May20, 1962
BOOKREVIEWS
2023
“The General, Selective, and Specific Formation of Comtechniques available. Very few of the papers contain sufplexes by Metallic Cations” by G. Schwarzenbach. The ficient detail to enable one to go directly into the laboratory author surveys the course of reactions when water molecules and apply the technique. On the other hand, the book in the hydration shell of a metallic ion are replaced by other would be a n excellent starting place for one interested in ligands “in order to point out some empirical regularities submicrogram analysis to find what techniques have already without giving more than a n indication of their theoretical been devised. interpretation.” In six tables are given formation constants In comparison to other books of this nature, the price for some well knomn complexes (28 p p . , 70 ref.). (7) may not be out of line, but none-the-less this reviewer feels “-itmospheric Activities and Dating Procedures” by .4. G . that for the size and content this book is somewhat overpriced. Maddock and E. H. ITillis. This is a n excellent review of the experimental techniques for the radiocarbon method of DEPARTMENT O F I < A D I A T I O l BIOLOGY dating, critically examining the sources of error and the SCHOOL OF MEDICISEASD DENTISTRY TAFT Y.TORIBARA fundamental assumptions on which the method is based. OF ROCHESTER The use of tritium for dating is also discussed (48 pp., 286 UNIVERSITY ROCHESTER 20, SEW TORK ref.). (8) “Polyfluoroalkyl Derivatives of Metalloids and Xorimetals” by R . E. Banks and R . S.Haszeldine. This chapter deals with the preparation, the chemical and physical properties of the known polyfluoroalkyl derivatives ,of Verfahrenstechnik in Einzeldarstellungen. Band 11. Experimentelle Vermessung von Dampf-Fliissigkeits-Phamercury, boron, silicon, nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, sengleichgewichten dargestellt am Beispiel des Siedeantimony, oxygen, sulfur and selenium. Many of the verhaltens von Fettsluren. Sron DR. R . M ~ L L E R , data are presented in 20 tables (96 pp., 210 ref.) Hamburg, und DR. H . STAGE,Koln-Niehl. SpringerDEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY Verlag, Heidelberger Platz 3, Berlin-Wilmersdorf, GerPERDUE USIVERSITY THOS.DE I-RIES many, 1961. viii 117 pp. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. Price, LAFAYETTE, INDIABA Dhl. 21.-. Measurements of the isobaric liquid-vapor equilibria give Microchemical Journal Symposium Series. Volume 1. indications of the distillation behavior. This fact is of Submicrogram Experimentation. Based on a Symposium particular importance to the oil and fat industry. The Sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences and the authors have summarized in this book their work for a series of saturated even numbered, straight chain, fatty acids; Xational Research Council, Arlington, Virginia, May 15these data supersede previous books describing experimental 18, 1960. Edited by r\;ICHOLAS D. CHERONIS,Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. Interscience work in this field which are now out of date. The book Publishers, Inc., 250 Fifth Avenue, New York 1, Tu’. Y. consists of seven chapters and a total of 254 references 1961. viii 351 pp. 16 X 23.5 cm. Price, $12.75; through 1988. The authors have emphasized the newer types of apparatus which make such measurements not only $10.75 (paper). much faster but also much less comples. This book contains the Proceedings of the Conference on After a n introduction and discussion of the importance Submicrogram Experimentation, a symposium limited to 29 of the determination of the vapor-liquid equilibria of fatty participants. A total of 22 papers with discussions and a acids, the authors describe in Chapter I1 the operations insummary of the symposium are published here. volved in the preparation of pure fatty acids. They then The submicrogram region is defined as that which includes discuss a number of previously used distillation columns; masses from g. to near the range of individual molecules. this leads into a detailed description of their distillation column with automatic control of distillation rate, heating The methods used for study include activation analysis, emission spectrography, flame photometry, absorption temperature, distillation pressure, temperature of the coolspectrophotometry (ultraviolet, visible and infrared), mass ing water, temperature registration, sample takeoff, etc. spectrometry, X-ray spectroscopy and diffraction, fluoresDescriptions are also given for the crystallization for the cence, density measurements, electrophoresis, magnetic higher fatty acids from Clr on. susceptibility, micro- and macrobiological assay methods, In Chapter 111, the authors give the exact vapor pressure enzymatic studies, paper chromatography, gas chromatogra- curves determined for the fatty acids from CS through C24 phy, olfactory sensing, microscopic examination (light and as well as tables of melting points. Chapter IV gives a electron) and microcoulometry. detailed description of the authors’ investigation of the Diverse problems which necessitate working in this region temperature stability and sample analysis, in addition to include criminalistics, trace elements in high purity matephase equilibria for fatty acid mixtures of CS-CS, ClO-Cl2, rials, marine chemistry, synthetic elements which are very Cla-C16, a t various pressures; this is followed by tables limited in quantity, functions of trace substances in the of melting and solidification points for the same series of growth of various organisms, carcinogenicity, serum analyfatty acid mixtures. It also includes a discussion of the sis, atmospheric pollution, pesticide residues, analysis of thermal stability nf fatty acids a t several temperatures tissue sections, and cytochemical studies. with various lengths of heating time. -4s has been known for a long time, biological systems are I n Chapter V the apparatus used for the phase equilibria very sensitive to small quantities of certain substances. studies is described in detail. It is so constructed that the ‘Therefore, it is no surprise that much of the work in thc known source of error of previously described apparatus has submicrogram region has been done by investigators in tile heen taken into consideration. This apparatus was tested biological field. rl large proportion of the papers in this by determining the equilibria for mixtures of acetonehook are biological in application. These studies most ofteii benzene as well as ~--metliyl~i~tphthalene-dec:lnone;the involve trace quantities in large amounts of total sample, and resulting values were checked by thermodynamic methods separations are necessary before quantitative estimations are Equilibrium measureinents of fatty acids included the mixpossible. Much of the effort in trace quantity studies is tures: C6-Ca, C8-Cl0, Cl0-Cl2, C12-Cla, Cla-C1~. Each devoted to the separation of the desired material. Studies mixture was measured a t three pressures. In order to involving single cells and those on extremely limited quantievaluate these measurements, exact vapor pressure data ties of sample deal with total quantities in the submicrogram \\.ere necessary. T h e literature values tvithin the homoloregion. gous series were checked and a formula was derived which -1few of tlic clevices used are specially tailored for the gives vapor pressure curves for the higher fatty acids. The small quantities, but many of the techniques consist of results of the vapor pressure measurements indicate that :idaptations of existing equipment and instruments to handle slight deviations from ideal behavior are found. This difthe stirall quantities as may be seen from the list of the methference increases x i t h falling temperatures. The associa[ids used. tion phenomena in these acids is discussed in this context. Because of the diverse natures of the problems discussed, The final two chapters include a n evaluation of the rethe book is extremely interesting. The fact that it is a ported results in terms of their thermodynamic significance compilation of individual papers given a t a symposium yields as well as a discussion of further investigations which are a variety in styles of writing, in detailed content and comnecessary in this field. pleteness. The papers range from a rather thorough discusNumerous tables for ineltirig pcjitits, solidification points, sion of one phase of one technique (detector systems in gas vapor pressure curves and phase equilibria in addition to chromatography) to more general descriptions of various descriptions of the experimental apparatus used for these
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