........ published in NEWSLETTER # 68
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........ published in NEWSLETTER # 68
SUPRAMOLECULAR ENGINEERING OF SYNTHETIC METALLIC MATERIALS: CONDUCTORS AND MAGNETS
by Professors J. Veciana, C. Rovira and D.B. Amabilino, Institut de Ciencia de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC), Bellaterra (Spain)
Synthetic metallic materials, especially conductors and magnets, are of special interest for their unique and fascinating properties, and their preparation has recently benefited from the use of Supramolecular Chemical techniques - the recent advances in the employment of this approach are the subject of the conference proceedings (NATO ASI SERIES C518).
The NATO Advanced Research Workshop brought together specialists from the areas of Crystal Engineering and Supramolecular Chemistry in general, Molecular Magnets and Molecular Conductors, as well as polymeric materials, in Sitges, a small town to the South of Barcelona, Spain, between January 10-14, 1998. It provided an interdisciplinary forum for open discussions and presentations of the most recent results, a fact which is evident from the excellent chapters provided by the lecturers at the meeting which are brought together in this volume. The aim of the Workshop was to help in the development of Synthetic Molecular Metallic Materials.
The book traces a course from the challenges related to the preparation and growth of crystals with pre-designed packing (Bernstein, Desiraju, Hosseini, Hulliger), to the prediction of these patterns (Gavezzoti, Novoa), and the development of structural models (Ripmeester). In the context of these topics, the most recent advances in the preparation and properties of magnetic materials, both organic and inorganic (Awaga, Gatteschi, Kahn, Kurmoo, Miller, Palacio, Rey), are highlighted. The possibilities combining optical and metallic properties (Day, Decurtins), and the latest exciting developments in spin ladders (Formigue, Rovira) are featured. The recent insights into the factors determining the nature of conducting properties (Bryce, Canadell, Dunbar, Shibaeva) and the preparation of new materials which could present new properties (Becher, Gorgues, Wudl) are presented, and the intriguing possibility of the combination of magnetic and conducting properties (Cassoux, Coronado) is discussed. Finally, the book ends with discussions of the preparation of magnetic and conducting films using Supramolecular techniques (Bjornholm, Talham).
The chapters hightlight the state-of-the-art in the different areas covered in such a way as to highlight the difficulties and prospects for the preparation of Synthetic Molecular Metallic Materials. It is expected that all the contributions will represent a stimulus for many researchers to step into this exciting field.
Reference books: C456, C484, C518, E198, E321