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The Physics of Fullerene-Based and Fullerene-Related Materials (Physics and Chemistry of Materials with Low-Dimensional Structures)

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The book consists of a series of articles on C60
research advances mainly across the chemistry-physics
areas. It is opened by a preface from Sir Harold Kroto
and his vision of C60 as 'multitalented molecule'
for the twenty-first century.

The first chapter written by W. Kratschmer deals with
historical, technical, and mechanistic aspects of fullerene
production. Then, a big block of three articles from J. E.
Fischer et al. concentrates on fullerene intercalation
compounds. Their first contribution discusses production,
characterization and solid state properties of the
intercalation compounds. The second article of the triad
is a comprehensive survey of structure and superconductivity
of alkali metal fullerides. Finally, the third contribution
from J. E. Fischer et al. reports other fullerides
(including intercalation compounds of C70) and
intercalated nanotubes.

Contribution by J. Fink et al. deals with experimental
studies of the electronic structure and properties of pristine,
intercalated, and endohedral fullerenes and heterofullerenes.
K. Prassides treats dimer and polymer phases in doped
fullerenes. The following chapter by H. Kuzmany and J. Winter
is a comprehensive description of vibrational properties
of fullerenes and fullerides. W. Andreoni and P. Giannozzi
discuss calculations of structural properties of C60
and its derivatives based on density-functional theory.
The chapter by M. S. Dresselhaus et al. surveys
important aspects and properties of carbon nanotubes.
The following article from S. G. Louie concentrates on
electronic behaviour of carbon and boron-carbon-nitrogen
nanotubes. The volume closes with a chapter from J-L. Hodeau
et al. on pressure studies of fullerenes.

The book represents a valuable contribution to the steadily
growing fullerene literature. In overall, it is a well
balanced physically-oriented cross-section through fullerene
science and it should certainly find its way to every
library in the field.

ISBN: 0-7923-6234-9

Fullerene science remembered a triad of anniversaries
in 1995: 25 years since C60 appeared in the literature,
10 years since it was observed in the gas-phase, and 5 years
since it was prepared in macroscopic amounts as a solid
material. The triad was commemorated, inter alia,
at the NATO workshop which was included in the program of
the Enrico Fermi School and held in Varenna, Italy
in June 1995.

The book opens with a survey article from Kroto et al.
which places the events into a historical perspective
and links them with the contemporary research front. The
theme is further elaborated by articles from the other
three capital cities of fullerene science, written by
Smalley et al., Kratschmer and finally Huffman.
The four articles are combined into the first chapter:
Past, Present and New Horizons.

The words chemical physics from the title could
equally well read chemistry and physics,
as the following eight specialized chapters
indeed give a representative cross-section
of the present fullerene science. The individual
chapters are: Formation and Structural Growth,
Physical Properties, High Fullerenes and Endohedrals,
Exohedrals, Functionalization, Intercalated C60
Compounds, Carbon Nanotubes, Non-carbon Nanostructures.
Altogether 28 contributions expose the on-going
research in its width and vigor.

This is a valuable volume, well balanced scientifically
as well as geographically, relevant to basically any
subfield of carbon-cluster studies. The book, no doubt,
will find its way into the libraries of many fullerene
groups. The volume was published in the NATO ASI Series, E:
Applied Sciences - Vol. 316, and it has altogether 498 pp.

ISBN 0-7923-4000-0