Inorganic Electrochemistry

Book excerpt: Electrochemistry can be an elegant and essential support to synthetic inorganic chemistry. However, it is often perceived as a difficult technique. This book aims to introduce inorganic chemists to electrochemical investigations in as straightforward a way as possible. First, the reader is introduced to the theory of electron transfer processes, how they can be studied by various electrochemical techniques, and the practical procedures required. The book then goes on to look extensively, and with numerous illustrations, at the application of the techniques in the multiple fields of inorganic chemistry (including organometallics, coordination compounds, bioinorganics/biomimetics and materials science). Topics covered include: metallocenes; organometallic and coordination complexes; metal complexes of redox active ligands; metal-carbonyl clusters; superconductors; molecular wires; and proteins. Throughout, special attention is paid to the structural effects accompanying the electron transfer processes. This unique book bridges the gap between undergraduate and research-level electrochemistry books, and will be welcomed as an introduction to electrochemical applications within inorganic chemistry.