The general layout of Volume 3 follows closely that which has been
successful in the first two volumes, so that discussion of the elements takes
place in eight chapters. Each chapter is concerned with one of the Main
Groups of the Periodic Table, and the volume is again written by members
of the Department of Chemistry in the University of Nottingham.
Volume 2 was larger than Volume 1, and there are so many current
topics of interest that it would have been easy, on scientific grounds alone,
to continue this expansion. However, other factors, largely economic, now
arise which require that future volumes should be limited in size, and in
consequence Volume 3 is appreciably smaller than Volume 2. This has been
achieved to a small extent by treating groups of references together in
tables and lists, but to a greater extent by considering carefully the amount
of physical data which is appropriate to this particular Report, and limiting
such data to the minimum necessary to illustrate the property under
discussion. More important still, the authors are no longer able to claim that
their articles are comprehensive. Instead, we have attempted to include all
themes of current interest, and hope that it will be possible to deal with
items which are at present chemically isolated, by back reference in a future
volume.
The authors have also discussed whether there are any general trends
which have become apparent. Although there are variations from Group to
Group, there is an overall impression that the quantity of worthwhile
published research in the area of Main-group chemistry has diminished
somewhat during the past year.