Inorganic Chemistry is pleased to present a Forum on Functional Inorganic Materials. A recent workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation highlighted these materials and their technological impact (Prog. Solid State Chem. 2008, 36, 1-133). As the report makes clear, we are presently at the halfway point of the solid-state century [The Solid State Century. Sci Am. 1997, 8 (1)], in whic...