- Email: [email protected]
Catalytic hydrogenation over platinum metals
Rook Reviews
t
“experience” in connection with the task of science would have been more easily grasped had the amhor derotod more attention to an exposition of what he thinks human experience is. The importance of modern information theory is recognized in a few references, but the amhor scarcely cloes just’ice to the role it is beginning t,o play. The discursive st,yle demands closer attention t’han some impatient readers may be willing to devote to a study of Professor Bunge’s book. However, it deserves careful scrutiny and should be of value to scientist,s and philosophers alike. R. BRUCE LINDSEY Physics Department Brown Wniversity Providence, Rhode Island HYD~~~ENATI~N OVER PLATINU~~Z METALS, by I?. N. Rylander. 550 pa,ges, diagrams, 6 x 9 in. New York, Academic Press, 1967. Price, <$%2.50.
CATALYTIC
Platinum metal catalysbs are probably the most efficient and certainly the most widely used agents for the cont,rolled hydrogenations of organic compounds. In this well-organized and comprehensive treatise, Dr. Rylander presents a wealth of experimental data on heterogeneous catalysis by the six platinum metals. The book is divided into six sections : part one deals with t,he preparation and use of the catalysts, the equipment and reaction conditions required; the other five parts deal with the hydrogenation of carbon-carbon multiple bonds (acetylenes and oleflns); nitrogen compounds (imines, azines, hydrazones, oximes, and nitroso, nitro, and nitrile compounds) ; carbonyl compounds (acids, esters, a,ldehydes, and ketones) ; aromatics and heterocyclics ; and t,he final section deals with hydrogenolysis, consisting of a discussion of the Rosenmund reaction, catalytic dehalogenation, and miscellaneous hydrogenolysis reactions. Surprisingly, the rapidly developing and increasingly important field of homogeneous catalysis is not covered, an omission which may well become more serious with the passing of time.
80
The approach to this vast subject is that of the experiment,alist. Dr. Rylander is not concerned here with the mechanism of catalysis or of the theoretical principles involved, believing as he does that “practical problems in catalysis are solved most easily by an empirical approach coupled with a thorough knowledge of the literature”, and he follows this eminently sensible prescription throughout his book. !Ihe result is a large, handsomely produced and rather expensive volume. There are some minor criticisms. The index for the most part lists only substrates (and does so in great det,ail) but not the reaction products or even the catalyst materials. One feels that there might have been advantages in a more ext-ensive use of tabulated material. Nevertheless we should be grateful t’o t,he author for bringing order to an unruly field, and for having achieved t’his in an elegant,, scholarly, and persuasive way. W. P. GRIBFUX Depwrtment of Chemistry Imperial College Lolldon, &gland
READINGS 14 NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, by C. D. Barnes and C. Kircher. 482 pages, diagrams, illustr., 6 x 9 in. New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1968. Price, $9.50. In evaluating the merit of a book it is perhaps useful to bear in mind a paraphrase of a popular admonition. Namely, one should not judge a book by its cover . . or by its title. Indeed, the title under review is misleading because of its implied generality. Instead of encountering an amorphous conglomeration of topics, the reader is pleasantly surprised to discover that the “readings” consist of eighteen research papers which are reIevant to the understanding of the myotatic or stretch reflex. These contributions are arranged in an anatomical sequence to parallel the components of the reflex arc. Near the beginning of the book are papers dealing with the sensory receptors and nerve fibers while the last papers deal with t.he myoneural junction.
Journal
of The Franklin
Institute
t
“experience” in connection with the task of science would have been more easily grasped had the amhor derotod more attention to an exposition of what he thinks human experience is. The importance of modern information theory is recognized in a few references, but the amhor scarcely cloes just’ice to the role it is beginning t,o play. The discursive st,yle demands closer attention t’han some impatient readers may be willing to devote to a study of Professor Bunge’s book. However, it deserves careful scrutiny and should be of value to scientist,s and philosophers alike. R. BRUCE LINDSEY Physics Department Brown Wniversity Providence, Rhode Island HYD~~~ENATI~N OVER PLATINU~~Z METALS, by I?. N. Rylander. 550 pa,ges, diagrams, 6 x 9 in. New York, Academic Press, 1967. Price, <$%2.50.
CATALYTIC
Platinum metal catalysbs are probably the most efficient and certainly the most widely used agents for the cont,rolled hydrogenations of organic compounds. In this well-organized and comprehensive treatise, Dr. Rylander presents a wealth of experimental data on heterogeneous catalysis by the six platinum metals. The book is divided into six sections : part one deals with t,he preparation and use of the catalysts, the equipment and reaction conditions required; the other five parts deal with the hydrogenation of carbon-carbon multiple bonds (acetylenes and oleflns); nitrogen compounds (imines, azines, hydrazones, oximes, and nitroso, nitro, and nitrile compounds) ; carbonyl compounds (acids, esters, a,ldehydes, and ketones) ; aromatics and heterocyclics ; and t,he final section deals with hydrogenolysis, consisting of a discussion of the Rosenmund reaction, catalytic dehalogenation, and miscellaneous hydrogenolysis reactions. Surprisingly, the rapidly developing and increasingly important field of homogeneous catalysis is not covered, an omission which may well become more serious with the passing of time.
80
The approach to this vast subject is that of the experiment,alist. Dr. Rylander is not concerned here with the mechanism of catalysis or of the theoretical principles involved, believing as he does that “practical problems in catalysis are solved most easily by an empirical approach coupled with a thorough knowledge of the literature”, and he follows this eminently sensible prescription throughout his book. !Ihe result is a large, handsomely produced and rather expensive volume. There are some minor criticisms. The index for the most part lists only substrates (and does so in great det,ail) but not the reaction products or even the catalyst materials. One feels that there might have been advantages in a more ext-ensive use of tabulated material. Nevertheless we should be grateful t’o t,he author for bringing order to an unruly field, and for having achieved t’his in an elegant,, scholarly, and persuasive way. W. P. GRIBFUX Depwrtment of Chemistry Imperial College Lolldon, &gland
READINGS 14 NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, by C. D. Barnes and C. Kircher. 482 pages, diagrams, illustr., 6 x 9 in. New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1968. Price, $9.50. In evaluating the merit of a book it is perhaps useful to bear in mind a paraphrase of a popular admonition. Namely, one should not judge a book by its cover . . or by its title. Indeed, the title under review is misleading because of its implied generality. Instead of encountering an amorphous conglomeration of topics, the reader is pleasantly surprised to discover that the “readings” consist of eighteen research papers which are reIevant to the understanding of the myotatic or stretch reflex. These contributions are arranged in an anatomical sequence to parallel the components of the reflex arc. Near the beginning of the book are papers dealing with the sensory receptors and nerve fibers while the last papers deal with t.he myoneural junction.
Journal
of The Franklin
Institute