Separate elements from numbers in chemical formulas

[guilhermecruz]

Hello,

I have looked at many topics on how to separate numbers from letters in different columns, but I couldn´t find a solution for my problem. I need to take a chemical formula in a cell, for example Fe2O3, and separate each element and number into different cells, like: Fe 2 O 3

Another example: NaCl to Na 1 Cl 1


Thank you!

 

[diddi]

hi and welcome to the board. i wrote a sub to do this a while ago. you will need to use a macro to do it. it requires more than just a quick formula.

 

[guilhermecruz]

I have read some macros, but the only thing I could do was to separate the first element, for example: Fe2O3 to Fe

I think here the challenge is also to separate numbers when it is one element, like: FeO to Fe 1 O 1


But thank you, I will keep searching.

 

[diddi]

i have started a bit of a sample code. are you attempting to calculate molar mass> thats what i am doing right now

 

[pgc01]

Hi Guilherme
Welcome to the board

Try this udf:

Function SepChem(ByVal s As String) As String
Static RegEx As Object

If RegEx Is Nothing Then
    Set RegEx = CreateObject("VBScript.RegExp")
    RegEx.Global = True
End If

With RegEx
    .Pattern = "([a-zA-Z])(?=[A-Z]|$)"
    s = .Replace(s, "$11")
    .Pattern = "([a-zA-Z])(?=\d)|(\d)(?=[A-Z])"
    SepChem = .Replace(s, "$1$2 ")
End With
End Function

This is a test. In B1:

=SepChem(A1)

Copy down


<table border="1" cellpadding="1" style="background:#FFF; border-collapse:collapse;border-width:2px;border-color:#CCCCCC;font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:10pt" ><tr><th style="border-width:1px;border-color:#888888;background:#9CF " > </th><th style="border-width:1px;border-color:#888888;background:#9CF; text-align:center" >A</th><th style="border-width:1px;border-color:#888888;background:#9CF; text-align:center" >B</th><th style="border-width:1px;border-color:#888888;background:#9CF; text-align:center" width=30 >C</th></tr><tr><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;background:#9CF; text-align:center; " ><b>1</b></td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">Na2</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">Na 2</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:right;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; "> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;background:#9CF; text-align:center; " ><b>2</b></td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">Fe2O3</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">Fe 2 O 3</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:right;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; "> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;background:#9CF; text-align:center; " ><b>3</b></td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">NaCl</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">Na 1 Cl 1</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:right;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; "> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;background:#9CF; text-align:center; " ><b>4</b></td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">Pb2CuCrO4AsO4OH</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">Pb 2 Cu 1 Cr 1 O 4 As 1 O 4 O 1 H 1</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:right;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; "> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;background:#9CF; text-align:center; " ><b>5</b></td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">CO</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">C 1 O 1</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:right;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; "> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;background:#9CF; text-align:center; " ><b>6</b></td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">H2O</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">H 2 O 1</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:right;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; "> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;background:#9CF; text-align:center; " ><b>7</b></td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">C6H14O5</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">C 6 H 14 O 5</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:right;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; "> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;background:#9CF; text-align:center; " ><b>8</b></td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">C22H35N6O6SClZn</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:left;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; ">C 22 H 35 N 6 O 6 S 1 Cl 1 Zn 1</td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:right;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; "> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;background:#9CF; text-align:center; " ><b>9</b></td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:right;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; "> </td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:right;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; "> </td><td style="border-width:1px;border-color:#000000; padding-left:0.5em; padding-top:0.4em; padding-right:0.5em; padding-bottom:0.25em;text-align:right;border-width: 1px;border-color:#888888; "> </td></tr><tr><td colspan=4 style="background:#9CF; padding-left:1em" > [Book1]Sheet2</td></tr></table>

 

[Michael M]

Maybe something like assuming you have your data in Col "A"

Sub test()
Dim n As Integer, c As Integer, lr As Long
lr = Cells(Rows.Count, "A").End(xlUp).Row
n = 1
    For Each c In Range("A1:A" & lr)
    Do
        If n < 25 Then
            c.Offset(0, n) = Mid(c, n, 1)
            n = n + 1
        End If
    Loop Until n = 25    n = 1
Next c
End Sub

 

[Michael M]

Grr....double darn...

1. Had a total misread on the question

2. And would never have managed to get something as good as PGC01


I'm still pottering about with Regex, but I swear it will kill me before I get the hang of it ......ray:

 

[diddi]

not enough wine!

 

[diddi]

and I cant do RegEx either....

 

[Michael M]

Maybe we should stay away from it !!.............

The Regex, not the wine....