The Periodic Table for Chromatographers

The Periodic Table for Chromatographers

371 Book Revmvs mana Press, Clifton, NJ, 1990 (ISBN O-89603-2027) xm + 776 pp Price f126 00 This book contams the proceedings of an International Co...

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371

Book Revmvs

mana Press, Clifton, NJ, 1990 (ISBN O-89603-2027) xm + 776 pp Price f126 00 This book contams the proceedings of an International Conference held m Maryland (USA) m 1989 The 82 papers, many by well known researchers m the field, are collected by topic, under methodology, environmental studies, m vwo analysis, medical research quality assurance and trace element composltlon of blologlcal materials The nuclear methods mclude neutron actlvatlon, particle-induced gamma-emlsslon, partde-mduced X-ray emusion, X-ray fluorescence, charged-particle activation and prompt-gamma actwatlon analysis The apphcatlons covered are diverse and Include the analysis of hair, ludney stones, dental enamel, serum, urine, aerosols, spruce needles, coal fly ash, groundwater and Chmese medlcmes The book IS a useful collection of recent studies which 1s nicely presented with a uniform type face throughout and a subject index based on a limited number of authors’ keywords An mtroductlon m the form of an overview of nuclear methods m the context of other analytical methods used m the life sciences would have been a valuable addition However, I am sure that this book will be a useful reference source for researchers interested m the current applications of nuclear methods m this important field SJ Parry Michael Lederer, The Penodlc Table for ChroWiley, Chlchester, 1992 (ISBN O471-93149-7) v + 129 pp Price &60 OO/ US$l28 00

matographers,

This pubhcatton by Michael Lederer, who for many years was editor of the Journal of Chromatography, IS a collection of reprmted, old data that was originally published m research papers, reviews, or books m the form of more-or-less complete perlodlc tables of elements, which style was first used m 1955 by Kurt A Kraus to present graphlcally ha classic data for separation of metals on strong-base anion exchange resin columns with HCl eluents

After a table of contents, the introductory material begms with a half-page preface which explains that the pages are bound m a loose-leaf folder m order to “pernut the user to ahgn several tables for the comparison of properties and hence facilitate the decision on a given separation” However, the folder IS fhmsy, and the review copy I received by mall from England was essentially falling apart A seven-page section (Including five figures) entitled “The Lnmtatlons of the Periodic Tables of Chemical Properties” starts wnh a rather lengthy reprmt of mformatlon on chrommm salts from a 1940 inorganic chemistry textbook, and then presents very brief descnptlons of some of the chemical and chromatographic properties of the metal ions m Periodic Table Groups I-VIII This 1s followed by a onepage descrlptlon of the methods used to report data m the tables (usually dlstrlbutlon coefficient vs mobile phase composition for columns and R, or R, vs mobile phase composmon for planar chromatography), and a fmal page contammg 26 references, mostly from the 196Os, cited m the mtroductory sections The 98 data tables are orgamzed m the followmg eight sections solvent extraction and general propertles (13 tables), ion exchange resin chromatography (191, inorganic ion exchange chromatography (9), partition and ion exchange paper chromatography (91, paper and thm layer chromatography with impregnated liquid Ion exchangers (121, partition TLC (111, ion exchange TLC (241, and electrophoresls (1) The orlgmal pubhcation dates of the data range from 1955-1985, with the great majority from the 1960s and 1970s In many cases, multiple tables are reprinted from the same source, e g , seven tables m the first section were orlgmally pubhshed m a single review article The only mformatlon provided for each table 1s the stationary and mobile phases, the original references must be consulted to learn the expernnental condmons needed to perform separations predicted by the retention data The book ends with author and subject mdexes The subject index contains entries only for techniques and stationary and mobile phases, the tables are not Indexed by element Since each table does not Include data for every element,

Book Revxews

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anyone interested m devising a separation for a particular group of elements will have to search the tables mdrvldually to determine which contam data for the elements of Interest Some analysts questlon the practical unportance of much of the data related to metal ion separations m light of the prominence of modern sensltwe and selectwe elemental analytical methods such as AAS and ICP spectrometry In addltlon, It 1s unclear if the data presented are slgmflcant enough to be reprmted exclusive of the large amount of other morgamc chromatographlc data that were not ongmally pubhshed m the periodic table form However, anyone who believes that these old data are especially valuable will welcome Dr Lederer’s collection of reprints, but ~111 probably wish the packagmg was less fragile and the price more reasonable Joseph Sherma

Robert M Nakamura, Yasushl Kasahara and Garry A Rechmtz, Immunochemzcal Assays and Bwsensor Technology for the 199Os, American Society for Mlcroblology, Washmgton, DC, 1992 (ISBN l-55581-040-3) x1 + 411 pp Price US$5100

This book brings together two excltmg, rapidly developmg and sometunes overlapping areas of analytical science, mununoassays and blosensors It takes the opportunity of summarlzmg the state of the technology m both fields at a level smtable for the Interested sclentlst and undergraduate student Authorltatlve treatment 1s achieved by 30 well-known speclahsts from the USA, Canada and Japan Immunoassays occupy two-thirds of the text The first five chapters cover general prmaples, non-lsotoplc labels, a critical comparison of vanous types of labels, monoclonal antlbodles and evaluation and vahdatlon of lmmunoassays These are followed by mdlvldual chapters detalhng the various types of mununoassay classtiled accordmg to the label and momtormg techmque, 1 e , light scattermg, partdes, enzymes (3 chapters), fluo-

rescence (2 chapters) and chemllummescence The section on blosensors begins with an mtroductory chapter followed by dlscusslons of Immunoassay with electrochemical detection, flbre optic and amperometrlc blosensors, polymeric membrane amon-selective electrodes, chemoreceptor and pharmacologlcal blosensors The text 1s very readable, up to date and well referenced It provides, at relatively low cost, an excellent mtroductlon to two multldlsclphnary areas m which It 1s often difficult to obtam comprehensive mformatlon at this level Alan Townshend

D C Harris, Quantztatzve Chemzcal Analyszs, 3rd edn , Freeman, Oxford, 1991 [ISBN o-716-2170-8 (hard bound), O-7167-2171-6 (paperback)] xv + 782 pp Price E2195 (paperback), g42 95 (hard bound) The most strdung first unpresslon of this book (which 1s particularly Important for students) IS the quality and lmagmatlon of the presentation In order to capture and retam the reader’s attention the book is full of excellent diagrams, tables and graphs, often taken from very recent Journal pubhcatlons, photographs (mcludmg colour plates) and highlighted boxes which present key concepts m a concise and clear manner The attention to detail also mcludes worked exercises, problems, a number of useful appendices, e g , acid dlssoclatlon constants and standard reduction potentials, a glossary of terms and a comprehensive index In this revrewer’s opmlon the author has got the presentation right, but what about the content”’ Of the twenty-five chapters, one describes m reasonable detail nineteen experiments (mostly usmg basic apparatus or simple mstrumentatlon), eight cover Instrumental techmques and the remainder cover classical techruques, particularly tltrlmetrlc methods, and basic analytlcal concepts such as experunental error and sample preparation The book is therefore written as an mtroductory text on analytlcal chemistry and although it does not cover advanced instrumental analysis,