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This book invites you on a systematic tour through the fascinating world of crystals and their symmetries. The reader will gain an understanding of the symmetry of external crystal forms (morphology) and become acquainted with all the symmetry elements needed to classify and describe crystal structures. The book explains the context in a very vivid, non-mathematical way and captivates with clear, high-quality illustrations. Online materials accompany the book; including 3D models the reader can explore on screen to aid in the spatial understanding of the structure of crystals.
After reading the book, you will not only know what a space group is and how to read the International Tables for Crystallography, but will also be able to interpret crystallographic specifications in specialist publications. If questions remain, you also have the opportunity to ask the author on the book's website.
List of contents
1 Introduction.- 2 Crystal forms and Bravais lattices.- 3 Symmetry (is everywhere) .- 4 Symmetry in the plane - via wallpaper patterns, Islamic mosaics, pictures by Escher and heterogeneous catalysts.- 5 Translational symmetry elements in crystals and space groups I.- 6 Space Groups II - International Tables.- 7 Some Real Crystal Structures - From Theory to Practice.- 8 "Forbidden" Symmetry.- 9 Porous crystals, crystal structures as nets, and an insight into the crystallographic topology.- A Appendix.
About the author
Frank Hoffmann is Scientific Supervisor and Head of the Central X-Ray Department of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Hamburg. After studying chemistry and obtaining a doctorate at the University of Hamburg, he worked as a scientific assistant to Professor Michael Fröba at the University of Gießen on periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) before moving to Hamburg in 2007 together with Fröba. His current research focus is metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). In 2014, Hoffmann held a seven-week Internet Course (MOOC) with approximately 2000 participants from around the world on the subject of crystals and symmetry.
Website to the book: crystalsymmetry.wordpress.com/textbook/
Summary
This book invites you on a systematic tour through the fascinating world of crystals and their symmetries. The reader will gain an understanding of the symmetry of external crystal forms (morphology) and become acquainted with all the symmetry elements needed to classify and describe crystal structures. The book explains the context in a very vivid, non-mathematical way and captivates with clear, high-quality illustrations. Online materials accompany the book; including 3D models the reader can explore on screen to aid in the spatial understanding of the structure of crystals.
After reading the book, you will not only know what a space group is and how to read the International Tables for Crystallography, but will also be able to interpret crystallographic specifications in specialist publications. If questions remain, you also have the opportunity to ask the author on the book's website.
Report
"It is a nice introduction to the subject for students of the earth sciences, chemistry and possibly the life sciences. ... considering that for an increasing fraction of students a formal and rigorous treatment has become highly repulsive, a textbook like the present one does have a role to play." (Massimo Nespolo, Acta Crystallographica, May 4, 2021)
