Carbohydrate Synthons in Natural Products Chemistry: Synthesis, Functionalization, and Applications. Edited by Zbigniew J. Witczak (Wilkes University) and Kuniaki Tatsuta (Waseda University). American Chemical Society (Distributed by Oxford University Press): Washington, DC. 2003. xiv + 210 pp. $135.00. ISBN 0-8412-3740-9. This book was developed from the proceedings of the symposium “Chemistry for the 21st Century” held at the 218th ACS National Meeting in San Francisco in March 2000; it also contains some contributions that were not presented there. The goal of the book was to keep the community of carbohydrate researchers informed of the lasted developments in the field. A sampling of the chapter headings includes “Preparation and Exploitation of an Artificial Levoglucosenone”, “Rigid Polycycles and Peptidomimetics from Carbohydrate Synthons”, and “Synthesis of Natural and Unnatural Products from Sugar Synthons”. Author and subject indexes complete the book. JA033524I 10.1021/ja033524i
Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy. Edited by Friedrich Kremer (University of Leipzig) and Andreas Scho¨nhals (BAM Federal Institute for Materials Testing and Research, Berlin). Springer-Verlag: Berlin, Heidleberg, and New York. 2003. xxii + 730 pp. $229.00. ISBN 3-540-43407-0. Dielectric spectroscopy has arguably become the most commonly used technique to measure relaxation and other dynamic processes in materials. This popularity reflects the relatively low cost of the instrumentation, the convenience and ease of dielectric measurements, and, most importantly, the ability to probe the dynamics selectively over an enormous frequency range (18 decades). Modern dielectric spectroscopy can provide new and detailed information on a broad range of materials, including fluids, amorphous solids, and crystalline materials. Certainly, it is timely to have a book that offers a comprehensive introduction to the technique and also compares it to related experimental methods. This will facilitate use of dielectric spectroscopy by more chemists, physicists, and material scientists. Given the dramatic increase in the application of dielectric spectroscopy of late, a research monograph is also welcome. This ambitious text succeeds in this two-fold purpose. Chapters 2 and 3, covering experimental methods and data analysis, are both thorough and authoritative. These alone make the book worthwhile to many readers. The following chapters include reviews of the majority of the research areas in which dielectric spectroscopy is currently making a contribution. In places, the extensive coverage becomes a weakness of the book. Some chapters, having a narrow focus or relying almost Unsigned book reviews are by the Book Review Editor. 7748
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exclusively on data from the authors’ own works, appear to be not much more than reiteration of published papers. In places, the text would have benefited from more critical editing. For example, the free volume model is described in Chapter 4 and again in Chapter 8, notwithstanding the largely discredited status (as affirmed herein) of this interpretation of the glass transition dynamics. In Chapter 7, the breakdown of the time-temperature superposition principle for polymers is (correctly) described. Yet in Chapter 16, this same principle is uncritically presented, along with data purportedly showing its successful application to measurements on polystyrene. Polystyrene is one of the oldest examples of the failure of superpositioning, as gleaned from references given in Chapter 7. Equations for ionic conduction are presented in Chapter 3, only to reappear in identical form in Chapter 12. In fact, the review of ionic glasses in the latter chapter is idiosyncratic and weak. A detailed description of the Continuous-Time-Random-Walk model is provided, without mention of competing theoretical approaches. If a critical review of models for ionic glasses was beyond the intended scope, then the authors should have at least given references to the various other approaches. So large a text requires thorough indexing, and the topical index herein is quite useful, if not sufficiently comprehensive. Interspersed within this index are entries for various authors; however, the selection appears to be haphazard. References are given to authors whose work is mentioned only in passing, while authors cited extensively (e.g., Goetz) are missing entirely. These quibbles only marginally detract from the utility of this book. Its presence is well-deserved in the library of dielectric spectroscopists or any scientist interested in acquiring a thorough introduction to this powerful tool for the study of dynamic processes in materials. C. M. Roland, NaVal Research Laboratory JA0335014 10.1021/ja0335014
Organic Synthesis Based on Name Reactions: 2nd Edition. Tetrahedron Organic Chemistry Series, Volume 22. By A. Hassner and C. Stumer (Bar-Ilan University). Series Edited by J. E. Baldwin (University of Oxford) and R. M. Williams (Colorado State University). Pergamon (An Imprint of Elsevier Science, Ltd.): Oxford. 2002. x + 444 pp. $45.00. ISBN 0-08-043259-X. This book provides descriptions, experimental details, and references for over 540 name reactions (170 of which were “unnamed” in the 1st edition and 157 new ones). The authors emphasized stereoselective or regioselective reagents or transformations including asymmetric syntheses when choosing the new reactions. Important references are given for each reaction, including one of the first references to the reaction and a 10.1021/ja033524i CCC: $25.00 © 2003 American Chemical Society
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reference to a review where available; over 3000 references are provided. The book also includes a names index, reagent and reaction indexes, and an index organized according to the type of functional group transformation. JA033525A 10.1021/ja033525a
Unusual Structures and Physical Properties in Organometallic Chemistry. Physical Organometallic Chemistry. Volume 3. Edited by Marcel Gielen and Rudolph Willem (Free University of Brussels), and Bernd Wrackmeyer (Universita¨t Bayreuth). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.: Chichester, UK. 2002. xx + 425 pp. $275.00. ISBN 0-471-49635-9. The central goal of this series of treatises in physical organometallic chemistry is, in the words of the editors, “to offer ... leading contributions ... reviewing the state-of-the-art of hot topics animating this wide research area.” Their vision for the series is to take readers beyond the standard sequential approach in organometallic chemistryssynthesis, purification, basic spectroscopic and spectrometric characterization, structure determination by X-ray diffractometry, and catalytic or synthetic applicationssby reviewing unconventional topics and approaches. These can be classified as either overviews of uncommon organometallic physical properties or classes of organometallic compounds. The editors have organized 10 chapters by a variety of experts on “unusual properties, tools or structures that could serve as a source of new challenges in broader fields of organometallic chemistry.” The first six chapters review physical measurements (electrochemistry, solution and solid-state NMR spectroscopies, Mo¨ssbauer spectroscopy, magnetic measurements), and the last four chapters cover unusual compound classes. The first chapter by Zanello is a concise comparative analysis of the electrochemistry of late transition metal carbonyl clusters with main group interstitials. The chapter is profusely illustrated with thermal ellipsoid plots of the relevant clusters and associated CV plots. In the second chapter, Wrackmeyer reviews multinuclear NMR solution-state studies on organic, inorganic, and organic compounds, starting with a review of NMR parameters for spin-1/2 and quadrupolar nuclei and then surveying various light-atom and metal nuclei (in terms of chemical shifts, coupling constants) in unusual bonding environments or unusual compound classes. This detailed and engaging review stresses the important insights that can be gained by a multinuclear (as opposed to simple 1H and 13C) solution NMR approach to unusual organometallics versus an overreliance on solid-state diffractometry. Chapter 3 by Bakhmutov is a short review of the utility of deuterium spin-lattice relaxation and quadrupole coupling constants (DQCC) in characterizing and understanding metal hydrides and dihydrogen ligands because of the dependence of the DQCC value on the metal-deuterium bonding mode (i.e., ionicity, electric field gradient at D). This interesting approach should complement the widespread use of 1H T and 1J 1 HD determinations in characterizing nonclassical metal dihydrides and dihydrogen complexes. Bernard and Wasylishen extend the NMR applications to the solid state in Chapter 4 by summarizing carbon chemical-shift tensors and
the insights gained therefrom for a variety of organotransition metal complexes with carbide or π-bonded ligands. In Chapter 5, Herber discusses his studies of temperature-dependent Mo¨ssbauer parameters of ferrocene derivatives to examine the motion of iron atoms in the solid state, and in Chapter 6, Paul and Lapinte review the theory and measurement of magnetic interactions in polyradicals and survey work on cumulene- and polyene-bridged organodimetallic and organotrimetallic complexes. Chapter 7, by Wadepohl, is a review of solid-state structures and solution NMR dynamics of late transition metal clusters (mostly trinuclear) with facially coordinated arene ligands in which some calculational and reactivity studies are also discussed. Chapter 8, also by Wadepohl, is a discussion of the synthesis, structures, and solution dynamics of cobaltafulvenes and cobaltapentalenes, whereas Chapter 9, by Kuhn, Go¨hner, Frenking, and Chen, covers imino- and methyleneimidazolide and derivative complexes from synthetic, structural, and theoretical perspectives, with a significant focus on the authors’ work in this area. Finally, Balazs and Breunig review the secondary bonding/donor-acceptor interactions in the solid state of organobismuth and -antimony compounds, involving either Bi‚‚‚Bi, Sb‚‚‚Sb, or Bi‚‚‚X/Sb‚‚‚X (X ) halogen, chalcogen, or pnictogen) supramolecular interactions. The volume has a useful cumulative 15-page index. The book is professionally typeset with clear figures and only a few, nondistracting typographical errors. Most of the chapters contain references dating through 2000 or 2001, although in Chapter 7, the references include some from 2002. Many organometallic chemists will benefit from this broad survey volume and will find a number of chapters to be of particular interest, although most chapters will probably be of interest only to specialists in those particular areas. The combination of diverse topics, some of narrow focus, and price may relegate this book principally to libraries, for which a set of books on physical organometallic chemistry, such as this series, will complement monographs and series on physical organic and synthetic/mechanistic organometallic chemistries. Lou Messerle, The UniVersity of Iowa JA025340U 10.1021/ja025340u
Advances in Photochemistry. Volume 27. Edited by Douglas C. Neckers (Bowling Green State University), Gu¨nther Von Bu¨nau (Universita¨t Siegen), and William S. Jenks (Iowa State University). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ. 2002. xiv + 182 pp. $135.00. ISBN 0-471-21451-5. This volume, which is part of a series on novel aspects of photochemistry, contains articles written by internationally recognized experts and aims at providing challenging and provocative evaluations of state-of-the-art photochemical research. The articles are not intended to be all-inclusive reviews, and this is well reflected in the current edition, which contains the following three chapters: “Supramolecularly Organized Luminescent Dye Molecules in the Channels of Zeolite L” by Calzaferri et al.; “Proton-Transfer Reactions in Benzophenone/ N,N-Dimethylaniline Photochemistry” by Peters; and “Func J. AM. CHEM. SOC.
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tional Molecular Glasses: Building Blocks for Future Optoelectronics” by Fuhrmann and Salbeck. The first two articles comprise about one-half of the book and provide descriptions of photochemical processes in very specific systems studied mostly by the authors themselves. The third article, on the other hand, offers a broader review of its field. All articles are written at a level that an advanced graduate student can read and understand and serve as good introductions into their respective fields. In the first chapter, the authors describe the properties of Zeolite L and how this material can act as a synthetic lightharvesting antenna system when loaded with different organic dyes. This review contains a very detailed theoretical description of energy-transfer processes and a large number of high-quality color images of individual zeolite crystals that illustrate these mechanisms very well. As is true for all of the chapters, the references are current and cover the latest developments, even for the year 2002. This makes this book a great resource for researchers looking for a fast and up-to-date introduction into these very active areas of research. The second chapter is a description of proton-transfer reactions in a very specific system (benzophenone-N,Ndimethylaniline) and includes a brief comparison to other molecular systems at the end of the article. In it, Peters describes in-depth the recent significant advances that were made in the theoretical description of proton-transfer reactions and how these models can be validated for benzophenone in different nitrilecontaining solvents. The third chapter is a very good review of small molecular systems used in organic optoelectronic devices. In this review, Fuhrmann and Salbeck describe the building blocks and properties of the latest set of organic semiconductor devices based on low-molecular-weight systems that have recently found their way into the consumer market. They also cover in detail the optical properties of the different molecular glasses and describe why the glass-state is preferred over crystalline systems.
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Doped systems for full-color devices, amplified stimulated emission in these materials, and their applications in electroluminescent, photovoltaic, photochromic, and photorefractive devices are covered as well. In my opinion, the editors have assembled three well-written chapters describing highly relevant, state-of-the-art research in modern photochemistry. I can highly recommend this book to researchers looking for an up-to-date introduction to any of the areas covered in this edition. Thomas Huser, Lawrence LiVermore National Laboratory JA025337A 10.1021/ja025337a
Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology, Third Edition, Part 1, Volumes 1-4. Founding Editor Herman F. Mark. Current Volumes Edited by Jacqueline Kroschwitz (J. Wiley & Sons, Inc.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken. 2003. 3005 pp. $1400.00. ISBN 0-471-28824-1. This new edition of the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology updates the traditional topics that were covered in earlier versions and includes articles on such new topics as nanotechnology, biomimetics, and genetic methods. It includes articles in the following major subject areas: additives, applications, biomaterials and biopolymers, characterization and analysis, classification, computers in polymer science, degradation, morphology, polymer properties, polymeric materials, polymerization reactions, processing and finishing, and surfaces and interfaces. An online edition is also available (see www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/epst). JA033513P 10.1021/ja033513p
