BOOK REVIEWS
I
I
Purification of Inorganic and Organic Materials: Techniques of Fractional Solidification. Morris Zief, Editor, 318 pages. Marcel Dekker, xvii Inc., 95 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. 10016. 1969. $17.75
+
Reviewed by Gilbert J . Sloan, E. 1. du f o n t de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del. 19898.
“Purification of Inorganic and Organic hlaterials” is a useful sequel to “Fractional Solidification,” published in 1965 under the editorship of M. Zief and W. R . Wilcox. It is directed to “the chemist, chemical engineer, and metallurgist,” but it contains little information that is of direct value to the engineer. For chemists and metallurgists, however, it provides a convenient source of up-to-date information on the range of purification problems that have been treated successfully by zone refining, directional freezing, and related solidification techniques. The new book is divided into three parts, which deal with -4nalytical Methods, Preparative Methods, and Containment, respectively. The chapters of Part I are necessarily brief and are not intended to be thorough treatments of the eight areas of analysis and characterization described. They are clearly written and stress the application of the various techniques to the central problem of defining nearIy pure materials. The usefulness of Part I (to chemists, a t least) wouId have been enhanced by additional chapters on fluorescence spectrometry and highresolution mass spectrometry. Part I1 has chapters dealing with the purification of individual substances (benzene, aluminum, anthracene, indium antimonide, gallium trichloride, potassium chloride, benzoic acid, and naphthalene) and classes of substances (aromatic amines, alkaline iodides, metal chelates, and dienes) as well as chapters on techniques (“freezing staircase method,” purification of kilogram quantities, heating by hollowcathode gas discharge, among others). This case-study approach follolvs the pattern of “Organic Syntheses,” and most of the procedures are given in sufficient detail t o allow the reader to work without reference to the original literature. This is an especial boon t o the physicist or physical chemist who is not accustomed to preparative
chemical work, but who must prepare research samples of assured purity. Part 111 consists of a single chapter on the selection of containers for pure substances. It provides useful tabulations of trace element concentrations in container materials and of physicochemical properties of container materials. It is unfortunate that this book contains no critical overview of the many topics that it covers; in the absence of such an evaluation, the reader is “on his own” in judging the relative merits of various techniques. The sharp separation between analytical and preparative methods might have been unavoidable in laying out the book, but it obscures the close relationship between these two aspects of purification. Thus,, for example, it might have been pointed out that failure of zone melting t o separate a mixture is an immediate indication that the impurity is very similar to the host, or that an eutectic is present; in the former case, the knowledge of phase relationships helps in selecting an analytical method. There are many diagrams and good photographs throughout the book, and the presentation is clear and uncluttered. Lamentably, the text has many typographical and grammatical errors. Chemical Reactions in Solvents and Melts. 6. Charlot and B. Tremillon (translated by P. J. J. Harvey). vii 528 pages. Pergamon Press, Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elrnsford, N. Y. 10523. 1969. $27
+
Reviewed by John A. Riddick, 522 Centenary Drive, Baton Rouge, La.
70808
The encyclopedic nature of this book is not evidenced by the title or preface, A clear terse style makes it possible to present and interpret a surprisingly large number of chemical reactions in a variety of solvents. These reactions have been systematized by type and solvent. The type reactions are acidbase (including complex) and oxidation-reduction. The solvents are nonpolar, polar, and melts. The authors have accomplished their aim for the book: application of logical arguments for dilute aqueous solutions for all polar solvents similar to water, and with some limitations, to all other solvents. The
Bronsted concept is the basis for all interpretation except oxidation-reduction and complex formation not in~70lving ions (the Lewis concept was used for the latter). A large number of scales of actual and relative strengths has been constructed. These scales represent such properties as the effect of acidity and basicity of the solvent on acids and bases and the acidity and basicity of substances in specific solvents. Similar scales have been set up for complexes and melt chemistry. So much information, including about 5000 references, is logically presented in easily usable and understandable form within the covers of this book that a review cannot do justice to all of ita features. “Chemical Reactions in Solvents and Melts” is recommended for everyone working with, or interested in, equilibrium chemistry of acids and bases, complexes, and oxidation-reduction in any solvent system. This is the most complete source book on this phase of chemistry that the reviewer has seen, Handbook of Organometallic Compounds. Nobue Hagihara, Makoto Kurnada, Rokuro Okawara, Editors. 1044 pages. W. A. Benjamin, xviii Inc., 1 Park Ave., New York, N. Y.
+
10016. 1968. $35 Reviewed by H. D. Kaesz, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Calif. 90024
This book is a translation from a Japanese edition intended t o provide a general reference work for the expanding field of organometallic chemistry. The volume consists mainly of tables of compounds (about 5000 listings in total) whose selection from the literature is intended to reflect their fundamental importance or frequency of use. -4lthough not stated explicitly, the selection is also restricted to compounds containing carbon-to-metal bonds. The information is organized into chapters according to the groups of the periodic table TTith separate chapters for aluminum and for each of the three elements boron, silicon, and phosphorus, always considered together with organometallic compounds. A review of the syntheses, and physical and chemical properties of the compounds
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 41, NO. 14, DECEMBER 1969
63A
New Books
An e x ~ ~ ~ s ~ i v ~ b ~ ~ l ~ o g r a of p h45 y years of international polarographic experience. Polarography continues to gain recognition as a powerful analytic technique. Since its development in 1922, this method has been applied to almost every field of analytical chemistry and has generated a substantial body of iiterature. From the very first, we have been gathering and sorting references, periodically distributing compilations to selected American laboratories. This new, 589-page volume is the single most complete guide to polarographic iiterature ever assembled.
Over 17,000 bibliographic entries. If the paper you’re looking for isn’t listed, it was probably never published. But for ail its comprehensiveness, the Bibliography is easy to use. Entries are listed alphabetically b y first author, numbered consecutively tor rapid cross-referencing to a detailed subject index, -and keyed not only to the original publication but to Chemical Abstracts as well.
Convenient subject index. Fully 282 pages are devoted to a comprehensive index of over 36,000 subje,:ts, from “Abderhalden’s Reaction” to Zirconyi Chloride.” These subjects are thoroughly cross-referenced, and a single bibliographical entry is often listed under two or more subject headings. More:ver, several general headings such as Instrumentation,” “Technique,” and “Theory” conveniently assemble references that resist keyword indexing. 9.235
To order this valuable research tool, fill out and mail the coupon today. .11.....11.11..1.s.1llllllllol
§ARGENT-WELCH
A
Sargent-Welch Scientific Company 7300 N. Linder A y e , Skokie, Illinois 60076 Send me copies of Bibliography of Polarographlc Literature, 1922-1967 at $20 00 each
Organization
City
- O l Z
State
Ume,
a n y organlzatioi
D P a y m e n t enclosed.
W e pay postage i f payment is enclosed with order. Include sales tax where applicable . ~ . . . . . ~ ~ . . 1 . 1 . . . 1 1 . 1 1 . . . . 1 . . 1
Circle No. 93 an Readers’ Service Card
64A
Modern Methods For The Separation Of Rarer Metal lone. J. Korkisch. xii 620 pages. Pergamon Press, Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, N. Y. 10523. 1969. $20
+
Reviewed by James S. Fritz, Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50010
Address
Bill
of the element or group of elements, as well as a bibliography of the leading references (usually to books or review articles), precedes the tables of data in each chapter. The listing for the individual compounds contains the name, a rational or structural formula, method(s) of preparation, properties, reactions, uses, and literature reference(s) , The compounds of silicon, which number from about 1’700to 2000 (about 10% of what is stated to exist in the original literature) have the greatest representation in this book, with those of phosporus (about 1000) and boron (about 500) in second and third place. For 23 transition metals (including the Cu and Zn triads), about 560 compounds are listed m-hich cover mainly the organosigma derivatives and the metal carbonyl and olefin complexes, Thud, transition metal chemistry is underrepresented, especially if one considers that the bulk of discoveries of fundamental importance in organometallic chemistry in the past 15 years have been made in this area. The book also contains a glossary of about 150 technical terms and name reactions frequently encountered in the literature of organometallic chemistry. The work is relatively free of typographical errors, the greatest number of which (including awkward hyphenation such as ”cob-alt,” p 857, and (‘benzene,” p 891) occur in Chapter 13 (Transition Metals, Part 2 ) . Taking the price into consideration, I could recommend this book as a handy reference mainly for research groups in which there are likely to be workers who must step into the field of organometallic chemistry from widely different backgrounds. For such readers, this book will serve as a useful introduction t o this field and its literature. For chemists already practicing in this field, this book could also be useful for the tables of compounds it contains, even though the other information is already present in the monographs which they would most likely possess in their personal libraries.
e
This is a book that might be shunned by chemists with a theoretical bent, but is one that will be treasured by those interested in the practical analytical separation of any of the ele-
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 41, NO. 14, DECEMBER 1969
ments covered. The book contains over 4000 references to original papers, presented in a well-organized fashion. The first chapter describes briefly the principles involved in the various separation methods. The remaining chapters review specific separation methods for various elements. Each chapter covers separations involving a single element (such as Li, Be, Ge, Ti, V) or a group of elements (such as actinides; rare earths; Ga, In, TI). A typical chapter includes the following major topics: Separation on Cation Exchange, Separation on Anion Exchange, Other Chromatographic Methods, Extraction Methods, and Separation by Coprecipitation, For each separation method discussed, the pertinent references are given together with enough information regarding conditions so that the basis of a separation may be understood rithout consulting the original references. For example, in extractive separation methods, the solvent,, chelating agents, and composition of the aqueous solution are given. Also, the behavior of elements commonly associated with the extracted element is of ten treated. Although a work of this scope must of necessity be largely noncritical in its review of methods, the author appears to have used excellent judgment in selecting material that is pertinent and useful. However, it would have been easier t o correlate and compare the mass of information presented if the author had made greater use of summary tables, It is also surprising that no graphs showing distribution coefficients of various elements as a function of ligand or acid concentration are included. Nevertheless, this is a very useful book at a reasonable price. Applied Spectroscopy Reviews. Vol. 2. Edward G. Brame, Jr., Editor. viii 376 pages. Marcel Dekker, Inc., 95 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. 10016.
+
1969. $17.50
Recent advances in the field are reviewed, assessed, and critically evaluated, with emphasis on the applications of the latest techniques. The underlying principles of these techniques and applications are also discussed. Latest information on the principles, methods, and applications of spectroscopy for the researcher is included vith discussions that relate physical concepts to chemical applications. Gamma-ray, X-ray, ultraviolet, emission, visible, infrared, Raman, microwave NMR, ESR, K’QR, mass atomic absorption, and internal reflection speo-
