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Vibrational spectroscopy — modern trends
405
the great potential of the technique was realized. Instrumental advances have led to significant contributions being made in the areas of chemical analysis, electronic structure determinations, and surface chemistry and physics. Tie editors believe that chemists have not yet exhausted the possibilities hinted at by more physics-oriented spectroscopists. The present series is therefore aimed to overlap the alms and interests of both physicists and chemists interested in PES. The contributions consist of well-written reviews of specific topics suitably interspersed with chapters giving a broad overall picture covering specific viewpoints. The mix IS well prepared, and the care with which the editors have done their task has eliminated obvious gaps as one goes from one chapter to the next. Their task has been lightened by the judicious choice of eminent collaborators_ All but two of the contributions to this volume deal with PES, and mainly with molecules rather than solid state or surface effects. The chapters by W. C. Price, J. Berkowitz and R. L. Dekock deal with the UV-PES of molecules; two chapters concentrate on X-ray PES (R. L. Martin and D. A. Shirley and W. L. Jolly), and the final chapter by M. E. Cellender and A. D. Baker consists of an overall summary. This series will be invaluable to both specialists and the general reader, and as such should be warmly welcomed_ W. J. O.-T.
Vibrational Spectroscopy -Modern Trends, edited by A. J. Barnes and W. J. Orville-Thomas, Elsevier, Amsterdam, Oxford and New York, 1977, pp_ xiv + 442, price $49.95. This text consists of 24 chapters by 21 different authors. Each chapter is devoted to a specific aspect of modern vibrational spectroscopy, the longest of which is only 38 pages long. These statistics may not sound very hopeful, which only goes to show how misleading statistics may be. The selection of topics is good. Each author is a world authority and has managed to prtsent an up-to-date resum6 of the subject. Naturally these chapters are not as detailed as such works of reference as the Chemical Society Specialist Periodical Reports, but that is no loss when the reader wishes to see the panorama and not examine the mole hill. A few, but very few, chapters are presented in a rather stilted style, but generally the articles are very readable. The editors should be complimented on their achievements in keeping the authors within the required bounds of number of pages, of selecting a good balanced range of subjects, and of course, in the initial selection of their authors. There are four sections dealing with: A, Lasers and their Applications; B, Experimental Methods; C, Theoretical Methods; and D, Applications
406
to Problems in Molecular Structure.
With such a wide-ranging text it is not feasible to refer to all authors and their topics. I particularly enjoyed the articles on “Principles of Lasers” (J. J. Turner), “Infrared Band Intensities” (W. J. Orville-Thomas, S. Suzuki and G. Riley), “Limitations of Force Constant Calculations for Large Molecules” (G. Zerbi), and “Lattice dynamics of Molecular Crystals” (S. Califano). That, however, represents a cross-section of personal interests, and there is good material here for the inorganic chemist, including articles on “Highly Reactive and Unstable Species” and “Resonance Raman”, as well as for the industrial analyst (“Tunable Lasers”, “Trace Analysis”, “Spectra of Polymers” etc). This is an excellent survey text which should give pleasurable and useful
reading to all practising spectroscopists who are interested in more than simply practical problems. Unfortunately, like most Elsevier Texts it is not cheap at $49.95. D. S.
Electronic Structure and Magnetism of Inorganic Compounds, Vol. 5, senior reporter P. Day, Specialist Periodical Report, The Chemical Society, London, 1977, pp. viii + 248, price S21.00. It must be said at the outset that this series is clearly one of the best and most readable of the Chemical Society SPR publications. This volume covers papers published in the latter part of 1974 and in 1975, and contains four chapters: Electronic Spectra, by P. Day; Magnetic and Natural Optical Activity, by A. J. McCaffery; Magnetic Susceptibility Measurements, by A. K. Gregson; and Luminescence A. J. Thomson.
Properties of Inorganic Compounds,
by D. J. Robbins and
?‘he greater length of the first chapter (as compared with Vol. 4) largely reflects the greater volume of work published in which electronic spectroscopy is used, and the author again achieves an excellent balance between selectivity and comprehensiveness: what are considered to be the most significant papers are treated in some detail whilst merely routine spectra are relegated to a summarising Table. The MCD chapter has a new reporter this year who comments perceptively on the increasingly introspective outlook which seems to be overtaking work in this area, and the author skilfully uses the distinction between MCD specialism and an appe;il to a wiqer audience as a partial basis for his survey. Altogether this was a refreshing tnd auspicious start. Magr,etic susceptibility measu$ements have long attracted tine studies, and this is recogniseql this year by the complete such references. However, whilst ;recognising the validity of judgement, it might have made b$tter sense to have excised
a host of rouexclusion of the author’s the Table of com-
the great potential of the technique was realized. Instrumental advances have led to significant contributions being made in the areas of chemical analysis, electronic structure determinations, and surface chemistry and physics. Tie editors believe that chemists have not yet exhausted the possibilities hinted at by more physics-oriented spectroscopists. The present series is therefore aimed to overlap the alms and interests of both physicists and chemists interested in PES. The contributions consist of well-written reviews of specific topics suitably interspersed with chapters giving a broad overall picture covering specific viewpoints. The mix IS well prepared, and the care with which the editors have done their task has eliminated obvious gaps as one goes from one chapter to the next. Their task has been lightened by the judicious choice of eminent collaborators_ All but two of the contributions to this volume deal with PES, and mainly with molecules rather than solid state or surface effects. The chapters by W. C. Price, J. Berkowitz and R. L. Dekock deal with the UV-PES of molecules; two chapters concentrate on X-ray PES (R. L. Martin and D. A. Shirley and W. L. Jolly), and the final chapter by M. E. Cellender and A. D. Baker consists of an overall summary. This series will be invaluable to both specialists and the general reader, and as such should be warmly welcomed_ W. J. O.-T.
Vibrational Spectroscopy -Modern Trends, edited by A. J. Barnes and W. J. Orville-Thomas, Elsevier, Amsterdam, Oxford and New York, 1977, pp_ xiv + 442, price $49.95. This text consists of 24 chapters by 21 different authors. Each chapter is devoted to a specific aspect of modern vibrational spectroscopy, the longest of which is only 38 pages long. These statistics may not sound very hopeful, which only goes to show how misleading statistics may be. The selection of topics is good. Each author is a world authority and has managed to prtsent an up-to-date resum6 of the subject. Naturally these chapters are not as detailed as such works of reference as the Chemical Society Specialist Periodical Reports, but that is no loss when the reader wishes to see the panorama and not examine the mole hill. A few, but very few, chapters are presented in a rather stilted style, but generally the articles are very readable. The editors should be complimented on their achievements in keeping the authors within the required bounds of number of pages, of selecting a good balanced range of subjects, and of course, in the initial selection of their authors. There are four sections dealing with: A, Lasers and their Applications; B, Experimental Methods; C, Theoretical Methods; and D, Applications
406
to Problems in Molecular Structure.
With such a wide-ranging text it is not feasible to refer to all authors and their topics. I particularly enjoyed the articles on “Principles of Lasers” (J. J. Turner), “Infrared Band Intensities” (W. J. Orville-Thomas, S. Suzuki and G. Riley), “Limitations of Force Constant Calculations for Large Molecules” (G. Zerbi), and “Lattice dynamics of Molecular Crystals” (S. Califano). That, however, represents a cross-section of personal interests, and there is good material here for the inorganic chemist, including articles on “Highly Reactive and Unstable Species” and “Resonance Raman”, as well as for the industrial analyst (“Tunable Lasers”, “Trace Analysis”, “Spectra of Polymers” etc). This is an excellent survey text which should give pleasurable and useful
reading to all practising spectroscopists who are interested in more than simply practical problems. Unfortunately, like most Elsevier Texts it is not cheap at $49.95. D. S.
Electronic Structure and Magnetism of Inorganic Compounds, Vol. 5, senior reporter P. Day, Specialist Periodical Report, The Chemical Society, London, 1977, pp. viii + 248, price S21.00. It must be said at the outset that this series is clearly one of the best and most readable of the Chemical Society SPR publications. This volume covers papers published in the latter part of 1974 and in 1975, and contains four chapters: Electronic Spectra, by P. Day; Magnetic and Natural Optical Activity, by A. J. McCaffery; Magnetic Susceptibility Measurements, by A. K. Gregson; and Luminescence A. J. Thomson.
Properties of Inorganic Compounds,
by D. J. Robbins and
?‘he greater length of the first chapter (as compared with Vol. 4) largely reflects the greater volume of work published in which electronic spectroscopy is used, and the author again achieves an excellent balance between selectivity and comprehensiveness: what are considered to be the most significant papers are treated in some detail whilst merely routine spectra are relegated to a summarising Table. The MCD chapter has a new reporter this year who comments perceptively on the increasingly introspective outlook which seems to be overtaking work in this area, and the author skilfully uses the distinction between MCD specialism and an appe;il to a wiqer audience as a partial basis for his survey. Altogether this was a refreshing tnd auspicious start. Magr,etic susceptibility measu$ements have long attracted tine studies, and this is recogniseql this year by the complete such references. However, whilst ;recognising the validity of judgement, it might have made b$tter sense to have excised
a host of rouexclusion of the author’s the Table of com-