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.

Molecular Physical Chemistry: A Concise Introduction focuses on two main aspects of physical chemistry: thermodynamics and reaction dynamics. By looking at the properties of the atoms and molecules that constitute matter, it makes use of results from modern experiments conducted on small numbers of molecules. These molecular properties allow the behaviour of larger groups of molecules to be predicted. This is in contrast to conventional approaches which are based upon how the subjects have developed historically. It attempts to show how some basic concepts can be easily applied to give verifiable results in simple systems before extending them to more complicated scenarios. The text is intended as an aid to understanding these central topics of physical chemistry, rather than an introduction to them, and some familiarity with them is assumed throughout. Worked examples and problems are given at the end of each chapter. Molecular Physical Chemistry: A Concise Introduction will be welcomed by graduate and advanced undergraduate students, as well as lecturers. Upon completion of this book the reader will see its subject matter as an integral part of their whole approach to chemistry. "Professor McLauchlin is certainly owed a debt of gratitude by the chemical community for this effort to bring enjoyment and understanding to the future generation. It will be interesting to see if this experiment helps students replace the fear of physical chemistry by an appreciation of its power and beauty." Professor William Klemperer, University of Harvard