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Chemical analysis by nuclear methods
trends in analytical
v
chemistry, vol. 14, no.9, 1995
Nuclear analytical methods Chemical Analysis by Nuclear Methods, edited by Z.B. Alfassi, Wiley, Chichester, 1994, xx + 556 pages, f90.00, ISBN: O-471-93834-3 Within the framework of analytical chemistry the somewhat secluded nuclear methods cover a wide range of capabilities. More still than with other analytical disciplines, the dilemma exists between complete ignorance and time-consuming study of details. The in-between of consulting a radioanalyst presupposes at least a certain level of knowledge, needed to formulate the question and interpret the answer. The present book offers a way out in that it contains an overview in a series of easily readable monographs. After the general chapters on “Interaction of radiation with matter”, “Nudetection methods and clear instrumentation” and “Radiation is sources”, a survey of radioanalysis given, divided into ‘prompt’ and ‘demeasurements. A diligent layed reader may thus acquire the necessary basic knowledge within - say - a weekend after which he can address the more specialized chapter which meets his specific problem. The methods-dedicated chapters offer concise, yet comprehensive summaries of the various fields which together constitute present day radioanalysis. Obviously, style and emphasis are different for each author but the level is invariably high. Underlying physical principles are briefly but clearly stated and explained. Outstanding examples are met in the chapters on “Charged particle activation analysis”, “Nuclear reaction analysis” and “Mossbauer spectroscopy in chemical analysis”. While providing an excellent introduction to radioanalysis for mature scientists from other fields, this volume is certainly not an introductory textbook for the university curriculum, although it should be available in university libraries. One may seize the opportunity to re-evaluate the actual significance of radioanalysis from the present book. Three outstanding features of actual nuclear methods of chemical analysis
should be mentioned here: (1) Nuclear methods provide a specificity which is unsurpassed and often unequalled by other analytical disciplines. (2) The various branches of radioanalysis differ widely in their accessibility: Some are inexorably restricted to specialized nuclear institutes while others are applicable in any simple ‘tracer’ laboratory. In this respect the book illustrates the need to maintain those specialized centres which offer unique analytical facilities, next to the generally available applications. (3) There has been a manifest shift
Flow-through (bio)chemical Flow-Through (Bio)Chemica/ Sensors, by M. Valckcel and M.D. Luque de Castro, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 1994, Dfl. 335.00, US$ 202.75, 331 pages, ISBN: 0-44489866-2 The sensor field continues to be an important area of continuing technical and chemical development. Perhaps the most successful sensor developments in solutions analysis are those that combine the best of the worlds of instrumentation and sample handling with the chemistry, biochemistry, and polymer science that has been used for analytical reactions, including sensors. The resulting composite systems are called “FlowThrough (Bio)chemical (sic) Sensors”. They combine flow injection or segmented flow techniques with transduction that is chemically selective and fast. The authors begin by defining analytical chemistry and its unit operations. This naturally leads to a definition of what a sensor is. For those who care about such definitions, and this reviewer is not one of those, you will find this discussion either entertaining or carefully logical Ultimately, the authors take the next, important step by defining how they view unit operations as applied to sensors. Their approach is simple and powerful. It leads to a nicely struc-
from bulk towards thin-layer and surface analysis by methods which are ‘nuclear’ but do not use or produce radionuclides. In conclusion: The present survey of nuclear analytical methods is a valuable source of information to scientists who look for a solution to an analytical problem and who turn at last to that rather mysterious area of radioanalysis. Its availability in many libraries will contribute to that use. H.A. DAS DI: HA Das is at the Netherlands Energy Research Foundation ECN, Petten, The Netherlands.
sensors tured book, and it sensitizes the reader to possibilities that he or she might not have seen. The core chapters of the book are “Flow-Through Sensors entitled, Based on Integrated Reaction and Detection”, “Flow-Through Sensors Based on Integrated Separation and Detection”, and “Flow-Through Sensors Based on Integrated Reaction, Separation, and Detection”. Each chapter is a very broad look at the title topics, broken down in logical fashion by technique. The number of approaches that are cleanly described, and well-illustrated, is in the hundreds. One comes away with a good qualitative view of bioanalytical chemistry, exclusive of high efficiency separations. The very breadth, of course, prevents depth. There are many instances in which the original workers on a technique or approach are not given credit because it is only the application to a flow-through (bio)chemical sensor that is cited. There are qualitative discussions of tigures of merit and optimization, but quantitative descriptions have been eschewed. Finally, the tight focus on the title sensors has ignored important advances in biosensors that are not necessarily used in flowing systems. The authors point out, in a discussion of the literature of sensors, that it seems like every few years one can find the same sensor reinvented in
v
chemistry, vol. 14, no.9, 1995
Nuclear analytical methods Chemical Analysis by Nuclear Methods, edited by Z.B. Alfassi, Wiley, Chichester, 1994, xx + 556 pages, f90.00, ISBN: O-471-93834-3 Within the framework of analytical chemistry the somewhat secluded nuclear methods cover a wide range of capabilities. More still than with other analytical disciplines, the dilemma exists between complete ignorance and time-consuming study of details. The in-between of consulting a radioanalyst presupposes at least a certain level of knowledge, needed to formulate the question and interpret the answer. The present book offers a way out in that it contains an overview in a series of easily readable monographs. After the general chapters on “Interaction of radiation with matter”, “Nudetection methods and clear instrumentation” and “Radiation is sources”, a survey of radioanalysis given, divided into ‘prompt’ and ‘demeasurements. A diligent layed reader may thus acquire the necessary basic knowledge within - say - a weekend after which he can address the more specialized chapter which meets his specific problem. The methods-dedicated chapters offer concise, yet comprehensive summaries of the various fields which together constitute present day radioanalysis. Obviously, style and emphasis are different for each author but the level is invariably high. Underlying physical principles are briefly but clearly stated and explained. Outstanding examples are met in the chapters on “Charged particle activation analysis”, “Nuclear reaction analysis” and “Mossbauer spectroscopy in chemical analysis”. While providing an excellent introduction to radioanalysis for mature scientists from other fields, this volume is certainly not an introductory textbook for the university curriculum, although it should be available in university libraries. One may seize the opportunity to re-evaluate the actual significance of radioanalysis from the present book. Three outstanding features of actual nuclear methods of chemical analysis
should be mentioned here: (1) Nuclear methods provide a specificity which is unsurpassed and often unequalled by other analytical disciplines. (2) The various branches of radioanalysis differ widely in their accessibility: Some are inexorably restricted to specialized nuclear institutes while others are applicable in any simple ‘tracer’ laboratory. In this respect the book illustrates the need to maintain those specialized centres which offer unique analytical facilities, next to the generally available applications. (3) There has been a manifest shift
Flow-through (bio)chemical Flow-Through (Bio)Chemica/ Sensors, by M. Valckcel and M.D. Luque de Castro, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 1994, Dfl. 335.00, US$ 202.75, 331 pages, ISBN: 0-44489866-2 The sensor field continues to be an important area of continuing technical and chemical development. Perhaps the most successful sensor developments in solutions analysis are those that combine the best of the worlds of instrumentation and sample handling with the chemistry, biochemistry, and polymer science that has been used for analytical reactions, including sensors. The resulting composite systems are called “FlowThrough (Bio)chemical (sic) Sensors”. They combine flow injection or segmented flow techniques with transduction that is chemically selective and fast. The authors begin by defining analytical chemistry and its unit operations. This naturally leads to a definition of what a sensor is. For those who care about such definitions, and this reviewer is not one of those, you will find this discussion either entertaining or carefully logical Ultimately, the authors take the next, important step by defining how they view unit operations as applied to sensors. Their approach is simple and powerful. It leads to a nicely struc-
from bulk towards thin-layer and surface analysis by methods which are ‘nuclear’ but do not use or produce radionuclides. In conclusion: The present survey of nuclear analytical methods is a valuable source of information to scientists who look for a solution to an analytical problem and who turn at last to that rather mysterious area of radioanalysis. Its availability in many libraries will contribute to that use. H.A. DAS DI: HA Das is at the Netherlands Energy Research Foundation ECN, Petten, The Netherlands.
sensors tured book, and it sensitizes the reader to possibilities that he or she might not have seen. The core chapters of the book are “Flow-Through Sensors entitled, Based on Integrated Reaction and Detection”, “Flow-Through Sensors Based on Integrated Separation and Detection”, and “Flow-Through Sensors Based on Integrated Reaction, Separation, and Detection”. Each chapter is a very broad look at the title topics, broken down in logical fashion by technique. The number of approaches that are cleanly described, and well-illustrated, is in the hundreds. One comes away with a good qualitative view of bioanalytical chemistry, exclusive of high efficiency separations. The very breadth, of course, prevents depth. There are many instances in which the original workers on a technique or approach are not given credit because it is only the application to a flow-through (bio)chemical sensor that is cited. There are qualitative discussions of tigures of merit and optimization, but quantitative descriptions have been eschewed. Finally, the tight focus on the title sensors has ignored important advances in biosensors that are not necessarily used in flowing systems. The authors point out, in a discussion of the literature of sensors, that it seems like every few years one can find the same sensor reinvented in