Editing Inorganic chemistry (section)

===Main group compounds===
[[Image:Tetrasulfur-tetranitride-3D-vdW.png|thumb|right|200px|[[Tetrasulfur tetranitride]], S<sub>4</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, is a main group compound that continues to intrigue chemists]]
These species feature elements from [[Periodic table group|groups]] I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, 0 (excluding hydrogen) of the periodic table.  Due to their often similar reactivity, the elements in group 3 ([[Scandium|Sc]], [[Yttrium|Y]], and [[Lanthanum|La]]) and group 12 ([[Zinc|Zn]], [[Cadmium|Cd]], and [[Mercury (element)|Hg]]) are also generally included, and the [[lanthanide]]s and [[actinide]]s are sometimes included as well.<ref>{{Greenwood&Earnshaw2nd}}</ref>

Main group compounds have been known since the beginnings of chemistry, e.g., elemental [[sulfur]] and the distillable white [[phosphorus]].  Experiments on oxygen, [[oxygen|O<sub>2</sub>]], by [[Antoine Lavoisier|Lavoisier]] and [[Joseph Priestley|Priestley]] not only identified an important [[diatomic]] gas, but opened the way for describing compounds and reactions according to [[stoichiometry|stoichiometric]] ratios.  The discovery of a practical synthesis of [[ammonia]] using iron catalysts by [[Carl Bosch]] and [[Fritz Haber]] in the early 1900s deeply impacted mankind, demonstrating the significance of inorganic chemical synthesis.
Typical main group compounds are SiO<sub>2</sub>, SnCl<sub>4</sub>, and N<sub>2</sub>O.  Many main group compounds can also be classed as "organometallic", as they contain organic groups, e.g., B([[methyl group|CH<sub>3</sub>]])<sub>3</sub>).  Main group compounds also occur in nature, e.g., [[phosphate]] in [[DNA]], and therefore may be classed as bioinorganic.  Conversely, organic compounds lacking (many) hydrogen ligands can be classed as "inorganic", such as the fullerenes, [[Carbon nanotube|buckytubes]] and binary carbon oxides.
* Examples: [[tetrasulfur tetranitride]] S<sub>4</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, [[diborane]] B<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub>, [[silicone]]s, [[fullerene|buckminsterfullerene]] C<sub>60</sub>.

[[Noble gas compounds]] include several derivatives of [[xenon]] and [[krypton]].
* Examples: [[xenon hexafluoride]] XeF<sub>6</sub>, [[xenon trioxide]] XeO<sub>3</sub>, and [[krypton difluoride]] KrF<sub>2</sub>