ELECTROCRYSTALLIZATION, AN INVALUABLE TOOL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORDERED, ELECTROACTIVE MOLECULAR-SOLIDS

For the past three decades, the electrocrystallization technique has b een used extensively to assemble a large variety of molecular ions int o long range ordered single crystals of high purity. This effort is re viewed in the present paper from the initial vigorous impetus triggere d by the development of organic (molecular) metals and superconductors to the continuous diverse developments toward insulating antiferromag netic systems, the synthesis of crystals of coordination polymers, the construction of ternary and quaternary phases, the variation of molec ular conformation, the use of polyfunctionalized pi-donor molecules wi th hydrogen-bond-donor and/or -acceptor capabilities and the developme nt of molecular alloys, with the aim of exemplifying an approach to th e solid-state chemistry of molecular ions.