Book Description

The last fifteen years have seen a veritable explosion of clusters research brought about by two relatively new experimental advances - supersonic jet expansions creating cold high density atomic and molecular beams, and laser (mass and optical) spectroscopy. The success and power of these two techniques, taken together and applied to the study of atomic and molecular clusters, are described in this volume. The field of cluster study is a very broad one, propelled by both the potential application of cluster results to many bulk systems and interest in clusters as systems in their own right. The eclectic nature of the collection of chapters in this book reflects well the diverse nature of this area of chemical physics. The book begins with one of the most suprising and controversial of recent cluster studies - those for the carbon system. As with bulk and molecular carbon chemistry, the chemistry of carbon clusters seems to be unique. Nonmetallic main group clusters also form a very interesting set of systems and their structure and chemistry are as fascinating as they are varied. Diatomic/atomic clusters and small polyatomic clusters demonstrate an incredible amount of spectroscopic detail and thus structure, dynamics and, in some instances, chemistry can be characterized for them. Clusters of larger molecules also yield information on structure, dynamics and chemistry but can in addition give information on changes in molecular structure with degree of solvation. As clusters become larger they begin to assume the properties of bulk systems. Finally, some chapters discuss the nucleation and growth of clusters, each from its own unique perspective and point of view. Current efforts involve following these processes from the formation of a two-molecule cluster to liquid drop. Atomic and Molecular Clusters provides the researcher with a survey of the current status of the field and will also be of interest to the student who may discover a new and exciting area of investigation.