The last twenty years has seen a resurgence in main-group chemistry, from the fundamental breakthroughs involving multiple bonding in silicon, phosphorus, and other heavier elements to the present-day applications in materials and nanotechnology. Main-group compounds are used in the synthesis of nano- and mesoporous materials via sol-gel methods (particularly in silicate chemistry), and in the preparation of materials such as boron nitrides and chemically modified
single-walled nanotubes. Ceramics and dense materials are almost all made using oxides, carbides, nitrides, or borides. Inorganic polymers, such as polyphosphazenes; semiconductor group 13-15, 14-16 compounds; coatings; catalystsall are important aspects of main-group chemistry. The contents of
this book cover a broad range of main-group chemistry, from the fundamental to the applied.