Solid state chemistry is a multidisciplinary field that deals with the synthesis, structural characterization and properties of various solids, and it has been playing a more and more important role in the design and preparation of advanced materials. This book includes the excellent research results recently obtained by a wide spectrum of solid state chemists both from China and from abroad. Among the distinguished contributors are C N R Rao, M Greenblatt and Y T Qian, to name a few. A variety of subjects representing the frontiers of solid state chemistry — which are categorized into solids with electrical, optical and magnetic properties; porous solids and catalysts; hybrid inorganic–organic solids; solid nanomaterials; and new synthetic methods and theory — are presented. This book will benefit readers who are interested in the chemistry and physics of solids, as well as materials scientists and engineers.The proceedings have been selected for coverage in: • Chemistry Citation IndexTM• Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings (ISTP CDROM version / ISI Proceedings)