The Hydrogen Bond (Pimentel, George C.; McClellan, Aubrey L

The Hydrogen Bond (Pimentel, George C.; McClellan, Aubrey L.) Maurice L. Huggins. J. Chem. Educ. , 1960, 37 (11), p A754. DOI: 10.1021/ed037pA754...
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BOOK REVIEWS three groups: the general intelledual enuironment, the educational environment which is important in the long range view, for rcseereh is a continual oumulative venture, and the immediate research environment or the conditions under which the researcher works. Under the long range problems of higher education certain quotations are to the point. "It is good for teachers to be researchers, hut researchers must also be good teacherhers if they are to he followed by another generation of good researchers." Gould pointed out the particular problems of the smell liberal arts colleges. The comment was made in this connection that "if the nation is looking for ways to improve the education of future scientists and to provide future members of other professions with a better nnderstsnding of science, some of the best opportunitim for further improvement are to he found in the liberal arts colleges." The pros and cons of project grants versus support for outstanding research scholare came in for some disoussion; there was muchcriticismof the former. Thesources of research money also produced considerable discussion. Government support was criticized on the grounds that i t never paid the full costs of the research. Changes in the federal taa laws were suggested an a means of providing money t,o support the needs of colleges and universities for unrestricted money. The hook is worth reading by eduerttiond adminintrators and teachers, foundations, industrial administrators, and by the vast numher of thofie who are concerned with the future of science and technology in this country.

H m m F. LEWIS The Institvle of Paper Chemistq, Appleton, Wisconsin

The Hydrogen Bond

George C . Pimentel, University of California, Berkeley, and A,tbvey L. MeClellan, California Research Corporation, Richmond. W. H. Freemann 61 Co., San Francineo, 1960. (Trade distrib ntor, Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York.) xi 475 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 24 em. S9..50, text ed.: $11.40, trade ed.

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The idea that the valence of an element always measures the number of bands connecting an atom of that element to neighboring atoms was shown many yearn ago by G. N. L e w i ~t o he quite insufficient to explain the facts. In the formation of a rovalent bond between t,wo atoms the two bonding electrons sometimes both come from the same atom-not one from each. Whenever this is the case, the valence numbers are not identical wit,h the numbers of bonda. This idea led to the concept of the "hydrogen bond" or "hydrogen bridge" by this reviewer in 1919 and to the use of this concept to explain several p r e

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A754

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Journol of Chemical Education

BOOK REVIEWS viously unexplained phenomena. of organic and inorganic chemistry. There is now an abundance of evidence fihowing that a hydrogen atom e m bridge between two eleetronegativc atoms, such as those of nitrogen, oxygen, or fluorine. These bridges are urnally unsymmetrical, the hydrogen atom being more tightly h d d hy one of the two electronegative atoms than by the other, even when hoth of these atoms are of the same kind, e.g., oxygen. Hydrogen bonds m e strong enough to he of great importance in determming the structures-the relative arrangements in space of the component a t o m s o f the substsnees in which they exist. On the other hand, they are weak enough to be relatively easily broken or exchanged. For this reason they play a great role in many chemical reactions and physical rhsnges. They are especially important in affecting the structures and behaviors of biological systems in plants and animals. with the existence, properties, and behavior of hydrogen bonds and have compiled and summarized the results of tbeir study in the book under review. Many aspects of the subject are covered, in a systematic way. The language is clear and anyone with a reasonable bsckground of knowledge in inorganic, organic, and physiesl chemistry should have no difficulty in following and understanding the argument. The authors are moderately critical in their presentation and evaluation of other people's work-although sometimes not critical enough, in the reviewer's opinion. He also disagrees with a few of the historical statements. On the whole, he ie glad to recommend the book for reference and for detailed study by anyone wanting a moderately complete account of the present knowledge of this important suhject.

MAURICE L. H U Q Q I N ~ Slanjord Research Institute Menlo Pa&, California Biochamirtry in Relation to Medicine

C . W . Carter, Queen's College, Oxford; R . V. Cozon, Exeter College, Oxford; D. S . Parsons, Merton College, Oxford; and R. H. S. Thompson, Guy's Hospital Medical School, University of London. 3rd ed. Longmans, Green & Co., Inc., New York, 1959. xiii 628 pp. Figs. and tables. 15 X 22 em.

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$10.

This text follows the order of presentation t h a t many authors choose in introducing medical students to bioehemistry. That is, the early chapters are devoted to physical chemistry, the chemistry of esrbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. This is followed by a discussion of enzymes, biological oxidations, nutrition, and vitamins. After these preparatory chapters, the larger part of the book

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Journal o f Chemicol Educafion