The Crystal Chemistry of Copper Oxometalates

Up to three or four years ago oxocuprates were a class of chemical compounds no more remarkable than countless others. Then, as a result of the euphoria surrounding the high‐temperature oxide superconductors and the discovery that copper plays an essential role in these materials, there was a world‐wide awakening of interest in copper‐containing oxide compounds. The number of scientists engaged in the synthesis and structure determination of copper oxometalates has grown from just a few to very many. As superconductivity is inseparably connected with the structure of the solid state, there has been a spontaneous awakening of interest in the role of copper in the crystal chemistry of solid materials, leading to new research projects on this aspect of oxocuprates. Most of the work published so far on the interesting chemistry of this group of compounds has related to individual compounds. New aids in describing complex solid state structures are now available through the development of methods that give three‐dimensional displays of crystal structures using computer graphics terminals, as this review illustrates for the example of the oxocuprates.