Books
Analyzing Surfactants , INTRODUCTION TO
SURFACTANT ANALYSIS
Introduction to Surfactant Analysis D. C. Cullum, Ed. Blackie Academic & Professional Division of Chapman & Hall Wester Cleddens Road, Bishopbriggs Glasgow G64 2NZ, Scotland 1994, 352 pp., £69
According to its preface and cover, this book is intended as an introduction for the practicing analyst engaged in the characterization and analysis of surfactants and surfactant-containing materials. As such, it should take the reader from basic wet chemical analysis through advanced spectroscopic techniques. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to cover such a broad scope of analyses in the necessary depth in only 350 pages. In the first eight chapters, the editor of the book gives an introduction to analytical sampling, surfactant types, titration, ion exchange, and the analysis of anionics and mixtures without separation. The next chapter discusses chromatographic analysis of surfactants, and the last three chapters give introductions to IR spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and MS. Overall, this book leaves me with a mixed impression. Thefirstpart describes mainly standard analytical methods, reflected in many citations of ISO, ASTM, and BS publications. A good collection of standardized procedures might be useful for the specialized analyst. Many analytical chemistry textbooks, however, give better introductions into the modern spectroscopic techniques than are included in this book. In addition, I would expect much more room for high-resolution chromatography than for IR, NMR, and MS in a book on surfactant analysis. 306 A
Determinations of surfactants in envition correction, fluorescence corrections, ronmental samples are not explicitly men- evaluation of correction procedures, cortioned in this book, which I consider to rection procedures in practice, the Monte be a serious gap. At least some comments Carlo method, analysis of thin coatings, should have been made on the special analysis of thinfilms,and analysis of partiproblems involved with analyzing wastecles. An extensive list of references and a waters, sludges, and natural waters for sur- subject index are included at the end of the face-active chemicals, with emphasis on book. sampling, enrichment, separation, and detection procedures. Advances in The lists of references seem to be Chromatography rather coincidental and not exhaustive. In Vol. 35 addition, some of the figures are not Phyllis R. Brown and Eli Grushka, Eds. very informative, such as two photographs Marcel Dekker showing NMR equipment, while crucial 270 Madison Ave. illustrations are often missing. For examNew York, NY 10016 ple, the description of chromatographic 1995, 425 pp., $165 separations of nonionics is hardly understandable based on a few sentences withThis volume contains contributed chapout an accompanying chromatogram. In ters on optical detectors for CE (Edward S. conclusion, I cannot full-heartedly recYeung), CE/MS (Kenneth B. Tomer et ommend this book. I rather suggest that it al.), optimization of parameters in CZE should be used in conjunction with ana(Halleem J. Issaq et al.), evolution of lytical textbooks and other books on surPirkle-type stationary phases (Christofactant analysis. pher J. Welch), pharmaceutical analysis by Reviewed by Walter Giger, Swiss Fed- CE (Sam F.Y. Li et al.), chromatographic eral Institute of Technology, CHDubendorf, characterization of gasolines (Richard E. Switzerland Pauls), reversed-phase ion-pair and ioninteraction chromatography (M. C. Gennaro), and error sources in the determination of chromatographic peak size raBOOKS RECEIVED tios (Veronika R. Meyer). A subject inQuantitative Electron-Probe dex is included. Microanalysis V. D. Scott, G. Love, and S.J.B. Reed Derivative Ellis Horwood Spectrophotometry Campus 400, Marylands Ave. Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP2 7EZ, U.K.
1995, 311 pp., $42.50
The second edition of this book reports on the progress in the field of electronprobe microanalysis since the first edition of the book was published in 1983. Chapter topics include a historical perspective, the physical basis of quantitative analysis, wavelength dispersive spectrometry, energy-dispersive spectrometry, processing energy-dispersive spectra, experimental determination of X-ray intensities, atomic number correction, X-ray absorp-
Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 67, No. 9, May 1, 1995
Gerhard Talsky VCH 220 East 23rd St. New York, NY 10010 1994, 228 pp., $145
This book is intended to provide a theoretical and practical introduction to low- and higher-order derivative spectrophotometry. Chapter topics include an introduction to the method, theoretical considerations, instrumentation, practical aspects, and applications. The authors compare the various modes of instrumentation for signal differentiation to point out the advantages and drawbacks of each method.
