Oct. 5 , 1902
3793
BOOK k 3 V I E W 5
with pressure, latent heat of fusion, latcnt heat of evaporation, critical values, compressibility, viscosity, heat content, surface tension, solubility. The tables of compounds are grouped according to Cox-Chart families. Means are provided for interpolation and reasonable extrapolation, based on the systematic way in which the properties vary within a given homologous series. This third volume contains a cumulative index applicable to all three volumes. This volume is a necessary reference book for all scientists and engineers whose work requires knowledge of the properties of organic compounds. The technical world owes Dreisbach a debt of gratitude for this valuable work. UNIVERSITY O F NOTREDAME FREDERICK D. ROSSINI NOTREDAME,IND.
However, in spite of wine nlinor shortcoiniiigs, the book by Prof. Matossi (who also has one on the Raman effect to his credit) is a welcome addition, not so much to group theory, as to studies in the application of symmetry coordinates to the determination of characteristic vibrations of point groups. For such studies we can confidently recommend the book, which is well produced with good type and paper, and seemed free of any obvious typographical errors, though perhaps priced rather high ($9.75). RIAS JOE C. BRADLEY 7212 BELLONA AVENUE HENRYM. OTTE BALTIMORE 12, MARYLAND
Preparativni Reakcey Organickg Chemii. Dil VI. Reakce Organokovovfch Cinidel. By Ini. DR. KARELBLAHA. Publishing House of the Czechoslovak Academy of Struktur und Eigenschaften der Materie in EinzeldarstelSciences, Vodirkova 40, Praha 2, Czechoslovakia. 1961. Iungen. Band XXIII. Gruppentheorie der EigenMATOSSI, schwingungen von Punktsystemen. By FRANK 934 pp. 18.5 X 24 cm. Price, KCs. 105, Ord. Professor fur Physikalische Chemie an der Univer“Reactions of Organometallic Reagents” is the sixth sitat Freiburg I. Br. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberger Ptatz volume oi the encyclopedic series “Preparative Reactions in 3, Berlin-Wilmersdorf, Germany. 1961. viii -I- 191 pp. Organic Chemistry” published by the chemical section of 16 X 23.5 cm. Price, DM 39.-. the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences.’ The present In a field where books tend to run to several hundreds of volume is an attempt at a systematic description of the pages, Professor Matossi has written a short and concise reactions of organometallic compounds containing magrieslittle monograph. Though the text is in German, the two ium, cadmium, zinc, mercury, alkali metals, alkaline earths and aluminum. Emphasis is placed on the use of organosubject indices serve also as brief German-English, EnglishGerman technical dictionaries, and were found to be most metallic reagents in the synthesis of organic substances, but useful by the reviewers. There is in addition also a name information is also included concerning the analytical aspects and chemical bonding problems. index, which seems quite thorough. The author has aimed his book a t the experienced reThree-quarters of the book is devoted to the discussion searcher in the field as well as at the advanced student. of the preparation, properties and synthetic uses of the orHe has, therefore, attempted to give not only the formulas, ganic compounds of magnesium. h brief historical introbut also to present the fundamentals systematically for duction is followed by detailed treatment of the direct and those with a background training in physics and physical indirect methods for the preparation of Grignard reagents. chemistry, in the hope that he may provide the tools for The structure and analytical estimation of these reagents fruitful and original applications of group theory methods in receive attention in two separate sections. The synthetic utilization of Grignard reagents is treated in subsequent the treatment of molecular vibrations. In this ambitious project the author has made a com- chapters with attention to all known variants of the Grignard mendable job. The presentation of the point groups com- reaction. The discussion is arranged according to the monly encountered in dealing with molecules and crystalline various modes of reaction of the organomagnesium halides, solids is suitably detailed and small oscillation theory is de- i.e., reactions involving cleavage of bonds, addition to veloped completely from first principles. The treatment double bonds, addition to triple bonds and “anomalous” of space groups is brief, but adequate, and in keeping with reactions of Grignard reagents. The vast amount of dethe aims of the author. scriptive material is thoroughly documented by references The method of symmetry co-ordinates is adopted to to thousands of original publications and, in many instances, factor the F and G matrices corresponding to the potential conveniently summarized in tabular form. The text conarid kinetic energy functions respectively. A more funda- tains numerous illustrative experimental procedures which mental approach, however, and one that can be applied to can be used by the experienced experimenter in the laboraa wider class of problems, can be based directly on the tory without having to consult the original sources in every methods of I . Schur (originally published in the Sitzungs- instance. Every attempt has been made to achieve a berichte der Koniglich Preussischen Akademie der Wissen- thorough, up-to-date coverage of the subject matter. schaften, Berlin, 1905 and 1906) and would surely have de- Sections on the preparation and reactioiis of Grignard reserved a t least a mention by Professor Matossi. Examples agents of the fluorocarbon and cyclopentadiene series ilof computing tlie F and G matrices are given in unusually lustrate this endeavor. great detail for tliree molecular structures (two-dimensional The remaining one-quarter of the book is devoted to the and one tlirce-diniensioiial), for the U‘urzitc lattice and for a treatment of the organic compounds of the remaining Group linear chain, and should he of valuc to anyone attempting I and Group II elements and of aluminuin. Among these, these difficult calculatioiis for the first tinic. Selection rules tlie orgai~olitliiurncompounds receive the greatest amount are also discussed aiid criiploycd to dctcriiiiiie active aiid in- of attention it1 vicw of their increasing synthetic importatice. active I ? a r i i a i i sl)ectr;tfor \c\*cralcases. Tlic subject matter dealing with ~~rg~tnolithiuni compounds I’er!i:t!is tlie iiiitiii criticiiiri tliut iii:iy I)(< 1evc.lc.tl at ilic is arrangctl a11d treated siinilctrly to thc corresponding I x ~ u l iis tliat uiily sc,lccted :lipeCtS gr1m1)tiieory w e 1)re- ~t~ittcrial 0 1 1 iilagiicsiuni derivativcs. lfndcrii aspects nf seiilcd so tliat thc: theory appears lo I~ecoiiic :I. I-atlicr tli(! chc1iiistr.v or orgaiiic lithium coiill~o~ilds, such as drspeci:tlizol arid restricted irinthetii;itical tool. ’l‘lius t l ~ c ~i~~c~i-(~aroiiiatie (I)ciiz)tie) C~Jnlpl~Lili(l.;atid “ylids,” are iiifacilit\, i t i 1)c~foriniiigaiialyses cludetl. The orgtiiic coinp~undsnf the other alkali metals, studeiit will gain c~~iisider:thlc c*loscly similar to those trcated by tlic :tutlior, but he will ziiic, cadmium, mercury, the alkaline earths and aluminurn iiot become sufliciently familiar with tlic staiid;ird group are dealt with in the scvcral remaining shorter chapters. theoretical methods to perform nc\v aualyses, nor will he The discussion of mercury and zinc compounds is largely understand clearly the extent to which the results of his restricted to areas where the corresponding organometallic method depend on the group theory involved. reagents have still retained sufficient importance in the Tables are presented %-herepossible to summarize results, synthesis of organic compounds. .Imong the other organoand a total of 25 diagrams are included to advantage. Not metallic compounds included in the book, the sodium, cadout of place, however, would have been a Table listing the mium and aluminum derivatives are steadily gaining in imsymbols adopted and used throughout the text. Refer- portance and are, therefore, treated in greatest possible deences are included in many places to original papers where tail. either different or more extensive accounts are given of “Reactions of Organometallic Reagents” is a treatise special topics treated necessarily rather briefly in the text, conceived on a large scale and, in the opinion of the reviewer, though no mention appears to be made of the very complete successfully executed. The broad coverage of the field, compilation of symmetry groups to be found, for example, in Tvol. 3 o f tlic "international Tnhles for X-ray Crystal(1) Cf.J . A m . C’hem. Soc., 83, 2Rfi9 (19R1).for a rcvicw of the fifth
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