70 years of defect physical chemistry

Abstract

As an introduction to this conference this article gives a brief review of the development of the role of defects in solid state physical chemistry over the past 70 years, with the principal emphasis on the fundamental theoretical ideas. The considerations are divided into (i) structure and states, (ii) atomic and ionic mobilities and (iii) transport processes and chemical reactions. The usefulness of the fundamental theory of defects in crystalline solids to the understanding of chemical reactions in the solid state was already apparent in the 1930's, although some scepticism remained until the 1950's. Subsequent decades have witnessed an increased sophistication of the theory, an increased precision and range of the experimental studies and an increased confidence in the application of the understanding to materials of practical interest.