Structure and Composition in Relation to Properties

There are bulk properties which are sensitive to the details of structure and chemical composition to an extent that a priori predictions concerning bulk behavior cannot as yet be made. Thus, the solid-state chemist, whether he or she is engaged in the synthesis of new materials to exhibit a particular behavior, or in altering the properties of a known material, is generally guided to a first approximation by a knowledge of the chemistry and physics of known materials and the effect of structure and composition on the properties of these materials. One s materials education, then, should include an awareness of past experience on the role of several aspects of structure and composition in relation to properties and the basic reasons, where possible, for the observed behavior. In this chapter several aspects of the... 

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