Author Description

The existence of quadruple bonds between transition metal atoms was first recognized in 1964, and since then several thousand compounds containing these and related types of multiple bonds have been prepared and characterized. In this completely new and revised edition of the first monograph on the subject, the authors describe the full course of development of the chemistry of these compounds. A research literature of over 2,000 publications is surveyed completely to the end of 1990, and key developments in 1991 and early 1992 are also included. The work covers all relevant classes of compounds and also discusses the theoretical, spectroscopic, and thermodynamic aspects of these relatively new and distinctive types of bond. A historical introduction is followed by chapters devoted to each of the elements or homologous pairs of elements that play a major role, as well as overviews of other classes of compounds. A detailed account of the underlying bonding theory and the related spectroscopic observations concludes the book.