Provides historical perspective as well as current data

Abundantly illustrated with figures redrawn from literature data

Covers all pertinent theory and physical chemistry

Catalytic and chemotherapeutic applications are included

A giant in the field and at times a polarizing figure, F. Albert Cotton's contributions to inorganic chemistry and the area of transitions metals are substantial and undeniable. In his own words, My Life in the Golden Age of Chemistry: More Fun than Fun describes the late chemist's early life and college years in Philadelphia, his graduate training and research contributions at Harvard with Geoffrey Wilkinson, and his academic career from becoming the youngest ever full professor at MIT (aged 31) to his extensive time at Texas A&M. Professor Cotton's autobiography offers his unique perspective on the advances he and his contemporaries achieved through one of the most prolific times in modern inorganic chemistry, in research on the then-emerging field of organometallic chemistry, metallocenes, multiple bonding between transition metal atoms, NMR and ESR spectroscopy, hapticity, and more. Working during a time of generous government funding of science and strong sponsorship for good research, Professor Cotton's experience and observations provide insight into this prolific and exciting period of chemistry.

Explains the basics of inorganic chemistry with a primary emphasis on facts; then uses the student's growing factual knowledge as a foundation for discussing the important principles of periodicity in structure, bonding and reactivity. New to this updated edition: improved treatment of atomic orbitals and properties such as electronegativity, novel approaches to the depiction of ionic structures, nomenclature for transition metal compounds, quantitative approaches to acid-base chemistry, Wade's rules for boranes and carboranes, the chemistry of major new classes of substances including fullerenes and silenes plus a chapter on the inorganic solid state.