books and software
SEC Column Exhibition Column Handbook for Size Exclusion Chromatography Academic Press 525 B St., Ste. 190 San Diego, CA 92101-4495 1999, 631 pp, $140 This handbook covers nearly all aspects of commercially available columns for size exclusion chromatography (SEC), which is also known as gel-permeation chromatography or gel-filtration chromatography. The authors, who include SEC column manufactures and experienced users, provide perspectives on columns for determining molecular weight or polydispersity; and for analytical or preparative separation of synthetic, bio-, and natural polymers. It is the opinion of this reviewer that this handbook contains a comprehensive collection of useful information on commercial columns for SEC. This handbook is divided into three parts and is like an exhibition on columns. In Part I, each SEC column manufacturer has contributed a chapter that discusses technology, column media, characterization, application, evaluation, maintenance, and quality control of commercial analytical and preparative columns. There is also a chapter addressing the particle technology in preparing beaded organic polymers for SEC, with polymerization methodologies being the main focus. These 12 chapters reveal more insights into commercial SEC columns than a catalog or a technical note. I felt as if I were walking through the aisles at Pittcon and talking with representatives of different vendors. Needless to say, some chapters have the flavor of advertisements. In Part II, expert users share their experiences of using these commercial columns for characterization, evaluation, maintenance, selection, and other applications. The chapter on interactive properties of commercial columns with polymers is very interesting. Also, the chapters on comparing and selecting different column sources for several specific applications are invaluable to those who have a problem with polymer size analysis and need a quick solution. Although the authors in Part II are trying to look at these commercial columns from a different angle, the discussion repeats topics found in Part I. In Part III, two related polymer separation mechanisms, hydrodynamic chromatography and high osmotic pressure chromatography, are included. Although they are very helpful for the audience in distinguishing the size exclusion mode and its column requirements from others, they seem to be out of place of this book. The handbook is a good resource for novices, seasoned users, and those involved in separating synthetic, bio-, or natural polymers by SEC. The text is well written and easy to understand. The references, although not exhaustive, are as
recent as 1998 and provide a good introduction to the SEC literature. Both the author and subject indexes are adequate for searching the topic of interest. Numerous excellent examples are presented in the figures. It would be helpful to index some of the figures without detailed test descriptions. Reviewed by Roy H. Tan, ACLARA BioSciences, Inc.
Introduction to SPME Solid-Phase Microextraction: A Practical Guide Edited by Sue Ann Scheppers Wercinski Marcel Dekker, Inc. 270 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10016-0602 1999, 245 pp, $145 This book will appeal to the analyst who is establishing, validating, and using modern analytical methodology and to the investigator inaugurating basic studies with solid-phase microextraction (SPME) or applying the technique to complex problems. The book begins with an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of SPME. Although the theory is presented in abbreviated form, sufficient detail is provided for method development, optimization, and applications. Cited references guide the investigator seeking a more thorough treatment. The chapters on method development and on SPME fibers are highly technical and provide a lot of practical information on phase selection, optimizations, and troubleshooting. Applications of SPME in the pharmaceutical, food, environmental, and forensic sciences are discussed. Along with the existing applications, sufficient attention is given to the problems in analysis from complex matrixes and those arising from isolation techniques based on equilibria that often do not lie predominantly toward sorbtion. It is interesting that the pharmaceutical applications focus on analysis of volatile impurities in drugs rather than determination of drugs from plasma. The forensic chapter, however, discusses analysis in biological fluids. The book suffers from some editing problems. The basic equilibrium equations are repeated in different chapters. Similarly, descriptions of the syringe and holders appear several times. This redundancy gives a sense that the authors were not in communication and that there was no overall organization. Finally, references date from before 1997 (inclusive), which makes them somewhat passé. Otherwise, this is a fine and useful introduction to the application and theory of SPME. Reviewed by J. M. Rosenfeld, McMaster University (Canada)
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