Chemical Physics of Molecular Condensed Matter

Book excerpt: This book fills a gap in knowledge between chemistry- and physics-trained researchers about the properties of macroscopic (bulk) material. Although many good textbooks are available on solid-state (or condensed matter) physics, they generally treat simple systems such as simple metals and crystals consisting of atoms. On the other hand, textbooks on solid-state chemistry often avoid descriptions of theoretical background even at the simplest level. This book gives coherent descriptions from intermolecular interaction up to properties of condensed matter ranging from isotropic liquids to molecular crystals. By omitting details of specific systems for which comprehensive monographs are available—on liquid crystals and molecular conductors, for instance—this book highlights the effects of molecular properties, i.e., the presence of the shape and its deformation on the structure and properties of molecular systems.