The thoroughly revised and updated fifth edition of this enduring general chemistry reference preserves the qualities of accessibility, succinctness, and completeness, while encompassing a wider area of interest and incorporating the progress made in the past two decades. In addition to the classical topics, the new Van Nostrand's Encyclopedia of Chemistry covers the latest subjects, such as nanotechnology, fuel cell technology, green chemistry, forensic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, combinatorial chemistry, and materials chemistry.

The volume features more that 1,350 entirely new articles, extensive revision and updates of more than 1,300 existing articles, and an expanded subject index. Topics still receive a progressive treatment — a simple definition leads to a more extensive discussion with print and internet references — making this an essential resource for both students and experienced practitioners. This edition also features many more tables and graphs, as well as more detailed cross-referencing for greater ease in understanding the full extent of a subject. Recommended.

From the Preface: “...The expansion of chemistry into new fields and the impact of related sciences on chemistry have required the reporting of many new topics and a considerable reorganization of the format to accomodate the rapidly growing interdisciplinary character of chemistry. The science of chemistry has continued in its trend toward greater compartmentalization and specialization. Concurrently, countless thousands of scientists, engineers, and technologists have been drawn to the knowledge of chemistry because of the importance of chemistry in diverse technologies...8“

Target Audience: Corporate, public, institutional, and specialty libraries; and every reader with an interest in chemistry, chemical engineering, and a host of related fields.