BOOK REVIEWS
polymer ehemiatry, as this section of the book so aptly illustrates. Again, the treatment is very comprehensive with many opto-date reference%. The last section treats polymer reactions. Here Professor Lene discusses such topics as cross-linking, grafting, derived polymers, and various types of polymer degradations. It. seems to me that this book will appeal to t.wo quite different types of readers. First, for teachers of organic chemistry it provides a wide variety of examples to illustrate the application of bssic organic chemistry to polymer chemistry. Such examples will not only broaden the background of the students but it may, as Professor Len. hopes, attract some of them t o polymer chemistry as a challenging field of specialization. Second, the book is a n excellent reference work for polymer chemists. The extreme thoroughness of the coverage, the vast number of referencm-many of them datingfrom 1964 and 1963, and the comprehensive author and subject indexes makes this book a valuable addition to any chemistry library. The almost overwhelming attention to details may serve to detract from the book's applicability as a special topics textbook, but students should certainly be aware
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that this fine addition to the literature of polymer-chemistry exists.
seems to be to ~ r o v i d eas extensive a coverage of the subject as practical. I n this respect this efFort stands in conWALTERDANNHAUSER trast to two-other recent monographs on State liniuersily of New York this topic-those of Conway and Delahay. Professor Conway's contribution is in a series where the author's special interest? constitote the feature of t,he work. Prufcwoor Delahay states at the outset that he chooses to delete consideration of crystallisat,ion overvoltage, anodic films, and Electrochemical Kineticr,Theoretiral a n d other possible topics. Professor Vetter's Experimental Aspects work is more encyclopedic than either of Klaus J . Vetter, Institute of Physical these. Chemistry, Free Univ. of Berlin. This work begins with a discussion of Trrtnslated by Scripts. Technics, Inc. electrochemical thermodynamics. I n this Academic Press, New Yark, May 1967. section the sign conventions used in the xv 789 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 X remainder of the hook are stated. Anodio 23.5 em. $36. currents are taken as positive. This is the opposite of what i5 usually assumed these The publication of a. monograph by an days and is an annoyance. author who has made significant contribuThe first half of the work is completed tions to the subject is always an event of by an extensive treatment of the theory of interest. Monographs of recent vintage electrode kineties. The treatment is aron the subject of electrochemicd kinetics ranged by type of overvoltagecharge are not abundant. That factor done is transfer, diffusion, reaebion, crystallisaalmost enough to make this one welcome. tion, total and resistance polarization. The German language edition of this The last half of the book contains brief work was published in 1961. Professor sections on mixed potentials and corrosion Vetter writes in the preface to this edition and metal passivity. There is a somewhat that be has made minor changes in the longer section concerned with methods light of comments received a b u t the which can be used to elucidate mechaearlier edition and that he has expanded nisms. While mention is made of some the text. R h r e detailed diserssions of types of equipment in this section, it is same topics were provided (of crystallinanot a rudimentary laboratory manual. tion over-voltage for example), and some Rather its concern is with how in principle new topics were included (famdaic rectifito determine types of overvoltage using cation and nonstaichiometric surface eompounds for example). Thus, the intention (Conlint~edm page A1461
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BOOK REVIEWS various experimental techniques, how ta determine reaction order, and then how one might postdate a mechanism. The relationship with the theory of overvoltage section is intimate. The largest part of the last half of the work is given to results of experiments and their discussion. Inevitably, the hydrogen evolution reaction is very extensively covered but many other reactions are mentioned. Examples are drawn almost exclusively from inorganic chemistry. The references cited in this edition are
probably essentially the same as those in the 1961 edition. A quick casual look uucovered only three entries postdating 1961. The book is not a good source far recent literature references. The subject index consists of only four pages. I t is difficult to see how this meagre section might be of much assistance. But, heeause of the general o r g a nizatian of the work. this is likelv " ta he an impediment mostly to the newcomer in the field.
Mechonirmr of lnorgonlc Reoctionr-A Study of Metol Complexes in Solution
Fred Basolo and Ralph G . Pewson, both of Northwestern University. 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 701 pp. Figs. and June, 1967. xi tables. 15.5 X 23.5 em. $17.95.
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There are some books which are classics in their field and the 1958 edition of this book has proved t o he one. I n this r e viewer's opinion the new edition will also J. F . WALLING fall into this category. Brstlelle Mernm'al Institute The authors, as indicated by the title, Columbus,Ohio have restricted their coverage to metal ions and complexes in solution with emphasis on reaction mechanism. This they have done well, in a clear precise manner with well chosen material and leading the reader to a new fresh excitement about futurestudies in this area. Most of the strong points of the original edition have been retained with more recent examples illustrating the ideas presented, and new sections have been added in areas which have been receiving increased attention. The illustrations have been modified and improved. The second edition places more emphasis onligand field and molecular orbital theory while retaining an excellent description of the crystal field approach to bonding. Mare emphasis has also been placed on the evaluation of kinetic studies which have become more available and precise in recent years. New sections on phatochemistry and template reactions have been provided and about ninety pages devoted to organornetallies including olefin and carbonyl complexes, ligand migration studies, and homogeneous catalytic hydrogenation. The section on metal ion catalysis describes some established examples in this area but does not go into detail on the fundamental mechanistic questions which need description. The chapter on oxidation-reduction reactions has been expanded considemhly, reflecting the activity in this field in the last ten years. The theories and experimental results are well combined and lead one t o the conclusion that there is hope for theoretical predictions of reaetionrates. The chapters on substitution reactions on octahedral and square planar complexes contain descriptions of many new investigations which have been used t o extend the understanding of the mechanisms. At many points the results of rapid-reaction kinetic techniques which contribute significantly t o a mechanistic understanding have been added. The chapter on stereo-chemical changes in octahedral complexes contains a wealth of information on the stereochemical reaction products of Co(lI1) and a few other metal ion complexes. Octahedral isomerization and linkage isomerization are very well covered. The hook is well documented with s e lected references st the end of each chapter which are referred to in the text. An author and subject index is also provided whiehis extremely helpful. The section on mechanisms of inorganic reactions will be of value to research ~~
(Continued on page A148)
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