Physics And Chemistry Of Metal Cluster Compounds

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.

Seven chapters summarize the current status of organometallic cluster chemistry from the viewpoints of synthesis, structure and bonding, ligand substitution reactions, ligand transformations, polyhedral rearrangement, cluster fragmentation reactions, and metal clusters as homogeneous catalysts. An eighth provides an extensive bibliography of reviews for the period from 1965 to 1988. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

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.

Chemical structure and bonding. The scope of the series spans the entire Periodic Table and addresses structure and bonding issues associated with all of the elements. It also focuses attention on new and developing areas of modern structural and theoretical chemistry such as nanostructures, molecular electronics, designed molecular solids, surfaces, metal clusters and supramolecular structures. Physical and spectroscopic techniques used to determine, examine and model structures fall within the purview of Structure and Bonding to the extent that the focus is on the scientific results obtained and not on specialist information concerning the techniques themselves. Issues associated with the development of bonding models and generalizations that illuminate the reactivity pathways and rates of chemical processes are also relevant. The individual volumes in the series are thematic. The goal of each volume is to give the reader, whether at a university or in industry, a comprehensive overview of an area where new insights are emerging that are of interest to a larger scientific audience.

This book discusses current techniques and instrumentation for cluster chemistry. It addresses both the experimental and theoretical aspects of gas-phase metal cluster reactivities, especially those pertaining to pollution removal, energetic reactions and corrosion and anticorrosion. These metal cluster systems have attracted enormous interest as they display a completely new class of physical, chemical, electronic, magnetic and catalytic properties. As these properties change with size and composition, it can thus be understood how their nature evolves from atoms to bulk solids. The book offers readers a basic understanding of the structural chemistry and reactivity of metal clusters in both gas-phase and wet chemistry. Further, the lessons they learn here regarding metal cluster chemistry will prepare researchers for the study of condensed phase dynamics that pertain to wet chemical synthesis, soft-landing deposition and cluster assembly.

Metal clusters are on the brink between molecules and nanoparticles in size. With molecular, nano-scale, metallic as well as non-metallic aspects, metal clusters are a growing, interdisciplinary field with numerous potential applications in chemistry, catalysis, materials and nanotechnology. This third volume in the series of hot topics from inorganic chemistry covers all recent developments in the field of metal clusters, with some 20 contributions providing an in-depth view. The result is a unique perspective, illustrating all facets of this interdisciplinary area: * Inter-electron Repulsion and Irregularities in the Chemistry of Transition Series * Stereochemical Activity of Lone Pairs in Heavier Main Group Element Compounds * How Close to Close Packing? * Forty-Five Years of Praseodymium Diiodide * Centered Zirconium Clusters * Titanium Niobium Oxychlorides * Trinuclear Molybdenum and Tungsten Cluster Chalcogenides * Current State of (B,C,N)-Compounds of Calcium and Lanthanum * Ternary Phases of Lithium with Main-Group and Late-Transition Metals * Polar Intermetallics and Zintl Phases along the Zintl Border * Rare Earth Zintl Phases * Structure-Property Relationships in Intermetallics * Ternary and Quaternary Niobium Arsenide Zintl Phases * The Building Block Approach to Understanding Main-Group-Metal Complex Structures * Cation-Deficient Quaternary Thiospinels * A New Class of Hybrid Materials via Salt Inclusion Synthesis * Layered Perrhenate and Vanadate Hybrid Solids * Hydrogen Bonding in Metal Halides * Syntheses and Catalytic Properties of Titanium Nitride Nanoparticles * Solventless Thermolysis * New Potential Scintillation Materials in Borophosphate Systems. With its didactical emphasis, this volume addresses a wide readership, such that both students and specialists will profit from the expert contributions.