Marvellous molecular shapes

Abstract

A survey of a variety of interesting molecular shapes characterized mostly in the last two decades is presented. The selection of molecules shown is made based on their attractive three-dimensional structures (so often concealed by their usual two-dimensional structural formulae), the unusual coordination geometries of metal atoms, the subjective appreciation of how beautiful, funny or interesting a molecular shape is, or the sticky nature of arene rings at terphenyl groups and their effects on the molecular shapes of metal complexes.