This volume dedicated to the memory of Marcel Sergent who was a leader in this field for many years, addresses past achievements and recent developments in this vibrant area of research. Large classes of ligated transition metal clusters are produced either exclusively or most reliably by means of high-temperature solid-state reactions. Among them, the Chevrel-Sergent phases and related materials have generated enormous interest since their discovery in 1971. Today, these materials and their numerous derivatives still constitute a vivid area of research finding some applications not only in superconductivity, but also in catalysis, optics or thermoelectricity to mention a few.

Clusters can be viewed as solids at the nano-scale, yet molecular cluster chemistry and solid state chemistry have traditionally been considered as separate topics. This treatment has made it conceptually difficult to appreciate commonalities of structure and bonding between the two. Using analogous models, this is the first book to form a connecting bridge. Although the focus is on clusters, sufficient attention is paid to solid-state compounds at each stage of the development to establish the interrelationship between the two topics. Comprehensive coverage of cluster types by composition, size and ligation, is provided, as is a synopsis of selected research. Written in an accessible style and highly illustrated to aid understanding, this book is suitable for researchers in inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, materials science, and condensed matter physics.

This volume dedicated to the memory of Marcel Sergent who was a leader in this field for many years, addresses past achievements and recent developments in this vibrant area of research. Large classes of ligated transition metal clusters are produced either exclusively or most reliably by means of high-temperature solid-state reactions. Among them, the Chevrel-Sergent phases and related materials have generated enormous interest since their discovery in 1971. Today, these materials and their numerous derivatives still constitute a vivid area of research finding some applications not only in superconductivity, but also in catalysis, optics or thermoelectricity to mention a few.