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This book by Kaplan and Vekhter brings together the molecular world of the chemist with the condensed matter world of the physicist. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, chemists in the West devoted lit­ to relationships between molecular electronic structure and tle attention solid-state vibronic phenomena. Treating quantum mechanical problems wherein the adiabatic Born-Oppenheimer approximation fails was done by'brute force.'With bigger and better computers available in the West, molecular orbital calculations were done on observed and conceived static structures with little concern for any cooperativity of vibrational behavior that might connect these states. While it had long been understood in the West that situations do occur in which different static structures are found for molecules that have identical or nearly identical electronic structures, little attention had been paid to understanding the vibrational states that could connect such structures. It was easier to calculate the electronic structure observed with several possible distortions than to focus on ways to couple electronic and vibrational behavior. In the former Soviet Union, computational power was not as acces­ sible as in the West. Much greater attention, therefore, was devoted to conserving computational time by considering fundamental ways to han­ dle the vibrational connectivity between degenerate or nearly degenerate electronic states.

This book is a lucid presentation for chemists, electrical engineers, surface scientists, and solid-state physicists, of the fundamentals underlying the construction of simple and small chemical sensors. The first part of the book is a review of the theoretical background in solid state physics, chemistry and electronics. Semiconductor and solid electrolyte bulk models are reviewed as well as solid/gas and solid/liquid interface models. Membranes and catalysis theory are also covered expansively. The second part is a discussion of more complete sensor devices, their essential components, and of the important developments in this area over the last fifteen to twenty years. The book provides guidance through the multidisciplinary world of chemical sensors. It should be understandable to students with some training in physics and chemistry and a general knowledge of electronics. Finally, comments on economic considerations in the development of new sensor products and suggestionsfor future research and development should be of value to company R&D planners.