Solid-State Chemistry
About this ebook
The primer consists of three core chapters and parting thoughts (CHAPTER 4). CHAPTER 1 lays out the basic considerations in the world of solids by answering the following core question: How can we define and classify solids? You will learn about crystalline structures, the diverse classifications of metals in the periodic table, as well as their electronic structure and chemical behavior.
CHAPTER 2 answers the second core question: How can we synthesize (new) solids? The authors describe the main pieces of equipment that are necessary for the different synthesis techniques. Beyond that, you will also learn the basics of thermodynamics and kinetics regarding reaction control, planning, and prediction.
CHAPTER 3 answers the third core question: What did we actually synthesize? Even if you have planned and executed a synthesis experiment properly, for example, based on literature reports, you must ensure that the experiment was successful by characterizing your product in detail. Only then can you move towards meaningfully analyzing and discussing the product’s (functional) properties. For this purpose, we list and explain the most common characterization techniques in solid-state chemistry, focusing on the information gained.
Whether you are brand new to the field or an experienced solid-state chemist looking for (synthesis) inspiration, the authors hope you find helpful concepts, explanations, and ideas in this primer and feel empowered to be a part of the exciting world of solids.
About the author
Christina Birkel is an Associate Professor in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU) and holds a joint position (“Kooperationsprofessur”) at the Technische Universität (TU) Darmstadt (Germany). Prior to her appointment at ASU, she completed her Habilitation in the field of inorganic solid-state chemistry (2013−2018), and her postdoctoral project at the University of California, Santa Barbara (2011−2013). In 2010, she successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis (summa cum laude) with a double degree from the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz (Germany) and Seoul National University (South Korea). She was recently appointed Navrotsky Professor of Materials Research and received several awards and fellowships, such as an NSF CAREER Award (2022), a Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship by the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation (2011), and the Mainz Award granted for an outstanding Ph.D. thesis (2010).
Niels Kubitza is a postdoctoral researcher at the Technische Universität Darmstadt (GER) in the lab group of Christina Birkel. He joined Birkel’s group in 2018 for his bachelor’s studies and went on by completing his master’s thesis at Arizona State University (USA) as a research scholar in 2020 and finished his PhD in 2023. During his Ph.D., he was (and still is) a part of the Collaborative Research Center CRC/TRR 270 between the Technische Universität Darmstadt and University of Duisburg-Essen, which focuses on the hysteresis design of magnetic materials for efficient energy conversion. In his research, Kubitza focuses on the non-conventional solid-state synthesis (e.g., microwave heating, sol-gel synthesis) of MAX phase nitride, and carbonitrides, as well as the synthesis of magnetically interesting antiperovskite phases and MAB phases.
