It may be argued that silicon, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and iron are among the most important elements on our planet, because of their involvement in geological, biol- ical, and technological processes and phenomena. All of these elements have been studied exhaustively, and voluminous material is available on their properties. Included in this material are numerous accounts of their electrochemical properties, ranging from reviews to extensive monographs to encyclopedic discourses. This is certainly true for C, H, O, and Fe, but it is true to a much lesser extent for Si, except for the specific topic of semiconductor electrochemistry. Indeed, given the importance of the elect- chemical processing of silicon and the use of silicon in electrochemical devices (e. g. , sensors and photoelectrochemical cells), the lack of a comprehensive account of the electrochemistry of silicon in aqueous solution at the fundamental level is surprising and somewhat troubling. It is troubling in the sense that the non-photoelectrochemistry of silicon seems “to have fallen through the cracks,” with the result that some of the electrochemical properties of this element are not as well known as might be warranted by its importance in a modern technological society. Dr. Zhang’s book, Electrochemical Properties of Silicon and Its Oxide, will go a long way toward addressing this shortcoming. As with his earlier book on the elect- chemistry of zinc, the present book provides a comprehensive account of the elect- chemistry of silicon in aqueous solution.

This volume of Modern Aspects covers a wide spread of topics presented in an authoritative, informative and instructive manner by some internationally renowned specialists. Professors Politzer and Dr. Murray provide a comprehensive description of the various theoretical treatments of solute-solvent interactions, including ion-solvent interactions. Both continuum and discrete molecular models for the solvent molecules are discussed, including Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations. The advantages and drawbacks of the resulting models and computational approaches are discussed and the impressive progress made in predicting the properties of molecular and ionic solutions is surveyed. The fundamental and applied electrochemistry of the silicon/electrolyte interface is presented in an authoritative review by Dr. Gregory Zhang, with emphasis in the preparation of porous silicon, a material of significant technological interest, via anodic dissolution of monocrystalline Si. The chapter shows eloquently how fundamental electrokinetic principles can be utilized to obtain the desired product morphology. Markov chains theory provides a powerful tool for modeling several important processes in electrochemistry and electrochemical engineering, including electrode kinetics, anodic deposit formation and deposit dissolution processes, electrolyzer and electrochemical reactors performance and even reliability of warning devices and repair of failed cells. The way this can be done using the elegant Markov chains theory is described in lucid manner by Professor Thomas Fahidy in a concise chapter which gives to the reader only the absolutely necessary mathematics and is rich in practical examples.

This issue of ECS Transactions contains 24 refereed manuscripts from the 46 papers presented over three days at the International Symposium on Pits and Pores IV: New Materials and Applications held in Las Vegas, NV as part of the 218th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, October 10-15, 2010. The Symposium was held in memory of Ulrich Gösele, one of the founders and a key scientist in the field of porous semiconductors who recently passed away. These proceedings are anticipated to be beneficial not only for the tailored preparation of porous materials for various applications but also as a source of insights with respect to the origin and nature of localized dissolution processes in metals and semiconductors.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.