By introducing the superspace formalism, the methods of structure analysis of incommensurate structures have achieved in the past few years a full maturity. The superspace description is also becoming in the field of quasicrystals the main tool to approach a systematic method of structure determination of these materials. According to the program of the Workshop, these proceedings are an introduction to the formalism and practice of structure determination of modulated structures (incommensurate and commensurate) and quasiperiodic systems, mainly under the unifying framework of the superspace description. Accordingly, a large set of tutorial introductory chapters written by well-known specialists are included. The main refinement programs available for incommensurate structures are presented by their authors. The book also contains the most recent contributions from more than thirty of the participants in the Workshop, focusing on the problem of the structure analysis of these typical materials by means of diffraction methods.

For at least six hundred million years, life has been a fascinating laboratory of crystallization, referred to as biomineralization. During this huge lapse of time, many organisms from diverse phyla have developed the capability to precipitate various types of minerals, exploring distinctive pathways for building sophisticated structural architectures for different purposes. The Darwinian exploration was performed by trial and error, but the success in terms of complexity and efficiency is evident. Understanding the strategies that those organisms employ for regulating the nucleation, growth, and assembly of nanocrystals to build these sophisticated devices is an intellectual challenge and a source of inspiration in fields as diverse as materials science, nanotechnology, and biomedicine. However, “Biological Crystallization” is a broader topic that includes biomineralization, but also the laboratory crystallization of biological compounds such as macromolecules, carbohydrates, or lipids, and the synthesis and fabrication of biomimetic materials by different routes. This Special Issue collects 15 contributions ranging from biological and biomimetic crystallization of calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, and silica-carbonate self-assembled materials to the crystallization of biological macromolecules. Special attention has been paid to the fundamental phenomena of crystallization (nucleation and growth), and the applications of the crystals in biomedicine, environment, and materials science.

Organic Crystal Engineering provides reviews of topics in organic crystal engineering that will be of interest to all researchers in molecular solid-state chemistry. Specialist reviews written by internationally recognized researchers, drawn from both academia and industry, cover topics including crystal structure prediction features, polymorphism, reactions in the solid-state, designing new arrays and delineating prominent intermolecular forces for important organic molecules.