Electronic structure of f-block compounds

The electronic structure of an f/sup n/ ion is dominated by interactions different from those for the more familiar d-transition ions. The methods and nomenclature used to describe the electronic structure of f/sup n/ compounds are reviewed under the following topics: brief review of atomic theory; ligand field and spin-orbit Hamiltonians for f1; the electrostatic and spin-orbit Hamiltonians for f2; results of tensor operator methods; ligand field effects for the f2; configuration-uranocene; general method for calculating crystal field matrix elements for f/sup n/ configuration; electron paramagnetic resonance.