SOLID-STATE CHEMISTRY

Even though non-molecular solids comprise only a small fraction of all known compounds, they have been technologically very important. These materials are the focus of Solid State Science. Once a new compound i s synthesized, we have powerful tools of analysis to determine its str ucture and a host of physical properties and to connect these through increasingly sophisticated theoretical models. With perhaps the except ion of high temperature superconductivity, the understanding of physic al phenomena in solids is impressive. A similar understanding of the c hemistry of solids is still, however, rather elusive in that we are qu ite unable to predict new crystal structures or the composition of com pounds that are more than derivatives of known materials. In spite of this shortcoming, new discoveries through empirical searches and focus ed inquiries are accelerating. This article gives a short, admittedly biased and certainly incomplete, view of current progress and challeng es in Solid State Chemistry and points out promising new developments in experimental and theoretical research. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Lt d.