Aims
The Objectives of the Physical and Biophysical Chemistry Division are to promote international collaboration between scientists in physical and biophysical chemistry and related fields in order to:
- • Recognize new developments in physical and biophysical chemistry and its fields of applications;
- • Promote future oriented activities in physical and biophysical chemistry important for the needs of the world community;
- • Encourage the compilation and documentation of critically evaluated physical and biophysical chemical data;
- • Address problems and formulate recommendations on terminology, symbols, units and conventions in physical and biophysical chemistry, disseminate the recommendations, encourage their translation as well as monitor their acceptance by the chemical community;
- • Establish and stimulate the use of methodologies, standards and reference materials in physical and biophysical chemistry.
In addition to the Commission on Physicochemical Symbols, Terminology, and Units (Commission I.1), the Physical and Biophysical Chemistry Division is involved in the Interdivisional Subcommittee on Materials Chemistry (ISMC), together with the Inorganic Chemistry Division and the Polymer Division.

Description
A major activity of the Division and Commission I.1 is to produce, review, and maintain the so-called Green Book “Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry“. This book provides a readable compilation of widely used terms and symbols from many sources together with brief understandable definitions. Full text pdf with with bookmark by chapters and sections is available.
Subcommittees and Commissions
Current Projects
- 2020-016-3-020 - The Gender Gap in Chemistry – Building on the ISC Gender Gap Project
- 2019-031-1-024 - Development of a Standard for FAIR Data Management of Spectroscopic Data
- 2019-032-1-024 - Development of an IUPAC Recommended Term Management System for Expansion of the Coverage of the IUPAC Compendium on Chemical Terminology
- 2019-001-2-100 - Preparation of the 5th Edition of the IUPAC Green Book
- 2019-025-1-100 - Henry’s law constants
- 2019-013-1-100 - Good Reporting Practice for Thermophysical and Thermochemical Property Measurements
- 2018-030-2-200 - Toward a comprehensive definition of valence
- 2018-009-2-500 - Guidance for the Compilation, Critical Evaluation and Dissemination of Chemical Data
- 2017-021-2-100 - Chemical and Biochemical Thermodynamics Reunification
- 2017-016-3-100 - ThermoML-2017 Revision of an XML based IUPAC Standard for Thermodynamic Property Data
- 2017-030-2-041 - Metrics for Green Syntheses
- 2017-024-1-100 - Evaluated Kinetic Data for Atmospheric Chemistry
- 2016-001-2-300 - Categorizing Chalcogen, Pnictogen, and Tetrel Bonds, and Other Interactions Involving Groups 14-16 Elements
- 2015-024-2-500 - Metrology and Measurement Uncertainty Brochure
- 2015-002-2-100 - Diffusion in nanoporous solids
- 2014-028-2-100 - Chemical kinetics of gas-phase elementary reactions at high temperature
- 2014-021-1-100 - The IUPAC Green Book - Preparation of the 4th Edition
- 2014-010-1-100 - Recommendation for the definition, preferred symbol for all transport properties
- 2013-037-1-200 - Creating Educational Website for Materials Chemistry
- 2013-040-1-300 - Measurement of Photoluminescence Quantum Yields
- 2012-044-1-100 - Basic Terminology of Crystal Engineering
- 2011-037-2-100 - Recommended Reference Materials for Phase Equilibrium Studies
- 2008-037-2-300 - Standard Photochemical Processes
- 2007-055-2-100 - Ultrafast intense laser chemistry
- 2007-032-1-100 - Green Book - Abridged Version
Meeting Minutes
Minutes 2019, Paris, France, 7-8 July 2019
Minutes 2018, Milano, Italy, 31 May – 3 June 2018
Minutes 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 8-9 July 2017
Minutes 2016, East Lansing, MI, USA, 26-27 August 2016
Minutes 2015, Busan, Korea, 8-9 August 2015
Minutes 2014, Kappel-Am-Albis, Switzerland, 31 May – 1 June 2014
Minutes 2011, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 29-30 July 2011
Minutes 2010, Zurich, Switzerland, 19-20 June 2010 (pdf 25KB)
Minutes 2009, Glasgow, UK, 31 July – 1 Aug 2009 (pdf 41KB)
Minutes 2008, Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland, 12-13 Apr 2008 (pdf 82KB)
Minutes 2007, Torino, Italy, 4-5 Aug 2007 (pdf 128KB)
Minutes 2006, Coimbra, Portugal, 8-9 April 2006 (pdf 92KB)
Minutes 2005, Beijing, China, 13-14 Aug 2005 (pdf 56KB)
Minutes 2004, Glion, Switzerland, 3-4 April 2004 (pdf 26KB)
Minutes 2003, Ottawa, Canada, 10-11 Aug 2003 (pdf 43KB)
Minutes 2002, Morges, Switzerland, 19-20 April 2002 (pdf 30KB)
Minutes 2001, Brisbane, Australia, 29 June – 3 July 2001 (pdf 110KB)
Minutes 2000, Wageningen, Netherlands, 1-2 April 2000 (pdf 85KB)
Minutes 1999, Berlin, Germany, 7-11 August 1999 (pdf 19KB), Summary from Chem. Int. May 2000
Activity Reports
Report 2020 by Dr. Tim Wallington (pdf 99 KB)
Report 2016 by Prof. Angela Wilson (pdf 148 KB)
Report 2014-2015 by Prof. Roberto Marquardt (pdf 1.2 MB)
Report 2010-2011 by Prof. A. Jim McQuillan (pdf 303 KB)
Report 2008-2009, by Prof. Michel Rossi (pdf 262 KB) + Roundups from Glasgow (Chem Int Nov 2009)
Report 2006-2007, by Prof. Christopher M.A. Brett (pdf 189KB)
Report 2006, by Prof. C.M.A. Brett (pdf 13KB)
Report 2004-2005, by Prof. Ron Weir (pdf 168KB) + Roundups from Beijing (Chem Int Nov 2005)
Report 2004, by Prof. R. Weir (pdf 15KB)
Report 2002-2003, by Prof. John Ralston (pdf 152KB)
Report 2000-2001, by Prof. George S. Wilson (pdf 291KB) + appendix (pdf 22KB)
Report 1998, by Prof. Tomislav Cvitas