Boron has all the best tunes. That may well be the first impression of the Group 13 elements. The chemical literature fosters the impression not only in the primary journals, but also in asteady outflowofbooks focussing more or less closely on boron and its compounds. The same preoccupation with boron is apparent in the coverage received by the Group 13 elements in the comprehensive and regularly updated volume of the Gmelin Handbook. Yet such an imbalance cannot be explained by any inherent lack ofvariety, interest or consequence in the 'heavier elements. Aluminium is the most abundant metal...

This book deals with selected aspects of structural chemistry, concentrating particularly on molecular and Raman spectroscopy. The authors of the various chapters were chosen from friends, colleagues and past students of Len Woodward. It is our hope that the book will prove useful both to honours students and to research workers. We would like to thank all our contributors for their willing cooperation in this endeavour. We are also grateful to all those who have given permission for the reproduction of copyright material from other publica tions; specific acknowledgments are made in each...