authority in the development of standards for the naming of chemical compounds, through its Interdivisional Committee on Nomenclature and Symbols (Interdivisional Committee on Nomenclature and Symbols). He is a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU).

IUPAC was founded in the late second decade of the 20th century by chemists from industry and academia. For nearly eight decades the Union has succeeded in creating global communications in the chemical sciences and uniting academics; to both industrial and public sector chemists, in a common language. IUPAC has long been recognized as the world's foremost authority on decisions on chemical nomenclature, terminology, standard methods of measurement, atomic masses, and many other critically important evaluated data. The Union continues to sponsor international meetings at the highest level ranging from specialized scientific symposia to CHEMRAWN social impact meetings. During the Cold War, IUPAC became an important instrument for maintaining technical scientific dialogue between scientists of different nationalities throughout the world.

IUPAC Divisions

Currently, IUPAC has eight divisions:

1. Division of Physical and Biophysical Chemistry
2. Division of Inorganic Chemistry
3. Division of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry
4. Polymer Division
5. Analytical Chemistry Division
6. Chemical and Environment Division
7. Division of Chemistry and Human Health
8. Representation of Nomenclature and Chemical Structures

History

IUPAC was founded in 1919 by chemists from both industry and universities who recognized the need to establish global standards in the symbology and operational protocols of chemistry. The standardization of masses, measurements, names, and symbols is essential to the continued success of the scientific enterprise and to the development and growth of international trade.

This desire among chemists to collaborate in these matters facilitated international work, the Union was the fragmentation of the community. Even before the creation of IUPAC, a group from its predecessor, the International Association of Chemical Societies (IACS), had met in Paris in 1911 and had set out a range of proposals for the work that the new association should lead. These included the following guidelines:

• The nomenclature of inorganic and organic chemistry.
• The standardization of the atomic masses.
• Standardization of physical constants.
• The review of matter properties.
• The establishment of a commission for the review of work.
• Standardization in publications formats.
• Preventing redundancies in work.

Although 1911 may seem like an early date, in reality, the first international drive to organize the chemical nomenclature of organic compounds (the Geneva nomenclature of 1892) stems from a series of international meetings, the first of which It was organized by Friedrich August Kekulé in 1860.

The rules

IUPAC is well known for publishing the most recent and definitive data regarding true atomic masses and isotopic abundances. It also publishes a wide variety of other data of great value to chemists and engineers in the industry. For example:

• International tables of the fluid state of the world. A recent volume in this guideline provides data on methanel. This way of acting is very appropriate at a time when the uses of this substance are spreading rapidly, as a result of current environmental legislation that encourages the use of cleaner fuels.

• The collection of solubility data. More than 70 volumes of data have already been published in this field.

• The constants of stability. This database of constant stability relative to metal complexes contains more than 100,000 ligand-metal-bibliographical-reference combinations.

• Steaming of organic compounds.

• Thermodynamic properties and transport of alkaline metals.

• Reference materials for the achievement of specific physicochemical properties.

• Assessment of kinetic and photochemical data for application in atmospheric chemistry.

IUPAC is extensively involved in establishing protocols for analytical and clinical procedures, standards that set quality, and the design of research laboratories. Some examples are:

• The protocols for the analysis of oils, fats and derivatives.

• The protocol for analytical laboratories with ISO 9000 certification.

• Standardization in immune test determinations.

• Standard methods for determining traces of elements in body fluids.

• JCAMP-DX, a standard format for sharing computer files that are spectra-specific.

• Experimental thermodynamic: the measurement of fluid transport properties; dissolution heatimetry.

Environment

The various IUPAC Committees and Commissions have undertaken an extensive series of environmental projects. Some examples are:

• Environmental analytical chemistry.
• Environmental particles.
• Polymer recycling.
• The determination of traces of elements in the environment.
• Gas kinetic data for atmospheric chemistry.
• The glossary of atmospheric chemical terms.
• Limits of pesticide residues in water.

IUPAC sponsored congresses

20 IUPAC Congress in Moscow, 1965, on a postal stamp of the USSR of the same year

IUPAC organizes biennial congresses. The history of the Congresses sponsored by the IUPAC and its predecessor IACS goes back to 1894 (with long interruptions due to the two World Wars).

Each year IUPAC sponsors a large number of independently organized symposia covering a wide range of specialized topics in chemistry. The sponsorship by IUPAC attests to the quality of the scientific program and indicates the conviction of the organizing countries that scientists from all countries can participate.

IUPAC continually sponsors a series of conferences on Chemistry Research Applied to the Needs of the World (CHEMRAWN). These meetings focus on chemical issues that have a global sociopolitical impact, such as availability of raw materials, food chemistry, and environmental issues.

Standing Committees

These are the committees in charge of advising the president and the executive committee. They coordinate the work of IUPAC in various areas of chemistry.

The future of IUPAC

Chemistry emerged and developed historically as an interdisciplinary scientific field, with broadly defined boundaries. To paraphrase Linus Pauling's definition of a chemical bond: "anything will do for a chemist to define what a bond is like." Chemistry can be defined as a discipline that encompasses all transformation areas where molecular science makes significant contributions. The rich and diverse world of modern chemistry encompasses remarkable intellectual achievement, scientific creativity and originality, and the generation of new knowledge.

IUPAC serves the international scientific endeavor in the dual role of basic and applied science. IUPAC is in a unique situation to bring together the different interdisciplinary aspects of chemistry, strengthening this field of knowledge at an international level, striving to achieve high levels of excellence and relevance in the academic field and industrial research and promoting the service of the chemistry to society.