This Volume is based on the Lectures presented at the Meeting "Chemistry at the Beginning of the Third Millennium," wh ich was held in Pavia, Italy, during the period 7-10 October, 1999. The Meeting involved the participation of scientists from German and ltalian Universities of the 'Coimbra Group'. The 'Coimbra Group', wh ich was founded in 1987, gathers the most ancient and prestigious European Universities, with the aim to promote initiatives in both research and teaching and to provide guidelines for the progress and development of the University system. German and Italian Universities within the Coimbra Group propose every year a theme for scientific discussion, which originates a Meeting to be held in a German or Italian University. The Meeting in Pavia was the fifth of the series and followed those of Bologna (1995), Jena (1996), Siena (1997), Heidelberg (1998). Each Meeting is centred on a topic from either humanistic or natural sciences and consists in aseries of lectures presented by distinguished scientists from the six participanting Universities. For the Pavia Meeting, the Steering Committee chose Chemistry as the topic and gathered researchers with experience in almost all fields of chemistry. In particular, during the Meeting, lectures were presented on many up-to-date subjects of chemistry, including: materials science, superconductors, supramolecular chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, fullerenes, liquid crystals, photoinduced electron transfer, etc. The different topics were covered by distinguished and renown researchers of the various fields.

The present issue of Structure and Bonding is dedicated to applied group 13 chemistry, particularly for the elements boron and aluminum, and to a lesser degree gallium and indium. Although boron is a trace element (0.01 g kg 1) in the earth's crust, it has been concentrated in a few locations by geochemical processes and is relatively easy to mine as borax. Aluminum, on the other hand, is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust (82 g kg 1) and dispersed widely throughout the globe. Thus, boron and aluminum are readily available and their associated products or compounds are usually inexpensive and thereby easy to commercialize. The chapters were chosen to encompass both applied and fundamental aspects of their subiects. The first chapter 'Borates in Industrial Use' provides a complete, and perhaps, quintessential, coverage of compounds containing boron oxygen bonds. In the chapter Schubert explains the close relationship between the basic properties of the boron compounds and their associated uses. The remaining four chapters focus, to some degree, on aluminum. Since a great deal of literature exists in this area, these chapters are more focused on areas of emerging utility, and contain a great deal of fundamental information. Uhl's contribution in Chapter 2 provides basic synthesis and structural information for aluminum and gallium hydrazides. These types of compounds are being explored as potential molecular precursors to metal nitrides such as the important blue green laser material gallium nitride.

The unique properties and applications of transition metal compounds have long fascinated both physicists and chemists. This volume presents theoretical and experimental studies for a deeper understanding of the electronic and vibronic properties of these compounds. In particular, an introduction into properties of spin sublevels of dd*, dA*, and AA* states is given, and a modern ligand field theory based on the Angular Overlap Model is presented. In experimental case studies it is shown how to characterize different types of electronic transitions using modern methods of laser spectroscopy. Consequences of spin-orbit coupling, zero-field splittings, spin-lattice relaxations, chromophore-matrix interactions, Herzberg-Teller/Franck-Condon activities, and localization/delocalization properties are treated.

"Meditationis est perscrutari occulta; contemplationis est admirari perspicua . . . Admiratio generat qurestionem, qurestio investigationem, investigatio inventionem" once wrote HUGO DE S. VICTORE and possibly described best the life span of the rare earths since the Swedish Army Lieutenant, C. A. ARRHENIDS' discovery of an unusual black mineral at Ytterby in 1787. Since then the rare earths have passed through the machinery of various phases of physical science. Europium as a member of the rare earth family shows characteristics of the series as a whole as well as some typical behaviour of its own due to the presence of its six f electrons i. e. , one less than the half-filled shell. This present volume attempts to provide an understanding of the various aspects of its chemical and physical behaviour. In doing so, it is hoped to provide the reader with more than just a list of the complete bibliography on the subject, and I have tried to review the literature for it's interesting features, balancing the experimental facts with the help of the minimum amount of theory as far as possible. Experience has shown us that the trend of inorganic research has changed during the past years and one frequently needs some understanding of chemical spectroscopy and quantum mechanics to be able to appreciate the developments in this field and to interpret the wealth of experimental data. The reader is referred to B. G. WYBOURNE'S book: Spectroscopic Properties of Rare Earths (ref. [488]), and B. R.

This book summarizes some recent developments in the area of high-energy high-density (HEDM) materials. Rather than being comprehensive in scope, emphasis is given to structural and bonding features of highly energetic - terials with possible applications as high explosives (secondary explosives) or propellants. In this book we do not focus on primary explosives (e.g. lead azidereplacements)sincebyde?nitiontheexplosiveperformance(detonation velocity and detonation pressure) of such materials - although very sensitive -are much less energetic than secondary (high) explosives. Modern HEDMs derive most of their energy (i) from oxidation of the c- bon backbone, as in traditional energetic materials, (ii) from ring or cage strain, or (iii) from their very high positive heat of formation. Examples of the?rstclassare traditionalexplosives, suchasTNT, RDXand HMX.Modern nitro-compounds, such as CL-20 or the recently reported hepta- and octa- trocubanes, belong to the second group of explosives and possess very high densities and enhance the energies utilizing substantial cage strain. Members of the third class of compounds are high-nitrogen compounds (up to 85% - trogencontent), such as aminotetrazole and nitrotetrazolederivatives, which show the desired remarkable insensitivity to electrostatic discharge, friction and impact, while having very high positive heats of formation and therefore very high explosive powers. The synthesis of energetic, non-nuclear materials for military application has been a long-term goal in various academic and military research groups worldwide. Some of the current challenges that face HEDMscientists are: Demandforenvironmentallycompatibleandtoxicologicallyacceptable- plosives and propellants. Examples are replacements for TNT, RDX and HMXsince nitro-explosivesper se, aswellastheir environmental transf- mation products, are toxic."

Split a human hair thirty thousand times, and you have the equivalent of a nanometer. The aim of this work is to provide an introduction into nanotechnology for the s- entifically interested. However, such an enterprise requires a balance between comprehensibility and scientific accuracy. In case of doubt, preference is given to the latter. Much more than in microtechnology - whose fundamentals we assume to be known - a certain range of engineering and natural sciences are interwoven in nanotechnology. For instance, newly developed tools from mechanical engine- ing are essential in the production of nanoelectronic structures. Vice versa, - chanical shifts in the nanometer range demand piezoelectric-operated actuators. Therefore, special attention is given to a comprehensive presentation of the matter. In our time, it is no longer sufficient to simply explain how an electronic device operates; the materials and procedures used for its production and the measuring instruments used for its characterization are equally important. The main chapters as well as several important sections in this book end in an evaluation of future prospects. Unfortunately, this way of separating coherent - scription from reflection and speculation could not be strictly maintained. So- times, the complete description of a device calls for discussion of its inherent - tential; the hasty reader in search of the general perspective is therefore advised to study this work's technical chapters as well.

This volume chronicles the proceedings of the Symposium on Particles on Surfaces: Detection, Adhesion and Removal held under the auspices of the Fine Particle Society in San Francisco, July 28-August 2, 1986. The study of particles on surfaces is extremely important in many areas of human endeavor (ranging from microelectronics to optics to biomedical). A complete catalog of modern precision and sophisticated technologies where particles on surfaces are of cardinal importance will be prohibitively long, but the following eclectic examples should underscore the concern about particles on a variety of surfaces. In the semiconductor world of shrinking dimensions, particles which, a few years ago, were cosmetically undesirable but functionally innocuous can potentially be killer defects now. As the device sizes get smaller, there will be more and more concern about smaller and smaller particles. In the information storage technology, the gap between the head and the disk is very narrow, and if a particle is trapped in the gap that can have very grave consequences. The implications of particulate contamination on sensitive optical surfaces is all too manifest. So the particulate contamination on surfaces is undesirable from functional, yield and reliability points of view. This symposium was organized with the following objectives in mind: to bring together active practitioners in this field; to provide a forum for discussion of the latest research and development activities in this area; to provide opportunity for cross-pollination of ideas; and to highlight topics which needed intensified effort.

Over the last decade our view of chemistry has evolved substantially. Whereas individual researchers previously focused on specific areas of chemistry, such as inorganic, organic, etc. we now take a more holistic approach. Effective and efficient research projects now incorporate whatever aspects of the chemistry subdisciplines that are needed to complete the intended work. The main group elements have always been used in this manner. Depending on the use of the elements, the resulting work can be described under any heading of chemistry. The group 13 elements have been special in this regard due to the very unique characters of the constituent elements. Thus, there is a dramatic change in the properties of the elements when proceeding through the series, B, A1, Ga, In, T1. This difference is one of the main reasons why these elements have seen, and continue to see, such widespread usage in such disparate applications as organic synthesis, electronic and structural materials, and catalysis, to name but a few.

Ammonia is one of the 10 largest commodity chemicals produced. The editor, Anders Nielsen, is research director with one of the largest industrial catalyst producers. He has compiled a complete reference on all aspects of catalytical ammonia production in industry, from thermodynamics and kinetics to reactor and plant design. One chapter deals with safety aspects of ammonia handling and storage.

Remarks by JVS. Volumes 1 and 2 of Feldspar Minerals were published in 1974, but Volume 3 was not completed because I was forced to devote 3 years to the resolution of unforeseen problems in the construction of an ion probe. By 1977, the incomplete draft for Volume 3 had become obsolete because of the enormous advances in knowledge of feldspars, particularly those in lunar rocks and meteorites, and in both deep-seated and ancient terrestrial rocks. Furthermore, it soon became obvious that a completely new version of Feldspar Minerals was needed because of the important new results on the physical and chemical properties. I had kept up with the interesting but tedious chore of weekly reading of the incoming literature and maintenance of the files. By 1980, the intense day-to day pressure had gone from my research programs on lunar rocks and on the development of the ion microprobe as a quantitative geochemical instrument, and I began preparation of a second edition of Feldspar Minerals."

This monograph is the first roadmap for transparent electronics. It defines and assesses what and where the field is, where it is going, and what needs to happen to get it there. Although the central focus of this monograph involves transparent electronics, many of the materials, devices, circuits, and process integration strategies discussed will be of great interest to researchers working in other emerging fields, including printed electronics, large-area electronics, low-cost electronics, and disposable electronics.

V. I. MATKOVICH During the meeting of the International Symposium on Boron held in October, 1972 in Tbilisi, U.S.S.R., the idea was proposed to assemble a review of boron and refractory borides by the specialists present. The advantages of such a work were immediately apparent. Such diverse applications of borides as in protective armor, nuclear reactors, coat ings, reinforcement, etc. can hardly all be presented in sufficient detail by a single author. On the other hand it was also recognized that with so much specialization, some areas of interest may not be covered. Within the last decade or two a number of areas have been developed in which the use of refractory borides is growing and improvements are being actively explored. Thus, a number of borides have considerable potential as reinforcing material for plastics or light metals, though only boron fibers have been firmly established up to the present. Ap plication of flakes and films for two-dimensional reinforcement appears attractive, although the high cost of materials and development repre sents a considerable barrier. A number of borides have been used to manufacture lightweight protec tive armor. In this area relatively fast changes seem to be taking place as improvements in performance and weight are made. Boron carbide has found considerable use in this application and new developments exploit the light weight of beryllium borides."

"Metal Catalysed Reactions in Ionic Liquids" is the first non-edited book on the subject of metal catalyzed reactions in ionic liquids to cover the literature from its origins until early 2005.
Following a general introduction to the field of biphasic/multiphasic catalysis, the book moves on to describe the synthesis, the functionalisation, and fundamental properties of ionic liquids relevant to catalysis. It then analyses the catalysed reactions according to their type, encompassing hydrogenation, hydroformylation, oxidation, C-C coupling reactions, metathesis, dimerisation, polymerisation and more. Trends, generalisations, advantages and disadvantages of ionic liquids for specific reaction types are also examined as well as specific processes such as supported ionic liquid phase catalysis, continuous processes using CO2 extraction and nanoparticle catalysis.
"Metal Catalysed Reactions in Ionic Liquids" is of interest to those working in catalysis/green chemistry, in particular to advanced level undergraduate and graduate students and researchers in bi- or multiphasic catalysis using ionic liquids.
"

Written by distinguished researchers, the long-running Chemistry and Physics of Carbon series provides a comprehensive and critical overview of carbon materials in terms of molecular structure, intermolecular relationships, bulk and surface properties, and their behavior in current and emerging applications. Volume 31 not only retains the high-quality content and reputation of previous volumes, but also complements them with reliable and timely coverage of the latest advances in the field. Maintaining the high level established by its predecessors, this book contains a prestigious and authoritative series of review chapters covering both chemistry and physics of carbon. The book examines properties and behavior of carbon materials ranging from coal to graphite, from activated carbons, chars, cokes, and carbon blacks to carbon fibers, fullerenes, nanotubes, and graphene. It complements previous volumes in the series by presenting updated information on 'disordered' carbons, a complex field that impacts nearly all aspects of carbon materials research. It includes a chapter on novel methods of characterization of carbon materials using ever more powerful techniques, as well as a chapter on the use of carbon materials in photocatalysis, a fast-moving and potentially exciting application. Emphasizing key experimental results and practical aspects, as well as important theoretical issues in every chapter, Volume 31 is a vital resource for those engaged in developing new technologies in a wide range of applicability of traditional and novel carbon materials from drug delivery to energy storage and conversion.

This textbook gives a concise introduction to modern crystal structure determination, emphasising both its theoretical background and the way it is actually carried out. The theoretical sections are supported by many illustrations, and lay emphasis on a good understanding rather than rigorous mathematics. The most important data collection techniques, and the methods of data reduction, structure solution and refinement are discussed from a practical point of view. Many tips and insights help readers to recognise and avoid possible errors and traps, and to judge the quality of results. The second edition has been considerably updated, especially the chapter on experimental methods, which is now mainly concerned with modern data collection using area-detectors.

An authoritative up-to-date summary of the chemistry and applications of polyoxometalates with emphasis on new synthetic strategies directed towards functionalized organic derivatives, self-assembly of mesoscopic composite polyoxoanions, generation of framework materials and thin oxide films, extended optical, magnetic, and electrical properties, applications in homogeneous and nanocluster-based catalysts, photocatalytic water decontamination, ribosomal crystallography, and topological aspects of large symmetrical structures.

This book by Kaplan and Vekhter brings together the molecular world of the chemist with the condensed matter world of the physicist. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, chemists in the West devoted lit to relationships between molecular electronic structure and tle attention solid-state vibronic phenomena. Treating quantum mechanical problems wherein the adiabatic Born-Oppenheimer approximation fails was done by "brute force. " With bigger and better computers available in the West, molecular orbital calculations were done on observed and conceived static structures with little concern for any cooperativity of vibrational behavior that might connect these states. While it had long been understood in the West that situations do occur in which different static structures are found for molecules that have identical or nearly identical electronic structures, little attention had been paid to understanding the vibrational states that could connect such structures. It was easier to calculate the electronic structure observed with several possible distortions than to focus on ways to couple electronic and vibrational behavior. In the former Soviet Union, computational power was not as acces sible as in the West. Much greater attention, therefore, was devoted to conserving computational time by considering fundamental ways to han dle the vibrational connectivity between degenerate or nearly degenerate electronic states.

The term biomimetic is comparatively new on the chemical scene, but the concept has been utilized by chemists for many years. Furthermore, the basic idea of making a synthetic material that can imitate the func tions of natural materials probably could be traced back into antiquity. From the dawn of creation, people have probably attempted to duplicate or modify the activities of the natural world. (One can even find allusions to these attempts in the Bible; e. g., Genesis 30. ) The term "mimetic" means to imitate or mimic. The word "mimic" means to copy closely, or to imitate accurately. Biomimetic, which has not yet entered most dictionaries, means to imitate or mimic some specific bio logical function. Usually, the objective of biomimetics is to form some useful material without the need of utilizing living systems. In a simi lar manner, the term biomimetic polymers means creating synthetic poly mers which imitate the activity of natural bioactive polymers. This is a major advance in polymer chemistry because the natural bioactive polymers are the basis of life itself. Thus, biomimetic polymers imitate the life process in many ways. This present volume delineates some of the recent progress being made in this vast field of biomimetic polymers. Chemists have been making biomimetic polymers for more than fifty years, although this term wasn't used in the early investigations."

1 The content ofthis article is based on a German book version ) which appeared at the end of the year 1986. The author tried to incorporate - as far as possible - new important results published in the last year. But the literature in the field of "convection and inhomogeneities in crystal growth from the melt" has increased so much in the meantime that the reader and the collegues should make allowance for any incompleteness, also in the case that their important contributions have not been cited. This could for example hold for problems related to the Czochralski growth. But especially for this topic the reader may be refered to the forthcoming volume of this series, which contains special contributions on "Surface Tension Driven Flow in Crystal Growth Melts" by D. Schwabe and on "Convection in Czochralski Melts" by M. Mihelcic, W. Uelhoff, H. Wenzl and K. Wingerath. The preparation of this manuscript has been supported by several women whose help is gratefully acknowledged by the autor: Mrs. Gisela Neuner for the type writing, Mrs. Abigail Sanders, Mrs. Fiona Eels and especially Prof. Nancy Haegel for their help in questions of the English language and Mrs. Christa Weber for reading corrections. Also the good cooperation with the Springer Verlag, especially Mrs. Bohlen and with the managing editor of Crystals, Prof. H. C. Freyhardt, who critically read the manuscript, is acknowledged.

Cluster science studies the transition from atomic, and molecular physics or chemistry to the science and technology of condensed matter. Two main topics from this large field will be emphasized in this second volume of Atomic and Molecular Clusters. After an Introduction, Chap. 2 deals mainly with molecular clusters, how they react to positive or negative charges (Sect. 2.1 to 2.5), how they decompose and how they can be charged (Sect. 2.6 and 2.7), and how one can do chemistry with them (2.8 and 2.9). Clusters in contact with a macroscopic medium are treated in Chap. 3. It is from this domain that one can expect possible new applications of cluster science. The optical spectra of silver clusters in a dielectric medium are discussed in Sect. 3.1. Their properties have since long been used unknowingly to stain glass windows. Large clusters floating in an ambient pressure gas are called aerosols (Sect. 3.2). Their properties can be used to monitor air pollution. Development of a photographic film is due to supported silver clusters in a liquid environment (Sect. 3.3). Large semiconductor clusters, also called "quantum dots," have novel optical and electronic properties (Sect. 3.4). The optical properties of large clusters, in general, are reviewed in Sect. 3.5, and properties of clusters supported on clean surfaces are discussed in Sect. 3.6.

The. first edition of this work appeared almost thirty years ago, when, as we can see in retrospect, the study of the actinide elements was in its first bloom. Although the broad features of the chemistry of the actinide elements were by then quite weil delineated, the treatment of the subject in the first edition was of necessity largely descriptive in nature. A detailed understanding ofthe chemical consequences of the characteristic presence of 5f electrons in most of the members ofthe actinide se ries was still for the future, and many ofthe systematic features ofthe actinide elements were only dimly apprehended. In the past thirty years all this has changed. The application of new spectroscopic techniques, which came into general use during this period, and new theoretical insights, which came from a better understanding of chemical bonding, inorganic chemistry, and solid state phenomena, were among the important factors that led to a great expansion and maturation in actinide element research and a large number of new and important findings. The first edition consisted of aserial description of the individual actinide elements, with a single chapter devoted to the six heaviest elements (lawrencium, the heaviest actinide, was yet to be discovered). Less than 15 % of the text was devoted to a consideration of the systematics of the actinide elements.

New Trends in Enzyme Catalysis and Biomimetic Chemical Reactions embraces modern areas of enzyme catalysis where other books in the field concentrate mainly on kinetic, bioorganic and biochemical aspects of the enzyme catalysis and do not cover biophysical and physicochemical problems. Topics covered include:

-modern physical and kinetic methods of investigation,
-contemporary theories of elementary chemical processes in enzymes,
-structure, dynamics and action mechanism of enzyme active sites,
-concept of pretransition state,
-theory of long-range electron transfer and proton translocation,
-mechanisms of "tough" biochemical reactions (dinitrogen reduction, light energy conversation, water photooxidation, hydroxilation),
-the achievements and problems of biomimetic chemical reactions.

"Highly recommended for all academic library chemistry collections; biochemistry and medical collections may also want to consider." (Choice)
"Each entry is provided with a definition, a description of the effect, application, and literature citations...". the selection in this book is broad and useful." (J. of Am. Chem. Soc.)
"The book is not just a collection of definitions of acronyms, each entry contains a concise and informative explanation of the origins of the technique or method to which it refers... this book is a must for progression of any budding spectroscopist." (Analyst)

Early in this century, the newly discovered x-ray diffraction by crystals made a complete change in crystallography and in the whole science of the atomic structure of matter, thus giving a new impetus to the development of solid-state physics. Crystallographic methods, pri marily x-ray diffraction analysis, penetrated into materials sciences, mol ecular physics, and chemistry, and also into many other branches of science. Later, electron and neutron diffraction structure analyses be came important since they not only complement x-ray data, but also supply new information on the atomic and the real structure of crystals. Electron microscopy and other modern methods of investigating mat ter-optical, electronic paramagnetic, nuclear magnetic, and other res onance techniques-yield a large amount of information on the atomic, electronic, and real crystal structures. Crystal physics has also undergone vigorous development. Many re markable phenomena have been discovered in crystals and then found various practical applications. Other important factors promoting the development of crystallog raphy were the elaboration of the theory of crystal growth (which brought crystallography closer to thermodynamics and physical chem istry) and the development of the various methods of growing synthetic crystals dictated by practical needs. Man-made crystals became increas ingly important for physical investigations, and they rapidly invaded technology. The production . of synthetic crystals made a tremendous impact on the traditional branches: the mechanical treatment of mate rials, precision instrument making, and the jewelry industry."

The progress of materials science depends on the development of novel materials and the development of novel experimental techniques. The research on graphite intercalation compounds combines both aspects: new compounds with strikingly new and anisotropic properties have been synthesized and analyzed during the past couple of years by means of state-of-the-art experimental methods. At the same time, the preparation of the compounds already known has improved con siderably, giving increased reliability and reproducibility of the experimental results. The high quality experimental data now available have stimulated theo retical work. Moreover, the theoretical work has had a great impact on further experimental studies, with the effect of a much improved understanding of this class of materials. This volume is dedicated to a thorough description of all relevant experimen tal and theoretical aspects of the structural and dynamical properties of graphite intercalation compounds. Because of the large number of topics, a second vol ume, which is now in preparation, will follow and will treat the electronic, transport, magnetic, and optical properties. The second volume will also contain a chapter on applications of graphite intercalation compounds. There have been a number of reviews written on selected aspects of these compounds in various journals and conference proceedings during the last couple of years, but this is the first comprehensive review since the thorough overview provided by M.S. Dresselhaus and G. Dresselhaus appeared ten years ago."