Electrochromism-Fundamentals and Applications. P. M. S. Monk, R. J. Mortimer and D. R. Rosseinsky. VCH Verlagsgesellschaft, 1995. Pp. xxvi +21 6. Price DM1 68.00. ISBN 3-527-29063-X. Electrochromism is a rapidly growing technology and under- scores the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of inorganic and organic materials. This book brings together three physical chemists who deliver an excellent up-to-date account of the subject. Part I of the review provides the reader with some funda- mental principles and importantly defines the terminology associated with this field of science such as colouration efficiency. Basic electrochemical theory is included in this section and covers such topics as cyclic voltammetry, charge transport, electron transport kinetics and semiconductor elec- trodes.Part I concludes with a section on the construction of electrochromic displays (ECDs), with the combinations of all components in solution, solution-solid and all-solid systems. Part I1 introduces the major thrust of the book where both inorganic and organic systems are discussed for use in elec- trochromic applications. The inorganic metal oxides and mixed metal oxides are covered in terms of structure, preparation, diffusion characteristics and spectroscopic and optical effects. An extended discussion on the operation of W03 ECDs is also included, together with an account of new rare-earth-metal lutetium bis( phthalocyanine), Prussian blue and related systems for potential electrochromes.A wide range of organic systems is covered. Much of the focus is related to device applications employing bipyridilium electrochromes and elec- troactive conducting polymers such as polyaniline, polypyrrole and polythiophene. Miscellaneous organic materials such as pyrazolines are also mentioned. Part 111 presents recent advances in current research. This section comprises polyelectrochromes and photoelectrochro- mism, including a discussion on electrochromic printing. This book is a forum for scientific issues central to electro- chromic display technology. It also provides a springboard for anyone wishing to grasp the basics of the field and is strongly recommended for specialist practioners in display technology. Raoul Cervini Received 10th January, 1996 ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~ One-Dimensional Metals.Siegmar Roth. VCH, Weinheim, 1995. Pp. xii +247. Price DM 148.00. ISBN 3-527-26875-8. One-dimensional metals continue to fascinate scientists from a broad cross-section of disciplines, with the quest for high- temperature superconductors acting as a major driving force. This book, written by a leading researcher in the field, provides an introduction to molecular and polymeric systems (mostly organic) with an emphasis on the underlying physical concepts and the solid-state properties of the materials. The book is divided into 10 chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the concepts of dimen- sionality in the solid state, with reference to compounds such as diamond, graphite, polyacetylene and fullerenes.Densities of states and Fermi surfaces are dealt with in a non-theoretical way. Chapter 2 is an overview of one-dimensional substances, e.g. Bechgaard salts (tetramethyltetraselenafulvalene-based superconductors) and other charge-transfer systems, stacked phthalocyanines and conducting polymers, with passing refer- ence to such compounds as nanotubes and polycarbenes. Chapter 3 deals with one-dimensional solid-state physics in a easy-to-read style for the non-specialist: doping, energy bands and reciprocal space are discussed lucidly. Chapter 4 considers electron-phonon coupling and Peierls transitions in some detail, again in a non-theoretical way. Chapters 5 and 6 concern conducting polymers, and they constitute a major part of the book.A historical perspective is presented and topics discussed include: charge defects, methods of measuring con- ductivity of polymer films, and mechanisms of charge transport in these systems. Chapter 7 is devoted to superconductivity. BCS theory is discussed and organic and metal oxide supercon- ductors are compared. This chapter would have benefited considerably from the inclusion of X-ray crystal structures of salts of BEDT-TTF to illustrate different packing modes. Charge-density waves are discussed from a more theoretical viewpoint in chapter 8. Chapter 9 is entitled Molecular Electronics, and it broadens the subject matter of the book to include ideas of soliton switching and molecular rectification.The final chapter presents an overview of the emerging appli- cations of one-dimensional metals in such fields as polymer batteries, solar cells, electrochemical sensors and light-emit- ting devices. An unusual and idiosyncratic feature of this book, which may not appeal to all readers, is the inclusion of several cartoon drawings. For example, the search for solitons in conducting polymers is illustrated with a half-page picture of butterfly hunters! Elsewhere there are drawings of camels in the Sahara, and a car trying to overtake a lorry on a winding road, the latter to illustrate an important aspect of one-dimensionality, namely, that obstacles cannot be circumvented. There are some errors in the chemical formulae, with double bonds missing (e.g. NMP on p. 33 and ATCNQ on p. 34). It is incorrect to classify pyridinium and related cations as donors (p. 33). Rather, it is their iodide counter-ions which act as the electron donor species in the reduction of TCNQ to the radical anion. There is a list of ca. 40-50 references at the end of each chapter, including some 1994 publications, and a good index. This book is interesting and informative and it is rec-ommended as a very readable introduction to the solid-state properties of one-dimensional systems. It is unfortunate that it is priced so high that very few graduate students will be able to afford it. Martin R. Bryce Received 9th February, 1996