Oxygen: Elementary Forms and Hydrogen Peroxide
Mielmel A ~ d a ,Hebrew University of Jerusalem. W. A. Benjamin, Inc., New 106 pp. Figs. and York, 1965. x tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $6.75.
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The chemistry of oxygen and its compounds constitutes a. major portion of inorganic chemistry. This brief monograph is limited to a discussion of the allotropic forms of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Additional material which is included in this hook such as electronic structure of the allotropes, hydrogen peroxide, and the simple oxides make it quite interesting to resd. Considerrtble attention is placed on the description of the physical properties of these compounds and emphasis is made primarily on the interrelations between these properties and the experimental methods used in their derivation. A large number of recent experimental results have been cited. Frequent reference is made to the recent literature which should make this monograph a valuable reference as well as mpplemental text for many inorganic courses. The discussion of oxygen, ozone, and the 0,molecule are very well done, particularly in terms of modern theory. A reasonable number of examples of reaction mechanisms which involve oxygen, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide are also presented and carefully discussed. The author makes no claim to have
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com~letelvDresented all of the ohvsieal " ard ehernical pnprriea of oxyEen u ~ itsl cherniusl teudenries but has carefully chosen s serin of exnn~pleswhich i l l ~ r n t e many of its important properties.
The order of presentation of topics is, for the most part, quite good. Theauthor begins with a brief presentation of valence theory and demonstrates the application of resonance theory using s, discussion of acidity and basicity. He next covers GILBERT GORDON nucleaphilio displacements, remangeUniversity of Maryland ments (involving embonium ions and College Park electron deficient nitrogen and oxygen), electrophilio and nueleophilic aromatic substitution, addition to carhon-carbon double bonds and carhon-oxygen double A Guidebook to Mechanism in Orgmic bonds, elimination processes, carhauion Chemistry reactions and finally free radical processes. In the treatment of these topics a rePeter Sykes, University of Cambridge, markable number of speci6c organic England. 2nd ed. Longmans, Green, reactions are discussed. It might have 269 DD. and Ca.. London. 1965. xiii been better to present elimination reFigs. and tables. ' 14 X 21 om: pa;&actions (chapter 8) e d i e r in the sequence. bound. Approx. $3.50. There are two outstanding deficiencies in this work. First, the lack of literature In many bookstores one can find a. references, which does contribute to directseries of "So and SO Made Easy" ness, hut cuts the student from too much hooks. Thus, with a minimum of effort valuable "douht." Second, there is no it is possible to learn to play chess, presentation of or even an introduction speak various languages, write English, to conformational analysis. This is a etc. This "Guidebook" satisfies in a serious omission which one might hope very remarkable manner the requirewill be rectified in future editions. It ments for a "Mechanistic Organic Chemshould be noted that this edition covers istry Made Easy." I t is simply written nitrosation of amines, disza-coupling, with much information presented directly ester formation and hydrolysis, and deand in a. very readable fashion. The hook cwhoxylation, which topics were not is not written for an academician or recovered in the first edition. searcher, but as a working guide for inThis text would be of use to advanced course students and, as a consequence, undergraduates and first year graduate what it may lack in sophistication it (Continued a page A168) compensates for in its directness.
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B O O K REVIEWS students as a lecture guide. It contains no problems but does have a select bibliography of related texts. Emmy University Atlanta, Geo~gicz D'Ans-Lax Taschenbuch fiir Chemiker und Physiker. Band 2, Organische Verbindungen
Edited by E l l a Laz and Claudia Synowielz. 3rd d. Springer-Verlrtg, Berlin, 1964 (available in the United States from Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., 175 Fifth Ave.). viii 1177 pp. Tables. 14 X 20.5 om. DM 48, (approx. $12).
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The contents of this handbook are: Nomenclature and Ring Numbering, Chemical and Physical Data of Organic Compounds, Melting and Boiling Points in Ascendine Order. Thermochemical Data for 0&nic ~£s, Critical Data for Organic Compounds, and an Index. The chemical and physical data tables are complete witb literature references to Beilstein and also to recent journal articles. There is somewhat more data in these tables than in a comparable handbook published in the U. S. However, the
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posure to modern nuclear physics may require some additional help from one of the supplementary referenma to digest t,his brief summary. The characteristicc; and uses of both Deutscb) is a good publication. However, reactor and non-reactor neutron sources its relatively limited coverage works are covered in detail, and should give the against its becoming a suitable replacereader a good understanding of how cerment for the current American handbooks. tain normally stable elements can be made J. D. REIN~EIMEB radioactive so that they can be a n a l y t i d y College of Wooster detected and quantitatively determined. Woosle~,Ohio The subject of radiochemical separations is very briefly discussed, witb emphasis on the conditims under which postirradiation separations are required, and Guide to Activation Analysis then reference is given to sources for information concerning practical separation Edited by William 8. Lyon, Jr., Oak methods. Ridge Nationa1 Lsboratory. Published Radiation detectors, including modern under auspices of the division of tecbnisemiconductor detectors and the very cal information, U.S.A.E.C. D. Van useful scintillation detectors, are discussed Nostrand Co., Inc., New York, 1964. very briefly theoretically, but very exxix 186 pp. Figa. and tables. 16 tensively practically. The analytical useX 23.5 cm. $5.95. fulness of the signal produced by each type This book has a single purpose, to proof detector is stressed. Counting stavide a guide to the understanding of a tistics are briefly discussed. single powerful analytioal technique so that Although most of the book is devoted to it may be used in practical analyses. I t is the activation of elements by neutrons, a clearly and concisely written, so that brief chapter describes other methods of practicing chemists and advanced underactivation and analyses which have been graduate students can comprehend. I t achieved by their use. has a wealth of illustrative examples and Three appendices list references for the bibliographic references to provide clarity analytical determination of a specific during the initial reading of the subject element (arranged alphabetically) in many matter, and to provide a valuable source of different sample matrices, in metauurgical, proved analytical procedures during subsebiochemical (medical), and geochemical quent ~raeticalapplication of the method. applications. These appendices will be Basic nuclear properties are covered in (Continued on page 4 1 7 0 ) 13 pages. A reader with little recent ex-
American handbook. such as Lnnne or
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