BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THERMOANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN PREPARATIVE CHEMISTRY

The investigation of thermodynamic properties and reactivity yields interesting insights into the chemistry of newly synthesized substances. With thermal analysis extensive information can be gained from small samples (often only a few milligrams). In addition, the data obtained by thermal analysis can be used to plan and optimize a synthesis. Among the most important applications are identification and purity analysis, and the determination of characteristic temperatures and enthalpies of phase transitions (melting, vaporization), phase transformations, and reactions. Investigations into the kinetics of consecutive reactions and decomposition reactions are also possible. With the instruments available today such analyses can usually be performed quickly and easily. In this review the fundamentals of thermoanalytical methods are described and illustrated with selected examples of applications to low and high molecular weight compounds. Copyright © 1995 by VCH Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Germany