Structural chemistry

Structural chemistry is a part of chemistry and deals with the connectivity and shape of individual chemical species, which includes molecules, ions, and polymers. Structure is central to understanding the behavior of chemical species, so the topic is foundational. Structure is integrated into the major branches of chemistry, i.e. inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry. One indicator of the centrality of structural chemistry, many of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry have been awarded for structural insights or techniques important for determining structure.

In chemistry, "structure" takes distinct meanings depending on the length scale and time scale. With respect to length scales, on a local level, structure refers to interatomic distances and angles. On a larger length, symmetry and periodicity are important descriptors.