This 1975 book shows how and why matrix isolation developed and describes the necessary apparatus.

The matrix isolation (MI) method has now been used for nearly thirty years. During this period it has been actively developed and the range of problems tackled greatly extended. Originally it was used for studies of transient species involv ing vibrational, electronic and ESR spectroscopy. Nowadays the study of transient species forms a comparatively small part of HI work since it has been amply demonstrated that very fruitful information can be obtained of the structure and interactions of stable molecules and their aggregates. In addition to the s~ectroscopic methods mentioned above the MI technique is nowadays a standard method in research based on vibrational relaxation, luminescence, Mossbauer, magnetic circular dichroism, pulsed NMR and photoelectron spectroscopy. The matrix isolation technique affords considerable advantages over more conventional methods in most applications of spectroscopy. Areas where the technique has been widely applied, or shows great potential, include: metal atom chemistry, and its relation to surface chemistry, high temperature inorganic species, transition metal complexes, interstellar species, free radicals and unstable molecules, conformational studies, molecular com plexes, and intermolecular forces.

Matrix isolation is a technique for trapping reactive species at very low temperatures and studying them spectroscopically. This book offers detailed practical advice on how to carry out matrix-isolation experiments, and is a unique introduction to the subject. Chapter 1 introduces a briefhistorical survey of the development of the technique that incorporates a discussion of its strength and limitations. Chapter 2 provides a thorough description of the building of a matrix-isolation laboratory from scratch. All the necessary equipment is described in full and there are diagrammaticexamples throughout. In later chapters, ancillary equipment for generating reactive species, and an informative description of the various methods for forming low-temperature matrices are dealt with. There then follows a chapter on the specialized technique of matrix photochemistry with polarizedlight. The final chapter comprises an extensive collection of classic matrix experiments which have been selected due to their ease of application and which will thus serve as useful exercises for testing new pieces of equipment. This accessible text offers thorough coverage of the topic and willbe invaluable to postgraduate and industrial chemists as an introduction to matrix isolation techniques. Researchers in chemistry and related fields who are considering whether matrix isolation can play a part in their own research will also find this book useful.