Elsevier BORON CHEMISTRY AT THE MILLENNIUM

The chemistry of boron exhibits many unique features that distinguish boron from any other element. Thus boron demonstrates exceptional ability in molecular, ionic, and solid state environments to form very stable compounds exhibiting structures based on icosahedral and other deltahedral units. In addition, boron forms a variety of very stable mononuclear tetrahedral as well as polynuclear cage anions including some of the most weakly coordinating anions currently known. The hydride chemistry of boron is also unusually rich providing diverse examples of multicenter bonding, which have stimulated numerous theoretical and computational studies. These features of boron chemistry can be considered to be as distinctive as the unique features of the much better known chemistry of carbon in organic compounds including the exceptional catenation ability of carbon as well as the wide range of compounds containing stable benzenoid and related structural units. These and other special features of boron chemistry can be considered to be as distinctive as the unique features of the much better known chemistry of carbon in organic compounds including the exceptional catenation ability of carbon as well as the wide range of compounds containing stable benzenoid and related structural units. These and other special features of boron chemistry have led to a variety of applications of diverse boron compounds. Thus various solid state metal borides are useful for novel superconductors and thermionic emitters. Borates are useful in detergents and in special borosilicate glasses. Borohydrides and other boron-hydrogen compounds have diverse applications in organic synthesis. Biomedical applications of boron include the use of boron-rich cage compounds in boron neutron cancer chemotherapy. This book grew out of a workshop held at the University Of Georgia in May 1998, organized by Professor R.B. King. The results presented at this conference were divided into two categories : solid-state boron chemistry and boron compounds in organic systhesis. The papers, recently published in special issues of Inorganica Chimica Acta and the Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, are now available in this single book edition. Readers will find the exciting results of scientists from all over the world. This work will certainly stimulate more research and development in the field of boron chemistry well into the next millennium. Synopsis The chemistry of boron exhibits many unique features that distinguish boron from any other element. Thus boron demonstrates exceptional ability in molecular, ionic, and solid state environments to form very stable compounds exhibiting structures based on icosahedral and other deltahedral units. In addition, boron forms a variety of very stable mononuclear tetrahedral as well as polynuclear cage anions including some of the most weakly coordinating anions currently known. The hydride chemistry of boron is also unusually rich providing diverse examples of multicenter bonding, which have stimulated numerous theoretical and computational studies. These features of boron chemistry can be considered to be as distinctive as the unique features of the much better known chemistry of carbon in organic compounds including the exceptional catenation ability of carbon as well as the wide range of compounds containing stable benzenoid and related structural units. These and other special features of boron chemistry can be considered to be as distinctive as the unique features of the much better known chemistry of carbon in organic compounds including the exceptional catenation ability of carbon as well as the wide range of compounds containing stable benzenoid and related structural units. These and other special features of boron chemistry have led to a variety of applications of diverse boron compounds. Thus various solid state metal borides are useful for novel superconductors and thermionic emitters. Borates are useful in d