Abstract
The causes and history of the appearance of a new field in the physical chemistry of high pressures, namely the chemistry of shock compression, are examined. Cases of phase transitions under the influence of high dynamic pressures which in principle cannot occur on static compression, namely transformations involving a decrease of density, are also described. Various types of chemical reactions, mainly syntheses, in condensed inorganic substances under the influence of shock waves are examined. Attention is concentrated on the mechanisms of chemical reactions and on the synthesis of new compounds and solid solutions, including those with atoms in unusual oxidation states. The prospects for the further development of the inorganic chemistry of shock compression are assessed.
The bibliography includes 231 references.