Preface

The first edition of this book was published in 1995. This edition has been almost entirely rewritten and every illustration has been redrawn. Some entries have been retired as physical chemistry has moved on, and new entries have taken their place. You should be aware that there are many concepts embedded in the principal entries, so you should refer to the Directory for a full list of topics included.

I am very grateful to the Royal Society of Chemistry for agreeing to make this compilation available free of charge on the web, and hope that members of the community of chemists, and their intellectual neighbours, at all levels, will find it helpful. The contents of this publication are my own personal versions of the concepts presented.

Peter Atkins

Oxford