Contents

**Preface XI**



Preface

this branch of chemistry.

ing efforts in the study of chalcogen chemistry.

In prelude, the purpose of this book is to point out the increasing role of chalcogen elements in multidisciplinary fields such as biogeochemistry, material science, and biochemistry. For these reasons, the book titled 'Chalcogen Chemistry' is structured on a multidisciplinary ap‐ proach by compiling chapters from various contributing authors. The chapters focus on top‐ ics ranging from reactivity to magnetic properties of chalcogens, organic to inorganic (chemistry of chalcogenides), analytical chemistry (qualitative and quantitative analysis), and synthetic to structural and theoretical chemistry (development of new materials). The book is divided into six chapters, each logically and independently presented, and then con‐ cluded with links to new research perspectives as the interest in chalcogen chemistry grows. This book is a valuable source of information not only for chemists but also for materials scientists, physicists, biochemists, and other researchers including biogeochemists, with gen‐ eral or particular interests in chalcogen compounds. I hope the book with a multidisciplina‐ ry approach, comprised of chapters reserved for analytical, materials, biological, and supramolecular chemistry, may induce some curiosity in readers and attract them towards

Chalcogens ('ore builders') are elements that belong to group VI-A (or group 16) in the Peri‐ odic Table. This group consists of oxygen (O), sulfur (S), selenium (Se), tellurium (Te), and polonium (Po). Geometrically, they are known as chalcophiles, which are soft elements (keeping in mind the terminology of the hard/soft acids and bases concept). Thus, chalco‐ philes preferably form minerals with sulfur, selenium, and tellurium. This is the reason why, for a long time, chalcogen chemistry was mostly centred on sulfur, with selenium be‐ ing treated marginally compared to sulfur, whereas the study of the chemistry of tellurium was almost non-existent. However, this consideration has changed over time. Currently, any electronic search on 'SCIfinder' will return a considerable number of scholarly published papers on chalcogen chemistry. In this regard, this book is yet another contribution to ongo‐

The interest shown in chalcogen chemistry in the past few years has motivated research fo‐ cused on expanding knowledge on this special class of compounds, and today driving con‐ certed efforts towards new materials development. Chalcogen elements are everywhere in our lives. Firstly, based on their fascinating structural and bonding principles, they span en‐ tire biotic communities connecting chemistry to biogeochemistry, biochemistry, biology, food, agriculture, and also medicine, as well as pharmacology. Secondly, the intensive world‐ wide exploration of chalcogen elements contained in natural compounds as minerals has now shifted the interest towards the development of these new materials or compounds (in combi‐ nation with metals and ligands) with higher physicochemical properties and sophisticated
