The future of aluminum chemistry

This article represents a survey of current aluminum chemistry and some predictions regarding what type of aluminum chemistry will be conducted in the year 2000 and after. Because of the abundance and availability of aluminum in the earth, research incorporating this element will always be of importance to applications that impact on daily life. Indeed, applied chemistry is the primary goal of most aluminum research. It is likely that three broad areas of aluminum chemistry, catalysis, materials synthesis, and biological studies, will see substantial activity in the future. The use of aluminum in materials will continue in step with the growth of materials science, in general. In contrast, the use of aluminum compounds in catalysis and in effecting synthetic transformations will see a spectacular increase. This is a result of an increased understanding of the chemistry of aluminum, and the availability of a wide range of compounds containing aluminum, which has been achieved over the past few decades during a period of increased attention to Main Group chemistry. In the coming years a clear understanding of the influence of aluminum on biological systems will almost certainly be obtained based upon the quality and amount of effort that has focused on this area in recent times. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.