Once again we have tried to include the most up–to–date work in the area
with emphasis, in this volume, on applications and on some of the emerging
areas of inorganic materials, such as quantum dots and colloidal particles.
This year we have also made a special effort to find suitable authors in
India and China. These two parts of the world are rapidly expanding in
many respects, but not least in the quality of their scientific output. We have
managed to find Dr Jing Li (from the laboratory of Professor Erkang
Wang of the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry) and Dr Ranjani
Viswanatha (of the J. Nehru Centre for Advanced Science in Bangalore)
who are two excellent communicators in their respective areas.