GoingToMeet

The synthesis of new solid materials is one of the basic tasks of Solid State Chemistry, and will constitute the principal topic of the 2009 GRC on “Solid State Chemistry”. In the field of synthesis, new achievements are allowing more control, and more targeted approaches that go beyond the classical “shake and bake” approaches and conventional precursor routes. Greater synthetic control can be gained by a variety of emerging approaches. These include effectively managing the boundary conditions during syntheses via ablation techniques, through deposition of solids from the gas phase, the use of low temperature techniques using solvents/fluxes, building block approaches or by employing extreme conditions with respect to temperature and pressure. For example, significant progress has been achieved in monitoring the initial stages of structure formation. However, there is still a long way to go for a full understanding and control of the relevant processes, which would be indispensable for running fully targeted materials syntheses.