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Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS VII)
BOOK
301
REVIEWS
separation basics (Chapter 3) and integrator operation (Chapter 13). Overall, the authors have delivered what they promised in a very readable and useable format, The expert chromatographer might find that the bulk of the contents of the book are common sense or second nature, but the novice will find that this book is an essential purchase and a useful aid both to improving laboratory productivity and building general chromatographic skills. Colin F. Poole Robert G. Wilson, Fred A. Stevie and Charles W. Magee, Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry: a Practical Handbook for Depth Profiling and Bulk Impurity Analysis, Wiley, New York, 1989 (ISBN O-471-51945-6). viii + 364 pp. Price E 62.30/ us $ 93.95. The book is what it is stated to be: primarily a practical handbook, intended for the people turning the knobs or interpreting the results. The book being of practical nature, it keeps far from theory, instead it discusses a number of the tricks of the trade, reflecting the wide experience of the authors. Due to its nature, it is not a standard work for practical SIMS in general. It contains disperse information about a wide variety of topics, without being too exhaustive. Although some of the information is downright obvious and of interest only to completely inexperienced SIMS users, the book may prove to be a useful resource of tricks and readily available information, making the complicated life of a SIMS operator somewhat easier. Overall, it is a nice and welcome addition to the standard SIMS book Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry: Basic Concepts, Instrumental Aspects, Applications and Trends of Benninghoven, Riidenauer and Werner which was produced by the same publisher in 1987. F. Adams L. Sommer, Analytical Absorption Spectrophotometry in the Visible and Ultraviolet. The Principles, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1989 (ISBN O-444-9888-3). 312 pp. Price US $ 129.25/Dfl. 265.00.
In spite of the large development of such analytical techniques as atomic absorption and emission spectrometry, molecular UV and visible spectrophotometry has remained very useful in many analytical laboratories, especially when determination of trace amounts of some elements (e.g. Al, As, B, Be, F, Ge, Nb, P, S, Si, Th, Zr) is concerned. Prof. Lumir Sommer, head of the Department of Analytical Chemistry (Masaryk University, Brno), is a known specialist in the field of molecular spectrophotometry and it is very fortunate that he decided to share his many valuable years of experience by writing this book. The monograph contains in eight chapters theoretical bases of spectrophotometry (absorption laws, principles of instrumentation, errors, precision, accuracy, sensitivity, selectivity, etc.) and its current trends such as derivative spectrophotometry, automation of analytical procedures, use of ternary systems (e.g. with surfactants). The author emphasizes the role of organic reagents, complex formation and extraction in spectrophotometric methods. The main fields of application of visible and ultraviolet spectrophotometry are also discussed. This book deserves to be recommended to all analytical chemists interested in spectrophotometry and wet analysis. Zygmunt
Marczenko
A. Benninghoven, C.A. Evans, K.D. Mckeegan, H.A. Storms and H.W. Verner (Eds.), Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS VII), Wiley, New York, 1990 (ISBN O-471-92738-4). xxvii + 963 pp. Price & 95.00. This volume reviews the papers and posters presented at the seventh Biennial Conference on Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) held in September 1989 at Monterey, CA, U.S.A. All 159 papers are described (19 invited papers, 79 contributions from the floor and 123 posters). These are broadly divided into eleven main areas of interest, namely, fundamentals, quantitation, complementary techniques, organic and biological analysis, geological analysis, depth profiling, superconductors, static SIMS, polymer analysis, instrumentation and ion imaging.
302
ANALYTICA
It is unlikely that a potential purchaser will have interests in all these areas but the volume does provide a current and comprehensive view both for those already conversant with SIMS techniques and for those about to enter the field who require state of the art information. Alan D. Roberts Detlef A.W. Wendisch, Acronyms and Abbreviations in Molecular Spectroscopy. An Enzyclopedic Dictionary, Springer, Berlin, 1990 (ISBN 3-54051348-5). 315 pp. Price DM 98.00. We live in the age of the acronym, for which science bears as much responsibility as any other discipline, although this journal has tried to resist the trend. Just how far this is true in just one small area -molecular spectroscopy (but excluding mass spectroscopy) is demonstrated in this “enzyclopedic” (sic) dictionary. Whilst we are probably familiar with CARS, ENDOR and PAS, items such as BIRD, CHORTLE, CRAMPS, DANTE, DIGGER and VEST are just a small selection from more than 400 acronyms and abbreviations that are fully explained. FID has several meanings in analytical science, but in this book it has yet another, free induction decay; and one wonders what contortions the originators went through before arriving at PENIS and INADEQUATE. Another intriguing inclusion, as an example of an abbreviation, is BEER’s law (an abbreviation of the well known BOUGER-BEERLAMBERT law) curiously said to have been introduced in 1986 by P.R. Griffiths! Why the book needs an index, when the items are arranged alphabetically is not clear. This book will help in decyphering the multiplicity of acronyms, but I think its greater value will be to encourage us to desist from uninhibited creation of further acronyms, before we are overwhelmed! Alan Townshend Kenneth Helrich (Ed.), Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 15th edn., AOAC, Arlington, VA, 1990. Vol. I: xxiv + 684 + 62 (index) pp. Vol. II: xviii + 614 + 62 (index) pp.
CHIMICA
ACTA
This collection of official methods has long been indispensable to all practicing analytical chemists. At last, however, its continued expansion has necessitated that the original singlevolume format be changed to two volumes for this edition. Volume I contains agricultural chemicals, contaminants and drugs, Volume II food composition, additives and natural contaminants. Each volume can largely stand alone, because the index, safety information, standard solution compositions and definitions are included in both. The other major change is that each official method is assigned a permanent number. This will be retained in all future editions, and will greatly facilitate the identification of the method. As always, new methods are included -some 150 in this editionnumerous changes made to others, whilst others have been declared as surplus. In particular, great strides have been made in the application of “microbiological” methods, including enzyme immunoassay, microbial receptor assay etc. M.P. Pileni (Ed.), Structure and Reactivity in Reverse Micelles, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1989 (ISBN O-444-88166-2). xviii + 379 pp. Price Dfl. 285.00. There is an increasing interest in the use of organised molecular assemblies for a number of analytical applications, e.g. enhancement of sensitivity in molecular fluorescence and improved separation in liquid chromatography. Most of this interest is currently focussed on micelles in aqueous media, although in the area of enhanced solubilization reverse micelles (and more importantly microemulsions) have more analytical potential. This book contains twenty chapters by a multi-national collection of authors who are preeminent in fundamental aspects of the physical chemistry of reverse micelles and covers topics such as structure and microstructure, NMR, fluorescence quenching, photochemistry and protein interactions. The papers are in camera-ready form, but with the use of laser printing, the quality of presentation is generally good. It is not a book that is of direct interest to analytical chemists. Nonetheless it is a good fundamental text that provides useful theoretical
301
REVIEWS
separation basics (Chapter 3) and integrator operation (Chapter 13). Overall, the authors have delivered what they promised in a very readable and useable format, The expert chromatographer might find that the bulk of the contents of the book are common sense or second nature, but the novice will find that this book is an essential purchase and a useful aid both to improving laboratory productivity and building general chromatographic skills. Colin F. Poole Robert G. Wilson, Fred A. Stevie and Charles W. Magee, Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry: a Practical Handbook for Depth Profiling and Bulk Impurity Analysis, Wiley, New York, 1989 (ISBN O-471-51945-6). viii + 364 pp. Price E 62.30/ us $ 93.95. The book is what it is stated to be: primarily a practical handbook, intended for the people turning the knobs or interpreting the results. The book being of practical nature, it keeps far from theory, instead it discusses a number of the tricks of the trade, reflecting the wide experience of the authors. Due to its nature, it is not a standard work for practical SIMS in general. It contains disperse information about a wide variety of topics, without being too exhaustive. Although some of the information is downright obvious and of interest only to completely inexperienced SIMS users, the book may prove to be a useful resource of tricks and readily available information, making the complicated life of a SIMS operator somewhat easier. Overall, it is a nice and welcome addition to the standard SIMS book Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry: Basic Concepts, Instrumental Aspects, Applications and Trends of Benninghoven, Riidenauer and Werner which was produced by the same publisher in 1987. F. Adams L. Sommer, Analytical Absorption Spectrophotometry in the Visible and Ultraviolet. The Principles, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1989 (ISBN O-444-9888-3). 312 pp. Price US $ 129.25/Dfl. 265.00.
In spite of the large development of such analytical techniques as atomic absorption and emission spectrometry, molecular UV and visible spectrophotometry has remained very useful in many analytical laboratories, especially when determination of trace amounts of some elements (e.g. Al, As, B, Be, F, Ge, Nb, P, S, Si, Th, Zr) is concerned. Prof. Lumir Sommer, head of the Department of Analytical Chemistry (Masaryk University, Brno), is a known specialist in the field of molecular spectrophotometry and it is very fortunate that he decided to share his many valuable years of experience by writing this book. The monograph contains in eight chapters theoretical bases of spectrophotometry (absorption laws, principles of instrumentation, errors, precision, accuracy, sensitivity, selectivity, etc.) and its current trends such as derivative spectrophotometry, automation of analytical procedures, use of ternary systems (e.g. with surfactants). The author emphasizes the role of organic reagents, complex formation and extraction in spectrophotometric methods. The main fields of application of visible and ultraviolet spectrophotometry are also discussed. This book deserves to be recommended to all analytical chemists interested in spectrophotometry and wet analysis. Zygmunt
Marczenko
A. Benninghoven, C.A. Evans, K.D. Mckeegan, H.A. Storms and H.W. Verner (Eds.), Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS VII), Wiley, New York, 1990 (ISBN O-471-92738-4). xxvii + 963 pp. Price & 95.00. This volume reviews the papers and posters presented at the seventh Biennial Conference on Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) held in September 1989 at Monterey, CA, U.S.A. All 159 papers are described (19 invited papers, 79 contributions from the floor and 123 posters). These are broadly divided into eleven main areas of interest, namely, fundamentals, quantitation, complementary techniques, organic and biological analysis, geological analysis, depth profiling, superconductors, static SIMS, polymer analysis, instrumentation and ion imaging.
302
ANALYTICA
It is unlikely that a potential purchaser will have interests in all these areas but the volume does provide a current and comprehensive view both for those already conversant with SIMS techniques and for those about to enter the field who require state of the art information. Alan D. Roberts Detlef A.W. Wendisch, Acronyms and Abbreviations in Molecular Spectroscopy. An Enzyclopedic Dictionary, Springer, Berlin, 1990 (ISBN 3-54051348-5). 315 pp. Price DM 98.00. We live in the age of the acronym, for which science bears as much responsibility as any other discipline, although this journal has tried to resist the trend. Just how far this is true in just one small area -molecular spectroscopy (but excluding mass spectroscopy) is demonstrated in this “enzyclopedic” (sic) dictionary. Whilst we are probably familiar with CARS, ENDOR and PAS, items such as BIRD, CHORTLE, CRAMPS, DANTE, DIGGER and VEST are just a small selection from more than 400 acronyms and abbreviations that are fully explained. FID has several meanings in analytical science, but in this book it has yet another, free induction decay; and one wonders what contortions the originators went through before arriving at PENIS and INADEQUATE. Another intriguing inclusion, as an example of an abbreviation, is BEER’s law (an abbreviation of the well known BOUGER-BEERLAMBERT law) curiously said to have been introduced in 1986 by P.R. Griffiths! Why the book needs an index, when the items are arranged alphabetically is not clear. This book will help in decyphering the multiplicity of acronyms, but I think its greater value will be to encourage us to desist from uninhibited creation of further acronyms, before we are overwhelmed! Alan Townshend Kenneth Helrich (Ed.), Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 15th edn., AOAC, Arlington, VA, 1990. Vol. I: xxiv + 684 + 62 (index) pp. Vol. II: xviii + 614 + 62 (index) pp.
CHIMICA
ACTA
This collection of official methods has long been indispensable to all practicing analytical chemists. At last, however, its continued expansion has necessitated that the original singlevolume format be changed to two volumes for this edition. Volume I contains agricultural chemicals, contaminants and drugs, Volume II food composition, additives and natural contaminants. Each volume can largely stand alone, because the index, safety information, standard solution compositions and definitions are included in both. The other major change is that each official method is assigned a permanent number. This will be retained in all future editions, and will greatly facilitate the identification of the method. As always, new methods are included -some 150 in this editionnumerous changes made to others, whilst others have been declared as surplus. In particular, great strides have been made in the application of “microbiological” methods, including enzyme immunoassay, microbial receptor assay etc. M.P. Pileni (Ed.), Structure and Reactivity in Reverse Micelles, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1989 (ISBN O-444-88166-2). xviii + 379 pp. Price Dfl. 285.00. There is an increasing interest in the use of organised molecular assemblies for a number of analytical applications, e.g. enhancement of sensitivity in molecular fluorescence and improved separation in liquid chromatography. Most of this interest is currently focussed on micelles in aqueous media, although in the area of enhanced solubilization reverse micelles (and more importantly microemulsions) have more analytical potential. This book contains twenty chapters by a multi-national collection of authors who are preeminent in fundamental aspects of the physical chemistry of reverse micelles and covers topics such as structure and microstructure, NMR, fluorescence quenching, photochemistry and protein interactions. The papers are in camera-ready form, but with the use of laser printing, the quality of presentation is generally good. It is not a book that is of direct interest to analytical chemists. Nonetheless it is a good fundamental text that provides useful theoretical