BOOK
REVIEWS
Determination of Organic Structures by Physical Methods. Volume 2 Edited by F. C. Nachod, SterlingWinthrop Research Institute, Rensselaw, New York, and W . D. Phillips, E . I . du Pont de Nemours and Co., Wilmington, Delaware. Academic Press, 771 pp. Inc., New York, 1962. xiii Figs. and tables. 16 X 23.5 em. $16.
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The second volume of this series conforms to the general pattern of the first. The title of this volume (as well as t h a t of Volume 1) is somewhat misleading in t h a t the subject matter deals primarily with the correlation of physical properties of organic (and inorganic) compounds with their structures rather than the delerrninalion of these structures. .4sin the first volume, the subject matter is divided between chapters of primary interest for their theoretical treatment (Infrared and %man Spectroscopy, Electronic Spectra, of Polyatomie Molecules and the Configuration of Molecules in Excited Electronic States, and Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance Spectroscopy) and chapters of both theoretical and practical interest. Of the latter those of greatest interest t o the organic chemist will be: Optical Rotatory Dispersion, Mass Spectrometrv. Hieh Resolution H' and F19 Magne& ~ e i o n m c eSpectra. of Organic Molecules, Nuclear Magnetic Resonsnce
Spectra of Elements Other than Hydrogen and Fluorine, and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Organic Molecules. The remaining three chapters, Far and Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectra of Organic Solids, and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of the Organometallics are of less general interest. For the organic chemist perhaps the major contribution of this book will he t o acquaint him with new tools that are being used t o attack old and new problems of structure determination. Many chemists will therefore welcome the opportunity t o learn how optical rotatory dispersion can he used t o determine the conformations as d l as the configurations of some molecules; how the mass spectroscopist can determine molecular formulas from cracking patterns and how physical-orga~c theory is being used t o explain the appearance of unusual species in these crackine patterns; how a great variety of structural problems can be attacked with the aid of nuclear magnetic spectroscopy; how radical intermediates can be detected in such important biological transformations as photosynthe~isby means of electron paramagnetic spectroscopy, etc. Many of the topics covered are a t the forefront of current research and several have already made a major impact on chemistry. Tho only general suggestion that this reviewer has for the series is that the sub-
-Reviewedin This Issue F. C. Naehod and W . D. Phillips, editors, Determination of Organic Structures by Physical Methods. Volume 2 H . J . Emeleus and A . G. Sharpe, editors, Advances in Inorganic Chemistry and Radiochemistry. Volume 3 DonaldE. Fills, Nonequilihrium Thermodynamics: .4 Phenomenological Theory of Irreversible Processes in Fluid Systems WilliarnF. Kieffw, The Mole Concept in Chemistry Richad A. Swalin, Thermodynamics of Solids Edward J . Bair, Introduction t o Chemical Instrumentation: Electronic Signals and Operations J c ~ gWaser, Quantitative Chemistry: A Laboratory Text D. C. Baird, Experimentation: An Introduction to Measurement Theory and Experiment Design Andrew Van Hook, Crystallization: Theory and Practice Wolfgang Sehneider, Lexikon alchemistieh-pharmazeutischerSymbole Lloyd I,. Zngraham, Biochemical Mechanisms Frank Douglas Miles, Nitric Acid: Manufacture snd Uses Frank Bwseia, el al, Laboratory Studies in General Chemistry C. N . R. Rao, Ultra-Violet and Visible Spectroscopy
ject matter might better he separated in revisions into topics of primary interest to the organic chemist for structure determination and topics primarily of theoretical interest. More space might be provided in this way for an extended discussion of topics of particular interest. For example, the organic chemist will not learn much from the present volume (or t h e previous one) about how t o use nuclear magnetic spectra t o support or contradict his preconceived idea ss to the structure of a particular compound. (Rather he is given a n excellent survey of the types of prohlems t h a t can be attacked using this remarkable tool.) Most organic chemists would have appreciated a more extensive treatment of structure determination b y N.M.R. in place of some of the topics t h a t were included in other chapters. The usual objective of a chapter appears t o he t o introduce the reader t o the topic and t o give a. survey t h a t will provide a basis for deeper probinp, if this is desired. The collectd authors have succeeded remarkably well in this respect, and the hook is t o be highly recommended. FREDERICK G. BORDNELL Northwestern Uniuersitv Euanston, Illinms
Advances in Inorganic Chemistry a n d Radiochemistry. Volume 3 Edited by H. J . Erneleus and A. G. Shape, University Chemical Laboratory, Cmhridge, England. Academic Press, Ine., Xew York, 1961. ix f 463 pp. Figs. and tables. 16.5 X 23.5 em. S12.50. This book is the third volume of a series of reviews on pertinent and timely topics in inorganic and radiochemistry. (See THIS JOURN-~L 39, 54 [19621). The following subjects are covered: Mechanisms of Substitution Reactions of Metal Complexes (Basolo and Pearson), Molecular Complexes of Halogens (Andrews and Keefer), Structures of Interhalogen Compounds and Polyhalides (Wiebenga, Havinga and Bosn-ijk), Kinetic Behavior of the Radiolysis Products of Water (Ferradini), Silanes and Their Derivatives (MacDiarmid), The General, Selective, and Specific Formation of Complexes by Metallic Cations (Schwamenback), Atmospheric Activities and Dating Procedures (Maddock and Willis) and Polyfluoroalkyl Derivatives of Metalloids and Nonmetals (Banks and Hasaeldine). The quality of the srticles is, in the opinion of thia reviewer, still maintained a t the high level established by the first two volumes. Particularly outstanding is the chapter by Wiebenga, Havinga and Boswijk on t h e interhalogen compounds and polyhalides and Maddock and Willis' treatment of atmospheric dating. Some of the topics (e.g., substitution reactions of metal complexes) are too masaive t o treat easily in ninety pages, and this leads one to t h e observation t h a t not all of t h e topics reviewed in this volume will he suitable t o
Volume 39, Number
9, September 1962
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487
n dirtionnry cyn lw usnl intt4i~vr~tly by
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non-rr,nh (:rrtninl,v rrarnrrh workers in the topics covered will find this volume useful, and it will be a useful addition to v e tI l i l a r i s . It ie, 111 lllitrly wnyd, tla. irwrganir cquivxlmt to t l l . .\rruusl I
