reviews Materials In Today's World Peter A. Thrower. McGraw-Hill: New York, NY, 1992.247 pp, 18.5 x 23.3 cm. $27.84 PB. Many college chemistryteachers today are looking for new ways to reach the current generation of students. Although this is eertainly true in the science and chemistry majors course, it also is true in non-science major courses. For example, the ACS has published Chemistry in Context, a text which teaches chemistry by choosing examples primarily from a n energy and environmental viewpoint. Many other non-major textbooks are written from a similar perspective or are oriented toward consumer chemistry A much different approach has been taken hy Peter Thmwer, a faculty member in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering a t Penn State. His text is aimed a t giving the non-science major some understanding of recent and future developments in the field of materials science. Several chapterr ofthe book arc devoted to t h bas~cs, ~ ~ncludmg a brref background in the ficld of matenals menre, bandmg and the stmrturcofsnhds These are followed by more advancrd tapws that may be less familiar to many chemistry teachers, including defects in solids, the strength of materials and the hehaviar of electrons i n materials (conductivity and interactions with light). Interspersed with the latter chapters are case studies of high tech materials that provide illustrations of the principles learned in earlier chapters. For example, there are sections on lithium aluminum alloys in aerospace applications, ceramic cookware (Corning Ware), solar cells, optical fibers, and carbon fibers and composites. There are perhaps two primary groups of faculty who may benefit from this hook. The first erouo consists of those who would like tn use the honk as Thrower does-to teach a erouo of nan-science ~~~-~~~~ ~~~majors somethinfi about developmcnts in thr firld of materials. For instrurtors with an interest in and understandmg of m a t m als, this text will provide a fairly easy-to-read sourcebook for the students. However, there are some difficulties in using i t as a stand-alone textbook For example, the book does not contain any end-of-chapter or in-chapter exercises. It also lacks the supplementary materials that many instructors enjoy, such a s transparencies, relevant laboratory experiments or demonstrations, and a n exam test hank. The illustrations are mostly gray scale drawings that in same cases are difficult to understand (particularly to the student the unit cell drawinesl and mav not be as anoealine , as rhc mulrieolored~r~xn.s tha;are common todai'The text does havea nmglosssry that will helpstudents to keep thcdrfinitions of the key terms clear. The second group of potential users are instruetars that might like to inject new examples from the world of materials into their courses, either for the major or the non-major. The use of the case studies should make this fairly easy. Also, the choice of case studies is such that there is a nice mix of high tech applications as well as explanat~onsfor matenala that are encountered every day in the homc Chcrnlrtry mstructnrs who have been tramed to deal pnmanly wlth bmdl molecules wdl find that there arc many phc-
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nomena that can be explained by learning about structure and defects in the solid state. The text is written to the student. Attempts have been made to describe complicated concepts through simplification and analogies. For example, the movement of a caterpillar is used effectively to illustrate the movement of dislocations in a crystal. Mathematics are reduced to a hare minimum. However, sometimes the simplification may dismay the instructor. For example, a picture of the water molecule shows eight electrons in a circular orhit around the oxygen atom. In a number of places, readers are told not to worry ifthey don't get a particular concept. However, as the author states in the oreface. while the view is orobablv best from the top ofihe mountam. It 13 better to cllrnb partway up and see somethmg, rather than stay in the valley tnfimnranre, In summary.Mntennls tn Todo) $: U'orld promdrs a unlquc nlternative for those who are interested in teaching a materials-oriented course for non-science majors or providing new examples i n the general chemistry course. Brian J. J o h n s o n The College of St. Benedict and St. Johns University St. Joseph, M N 56374 Microscale Organic Laboratory, Third Edition Dana W. May. RonaldM. Pike, and Peter K Trumper. Wiley: New York, NY. 1994. xxxv + 764 pp. Figs. and tables. 22.2 x 28.7 cm. $52.95 The Third Edition of Mieroseale Organic Labomtory (MOL-3) reoresents a maior rewritine and reorganization of this wellknown laboratory texthook. Compared with the Second Edition, MOL.3 1s ahout 45% longer, organlred dlffrrently, and further polished. The result is a n impressive rompilatwn of information. techniques, principles, and procedures. The inrreasrd length of this edition results from several major additions: New chemistry has brcn added, mostly in the chapter titled "Seauential Svntheses: The Transttion from Macm ta MIcro". This interesting chapter gives five multistep syntheses (three to six stem) that generate interestine oroducts. These exoerimentr mve students 3 taste of real-life orgamc synthesis, which oflen brgins in burkets and progresses w micruhvam rearttons. l'heae sequences include semi-microscale preps usmg ronventional distillation, separatory funnels, ete. Most of the introductory discussions have been expanded to cover all of the chemistly (including the mechanistic principles) needed to understand the exoeriments. This coveraee minimizes the dependence on lecture material, because laboratories are rarelv correlated closelv with the lecture. Spectroscopy is expanded and cnmhlned tn provide a complete, free-xandrng spectroscopy chapter The coverah* of IR has retained its depth nnd brrndth N M H has been expanded with mat e n d on spectral intprpretatmn, Fourier trnnsform techniques, carbun NMR, and two-dlmenswnal NMR. The LV-wslhle sectmn has cupnndrd to inrlndr thr Woodward-Firscr rules, and all the
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Reviewed in this Issue
Reviewer Peter A. Thrower, Materials in Today's World Dana W. May, Ronald M. Pike, and Peter K. Trumper, Microscale Organic Laboratory, Third Edition lvano Bertini, Harry B. Gray. Stephen J. Lippard, and Joan Selverstone Valentine, Bioinorganic Chemistry J. Derek Wmllins, Editor, Inorganic Experiments Titles of Interest
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Journal of Chemical Education
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Brian J. Johnson Leroy G. Wade, Jr. Kenneth Kustin George B. Kauffman
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spectroscopy sections include practical information on preparing samples. Two new seetions have been added to the experimental format: A descrintion of the Puroose of the emeriment and a Prior Readinelist to soe& ~ r -the ~~~~technia;e ~ ~ . sedions used in that narticular exoeri-nt. Prep-CC separations have k n introduced sume of t i c experimmts, and addittonal spuming band distillotions arc included. New biographical sketches discuss famous chemists who discovered the reactions, especially in the case of name reactions. Ashort Glossary (two pages) of important chemical terms also has been added. This is a . good feature that could be expanded in future editions. Compared with the material added, little has been dropped. The tables of environmental data have been dropped, and the physical properties of most products have been deleted. To enhance clarity, experimental procedures are now written a s instructions rather than i n the passive voice of the scientific literature. MOL-3 is also o-ized differently from previous editions. The discussions of techniques appear in their own chapter, separated from the experiments in subsequent chapters. Techniques and experiments are moss-referenced: Each technique lists the experiments that use it, and each experiment lists the techniques needed. Experiments are grouped in three chapters. Chapter 6 contains 35 simple experiments with detailed instructions. Chapter 7 contains seven advanced experiments, requiring more skill and giving less explicit instructions. Chapter 8 contains six new synthetic sequences (24 reactions in all) progressing from gram-scale reactions in early steps to microscale reactions for the fmal steps. The production of this book is even better than the second edition. The paper, printing, hinding, and cover are comparable to the best black and white lecture texts. The figures are elegantly drawn, with a simplicity that points out the important aspects of each reaction setup. Most of the IR's are as clear as the originals, printed crisply with a small gra grid. These can be tricky to read, however, because the 500-em-Y.mtervals are divided in four (or eight) parts rather than five. Other IR's and NMR's are reproduced with varying levels of quality. Some of the NMR's are taken a t 300 MHz and others a t 60 MHz, representing the variety of instruments students might use. MOL-3 sets a new standard for a laboratory textbook. Extremely competent and complete, i t contains a n enormous amount of work and thought. On a practical basis, some instructors and students mav, auestian whether thev need this Laree a lab text. MOL-3 1s about the s n e uf an organic lerrurr text, and some srudentsmay find it rntimrdating. Orhcrs may halk at itseost; hut the rosr is justified hv the amount uf infurmation, ingenuity. experience, thought, and eammm s e m r rumpi.ed in this book The authors do not exaggerate when they state: "In a single laboratory text, MOL-3 presents a n unparalleled variety of experimentation for use a t the undermaduate and maduate levels of instruction." For instructors whoprefer the microscale approach, and whose students are not intimidated by a large lab text, MOL-3 provides a comprehensive reference t h a t should be useful throughout a student's career.
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Lerov G. Wade. Jr.
~ h m a ~no l l k g e Walla Walla, WA99362 Bioinorganic Chemistry
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lvano Bertmr. Harry B Gray, Slephen J L~ppard,and Joan Selversrone Valenlme Unlversly Soence Books 20 Eogend 611 pp Flgs an0 laoles Ra , MI Va ley, CA94941.1994 v 18.5 x 25.9 crn. $58.00
In the sense that "a handful of sand is a fair anthology of the universe," Bioinorganic Chemistry is a good anthology of its universe, inorganic biochemistry. J u s t a s single grains of sand are individualistic but together form a recognizable aggregate, individual chapters of this book differ in style and approach but together weld theoretical and descriptive inorganic chemistry with U characterizes E biobiochemistry into the distinctive S ~ N ~that inorganic chemistry.
The opening chapter by Theil and Raymond on transition metals and the closing chapter by Lippard on metals in medicine portray their respective fields with broad brush strokes. The opening chapter, rich in variety, draws the reader in. The dosing chapter, recounting the enormous ramifications of introducing a foreign and reactive metal ion comnlex into the bodv. farms a satidvine ~," closure by relatmg many of the fundamental ~nnrganieprinclpies of previous chaprrrs ro realistx medical appllcatwns. In between are more specific chapters on zinc, rnlcium, dioxygen carriers, dioxygen reactions, electron transfer, specific oxidation-reduction enzymes, and interactions between metal ions and nucleic acids. Throughout, there is evidence of good editing: the writing is clear, the text contains few errors (and those are of a minor nature), and there are ample figures, some with effective use of color. Because of the pervasiveness of common structural elements, chanters four throueh seven. which are concerned with dioxveen ,.. transport and biological oxidation-reduction. provide a wheuwe core nt the center of the hook. 'l'hese ehnpters rontnin the most explicitly inorganic matmal, such ar orbital dmmamn, free radical mechanisms, and Marcus theory. There is a n excellent balance between inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, and biophysical chemistry, as exemplified by the dioxygen chapters. The tours de force chapters on enzymes and DNA are packed with interesting relatior& and trends hut supply more than answers. If this splendid book has a drawback, it is the one defect that inheres to any collection assembled hy choice. Inevitably the suite of chosen topics betrays a n irksome omission. This reviewer was disappointed to see no mention of systematic metal ion-ligand dynamics studies. Calcium ion, for example, is a major player in numerous physiological processes. Its complexation reactions have been studied by many fast reaction methods, but they are not presented. However, t h e book is detailed and sufficiently representative of the field it seeks to cover, to be judged primarily on the basis of what is there rather than what is not there. And what is there makes Bioinorganic Chemistry a "must" for any chemist seriously interested in biological aspects of aqueous inareanie chemistrv. Instructors dedicated to teachine hioinorganrc chemwtry to aeniors or lirst-year graduate students should , they should seninclude t h r hnok on rhrir rcferencr ~ h c l f nnd ouslg consider makina Bturnorganrc Chemzsrry thew textbook. Students taking such a course will find that Bioinorganic Chemistry offers a perspective rarely seen in any but the best research-inspired texts: the enthusiasm, uncertainty, excitement, and wander of scientists caught up in the effort to understand and benefit from the intricate workmanship of Nature.
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Kenneth Kustin Brandeis University Waltham, MA02254
inorganic Experiments J. Derek Wwllins, Editor. VCH: New York, NY, 1994. xv pp. Figs., tables, and photos. 16.7 x23.9cm. $90.00.
+ 286
Meaningful experiments that develop laboratory skills, introduce interesting chemistry, and are reproducible, are not always easy for laboratory instructors to find, especially in inorganic chemistry. Therefore, this laboratory manual, edited by J. Derek Wwllins ofthe Loughharough University of Technology with a foreword by 1973 Nobel chemistry laureate Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson, one of the distinguished group of 71 contributors from 10 European countries and the United States, is particularly welcome. Intended for both undergraduate and graduate students, the hwk contains 65 experiments giving detailed directions far the preparation of 179 nontransition, transition, organometallic, solid state, and coordination compounds. Classified hv the editor as Tntroductor\r (16 exoeriments). Tntermedlate"(24 expenrnmts,, and "advanwd"125 expenmen& ,theexpenrnents, whwh itre either deriwd from laboratory courses where they have been rcstcd or are indcprndrntly rhrckrd prrpnrations, demonstrate most of the impadant chemical techniques in the context of some interesting and stimulating chemical examples and reaction types.
Volume 72 Number 6 June 1995
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