On Friday, February 20, 1980, I had the pleasure to be present at the inaugural lecture of my colleague Jan Reedijk, who had just been named at the Chair of Inorganic Chemistry of Leiden University. According to tradition, the ceremony took place in the impressive Hall of the old University Academy Building. In the course of his lecture, Jan mentioned a number of recent developments in chemistry which had struck him as particularly important or interesting. Among those was the synthesis of large metal cluster compounds, and, to my luck, he showed a slide ofthe molecular structure of [PtI9(C)b]4-. (To my luck, since at traditional Leiden University it is quite unusual to show slides at such ceremonies.) This constituted my first acquaintance with this exciting new class of materials. I became immediately fascinated by this molecule, partly because of the esthetic beauty of its fivefold symmetry, partly because as a physicist it struck me that it could be visualized as an "embryonically small" metal particle, embedded in a shell of CO ligands.

It has been a decade since two seminal reviews demonstrated that mixed-valence compounds share many unique and fascinating features. The insight pro vided by those early works has promoted a great deal of both experimental and theoretical study. As a result of extensive efforts, our understanding of the bonding and properties of mixed-valence compounds has advanced substantially. There has been no compre hensive treatment of mixed-valence compounds since 1967, and the meeting convened at Oxford in September, 1979, provided a unique opportunity to examine the subject and its many ramifications. Mixed-valence compounds play an important role in many fields. Although the major impact of the subject has been in chemistry, its importance has become increasingly clear in solid state physics, geology, and biology. Extensive interest and effort in the field of molecular metals has demonstrated that mixed-valency is a prerequisite for high elec trical conductivity. The intense colors of many minerals have been shown to be due to mixed-valency, and the electron-transfer properties of certain mixed-valence metalloproteins are important in biological processes. Experts from all of these areas participated in this meeting, and the truly interdisciplinary nature of the subject made it a unique learning experience for all in attendance.

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.

Metal ions play an important role in analytical chemistry, organometallic chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, and materials chemistry. This book, Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry Researches of Metal Compounds, collects research articles, review articles, and tutorial description about metal compounds. To perspective contemporary researches of inorganic chemistry widely, the kinds of metal elements (typical and transition metals including rare earth; p, d, f-blocks) and compounds (molecular coordination compounds, ionic solid materials, or natural metalloenzyme) or simple substance (bulk, clusters, or alloys) to be focused are not limited. In this way, review chapters of current researches are collected in this book.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the rapidly developing field of cluster science. In an interdisciplinary approach, basic concepts as well as recent developments in research and practical applications are authoritatively discussed by leading authors. Topics covered include 'naked' metal clusters, clusters stabilized by ligands, clusters in solids, and colloids. The reader will find answers to questions like: * How many metal atoms must a particle have to exhibit metallic properties? * How can the large specific surface of clusters and colloids be employed in catalysts? * How can metal clusters be introduced into solid hosts? * Which effects are responsible for the transition from isolated to condensed clusters? The editor has succeeded in bringing the contributions of various authors together into a homogeneous, readable book, which will be useful for the academic and industrial reader alike.

Atomic clusters are aggregates of atoms containing a few to several thousand atoms. Due to the small size of these pieces of matter, the properties of atomic clusters in general are different from those of the corresponding material in the macroscopic bulk phase. This monograph presents the main developments of atomic clusters and the current status of the field. The book treats different types of clusters with very different properties: clusters in which the atoms or molecules are tied by weak van der Waals interactions, metallic clusters, clusters of ionic materials, and network clusters made of typical covalent elements. It includes methods of experimental cluster synthesis as well as the structural, electronic, thermodynamic and magnetic properties of clusters, covering both experiments and the theoretical work that has led to our present understanding of the different properties of clusters. The question of assembling nanoclusters to form solids with new properties is also considered. Having an adequate knowledge of the properties of clusters can be of great help to any scientist working with objects of nanometric size. On the other hand, nanoclusters are themselves potentially important in fields like catalysis and nanomedicine.

Metal cluster chemistry is at the cutting edge between molecular and solid-state chemistry and has therefore had a great impact on the researchers working on organic, coordination, and solid-state chemistry, catalysis, physics, and materials science. The development of new sophisticated synthetic techniques has led to enormous progress in the synthesis of this diverse class of compounds. The number of clusters is growing rapidly, since the possible variations in the metal and ligand sphere are numerous. Modern bonding theories, such as the isolobal principle, have allowed a better understanding of the structures and properties of metal clusters, and thus paved the way for the usage of these versatile materials. Catalysis and nanomaterials are just two of the very promising application-oriented fields. Seventy six contributions, written by world experts in this research field, provide extensive coverage of different aspects of cluster chemistry, ranging from synthesis, structure determination, and dynamics to applications. Up-to-date information, including an impressive collection of structural data and illustrations, extensive coverage of the most important publications of the last decade, and many more features make this three-volume set a complete single-source guide for all researchers working in the area of cluster chemistry.

Designed with the needs of both undergraduate and graduate students in mind, Organometallic Chemistry, Third Edition, covers the fundamentals of organometallic chemistry by presenting seminal experiments, analyzing real data, and offering the most comprehensive problem sets available. The text opens with careful explanations of the structure and bonding of organometallic compounds, providing a uniquely accessible introduction to the subject for undergraduate students. Later chapters build on this foundation with in-depth coverage of more advanced topics such as organometallic reaction mechanisms, catalysis, carbene complexes, metathesis, applications of organometallic chemistry to organic synthesis, and bioorganometallic chemistry.

Protected Metal Clusters: From Fundamentals to Applications surveys the fundamental concepts and potential applications of atomically precise metal clusters protected by organic ligands. As this class of materials is now emerging as a result of breakthroughs in synthesis and characterization that have taken place over the last few years, the book provides the first reference with a focus on these exciting novel nanomaterials, explaining their formation, and how, and why, they play an important role in the future of molecular electronics, catalysis, sensing, biological imaging, and medical diagnosis and therapy. - Surveys the fundamental concepts and potential applications of atomically precise metal clusters protected by organic ligands. - Provides well-organized, tutorial style chapters that are ideal for teaching and self-study - In-depth descriptions by top scientists in the field - Presents the state-of-the art of protected metal clusters and their future prospects