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BOOK REVIEWS Crystal Structures. Supplement 111. R . W. G. WYCKOFF. apqroach in selecting “suitable catalysts for hitherto unInterscience Publishers,. Inc., 250 Fifth Avenue, New known chemical reactions,” in the estimation of this reYork 1, X. Y. 1958. 556 pp. 20 X 24.5 cm. Price, viewer, is essentially different from the approach taken 320.00. by the authors of the above book. It should be understood t h a t this is not a criticism of the authors, but more ,111 who have a serious interest in the structure of crystals generally of the efforts of many outstanding physical chemare undoubtedly familiar with the monumental task underists to reach the above goal. taken by Dr. Wyckoff in his publication of “Crystal StrucThis reviewer introduced the concept of catalytzr chemistry tures.” Supplement 111 continues in the style established about fifteen years ago’ and has defined and described it as a in sections published in 1948, 1951, 1953 and 1957. It pronatural development of classical organic and inorganic vides in loose leaf form additions which will complete Chap- chemistry. Just as the advances of physical chemistry ters I-VI11 of Sections I and I1 on Inorganic Compounds. in our century, and they have been outstanding, have been New structural information for the elements and for comindependent of either inorganic or organic chemistry, so pounds of the general types RX, R X 2 , R,Xn, R(MX,), this reviewer feels that the advance of catalytic chemistry Rn(MXd)* and R n ( M X 4 ) =is summarized. Some tables does not by necessity have t o rely only on physical chemhave been revised t o include more recent data and are desigistry. H e firmly believes that future catalytic chemists nated as replacements for those in the earlier publication. will reach the goal defined by the authors of the book, The majority of the material is supplementary, however, following the footsteps of Sabatier and Ipatieff. covering references over the period 1948-1954, with limited references t o papers in 1955. (1) I n d , Eng. Ciienz., 35, 76‘2 (1043). The present supplement is certainly essential for any library maintaining reference works on structural informaRESEARCH IXSTITUTE OF TEMPLE USIVERSITY tion. It is intended to fit into the previously published 4150 HENRYAVENUE A. \’. GROSSE volumes and would lose much of its utility if purchased indePHILADELPHIA 44, PA. pendently. Chemists concerned with the structure of inorganic substances will be particularly pleased t o learn of the availability of this latest contribution. Cahiers de Syntheses Organique. MBthodes et Tableaux DEPARTMENT O F CHEMISTRY D’Application. Volume 111. Collection PubliCe sous la USIVERSITYOF WASHINGTOS S.b‘.GREGORY Direction de LEON VELLUZ,JEAX MATHIEUET ANDRE SEATTLE5, \VASHINGTON ALLAIS, IngCnieurs-Docteurs. Masson et Cic., 120, Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris VI,, France. 1957. 266 pp. 15.5 X 22.5 crn. Price, BrochC: 4.200 frs.: Contact Catalysis. By R . H . GRIFFITH,D. Phil., Director, Cartonne toile: 4.600 frs. London Research Station, The Gas Council, and J. D. F. This is the third volume of a projected ten to twelve volMARSH,M. A,, B. Sc., Research Department, The North ume series, edited by Leon Velluz and written by J . Mathieu Thames Gas Board. Third Edition of “The Mechanism of Contact Catalysis.” Oxford University Press, 114 and A. Allais with the assistance of J . Walls and P. Poirier. This volume consists of three chapters which are as folFifth Avenue, h’ew York 11, N.Y. 1957. x 299 pp. lows: 15 X 22 cm. Price, $8 00 6. This chapter deals with condensation reactions T h e above book is the third expanded edition of “The leading to the formation of compounds containing a carbonMechanism of Contact Catalysis.” Ten years have elapsed carbon double or triple bond. The Azlactone, Knoevenagel, since the second edition appeared and a very large amount Perkin and Stobbe condensations, to mention cinly a few, of research in the field of both catalysis and catalytic chemare grouped together in this chapter. istry has taken place. The new edition brings the the7. This chapter is concerned with hydroxyalkylation and oretical and experimental results up-to-date and includes a aminoalkylation in the aliphatic series. T h e reactions diswealth of new material. cussed here are those which result in the introduction of an The book is divided into the following ten chapters: alkyl group with a n a-hydroxyl or amino group in a n ali(1) T h e Preparation and Evaluation of Catalysts; (2) phatic compound. T h e reactions of active methylene and Examination of the Catalyst Surface; ( 3 ) Adsorption; (1) acetylenic compounds with carbonyl or imino compounds The Electronic Factor in Catalysis; (5) Geometry of the are grouped in this chapter together with the Grignard, Catalyst Surface; (6) Promoters and Carriers; (7) PoisonMannich and Reformatsky reactions. The Stevens reing, Retardation, Fouling, and Sintering; ( 8 ) The Reactions arrangement of ammonium or sulfonium compounds and the of Hydrocarbons; (9) T h e Mechanism of Catalysis and Wittig rearrangement of allylic or benzylic ethers seem to (10) T h e Development of Catalysts. be misplaced in this section since they are concerned with The material has been well chosen by the authors. This a n intramolecular type of. reaction. reviewer enjoyed particularly the pages regarding the ef8. T h e last chapter of the book contains a discussion o f fects of diffusion ( p . 31), the electrical properties of catahydroxyalkylation and aminoalkylatiou in the aromatic series. The reactions of aromatic Grignard reagents with lysts ( p . 18) and surface area measurements (p. 58), because of their clarity of presentation. For those who are carbonyl or imino compounds are described in this chapter together xq-ith some typical reactions restricted to the arointerested in a concise, up-to-date book suniiriarizing the matic series, such as the Haminick reaction, and the conresults of physical-chemical research on contact catalysis, densation of phenols or aromatic :imines with chlc~ral, this book is highly recommended. mesoxalic esters or alloxan. The authors state (p. 269): “With a full understanding of the underlying principles of catalysis, it should be possible Each chapter begins with :i table of symbols which the to select suitable catalysts for hitherto unknown chemical reader will find very useful in locating, almost a t a glance, any reaction discussed in the chapter. After a brief introreactions and to be certain that the best catalysts were already available for existing processes.” I n spite of the duction concerning the principles of the reactions covered in the chapter, a section oil the mechanisms of these reacniaiiy elegant and precise methods introduced in past years tions follows. However, the usefulness of this section on bs- physical chemistry. this reviewer is left with a feeling of uneasiness and even doubt regarding the eventual success mechanisms is doubtful sincc only a w r y shdlow treatment is given. The next section is concerned nit11 applications, of reaching the above goal by present physico-cheniical ;.e., the uses of the compounds obtained as intermediates for direction of catalytic research. Catalytic chemistrl- in our further reactions. The reaction types are then discussed century has been advanced by such outstanding chemists in turn and the material included is arranged in a semias P . Sabatier, Y . Ipatieff, F . Fisher and H. Tropsch, and in recent decades by W .Reppe. S o n e of the above scien- tabular fashiou. Each chapter closes with a tabular survey of a number of examples taken from the literature. The tists (except Sabatier) are mentioned in the book. Their
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BOOKREVIEWS
volumes are published. For the person who wants t o know tables list the starting materials, reaction products, reacquickly if a subject of interest to him is included in a particution conditions, yields and references to the literature. lar supplement volume, an alphabetical listing of the articles At the end of the book there is an index prepared in a in a prominent place in the front of the volume would be of tabular fashion which covers not only the material contained in volume three, but the contents of the two previous volhelp; a t present, they are distinguished only by bold face type in the index and in conjunction with a listing of authors. umes as well. T h e concise arrangement of material, the very extensive All-in-all, this supplement volume provides a fine means whereby one may acquire an authoritative and up-to-date use of attractively printed formulas throughout the text and the wealth of literature references given both in the survey of many topics in chemical technology of current and text and in the tables should contribute to make this series increasing interest. a source of valuable information in a readily accessible DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING form. MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE O F TECHNOLOGY The editor and authors should be thanked for this major CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS CHARLES K. SATTERFIELD undertaking which should prove to be of great value to those needing information concerning synthetic methods. RESEARCH DIVISION Physico-Chemical Effects of Pressure. S. D. HAMANN, BRISTOLLABORATORIES INC. YVONG. PERRON M.Sc., Ph.D. Academic Press Inc., 111 Fifth Avenue, SYRACUSE 1, NEWYORK New York 3, N. Y . 1957. ix 246 pp. 15 X 22 cm. Price, $8.50. This book is a discussion of the changes in the properties Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. First Supplement of matter which are induced by the application of pressure. Volume, Edited by the late RAYMOND E. KIRK, Head, The book is concerned largely with changes which arc Department of Chemistry, Polytechnic Institute of brought about by pressures above and about one hundred Brooklyn, and DONALD F. OTHMER,Head, Department of atmospheres. A good deal of emphasis is placed on the Chemical Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. experimental techniques used t o obtain high pressures and Assistant Editor, AXTHONY STASDES. Interscience Pubin measuring the various properties. In some cases a moleclishers, Inc., 250 Fifth Avenue, New York 1, N. Y. 1957. ular interpretation of the results is discussed. xviii 974 pp. 19.5 X 26.5 cm. Price, $25.00. Two chapters are devoted to the experimental determination of the equation of state and the phase behavior of Long before the last volume of the 15-volume “Encyclovarious pure substances and mixtures a t extremely high pedia of Chemical Technology” appeared in print, the pressures. Some of the results are interpreted in terms of editors must have debated the problem of how t o keep it up the principle of corresponding states and in terms of the to date. Instead of issuing a n annual yearbook or revising Lennard- Jones Devonshire equation of state. the articles volume by volume to the extent that they might Measurements of the effect of pressure on the transport need it, the editors chose to prepare a supplement volume, coefficients are also discussed. A brief summary is given presumably the first of a series, which contains articles on of the theories of transport phenomena in dense gases and those areas of chemical technology that have undergone major developments during the past decade or so. Conse- liquids. Subsequent chapters are devoted to the effect of pressure on the dielectric and optical properties, on elecquently, this supplement will be of much greater current trolytic conduction, and on the rates of chemical reactions. interest and value than if it were a revision of “A t o AnthrimThe book will be of interest to many readers who are ides. ” unfamiliar with the variety of new effects which appear a t Some 51 articles are included, ranging in length from high pressures. Others will find the review of recent denearly one hundred pages devoted t o Xuclear Reactors to articles of from four to six pages each on such subjects as velopments and the extensive bibliography of considerable Isosebacic Acid, Patents, and Kojic Acid. Approximately value. half of the articles are on subjects treated in the original NAVALRESEARCH LABORATORY Encyclopedia and serve to bring them up to date; the others DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY C. F. CURTIS are on new topics such as Computers, Fluidization and Water OF WISCONSIN UNIVERSITY Demineralization or on a particular aspect of a n earlier MADISON,WISCONSIN subject in which developments have been very rapid, as on Antibiotics-Non-medical Uses, or Boron Hydrides. T h e method of presentation is similar to that used in the original Inorganic Syntheses. Volume V. Editor-in-Chief, THEREncyclopedia. As in the Encyclopedia itself, the articles ALD MOELLER,University of Illinois. McGraw-Hill here range over processes, classes of substances, specific Book Company, Inc., 330 West 42nd Street, New York chemicals, unit operations and extend into areas such as 36, hT.Y. 1957. xiv 265 pp. 16 23.5 cm. Price, Solid State where advances in a science will increasingly af$6.00. fect future technology. Each person will probably have a different preference as t o the topics he would like to have Inorganic chemistry has undergone a rapidly accelerated seen chosen and the relative space to have given to each, but growth during the past 25 years. The Manhattan Project in general the choice of subjects seems judicious to this reprovided a tremendous stimulus in awaking interest in this viewer, and the presentations are well balanced and up t o long neglected field, but the real explanation of the renewed date. Judging from the many recent references throughout interest is the success of the modern physical theories in the book the editors must have had extraordinary success in interpreting the structure of atoms and the mechanisms of getting their authors to submit their manuscripts on time. chemical bonding. At last inorganic chemistry has begun T h e contributions come almost exclusively from Amerito make sense, and it is possible to correlate the physical, cans of whom about three-quarters are in industry. In mechanical and chemical behavior of materials in terms of essentially every case the contributor or the organization fundamental parameters, not merely t o catalog these properwith which he is associated is in the forefront of activity in ties. In the United States a nucleus of devoted and comthe subject discussed. -1s might be expected, the styles petent inorganic chemists provided the energy and drive, vary substantially, in a few cases being little more than an and their efforts have a t last culminated in the establishannotated bibliography, but usually being a unified and critiment of a Division of Inorganic Chemistry in the American cal presentation. The treatments here will be of particular Chemical Society. This is about the same group of chemvalue t o the chemist or chemical engineer who wishes t o ists who established in 1939 the “Inorganic Syntheses” obtain a perspective on a field outside of his own specialty, series, which has now reached Volume V. The present list but who may then wish to go to one or more review articles of editor-in-chief, associate editors, and members of the for more complete guidance to the literature. As is approadvisory board, still carries names of several of these priate in any encyclopedia, the references are selective rather pioneers. Volume V is dedicated t o the memory of Raymond than exhaustive in many cases. E . Kirk and Arthur A. Blanchard, who have died since the This volume contains its own comprehensive index and publication of Volume IV in 1953. T h e continuance of the articles have many cross references to the Encyclopedia. the same chemists on the editorial board has ensured a Severtheless, in this method of keeping the Encyclopedia continuity of policy, and while Volume V differs from its up to date, the problem of retrieval of information will bepredecessors in content, it follows the same plan. The syncome rapidly more complicated as additional supplement theses are considered as separate contributions, as in a
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