Since several excellent books have appeared on the issue of chemical and biochemical sensing, this compendium concentrates on recent creative new approaches using chemical means for the detection and quanti?cation of - portant analytes. These are presented either from a technical viewpoint or fromtheperspectiveofselectivemolecularrecognitionwitharti?cialreceptor molecules. Consequently, the entire book is subdivided into two categories, i. e. , natural targetsand detection techniques. In the ?rst part, the challenging task of sensing peptides and proteins as wellassaccharidesisaddressedfromseveralperspectives:Smalllibrarieswith maximum diversity are ef?ciently used to reach high af?nity and selectivity of arti?cial hosts for short peptide sequences. Preorganized aromatic vessels are tailored for certain protein epitopes and shown to selectively address the prion protein, and a new conjugation technique operating at physiological conditions on helix-loop-helix motifs, leads to protein binders of exquisite af?nity. Finally, elegant sensor systems for multifunctional carbohydrates in their naturalform,whichuse theprinciple ofphoto-induced electrontransfer for ?uorescence detection, are presented. The second part of this book is devoted to creative detection techniques employing chemical processes: Liposomes with integral self-assembled - acetylene lipid areas show an intense blue color, which gradually changes to red if biological analytes of various sizes speci?cally interact with emb- ded hosts. Principal component analysis and arti?cial neuronal networks are novel methods to quantitatively analyze complex mixtures. An alternative - proach uses arti?cial peptidic pores, which are able to release self-quenched ?uorophoresthataresubstitutedbytighterbindinganalytes.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Organophosphorus Chemistry provides a comprehensive annual review of the literature. Coverage includes phosphines and their chalcogenides, phosphonium salts, low coordination number phosphorus compounds, penta- and hexa-coordinated compounds, tervalent phosphorus acids, nucleotides and nucleic acids, ylides and related compounds, and phosphazenes. The series will be of value to research workers in universities, government and industrial research organisations, whose work involves the use of organophosphorus compounds. It provides a concise but comprehensive survey of a vast field of study with a wide variety of applications, enabling the reader to rapidly keep abreast of the latest developments in their specialist areas. Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 90 years The Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Alistair Lennox's thesis reports on the reactivity of organotrifluoroborates, which are becoming increasingly important reagents in synthesis. The thesis is divided into three sections. The first section describes a method for preparing organotrifluoroborates. The second section reports on a mechanistic investigation into the main application of RBF3K reagents as coupling partners in Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, phenomena identified as arising from organotrifluoroborate hydrolysis and fluoride release. The final section reports on a detailed investigation into the hydrolysis mechanism, a prerequisite for their Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, and how it may be predicted and controlled. This research has uncovered many interesting and useful details and shows how problems associated with Suzuki-Miyaura coupling can best be addressed. There has already been wide industrial uptake of the new procedures and insights. The broad nature and clear and succinct style will make the thesis a valuable resource for anyone working in synthesis, organometallic chemistry, or in homogeneous catalysis.

The previous editions of this book established it firmly as an invaluable starting point and concise reference source for chemists, biochemists, microbiologists and others seeking an overview of enzyme chemistry and a gateway to the surrounding literature. In recent years, remarkable advances have been made in the successful commercial application of enzymes and these have been based to a large extent on greater understanding of the underlying chemistry and its interaction with contiguous disciplines of molecular science. This new edition covers these advances in understanding while retaining the basic structure which has proved so effective in earlier years. The aim remains the same: to provide those graduates with some knowledge of chemistry but a limited knowledge of enzymes, with a one-stop access point to this strategically critical field.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Organophosphorus Chemistry provides a comprehensive annual review of the literature. Coverage includes phosphines and their chalcogenides, phosphonium salts, low coordination number phosphorus compounds, penta- and hexa-coordinated compounds, tervalent phosphorus acids, nucleotides and nucleic acids, ylides and related compounds, and phosphazenes. The series will be of value to research workers in universities, government and industrial research organisations, whose work involves the use of organophosphorus compounds. It provides a concise but comprehensive survey of a vast field of study with a wide variety of applications, enabling the reader to rapidly keep abreast of the latest developments in their specialist areas. Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 90 years The Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 90 years The Royal Society of chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic, and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

The discovery of biological activity associated with flavonoid contaminants in vitamin C preparations from bell peppers and lemons by Szent-Gyorgyi and his associates opened a floodgate of research into the biological functions of this ubiquitous and diverse group of compounds. Since then, a broad range of physiological and biochemical activities were discovered in living systems including most plants and animals. With the continued discovery, isolation and identification of new natural and synthetic compounds exhibiting biological activities, entire research programs are devoted to wide ranging investigations to nearly every conceivable area, from microbial and plant interaction, growth regulation and development to physiological, genetical, medicinal actions and uses in animals. This volume is based on presentations made at a Symposium, titled Flavonoids in Cell Function, held during the 219'h National Meeting of the American Chemical Society held in San Francisco, California on March 29-30, 2000. The book is not intended to be a comprehensive treatise on flavonoid research, only a sampling of recent results. The papers cover a range of topics discussing various approaches to flavonoid study, starting at plant microbe communication through analytical methods to medicinal and systemic implications of these compounds in animal cells and systems. The organizers would like to express their thanks to Cargill Foods, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry of the American Chemical Society for financial support. A great deal of thanks is also due to the authors without whose cooperation and patience this volume would not be realized.

Lignans, by convention, are a group of natural products that are formed by linking two phenylpropanoid units (C C units) by oxidative coupling. Most importantly, in 6 3 a lignan, two (C C units) are bound through the central carbon of their side chains, 6 3 0 i. e. the 8 and 8 positions (1, 2). The occurrence of C C -dimers, linked at sites other 6 3 0 than the 8-8 positions, is also known and these compounds have been termed neolignans (3, 4). As these two groups of compounds have close structural as well as biosynthetic relationships, they are often associated together and incorporated under the general term "lignan" (5). The diverse structural categorization of true lignans and of a few neolignans is presented in Fig. 1. Through the years, several review articles or books covering different facets of lignans, including their ch- istry (6, 7), biogenesis (8), synthesis (9), and biological activities (10) have been published. Enduring research for the investigation of secondary metabolites of plants has evidenced some compounds that are biogenetically related to true lignans or neolignans but bear some features not discerned in conventional lignans. These compounds or groups of compounds have been termed as "non-conventional lignans", and include coumarinolignans, ?avonolignans, and stilbenolignans. The non-conventional lignans, like the conventional ones, have two C C units linked 6 3 together but have additional structural features to place them also under the category of coumarins, ?avonoids, or stilbenes.

This thesis mainly describes the development of a screening process for a mirror-image library of chiral natural products. It demonstrates how, by using mirror-image proteins for the screening of available natural products, unavailable mirror-image isomers of natural products can be screened in a mirror process. Moreover, as mirror-image isomers including target proteins and natural products are mainly prepared by means of chemical synthesis, the screening strategy presented here suggests the importance of organic chemistry. Natural products are commonly used as valuable resources for drug discovery. However, as they are mostly produced as single enantiomeric forms, researchers have tested o nly natural products bearing one stereochemistry available in nature. As natural products and their enantiomers have identical physicochemical properties and different biological activities, mirror-image isomers of natural products are promising candidates for novel medicinal resources. In an effort to identify anticancer agents from the mirror-image library, chemical protein syntheses of some target oncoproteins, MDM2, MDMX and Grb2, and their applications to the chemical array screening process were achieved. In the course of this process the NP843 enantiomer, which is the enantiomer of an -tocopherol derivative, was successfully identified as a novel MDM2-p53 interaction inhibitor. These results clearly show that a mirror-image library of chiral natural products represents an invaluable medicinal resource. Accordingly, the chemistry-based screening strategy described in this thesis will be of great interest to a broad range of chemists involved in natural product, medicinal, and synthetic chemistry.

Part of a series which covers areas of organic synthesis ranging from the latest developments in enantioselective methodologies, to reviews of updated chemical methods. The volumes are written by experts, who describe their own area of expertise, as well as those of their peers.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Organophosphorus Chemistry provides a comprehensive annual review of the literature. Coverage includes phosphines and their chalcogenides, phosphonium salts, low coordination number phosphorus compounds, penta- and hexa-coordinated compounds, tervalent phosphorus acids, nucleotides and nucleic acids, ylides and related compounds, and phosphazenes. The series will be of value to research workers in universities, government and industrial research organisations, whose work involves the use of organophosphorus compounds. It provides a concise but comprehensive survey of a vast field of study with a wide variety of applications, enabling the reader to rapidly keep abreast of the latest developments in their specialist areas. Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.