Following the invention of X-ray crystallography techniques in the 1910s, the atomic structure of many compounds was investigated. Most metals have relatively simple structures. However, in 1923 Linus Pauling reported on the structure of the intermetallic NaCd, which had such a complicated structure he was  unable to fully explain it. Thirty years later, he concluded that NaCd contains 384 sodium and 768 cadmium atoms in each unit cell.
Most physical properties of CMAs show distinct differences with respect to the behavior of normal metallic alloys and therefore these materials possess a high potential for technological application.
The European Commission funded the Network of Excellence CMA from 2005 to 2010, uniting 19 core groups in 12 countries. From this emerged the European Integrated Center for the Development of New Metallic Alloys and Compounds (previously C-MAC, now ECMetAC), which connects researchers at 21 universities.