Preface THE BREAKTHROUGH IN RAISING THE CRITICAL

Preface THE BREAKTHROUGH IN RAISING THE CRITICAL TEMPERATURE (T ) of Downloaded by 5.101.222.214 on February 9, 2017 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 28, 1987 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1987-0351.pr001

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s u p e r c o n d u c t i v i t y is a p p r o a c h i n g its first anniversary (7,2). S i n c e the breakthrough, there has been a tremendous f l u r r y o f activity to investigate this p h e n o m e n o n and to search for new classes o f materials i n an effort to continue to raise the c r i t i c a l temperature as h i g h as possible. After what has been largely an E d i s o n i a n a p p r o a c h i n this e x p l o d i n g area, we n o w feel a c o m p e l l i n g need to provide a snapshot o f current progress and understand­ ing from the point o f v i e w o f solid-state chemistry. We also want to define future directions for research i n basic m a t e r i a l s so as to accelerate the achievement o f l e a d i n g technologies for the c o m m e r c i a l e x p l o i t a t i o n o f high-temperature superconductivity. A l t h o u g h this area is h i g h l y m u l t i d i s c i p l i n a r y , c h e m i s t r y plays a p r o m i n e n t role throughout, from materials preparation through processing for s m a l l - a n d large-scale applications. In this v o l u m e , we present the f o l l o w i n g major areas: theory, materials preparation a n d c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n , structure-property relationships, surfaces a n d interfaces, processing a n d f a b r i c a t i o n , a p p l i c a t i o n s , a n d research needs a n d o p p o r t u n i t i e s . O u r intention here is to further i n v o l v e the c h e m i s t r y c o m m u n i t y i n this scientifically e x c i t i n g research area o f such v i t a l i m p o r t a n c e to our nation. DAVID L. N E L S O N

M . STANLEY WHITTINGHAM

Office of Naval Research Arlington, VA 22217-5000

Schlumberger-Doll Research Ridgefield, CT 06877-4108

THOMAS F. G E O R G E

State University of New York at Buffalo Buffalo, NY 14260 June 30, 1987 References 1. Bednorz, J. G.; Mueller, Κ. Α. Z. Phys. B. 1986, 64, 189. 2. Wu, M. K.; Ashburn, J. R.; Torng, C. J.; Hor, P. H.; Meng, R. L.; Gao, L.; Huang, Z. J.; Wang, Y. Q.; Chu, C. W. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1987, 58, 908.

xi Nelson et al.; Chemistry of High-Temperature Superconductors ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1987.