Coordination chemistry: An audacious dream of Alfred Werner

Abstract

2013 was the centennial celebration of the Nobel Prize awarded to Alfred Werner in recognition of his important scientific contributions to Inorganic Chemistry. Through his ideological audacity, acumen in chemical experimentation and wide theoretical knowledge, Werner was able to found the conceptual basis for understanding and explaining one of the most fascinating areas of Inorganic Chemistry: Coordination Chemistry. This paper presents the scientific findings and also the available tools at the time Werner developed his theory for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1913.