Worth knowing: Elements that were and those that were not

In the talk, we will follow the development of the idea of what a chemical element is and how they can be discovered. By following some exciting stories from the history of chemistry, the talk explores the discovery of some elements, and how some of them turned out not to be elements at all.  

Analytical chemistry is an important field when it comes to identifying chemical substances. Thus, the talk will also raise topics of the development of methods that permit us to “see” atoms and molecules, and understand their behavior – from taste and smell to advanced instruments.  

Vadim Kessler is a professor of inorganic chemistry and bionanotechnology at the Department of Molecular Sciences. His main research interests lie in the visualization of interactions between mineral nanoparticles and biologically important molecules, with applications in the domains of plant protection.