During the past fifteen years commercial interest in compounds containing carbon fluorine bonds has burgeoned beyond all expectations, mainly owing to business opportunities arising from work on biologically active fluoroorganics-particularly agrochemicals, the relentless search for new markets for fluoropolymers and fluoro carbon fluids, developments in the field of medical diagnostics, and the drive to find replacements for ozone-depleting CFCs and Halon fire-extinguishing agents. Judging the situation to warrant the publication of a comprehensive collection of up-to-date reviews dealing with commercial organofluorine compounds within a single volume of manageable size (and hence reasonable cost), we were delighted to be invited by Plenum Publishing Corporation to produce a suitable book. In order to provide an authentic and wide-ranging account of current commercial applications of fluoroorganic materials, it clearly was necessary to assemble a sizeable team of knowledgeable contributing authors selected almost entirely from industry. Through their efforts we have been able to produce an almost complete coverage of the modem organofluorochemicals business in a manner designed to attract a reader ship ranging from experts in the field, through chemists and technologists currently unaware of the extent of industrial involvement with fluoroorganics, to students of applied chemistry. Promised chapters dedicated to perfluoroolefin oxides and 18F labeling of radiopharmaceuticals failed to materialize. This is somewhat unfortunate in view of our aim to achieve comprehensive coverage of the subject.

During the past fifteen years commercial interest in compounds containing carbon fluorine bonds has burgeoned beyond all expectations, mainly owing to business opportunities arising from work on biologically active fluoroorganics-particularly agrochemicals, the relentless search for new markets for fluoropolymers and fluoro carbon fluids, developments in the field of medical diagnostics, and the drive to find replacements for ozone-depleting CFCs and Halon fire-extinguishing agents. Judging the situation to warrant the publication of a comprehensive collection of up-to-date reviews dealing with commercial organofluorine compounds within a single volume of manageable size (and hence reasonable cost), we were delighted to be invited by Plenum Publishing Corporation to produce a suitable book. In order to provide an authentic and wide-ranging account of current commercial applications of fluoroorganic materials, it clearly was necessary to assemble a sizeable team of knowledgeable contributing authors selected almost entirely from industry. Through their efforts we have been able to produce an almost complete coverage of the modem organofluorochemicals business in a manner designed to attract a reader ship ranging from experts in the field, through chemists and technologists currently unaware of the extent of industrial involvement with fluoroorganics, to students of applied chemistry. Promised chapters dedicated to perfluoroolefin oxides and 18F labeling of radiopharmaceuticals failed to materialize. This is somewhat unfortunate in view of our aim to achieve comprehensive coverage of the subject."

Organo-fluorine compounds have become increasingly important in the last 50 years, as synthetic routes to them have been developed; very few occur naturally. Their chemical behavior covers the entire range from inertness to high reactivity and their physical properties show unique features. These characteristics have led to many specialist uses in various fields such as inert fluids, polymers, elastomers, surfactants, surface treatment agents, fire extinguishers, biological and medicinal applications, and agriculture. Houben-Weyl Vol. E10 Organo-Fluorine Compounds is a critical survey of the academic and patent literature, organized in a systematic and structured way and presented in 5 volumes. In Volume E10a Section A details the diverse range of fluorinating agents used to make C-F bonds. In Volumes E10b/1 and E10b/2 Section B describes in detail methods for the synthesis of fluorinated compounds from organo-fluorine precursors (the building block approach), while in Section C are outlined general reactions and reactivity of organo-fluorides. A comprehensive index is provided in Volume E10c/1 and E10c/2. Houben-Weyl Vol. E10 Organo-Fluorine Compounds is written by leading experts in the field and will prove to be an invaluable tool for the student and researcher alike well into the next millennium. For full information on the complete Houben-Weyl series, please visit the Houben-Weyl Homepage.