Physics and Chemistry of Color

KURT NASSAU, PhD, spent thirty years as a research scientist at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey before retiring in 1989 as Distinguished Research Scientist. He is the holder of seventeen patents and author of over 450 publications, including four other books: Gems Made by Man, Gemstone Enhancement, Experimenting with Color, and Color for Science, Art and Technology.

"...investigates just how an organic pigment such as chlorophyll interacts with white light to produce a green color, why the sky is blue, why rubies are red...fundamental concepts needed to understand these phenomena are covered so that no specialized knowledge is required." (SciTech Book News, Vol. 25, No. 4, December 2001) "...a fascinating journey into the world of colour." (Chemistry in Britain, January 2002) "...discusses 15 causes of color and is intended to fill the gap between a general elementary discussion of color and a higher technical level...Nassau has clearly accomplished this goal." (Choice, Vol. 39, No. 6, February 2002) "excellent survey covering all aspects of the chemistry and physics of colour" (Asia Pacific Coatings Journal, December 2001) Book of the Week"Overall, Pharmaceuticals: Classes, Therapeutic Agents and Areas of Applications, Vol. 1-4 are a massive resource for those working with pharmaceuticals...these four volumes build a strong and broad foundation to those new to these fields....they also act as a valuable aid to memory to those already involved in therapeutic areas...provide[s] a clear, concise and, above all, useful reference work.It is recommended as stock reading for anyone with an interest in colour chemistry and the physical science relating the interaction of light and matter". (The Alchemist, 25 March 2002) "No-one could read this book without learning something new about the world of colour." (Chemistry & Industry, 3 June 2002) "There is an immense amount of knowledge in this book.... It can be recommended to keep this volume on your desk so that you can reach out for it..." (CIE News, Vol. 64)

• Preface to the Second Edition. Preface to the First Edition. Acknowledgments for the Second Edition. Acknowledgments for the First Edition. LIGHT AND COLOR. Some Fundamentals: Color, Light, and Interactions. COLOR INVOLVING VIBRATIONS AND SIMPLE EXCITATIONS. Color Produced by Incandescence. Color Produced by Gas Excitations. Color Produced by Vibrations and Rotations. COLOR INVOLVING LIGAND FIELD EFFECTS. Color Caused by Transition Metals in a Ligand Field. COLOR INVOLVING MOLECULAR ORBITALS. Color in Organic Molecules. Charge Transfer Color. COLOR INVOLVING BAND THEORY. Color in Metals and Semiconductors. Color Centers. COLOR INVOLVING GEOMETRICAL AND PHYSICAL OPTICS. Dispersive Refraction and Polarization. Scattering and Nonlinear Effects. Interference and Diffraction. COLOR-RELATED TOPICS. Colorants of Many Types. Vision, Luminescence, Lasers, and Related Topics. Appendix A: Units, Chromaticity, and Color Order Systems. Appendix B: Incandescence Equations. Appendix C: Atoms and Simple Molecules. Appendix D: Crystal Fields, Ligand Fields, and Molecular Orbitals. Appendix E: Band Theory. Appendix F: Prism, Thin Film, and Layer Diffraction Grating. Appendix G: Recommendations for Additional Reading. Index.