In this new edition the authors have taken the opportunity to bring the work completely up to date by the addition of new material on mesoporous materials, fullerenes, molecular magnets, organic conductors and high-temperature superconductors. All of the chapters have been revised with new additional sections.

In recent years, solid state chemistry has emerged as a very important element of mainstream chemistry and modern materials science. Students, teachers and researchers of condensed matter science and materials science need to understand the chemistry of solids because this plays a crucial role in determining the properties of materials. An understanding of solid state chemistry is also essential in materials design.

For example, innovative ways of preparing unusual solids chemically have been discovered, often giving rise to metastable materials which could not otherwise be made. Many fascinating relationships between the structure and properties of solids that help in the design of materials have been discovered by chemists. The authors survey the highlights of this vital area of chemistry by citing the most recent examples, case studies and references.

Not only does the book bring out the essence of the subject, it will also help the reader understand the subject in all its breadth and depth. This text requires only an understanding of basic physics, chemistry and crystallography. It will be of value to advanced students and researchers studying solid state chemistry as a text and reference work.