Books A Fundamental Introduction to RTP Room Temperature Phosphorimetry for Chemical Analysis. Tuan Vo-Dinh. xviii + 304 pp. John Wiley & Sons, 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1984. $50
Reviewed by Robert Hurtubise, Department of Chemistry, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyo. 82071 This is the first book devoted solely to room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) in solid and liquid media. It is a welcome addition to the area of luminescence analysis because it gives a comprehensive review of RTP from an analytical perspective. The book contains a wealth of tables and figures and is intended to provide a fundamental introduction to the principles and practices of RTP. It was written for the potential user of RTP, and emphasis has been placed on practical aspects. The author provides a survey of the theoretical fundamentals of phosphorescence and photophysical principles. The variety of media and conditions used to induce RTP are discussed in considerable detail. A comprehensive survey of the various instruments developed for the measurement of RTP is given along with a general discussion of sources, dispersive devices, and detectors. Particularly helpful for the
analyst are the discussions in Chapters 4 and 5, which cover the several procedures for preparing samples, practical details, and many experimental aspects. In these chapters the advantages and disadvantages of the several RTP procedures are compared. Chapter 6 includes an extensive table that gives spectral characteristics and detection limits for numerous organic compounds as well as several representative RTP excitation and emission spectra. In Chapter 7, details are given for procedures associated with the qualitative and quantitative analysis of multicomponent mixtures by RTP. Particularly well written is the discussion of theoretical intensity expressions for quantitative analysis. Several special measurement techniques for R T P such as synchronous excitation spectroscopy and second-derivative spectroscopy are discussed in Chapter 8. The book concludes with Chapter 9, which is an interesting discussion of the several applications that have appeared for RTP. There are a few typographical errors in the book, and in some places the exact meaning of the sentence is lost, although these are not of a serious nature. The structures for fluoranthene (p. 166) and for quinoline (p. 167) are incorrect. In a few places the text is somewhat redundant. Also, it would have been informative to give a general comparison of solid-surface fluorescence analysis and solid-surface phosphorescence analysis. In summary, this is a well-written book about an important area of analytical chemistry, and its faults are minor. The author has met the objectives stated in the preface, and the book would be a valuable addition to those interested in a new area of luminescence analysis. Electrophoretic Techniques. Colin Simpson, Mary Whittaker, Eds. 290 pp. Academic Press, 24-28 Oval Rd., London NW1 7DX, England. 1983. $44
Reviewed by Karin Caldwell, Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 Despite the popularity of electrophoretic techniques in biochemical and clinical research, the number of 96 A · ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 57, NO. 1, JANUARY 1985
modern texts on the subject is limited. The stated goal of Simpson and Whittaker in compiling this 10-chapter volume is thus to provide researchers with reviews of state-of-the-art methodology, as well as with experimental procedures for recently evolved techniques. The volume opens fittingly with a theoretical survey by one of the nestors in the field, H. Rilbe. The editors follow with an exposition of current methods used in protein characterization. This relatively brief review is well referenced and offers some good examples of the diagnostic value of clinical electrophoresis. Isoelectric focusing is the subject of four chapters that overlap somewhat in content, but offer valuable practical insights. General considerations are given by J. S. Fawcett in a well-referenced and quite up-to-date chapter covering even such recent advances as LKB's new bonded pH gradient formers. Practical aspects of high-resolution focusing are discussed in chapters by J. Ambler and B. J. Radola, both of whom have recognized expertise in the development of electrophoretic supports. In his account of the design of a compartmentalized isoelectric focusing device for preparative use, F. Hampson offers valuable insight into the electrokinetic processes that occur at membrane surfaces. A brief and somewhat sketchy chapter on Immunoelectrophoresis by J. Kohn is followed by three articles on the topic of isotachophoresis. Everaerts and Verheggen give a detailed and valuable account of the theory of this technique. Existing commercial instrumentation is discussed together with a high-resolution option involving coupled columns, which has been pioneered by the authors. The chapter is illustrated by a host of elegant separations, many of clinical importance, which should help promote this powerful, yet still relatively infrequently used, technique. In two contributions, Simpson, Whittaker, and Hampson outline special considerations pertaining to scale-up of the isotachophoretic process. The volume ends with a description of free-flow electrophoresis using a commercially available separator with rotation-stabilized flow. This chapter is scant on theory and appropriate references, but offers some good
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illustrations of coarse fractionations on a preparative scale. The considerable body of useful practical information in the volume is evidently addressed to a readership that already practices most of these techniques. Symbols and abbreviations of compound names are sometimes used without clarification (the chapter by Everaerts and Verheggen is a notable exception), and little effort is made to render figure legends selfexplanatory. Often, even careful reference to the text will not help in deciphering the meaning of a particular illustration. Discussions of complex banding patterns in isoelectric focusing or Immunoelectrophoresis would have been more revealing if the bands of importance had been highlighted, e.g., by the introduction of arrows. Unfortunately, no attempt has been made to standardize the units used throughout this volume; as a result, liters and dm 3 are used interchangeably. The selection of articles for a book with the general title "Electrophoretic Techniques" whose aim, according to the editors, is to present the methodology that has evolved during the past five years, appears somewhat restricted. The capillary zone electrophoresis work of Jorgensen et al. constitutes a major advance, which merits more than a brief one-page comment in a volume of this kind. Likewise, the evolving technology for computerized identification of spot patterns in twodimensional electrophoresis deserves some attention. Quantitative Electron-Probe Microanalysis. V. D. Scott, G. Love, Eds. 345 pp. John Wiley & Sons, 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1984. $44.95
Reviewed by Kurt Heinrich, National Bureau of Standards, Office of International Relations, Gaithersburg, Md. 20899 This book is a very good treatise on the theoretical aspects of electron microprobe analysis. It begins with a review of the history of X-ray spectrochemical analysis; subsequent chapters deal with the physics of X-ray emission, wavelength- and energy-dispersive X-ray detectors, the processing of spectra, and with data reduction schemes including the conventional ZAF procedure, Monte Carlo simulations, and the analysis of coatings, thin films, and particles. Experimental aspects of the measurement of X-ray intensities are described in one chapter.
98 A · ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 57, NO. 1, JANUARY 1985
T. Mulvey has provided a brief but excellent description of the history of X-ray microanalysis. Subsequent discussions of the theory of microanalysis by Scott, Love, Reed, and Cox are lucid, complete, and well documented with literature references. They constitute a good reference source for the reader or student concerned with the computation procedures for electron probe microanalysis. The treatment is well balanced, and the evaluations of diverse procedures seem to me fair and correct. The discussions lead to recommendations on measurement conditions and data evaluation procedures that I find quite reliable. The reader should be warned, however, that, in comparison with the thoroughness of the handling of the theoretical aspects, the procedural practice of analysis is discussed very lightly. For instance, the special aspects and requirements in the analysis of specimens such as minerals and biological tissues are not described. In this respect, the book offers very little guidance, particularly for investigators of biological specimens for which the proper specimen preparation and handling procedures are difficult and crucial. Such an omission is, of course, the editors' prerogative; however, I think the book's title should more adequately reflect its scope. The style of the text is clear and simple. Use of the word "geometry" instead of "configuration" (e.g., in "Geometry of Crystal Spectrometers" on p. 6) is irritating to me, but, unfortunately, it is nowadays quite commonplace. This book deserves a place on the shelf of those who are interested in understanding how microanalysis works. Those who merely crank out data are advised to abstain.
Books Received Microprocessor Programming and Applications for Scientists and Engineers. Richard Smardzewski. xiv + 353 pp. Elsevier Science Publishers, 52 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. 1984. $37.75 Instrument Evaluation in Biomedical Sciences. James Driscoll, Benjamin Gudzinowicz, Horace Martin, vlii + 313 pp. Marcel Dekker Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1984. $71.50 Powder Surface Area and Porosity. S. Lowell, Joan Shields, xiii + 234 pp. Chapman & Hall, 733 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. 1984. $45
