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INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
RESEARCH
Inorganic chemistry was Dr. Rayner-Canham’s original field
of interest, and he was the author of 20 research papers in
inorganic, organometallic, and bioinorganic chemistry. He
was the recipient of a National Research Council of Canada
grant (1975-98) for studies in trace metals in marine
organisms in the amount of $14,549 and resulted in two
publications. Since then, his interests have re-focussed on
the teaching of inorganic chemistry, particularly an
appropriate text for sophomore inorganic chemistry, and on
patterns in the Periodic Table. He also pursued research
relevant to the extraction of oil from shale during his
sabbatical at the Colorado School of Mines, Colorado
(1981-82).
Relevant Publications
G.W. Rayner-Canham, M. van Roode and J. Burke, “Nickel and
Cobalt Concentrations in the Tunicate Halocynthia Pyriformis:
Evidence for Essentiality of the Two Metals,” Inorganica
Chimica Acta, 106, L37-L38 (1985).
G.W. Rayner-Canham and D.W. Dickerhoof, “An Elucidation of
the Iron(III) chloride-clay System for the Removal of
Nitrogen-containing Compounds from Petroleum and Shale-oil
Distillates,” Fuel, 63, 1472-1474 (1984).
G.W. Rayner-Canham, “Some Niobium(V) Complexes and their
Relevance to the Uptake of Niobium by Ascidians,”
Polyhedron, 3, 1029-1031 (1984).
DESCRIPTIVE INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Dr. Rayner-Canham contends that inorganic chemistry is not
just molecular orbitals and other theoretical concepts but
the nature of inorganic compounds and their understanding
primarily through thermodynamics and sometimes by means of
Frost and Pourbaix diagrams. Students need to be aware of
the properties and uses of compounds. His book was first
published in 1995 and subsequently appeared in Korean
translation. The second edition was published in 1999 and
subsequently appeared in a Korean and Spanish translation.
With the third edition, a
new chapter on periodic properties was added. Tina Overton
of the University of Hull, England, joined him as co-author
and, in particular, contributed a chapter on organometallic
chemistry, matching the content and style of the other
chapters. This best-selling text is
now in its fifth edition. Over 100 video clips showing
reactions discussed in the text are available on-line. In the text, a video camera
symbol indicates when a corresponding video clip is
available.
Relevant Publications
G.W. Rayner-Canham and T.L. Overton, Descriptive
Inorganic Chemistry: 5th Edition, W.H. Freeman
Publishing Co., 2010.
G.W. Rayner-Canham and T.L. Overton, Descriptive
Inorganic Chemistry: 4th Edition, W.H. Freeman
Publishing Co., 2006.
G.W. Rayner-Canham and T.L. Overton, Descriptive
Inorganic Chemistry: 3rd Edition, W.H. Freeman
Publishing Co., 2003.
G.W. Rayner-Canham, Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry: 2nd
Edition, W.H. Freeman Publishing Co., 1999
G.W. Rayner-Canham, Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry,
W.H. Freeman Publishing Co., 1995.
THE PERIODIC TABLE
Though the Periodic Table in various forms has been in use
for over 100 years, there has recently been a resurgence in
interest in previously unrecognized and overlooked patterns
and trends. Dr. Rayner-Canham has had a review published on
the different patterns and trends. He was one of only two
Canadians who were invited speakers at the International
Conference on the Periodic Table, Kananaskis, AB, 14-20
July 2003. His contribution, “The Richness of Periodic
Patterns” was included in the Conference Proceedings, The
Periodic Table: into the 21st Century. He has also
devised a Periodic Table which highlights some of these
patterns such as diagonal, knight’s-move, (n and n+10), and
pseudo-element relationships. More recently he has extended
the work of Michael Laing on the ‘Knight’s Move’
relationship and on matrices involving isoelectronic
species.
Relevant Publications
G. Rayner-Canham, “Relationships among the Transition Metals,” Foundations of Chemistry,
13, 223-232 (2011).
G. Rayner-Canham, “Diagonality in the Periodic Table,” Foundations of Chemistry,
13, 121-129 (2011).
G. Rayner-Canham, “Isoelectronic Series: A Fundamental
Periodic Property,” Foundations of Chemistry,
11, 123-129 (2009).
G. Rayner-Canham and M. Oldford, “The Chemical ‘Knight’s
Move’ Relationship: What is its Significance?”
Foundations of Chemistry, 9, 119-125 (2007).
G.W. Rayner-Canham, “Periodic Patterns,” Journal of
Chemical Education, 77, 1053 (2000).
HISTORY OF THE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
Dr. Rayner-Canham has also combined his interests in the
Periodic Table and the history of science to undertake small
research projects on the discovery of individual elements.
He has also had a long-term fascination with the shell model
of the nucleus.
Relevant Element Publications
G. W. Rayner-Canham and Z. Zheng, “Naming Elements after
Scientists: An Account of a Controversy,” Foundations of
Chemistry, 10, 13-18 (2008).
G.W. Rayner-Canham and G. Pike, “The Search for the Elusive
Element 43,” Education in Chemistry, 30, 12-14
(1993).
G.W. Rayner-Canham, “The Curious Case of Canadium,”
Canadian Chemical Education, 9, 10-11 (1973).
Relevant Publications related to the Shell Model of the
Nucleus
G.W. Rayner-Canham, “Hassium-270: Another Triumph for the
Shell Model of the Nucleus,” Chem13 News, 16-17
(September 2007).
G.W. Rayner-Canham, “Nickel-48: Double Magic,” Education
in Chemistry, 38, 46-48 (2001).
G. Rayner-Canham and M. Rayner-Canham, “The Shell Model of
the Nucleus,” Science Teacher, 54(1), 18-20
(1987). |
