This book reviews recent advances in the synthesis, characterization, and physico-chemical properties of anisotropic nanomaterials. It highlights various emerging applications of nanomaterials, including sensing and imaging, (bio)medical applications, environmental protection, plasmonics, catalysis, and energy. It provides an excellent and comprehensive overview of the effect that morphology and nanometric dimension has on the physico-chemical properties of various materials and how this leads to novel applications.

This thesis demonstrates the novel magnetic functionalities in cyanido-bridged metal assemblies, and as such appeals to readers in the field of materials science. The utilization of octacyanidometalates as building blocks enables the observation of (i) photo-induced magnetization due to a light-induced spin-crossover in an iron octacyanidoniobate-based assembly, (ii) photo-induced magnetization with a two-step spin-crossover behavior in an iron octacyanidoniobate-based material, and (iii) the coexistence of super-ionic conductivity and metamagnetism in a manganese-octacyanoniobate system. These multi-functionalities are achieved by incorporating a spin-crossover moiety or a hydrogen-bonding network into a cyanido-bridged network structure with a strong magnetic interaction. In particular, in light-induced spin-crossover magnets, a magnetically non-ordered state can be altered to a magnetically ordered state by photo-irradiation, which is one of the attractive mechanisms for novel optical switching devices.

The series Structure and Bonding publishes critical reviews on topics of research concerned with chemical structure and bonding. The scope of the series spans the entire Periodic Table and addresses structure and bonding issues associated with all of the elements. It also focuses attention on new and developing areas of modern structural and theoretical chemistry such as nanostructures, molecular electronics, designed molecular solids, surfaces, metal clusters and supramolecular structures. Physical and spectroscopic techniques used to determine, examine and model structures fall within the purview of Structure and Bonding to the extent that the focus is on the scientific results obtained and not on specialist information concerning the techniques themselves. Issues associated with the development of bonding models and generalizations that illuminate the reactivity pathways and rates of chemical processes are also relevant. The individual volumes in the series are thematic. The goal of each volume is to give the reader, whether at a university or in industry, a comprehensive overview of an area where new insights are emerging that are of interest to a larger scientific audience. Thus each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years should be presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. A description of the physical basis of the experimental techniques that have been used to provide the primary data may also be appropriate, if it has not been covered in detail elsewhere. The coverage need not be exhaustive in data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the new principles being developed that will allow the reader, who is not a specialist in the area covered, to understand the data presented. Discussion of possible future research directions in the area is welcomed. Review articles for the individual volumes are invited by the volume editors

This book systematically reviews the history of lead-free piezoelectric materials, including the latest research. It also addresses a number of important issues, such as new types of materials prepared in a multitude of sizes, structural and physical properties, and potential applications for high-performance devices. Further, it examines in detail the state of the art in lead-free piezoelectric materials, focusing on the pathways to modify different structures and achieve enhanced physical properties and new functional behavior. Lastly, it discusses the prospects for potential future developments in lead-free piezoelectric materials across disciplines and for multifunctional applications. Given its breadth of coverage, the book offers a comprehensive resource for graduate students, academic researchers, development scientists, materials producers, device designers and applications engineers who are working on or are interested in advanced lead-free piezoelectric materials.

This thesis focuses on the development of gold- and non-classical platinum-based anti-cancer agents that display distinctively different anti-cancer mechanisms compared to the commonly used cisplatin. These metal complexes contain N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands which are able to form strong M-C(NHC) bonds, conferring high stability and favorable lipophilicity, reactivity and binding specificity of metal complexes on biomolecules. The author demonstrates significant advances made in anti-cancer gold(III), gold(I) and platinum(II) complexes. Detailed chemical synthesis, in vitro and/or in vivo anti-cancer activities are clearly presented including: (i) a class of Au(III) complexes containing a highly fluorescent N^N^N ligand and NHC ligand that simultaneously act as fluorescent thiol "switch-on" probes and anti-cancer agents; (ii) a dinuclear gold(I) complex with a mixed diphosphine and bis(NHC) ligand displaying favorable stability and showing significant inhibition of tumor growth in two independent mice models with no observable side effects; and (iii) a panel of stable luminescent cyclometalated platinum(II) complexes exhibiting high specificity to localize to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) domain, inducing ER stress and cell apoptosis. These works highlight the clinical potential that gold and platinum complexes offer for cancer treatment.

Medicinal chemistry is both science and art. The science of medicinal chemistry offers mankind one of its best hopes for improving the quality of life. The art of medicinal chemistry continues to challenge its practitioners with the need for both intuition and experience to discover new drugs. Hence sharing the experience of drug research is uniquely beneficial to the field of medicinal chemistry. Drug research requires interdisciplinary team-work at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine. Therefore, the topic-related series Topics in Medicinal Chemistry covers all relevant aspects of drug research, e.g. pathobiochemistry of diseases, identification and validation of (emerging) drug targets, structural biology, drugability of targets, drug design approaches, chemogenomics, synthetic chemistry including combinatorial methods, bioorganic chemistry, natural compounds, high-throughput screening, pharmacological in vitro and in vivo investigations, drug-receptor interactions on the molecular level, structure-activity relationships, drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicology and pharmacogenomics. In general, special volumes are edited by well known guest editors.

This book describes a series of contemporary techniques and their combinations used for CNTs solubilization, from physical to chemical and biological, applying inorganic and organic compounds, as well as some metal complexes. In some cases, successive steps can be applied, for instance the use of low and high-weight surfactants, or mineral acid treatment for creation of -OH and -COOH groups and their further interaction with organic molecules. Each discussed method leads to an improvement of CNT solubility, frequently a considerable one. The formed dispersions can be stable for long periods of time, from several weeks to some months, and they sometimes even remain stable after centrifugation. Several special studies have been carried out in the areas of influence of solvent and light on CNTs dispersibility, combinations and abilities of surfactants, CNT cytotoxicity, etc. Applications of solubilized CNTs are discussed in this book as well.

The authors of this volume concentrate on the recent progress of novel polyoxometalate (POM) syntheses, as well as advances made in catalytic, electrochemical, and sensing systems. The state-of-the-art techniques such as flow system and gel-electrophoresis for the discovery of POMs are covered with a detailed discussion. Of particular importance, the application of POM-based materials in photo-sensing, heterogeneous catalysis, energy conservation and storage, and gas separation is reviewed. Over the past few years, POM chemistry has witnessed a remarkable progress with more than 1500 papers published each year. Due to their intrinsic structural features, POMs are considered as versatile building blocks for the construction of sophisticated complex assemblies and advanced multi-functional materials. Various strategies, methods, and techniques have been adopted to develop POM-based materials with intriguing properties and excellent performance. All the contributors to this volume are young, vibrant chemists in this research field and all the works are carefully collected from the authors' years of experience. This volume serves as an essential reference for every POM chemist and is of great interest to new researchers who wish to learn more about this area.

There is currently significant interest in exploring and identifying new inorganic solar energy conversion systems based on Earth-abundant non-toxic materials for future sustainable energy applications and technologies. Developments in emergent inorganic absorbers are closely tied to the ability of researchers to correlate and predict device performance from structural and optical properties. The understanding of material structure and bonding and their effect on performance are key to developing guiding principles for design and screening of inorganic photovoltaic materials. Progress toward such understanding is facilitated by state-of-the-art tools for structural and electronic characterisation of semiconductor materials and interfaces, as well as device design and performance analysis. Further insight is provided by computer modelling and simulations. This volume brings together internationally leading scientists working in areas of material design and modelling, structural and electronic characterisation, and device design and performance analysis, to explore and exchange ideas on emerging inorganic thin-film photovoltaics based on Earth abundant non-toxic materials. In this volume, the topics covered include: Indium-free CIGS analogues Bulk and surface characterisation techniques of solar absorbers Novel chalcogenides, pnictides and defect-tolerant semiconductors Materials design and bonding

This thesis introduces the preparation of a series of Mg-based thin films with different structures using magnetron sputtering, as well as the systematical investigation of their gaseous and electrochemical hydrogen storage properties under mild conditions. It reviews promising applications of Mg-based thin films in smart windows, hydrogen sensors and Ni-MH batteries, while also providing significant insights into research conducted on Mg-based hydrogen storage materials, especially the Mg-based films. Moreover, the unique experimental procedures and methods (including electric resistance, optical transmittance and electrochemical methods) used in this thesis will serve as a valuable reference for researchers in the field of Mg-based hydrogen storage films.

This is the first volume (Part A) in the series of books covering practical aspects of synthesis and characterization of various categories of nanomaterials taking into consideration the most up to date research publications. The aim of the book series is to provide students and researchers practical information such as synthetic procedures, characterization protocols and mechanistic insights to enable them to either reproduce well established methods or plan for new syntheses of size and shape controlled nanomaterials based on both batch and continuous flow reactions. The first Volume (Part A) focuses on metallic nanomaterials.

Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Science and Technology "Very well-written and rewarding … an excellent account of the story." —Nature Ten years ago, the discovery of buckminsterfullerene, a previously unknown form of carbon, stunned the scientific community, as much for the discovery itself as for the manner in which it came about. In the words of author Hugh Aldersey-Williams. it was an example of "classic bootleg science. The work was done on the back of other, funded projects, and when time would allow. Yet its commercial implications are probably immense." Now, in a lively account, The Most Beautiful Molecule chronicles the events leading up to this momentous discovery and the ongoing, often frenzied aftermath. Hugh Aldersey-Williams leads us on a thrilling expedition to the very forefront of modern chemistry research.

The series Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry presents critical reviews on present and future trends in the research of heterocyclic compounds. Overall the scope is to cover topics dealing with all areas within heterocyclic chemistry, both experimental and theoretical, of interest to the general heterocyclic chemistry community. The series consists of topic related volumes edited by renowned editors with contributions of experts in the field. All chapters from Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry are published Online First with an individual DOI. In references, Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry is abbreviated as Top Heterocycl Chem and cited as a journal.

The series Structure and Bonding publishes critical reviews on topics of research concerned with chemical structure and bonding. The scope of the series spans the entire Periodic Table and addresses structure and bonding issues associated with all of the elements. It also focuses attention on new and developing areas of modern structural and theoretical chemistry such as nanostructures, molecular electronics, designed molecular solids, surfaces, metal clusters and supramolecular structures. Physical and spectroscopic techniques used to determine, examine and model structures fall within the purview of Structure and Bonding to the extent that the focus is on the scientific results obtained and not on specialist information concerning the techniques themselves. Issues associated with the development of bonding models and generalizations that illuminate the reactivity pathways and rates of chemical processes are also relevant. The individual volumes in the series are thematic. The goal of each volume is to give the reader, whether at a university or in industry, a comprehensive overview of an area where new insights are emerging that are of interest to a larger scientific audience. Thus each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years should be presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. A description of the physical basis of the experimental techniques that have been used to provide the primary data may also be appropriate, if it has not been covered in detail elsewhere. The coverage need not be exhaustive in data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the new principles being developed that will allow the reader, who is not a specialist in the area covered, to understand the data presented. Discussion of possible future research directions in the area is welcomed. Review articles for the individual volumes are invited by the volume editors

This book focuses on inorganic nanosheets, including various oxides, chalcogenides, and graphenes, that provide two-dimensional (2D) media to develop materials chemistry in broad fields such as electronics, photonics, environmental science, and biology. The application area of nanosheets and nanosheet-based materials covers the analytical, photochemical, optical, biological, energetic, and environmental research fields. All of these applications come from the low dimensionality of the nanosheets, which anisotropically regulate structures of solids, microspaces, and fluids. Understanding nanosheets from chemical, structural, and application aspects in relation to their "fully nanoscopic" characters will help materials scientists to develop novel advanced materials. This is the first book that accurately and concisely summarizes this field including exfoliation and intercalation chemistries of layered crystals. The book provides perspective on the materials chemistry of inorganic nanosheets. The first section describes fundamental aspects of nanosheets common to diverse applications: how unique structures and properties are obtained from nanosheets based on low dimensionality. The second section presents state-of-the-art descriptions of how the 2D nature of nanosheets is utilized in each application of the materials that are developed.

VorwortDeutsch: A - ZEnglisch: A - Z

Chemical structure and bonding. The scope of the series spans the entire Periodic Table and addresses structure and bonding issues associated with all of the elements. It also focuses attention on new and developing areas of modern structural and theoretical chemistry such as nanostructures, molecular electronics, designed molecular solids, surfaces, metal clusters and supramolecular structures. Physical and spectroscopic techniques used to determine, examine and model structures fall within the purview of Structure and Bonding to the extent that the focus is on the scientific results obtained and not on specialist information concerning the techniques themselves. Issues associated with the development of bonding models and generalizations that illuminate the reactivity pathways and rates of chemical processes are also relevant. The individual volumes in the series are thematic. The goal of each volume is to give the reader, whether at a university or in industry, a comprehensive overview of an area where new insights are emerging that are of interest to a larger scientific audience.

This reference offers an overview of the bulk and surface properties of perovskite-like structures, and provides the latest discussions on the applications of these materials and processes. It also introduces ceramic methods for the processing of perovskite-derived high Tc cuprates.;Examining every available procedure for synthesizing high-surface-area perovskite oxides, this book: delineates processing techniques for preparing perovskite-derived high-critical-temperature superconductors; illustrates the relevance of physiochemical methods to investigate bulk and surface structures of perovskite compounds; explicates the importance of surface composition in the context of catalytic behaviour; summarizes methods of changing stoichiometry; shows how to design perovskite oxides for a given purpose; reviews key solid-state properties; and presents the major applications.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry presents critical reviews of the present and future trends in modern chemical research. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field. Review articles for the individual volumes are invited by the volume editors. Readership: research chemists at universities or in industry, graduate students.

This book introduces readers to fundamental information on phosphor and quantum dots. It comprehensively reviews the latest research advances in and applications of fluoride phosphors, oxide phosphors, nitridosilicate phosphors and various quantum dot materials. Phosphors and phosphor-based quantum dot materials have recently gained considerable scientific interest due to their wide range of applications in lighting, displays, medical and telecommunication technologies. This work will be of great interest to researchers and graduate students in materials sciences and chemistry who wish to learn more about the principles, synthesis and analysis of phosphors and quantum dot materials.

This book provides a comprehensive review of the current state of the art in silicon compounds for thermoelectric applications. Silicides are materials with good initial thermoelectric properties, which can be enhanced through tuning of their micro- and macrostructure. These compounds present various conduction mechanisms and complex band structures. Moreover, some are isotropic, and others anisotropic, which is highly beneficial for device tailoring. Silicides are a particularly attractive material for sensors, thermoelectric generators, and other applications because they are environmentally friendly, abundant, and low cost. This concise volume covers fundamentals and applications for an audience of materials scientists, chemists, solid-state physicists, and engineers.