This volume dedicated to the memory of Marcel Sergent who was a leader in this field for many years, addresses past achievements and recent developments in this vibrant area of research. Large classes of ligated transition metal clusters are produced either exclusively or most reliably by means of high-temperature solid-state reactions. Among them, the Chevrel-Sergent phases and related materials have generated enormous interest since their discovery in 1971. Today, these materials and their numerous derivatives still constitute a vivid area of research finding some applications not only in superconductivity, but also in catalysis, optics or thermoelectricity to mention a few.

Autorentext

Jean-François Halet's research centers on the understanding of the chemical bond in transition metal inorganic chemistry. He uses a variety of quantum chemical computational tools such as Extended Hückel, Ab initio and Density Functional methods to tackle problems of electron-counting, structure, physical properties and reactivity of both molecular and solid state systems. When possible, structural similarities between molecular and solid state compounds are analyzed. The main recent investigations of J.-F. Halet concern (i) The electronic structure of large (molecular, nanosized, and solid-state) inorganic transition metal clusters; (ii) The study of the metal-to-carbon bonding and physical properties in polymetallic compounds containing carbon ligands; (iii) The understanding of the structural arrangement and the physical properties, especially thermoellectrical properties, of solid-state compounds such as borides, boride carbides and nitrides.

Inhalt

Chapter 1. Chevrel-Phases: Genesis and Developments.- Chapter 2. Octahedral chalcogenide rhenium clusters: From solids to isolated cluster complexes.- Chapter 3.Exploring the Breadth of Terminal Ligands Coordinated in [Mo6X8]4+ and [Re6Q8]2+ Based Cluster Complexes.- Chapter 4. Rhenium Hexanuclear clusters: Bonding, spectroscopy and Applications of Molecular Chevrel Phases.- Chapter 5.- Thermoelectric Properties of Ternary and Quaternary Mo6 and Mo9 Cluster Selenides.- Chapter 6. Inorganic Niobium and Tantalum Octahedral Cluster Halide Compounds with Three-dimensional Frameworks: A Review on their Crystallographic and Electronic Structures.