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Chemical Instrumentation Edited by S. Z. LEWIN, New York University, N e w York 3, N. Y.
These articles, most of which are lo be contributed by p e a l authors, are intended lo sene the readers of this J O ~ N AbyLd i n g attention to new darelopmenis i n the t h e w , design, or auailabiliti2ity of chemical laboralmy instrumenlation, oi. by presenting useful insighls and explanations of topics that are of practical importance to those who use, or teach the use of, modern instrumntation and instrumental techniques.
XVIII. Mechanical Aids for the Interpretation of Infrared Absorption Spectral Data Donald G. Slavin, Sadtler Research Laboratories, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Infrared spectroscopy has today become widely accepted as one of the most rapid, economical, and positive analytical tnelhods available for the idontifiration or characterization of unknown compounds. This wide acceptance has led to an increased number of users or potent,inl users and, aunsequently, the instrument nranufacturers have now on the market esrellent equipment a t re1ativel.v low cost. To make this equipment most v;duable, however, the spectroscopist h:bs found that identification of unknowns ran best he accomplished if he has available a. reference lihrsry or reference collertion of infrared spectra of known chemical compounds. With the aid of such a cdlertion the chemist can positively identify his unknown spectrum if he cat, find a, direct match with one of the knrmns or standards, i.e., a. point-topoint comparison. Over the years, thcrcfore, several commercial organisations have produced very large spectral libraries ccwering virtually all types of compounds and materials and these libraries are available to the spectroscopist or chemist. \Vhile the library or set of reference spectra, may contain the answer to the identity of an unknown material, the chemist must have some means far searrhing through perhaps 50,000 available spectra to find his direct match. There ;rrr x number of choices or ways to ber
