Friedrich Wöhler's conversion of
ammonium cyanate into
urea in 1828 is often cited as the starting point of modern
organic chemistry. In Wöhler's era, there was widespread belief that
organic compounds were characterized by a
vital spirit. In the absence of vitalism, the distinction between inorganic and organic chemistry is merely semantic.
Modern usage • The
Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD) in its definition of "inorganic" carbon compounds, states that such compounds may contain
either C-H or C-C bonds, but not both. • The book series
Inorganic Syntheses does not define inorganic compounds. The majority of its content deals with metal complexes of organic ligands. •
IUPAC does not offer a definition of "inorganic" or "inorganic compound" but does define
inorganic polymer as "...skeletal structure that does not include carbon atoms." == See also ==