books and software
A Complete Tutorial on IE Interfacial Electrochemistry: Theory, Experiment, and Application Edited by A. Wieckowski Marcel Dekker, Inc. 270 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10016 1999, 992 pp, $235 This book is truly massive. Published in double-column text on a large page format, it covers almost 1000 pages. With such a large volume, it is impossible to do justice to its content in a short review. However, anyone involved in electrochemistry will find interest and value in this book. The book consists of 51 research tutorial articles—each authored by leading researchers. These articles cover the latest developments in surface electrochemistry, from theory to experiment. The articles are subdivided into several groups dealing with theory and modeling of the solid–liquid interface, experimental studies of single-crystal metal electrodes (about half of the text), and studies of semiconductor electrodes and electrocatalysis. The articles also provide extensive and up-to-date references. Along the same lines, the index allows easy access to the volume’s large amount of material. The tutorial article format covers each topic in detail and provides an overview of developments during the past decade. The topics include the preparation and cleaning of single-crystal surfaces and the principles and applications of a wide range of in situ techniques. The techniques covered include quartz crystal microbalance, vibrational spectroscopy, and sum-and-difference frequency generation to surface X-ray scattering, as well as the characterization of processes at electrode surfaces and different methods for modeling water at electrode surfaces. Overall, the articles are well written, authoritative, and beautifully illustrated. I can think of no other source that provides the same breadth and depth of material found here. This book is an essential resource for anyone interested in electrochemistry, and it will be an essential source of reference for many years to come.
999 Riverview Dr., Ste. 208 Totowa, NJ 07512 2000, 427 pp, $89.50 In Aqueous Two-Phase Systems: Methods and Protocols, theory—both the scope and utility of aqueous two-phase systems in basic and applied research—is covered in easily reproducible protocols. Techniques for in situ product recovery for biocatalytic and polymer–polymer systems in organic solvents are also covered in this edition.
SOFTWARE RELEASED Accord Synopsys 5 N. Hill Rd. Leeds, LS6 2EN United Kingdom +44 113 224 9788 http://www.synopsys.co.uk $795–995 list; $199–245 upgrade; inquire about other pricing Requires: Windows 95, 98, or NT; Microsoft Access or Excel The chemical spreadsheet and relational database Accord is now compatible with Microsoft Office2000. Accord supports the storage and searching of chemical structures and reaction information within the standard framework of the SQL query language. Both Access- and Excel-compatible packages are available, and they support the Extensible Markup Language and ActiveX objects. Both versions provide easy transfer of data sets between programs, and the Access-compatible version can be used with Oracle tables to create applications. HaveItAll IR Bio-Rad Laboratories, Sadtler Division 3316 Spring Garden St. Philadelphia, PA 19104 888-5-BIORAD (United States) or 00800-7894 5000 (United Kingdom, France, and Germany) http://www.sadtler.com Inquire about subscription-based pricing Requires: Windows 95, 98, or NT; CD-ROM drive
Reviewed by Philip N. Bartlett, University of Southampton (U.K.)
BOOKS RECEIVED Aqueous Two-Phase Systems: Methods and Protocols Edited by Rajni Hatti-Kaul Humana Press
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HaveItAll IR is a subscription-based product for IR spectroscopists. The product’s CD provides a searchable database of >175,000 spectra. To classify an unknown spectrum from the user’s own instrument (the package reads JCAMP and other current formats), the user can perform unlimited searches. If the search turns up likely matches, the user can use “hit-list keys” to access the details of these spectra. Ten hit-list keys come with the package, and additional ones may be purchased separately.
