Fundamentals of stereochemistry and conformational analysis

October 1970. It contains a variety of papers falling roughly into two catagoriesthose dealing with the progress of the actual catalysed reaction and those in which the surface properties of the catalyst material itself is investigated. Including the opening address by H. Powell, the chairman of the Hydrocarbon Research Group and the closing remarks by Professor Kemball there are 14 contributions included in the book. The paper by D_ A. Dowden is a review on the electronic factor in chemisorption and catalysis, and the author concludes that the early intuitive electronic theories of chemisorption and catalysis are found to be qualitatively correct when account is taken of the modern interpretation of the structure of metals and recent consolidations of theory. Several papers deal with metal catalysts. Roberts and Stewart deal with the oxidation of methanol at low pressures on Ni and Au filaments, Robertson with problems arising in experimental studies with ultra-high vacuum techniques and flow systems of decomposition reactions of gases also at low pressures on heated metal wires, and Pitkethly with the application of LEED equipment particularly on nickel. McKee deals with the use of ESCA and AES with particular attention to adsorption studies on copper. Infrared spectroscopic studies are reported by Sheppard and co-workers and by Parkyns both on oxide supported metals. Dewing discusses the infrared emission spectra obtained from solids coated on to the surface of a gold filament at around 400 “C using the technique to obtain information on surface species on X- and Y-type zeolites. Two papers on oxide catalysts are presented, the first by Kemball et al. deals with the isomerization of n-butenes over oxide catalysts, while Rudham and Sanders deal with nitrous oxide decomposition on molecular sieves containing transition metal ions. Hendra records vibrational Raman spectra of adsorbed species dealing specifically with experimental limitations_ Sachtler and Helle deal with the catalytic promotion of Deacon catalysts with KC1 or NaCl by measuring the equilibrium pressures of chlorine as functions of composition and temperature. Discussions on each paper are recorded in detail, and are of interest to research workers and specialists in this field alike. D. D.

Fundamentals of Stereochemistry and Conformational Analysis, by K. BLAHA, 0. CERVINKA AND J. KOVAR, Iliffe, London, 1971, pp. 243, L2.50. This is an English translation by Dr. N. Baggett of the original Czech version which was based on a series of lectures given by the authors at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague. The text is mainly devoted to the fundamental aspects of stereochemistry and in particular, conformational analysis. The material is suitable to an advanced under-graduate class and possibly for post-graduate students as an introduction to the above field. E. W.-T. J.Mol. Srmctwe,12 (1972)

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