Chemical Education Today
Book & Media Reviews Essential Trends in Inorganic Chemistry by D. M. P. Mingos Oxford University Press: New York, 1998. 388 pp. ISBN 0-19-850108-0. $29.95. reviewed by David Phillips
The author has chosen to present his material in a distinctly different fashion from that of most inorganic chemistry textbook writers. Most texts are a mix of theory chapters and descriptive chapters, with the latter focusing on specific groups of elements. However, after a chapter laying out the quantum mechanical basis of the periodic table, Mingos has elected to organize the remaining chapters around vertical, horizontal, and diagonal relationships, or on isoelectronic and isostoichiometric relationships. I think this approach has worked remarkably well. Chapters 2–5 contain a wealth of information accompanied by clear, coherent discussions of the underlying principles that account for the observed trends and anomalies. Every serious inorganic chemist should have a copy of this text on his or her bookshelf. Chapter 1 is the least effective part of the book. Some of the quantum number notation is incorrect (m rather than ml , s rather than ms), some of the language is imprecise, and there are a few clear-cut errors. There is a nice discussion comparing the rmax of 2s and 2p vs 3s and 3p orbitals. However, most readers would be better served by the treatments in advanced inorganic texts such as those by Shriver or Huheey. Chapter 2 addresses vertical trends in the main-group elements. After discussing the influence of atomic size on atomic properties, Mingos describes and explains the secondrow anomalies and the reversals in trends resulting from the addition of 3d and 4f subshells. He goes on to account for a variety of trends in the physical and chemical properties of main-group elements and their compounds. The chapter ends with tables summarizing a wide variety of properties, providing a wealth of information I have not seen presented in such a compact format anywhere else. Chapter 3 addresses the horizontal trends and diagonal relationships of the main-group elements. Among the high-
lights are discussions of the role of exchange energies in determining ionization energies, explanations of the trends in metallic–nonmetallic and ionic–covalent behavior, and comparisons of the elements in groups N and N + 10 (e.g., 3 and 13). Chapter 4 (isoelectronic and isostoichiometric relationships) is for the most part a discussion of bonding and structure. For the chemical educator this may be the most valuable part of the book. There are particularly lucid discussions of Lewis/ valence bond descriptions of “hypervalent” molecules that avoid the use of d orbitals. The comparison of multicentered bonding schemes for hypervalent and electron-deficient molecules is also very nice. And not surprisingly, in view of the author’s background, the discussion of catenated and cluster molecules is excellent. The final chapter applies the principles introduced in Chapters 2–4 to the d-block and f-block elements. There is a nice discussion of the differences between the properties and trends of the main group elements and the transition metals. Other topics that I think are particularly well treated include the role of compact (n – 1)d and (n – 2)f orbitals; multiple bonding; the EAN rule as a unifying theme (and when not to apply the rule); cluster compounds and isolobal fragments. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the lanthanides, actinides, and the transactinides through element 109. In the preface Mingos states that the book is intended for first- and second-year graduate students. I wholeheartedly agree, although these students may not be sophisticated enough to spot some of the errors in the text and tables. The presentation is probably too condensed for undergraduates. However, there is an abundance of material that should be of value to instructors of inorganic chemistry, particularly at the junior–senior level. In reviewing this book I picked up lots of ideas that will be incorporated into my advanced inorganic chemistry course this fall. If you love inorganic chemistry and enjoy the challenge of helping students understand the principles that bring coherence to this branch of our discipline, you will find Mingos’s book to be an invaluable resource. David Phillips is in the Department of Chemistry, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN 47933.
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 77 No. 5 May 2000 • Journal of Chemical Education
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