Chemistry and the synthesis of novel materials

Abstract

The significant feature of materials science is that it deals with matter in bulk, and hence with properties which are those of the aggregate, not just the sum of the constituents. That has made it harder for chemists than for physicists to comprehend structure-property relations, because chemists instinctively view solids as built from individual atoms or molecules. But involvement of chemists in materials science has brought much greater variety and complexity in the range of substances being prepared and studied, both with respect to structures and properties. This lecture introduces some of the physical properties that have been of interest recently to chemists, and some of the novel types of compound that are being synthesised. The emphasis is on superconductors and other materials made from molecular components. © 1999 IUPAC.