Publisher's Synopsis
The interfaces between metal ions endure to challenge our understanding of the nature of the chemical bond. In general, the formation of bonds between metals is a delicate balancing act: on the one hand the valence orbitals involved must be sufficiently diffuse to afford substantial diatomic overlap, on the other; competitive binding of additional ligands must be avoided. Metallic bonds are the chemical bonds that hold atoms together in metals. They differ from covalent and ionic bonds because the electrons in metallic bonding are delocalized, that is, they are not shared between only two atoms. Instead, the electrons in metallic bonds float freely through the lattice of metal nuclei. This type of bonding gives metals many unique material properties, including excellent thermal and electrical conductivity, high melting points, and malleability. Furthermore, metal-metal bonded systems are increasingly finding applications in fields as diverse as molecular electronics, organometallic catalysis, and even in enzyme-mediated transformations. The pioneering work in the field dates back almost exactly half a century and is inevitably associated with Cotton and the quadruple bond in [Re2Cl8] 2- . Since that time, the three transition series have proved the most fertile source of metal-metal bonds, largely because the presence of (n+1)s, (n+1)p, and nd orbitals in the valence region offers an unrivaled potential for strong interactions. This volume covers state of the art research and reviews on current status and future trends in modern chemical research concerned with chemical structure and bonding. This volume includes topics on the developments in the study of (transition) metal clusters held by metal-metal bonds. Similar to the case of boranes and carboranes, electron-counting rules have been discussed to correlate the bonding and structure of metal clusters.
