The Crystal Structure of Molybdenite (1923), The Structure of Sodalite and Helvite (1930), The Structure of Some Sodium and Calcium Aluminosilicates (1930), The Structure of the Chlorites (1930), The Structure of the Micas and Related Minerals (1930), The Crystal Structure of Zunyite (1933), On the Stability of the S8 Molecule and the Structure of Fibrous Sulfur (1949), and The Stochastic Method and the Structure of Proteins (1953)

1st Edition. FIRST EDITION OF EIGHT RARE OFFPRINTS by Linus Pauling detailing his prominent contributions to the general understanding of the nature of the chemical bond, here bringing quantum mechanics to the solution of the nature of the chemical bonds that determine inorganic crystal structure.

Collectively, these papers represent Pauling's first works after his 1928 finding detailing a set of rules for working out probable crystalline structures from the X-ray diffraction patterns. In that paper and in these, "Pauling was the first to enunciate an understanding of a physical interpretation of the bonds between - and the nature of - molecules and crystals from a chemical perspective" (Bragg, History of Science Website). ""The new field of x-Ray crystallography emerged after World War 1, where x-Rays reflected through crystals resulted in photographs. Pauling used x-Ray diffraction photography in the 1930s to analyze the crystal structure of inorganic molecules and to revolutionize the understanding of chemical bonds" (Swedin, Science in the Contemporary World, 49).

Early in his career, Pauling set out to create ‘A framework for understanding the electronic and geometric structure of molecules and crystals' (Pauling). Pauling learned that "when X-rays are directed at a crystal, some are knocked off course by striking atoms, while others pass straight through as if there are no atoms in their path. The result is a diffraction pattern - a pattern of dark and light lines that reveal the positions of the atoms in the crystal (Bragg). By using the technique of X-ray diffraction, [Pauling] "determined the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms [of many crystalline structures]... Analyzing chemical structure became the central theme of his scientific work... To complement the experimental tool that X-ray analysis provided for exploring molecular structure, Pauling turned to quantum mechanics as a theoretical tool... and his application of quantum theory to structural chemistry helped to establish the subject ( Britannica). CONDITION & DETAILS: "The Crystal Structure of Molybdenite" (1923) in The Journal of the American Chemical Society; "The Structure of Sodalite and Helvite" (1930) in Zeitschrift fur Kristallographic (ZfK); "The Structure of the Micas and Related Minerals" (1930) in PNAS; "The Structure of Some Sodium and Calcium Aluminosilicates" (1930) in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS); "The Structure of the Chlorites" (1930) in PNAS; "The Crystal Structure of Zunyite" (1933) in ZfK; "On the Stability of the S8 Molecule and the Structure of Fibrous Sulfur" (1949) in PNAS, and "The Stochastic Method and the Structure of Proteins" (1953) in XIIIth International Congress of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Each of the offprints is in fine condition; name of prior owner stamped on each cover in very light and small print. Included also is a 1954 photo of Pauling.