Books
Put it next to the GC/MS
Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry: A Practical Guide Fulton G. Kitson, Barbara S. Larsen, and Charles N. McEwen Academic Press 525 B St., Suite 1900 San Diego, CA 92101-4495 1996, 381 pp., $49.95
The tone and style of this book are established in the first sentence of the preface, in which the authors declare their intention to create a "valuable resource to the GC/MS user by incorporating much of the practical information necessary for successful GC/MS operation into a single source". Later in the preface, the reader is advised that "maximum benefii... will be obtained if the user is aware of the information contained in the book". The authors should be taken at their word, and the reader is forewarned: This is not an instructional text and is best used in the laboratory, near a working gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. In contrast to instructional texts this book is intended for users not learners of GC/MS The remarks in the preface are supported by three chapters twelve appendices and extensive bibliographies The core of the book is an alphabetical listing of compound classes and experimental conditions for GC separations bv class For each chemical grouo conditions are given for sample derivarizarions ifnecessarv and for the chromatotrranhy of the derivati ed and 364 A
underivatized compounds. In addition to the mass spectra provided, fragmentation mechanisms are described in detail. The contents are complete, organized, lucid, and graphically clear. In short, the compilations of conditions sor reparations and anticipated mass spectra, with a summary of fragmentation routes, are valuable for fliose in testing laboratories or research centers where samples of significant variety are regularly encountered. The emphasis on derivatization for sample preparation makes this 3. handy compendium for biomedical or environmental laboratories where GC/MS factors prominently into analyses Also industrial service laboratories and academic instrumentation rooms would be ideal locations to place (and secure!) this text Part I is intended to provide a rapid overview of GC/MS and present the vocabulary for an expanding subject. A section on mass spectral lnterpretation is abstracted with credit from F. W. McLafferty's seminal work, Interpretation ofMass Spectra (4th edition). Although this section is welcome, the overview section seems at cross purposes with the overall stated intent. There is not enough content for practical benefit. In Part II, the authors' years of experience and attention to detail are evident in the description of specific experimental conditions and the results from GC/MS measurements, with copious examples. The material is current, and the section is well-organized, systematically presented, and attains the authors' stated goals. In the last major section, Part III, specific ion losses are discussed with relevance for the use of mass spectra in chemical identification. Some might argue that databases and searches will minimize the importance of this book, which is probably true for routine methods. Less frequent users of GC/MS will find this a helpful tool to
Analytical Chemistry News & Features, June 1, 1997
make decisions on sample preparation, instrumental parameters, and—most of all—data reduction. The handbook is useful and conveniently organized, and I will place my copy where it will be best used: in the laboratory near a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. ReviewedbyGaryA. Eiceman, New Mexico State University
Getting started in Raman
Modern Techniques in Raman Spectroscopy J. J. Laserna, Ed. John Wiley & Sons 605 Third Ave. New York, NY 10158 1996, 427 pp., $145
This multi-autiior effort attempts to cover a wide variety of current developments in Raman spectroscopy. This is a major task, given the explosive changes in the field over the past decade, and the authors have done a credible job. Minimal editorial changes were made, which does lead to a discontinuous style, giving the reader a shock at each new chapter. If, however, the book is used simply as a reference for an individual topic, this style is not a problem. Thefirstchapter presents an overview of signal expression, including calculation of S/N from scattering expressions. I found it somewhat disturbing that the
