- Email: [email protected]
Chromatography
ROOK
REVIEWS
503
detector as human sensor being the most sensitive detector of all capable of detecting materials in amounts of 10-15 ,g or less. To sum up, the book ,under review represents a comprehensive treatise on the practical aspects of ancillary systems ui;ed in conjunction with gas chromatography. The principal aim of the book is to summarize the aspect of a particular system, discuss its pros and cons, describe the most important instrumental arrangements, and to discuss what kind of information can be obtained through its use. Although practitioners of the art may disagree on the extent of stress that should he placed on a particular technique. each described technique is adequately and concisely explained. Typographically the hook is excellent and well produced. The book is well written and reads easily: the print iq clear. and only :L few minor errors of fact or transcription are apparent--ohviou\ly the result of good editorial work. Being moderately priced and containing a valuable review of the recent literature the book should be invaluable to a hroad cross section of scientists engaged in the practical aspect4 of gas chromatography. It should appeal in particular to analytical and organic chemists to whom thiq hook should he an ahsolute must and as such its acquisition is strongly recommended. -
Practical A. STUART.
2nd ed. By N. H. H,IRISIIORNI Optical Crystallography. Amer. Elsevier, New York. 1969. ix ! 326 pp. $11.50.
hNU
The first edition of this book. published in 1964 [reviewed in Microchern. .l. 11, 146 (1966)], consisted of revisions of selected sections of the authors’ “Crqtals crud the PoIarisin,q Microscope.” This second edition retains the qualities of the first: it is a clearly written description of classical crystallographv. of the wpve properties of light. and of the use of the polarizin g microscope for studying Ihe interaction of crystals and light. The approach is practical and descriptive rather than theoretical or mathematical. and the hook is an ideal guide to the use and care of the microscope. Only minor changes have been made in the new edition. A few references have been added. a list of manufacturers has been appended and some small errors have been corrected. A 77’“r, price increase seems to be the main reason for calling it a new edition instead of merely a new printing.
Chromatog-- ph!.. Edited by D. R. HROWNNG. McGraw-Hill. New YorkKondon, 1969. v ’ 151 pp. $7.50. This book iy detiened to he used as a supplementary textbook for introductory courses in biochemistry, inTtrumenta1 methods, and in the medical laboratory sciences. It appears to be intended for use at the undergraduate level, or for those with liltle or no previous knowledge of chromatography. The following areas are covered: Column, paper. thin-layer, ion-exchange, and gel permeation chromatography. In addition, zone electrophoresis is covered. The book is well organized. Each chapter is subdivided along the same line. However, there are minimum visual aids in each one. The hulk of the subject material is devoted to discussions of column, paper, and thin-layer chromatography.
504
BOOK
REVIEWS
On the average, references were sparse with the exception of the chapter on thinlayer chromatography. They were fairly up-to-date, however. It would have been helpful in a book of this type to include a few select numbers of annotated references so that the novice could quickly gain a practical entree into a specific area of chromatography. For example, in the chapter on paper chromatography there are no specific references to an exact procedure for amino acid separations. The chapter on thin-layer chromatography was well written and contained good basic material and up-to-date general references. However, adsorbents and specific separation problems were not covered in depth. A potentially misleading statement is made that “a combination of more than two solvents should seldom be required in adsorption thin-layer chromatography.” Many major classes of metabolites cannot be separated by the adsorption technique except by the use of multicomponent solvent systems (viz., neutral lipids). In addition, a statement is made that “temperature is far less important than with paper partition chromatography.” This is quite relative since, in thin-layer chromatography, temperature and humidity also are important determining factors in the separation of many classes of compounds (viz., amino acids). The chapter devoted to the separation of macromolecules by gel permeation chromatography was disappointingly brief. More recent techniques such as ion-exclusion and dry-column chromatography are not included. This book is recommended for use by nonspecialists because it is highly readable and because it will serve as a rapid introduction to the subject of chromatography. IRWIN L. SHAPIRO, .I. T. Baker
Chemical
Co., Phillipsburg,
New
Jersey
08865
Edited by D. R. BROWNING. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1969. Spectroscopy. vii + 183 pp. $8.50. Within the space of 183 pages (21.5 x 13.5 cm), the editor has collected 10 chapters on spectroscopy written by six contributors. Tht titles are: Theory of Molecular Spectorscopy, Molecular Spectroscopy in the Visible and Ultraviolet, Infrared Spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy, Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, and Atomic Fluorescence Spectrophotometry. A list of selected references is given at the end of each chapterexcept, inexplicably, the NMR chapter. A brief list of suggstions for further reading is given at the end of the book. Too much is attempted in too little space; some of the shorter chapters are compressed recitals of topics, formulas, and definitions. However, the book may serve the practicing chemist who must decide on a spectroscopic application to his problem. R. M. SILVERSTEIN, State Unh’ersity Syracuse, New York I3210
College
of Forestry
at Syracuse
Electrometric Methods. Edited by D. R. BROWNING, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1969. viii f 131 pp. $7.50.
University,
London/
This book is one of a three-volume series on instrumental methods in chemistry. The intention of the series is to provide the chemjst with an authoritative and
REVIEWS
503
detector as human sensor being the most sensitive detector of all capable of detecting materials in amounts of 10-15 ,g or less. To sum up, the book ,under review represents a comprehensive treatise on the practical aspects of ancillary systems ui;ed in conjunction with gas chromatography. The principal aim of the book is to summarize the aspect of a particular system, discuss its pros and cons, describe the most important instrumental arrangements, and to discuss what kind of information can be obtained through its use. Although practitioners of the art may disagree on the extent of stress that should he placed on a particular technique. each described technique is adequately and concisely explained. Typographically the hook is excellent and well produced. The book is well written and reads easily: the print iq clear. and only :L few minor errors of fact or transcription are apparent--ohviou\ly the result of good editorial work. Being moderately priced and containing a valuable review of the recent literature the book should be invaluable to a hroad cross section of scientists engaged in the practical aspect4 of gas chromatography. It should appeal in particular to analytical and organic chemists to whom thiq hook should he an ahsolute must and as such its acquisition is strongly recommended. -
Practical A. STUART.
2nd ed. By N. H. H,IRISIIORNI Optical Crystallography. Amer. Elsevier, New York. 1969. ix ! 326 pp. $11.50.
hNU
The first edition of this book. published in 1964 [reviewed in Microchern. .l. 11, 146 (1966)], consisted of revisions of selected sections of the authors’ “Crqtals crud the PoIarisin,q Microscope.” This second edition retains the qualities of the first: it is a clearly written description of classical crystallographv. of the wpve properties of light. and of the use of the polarizin g microscope for studying Ihe interaction of crystals and light. The approach is practical and descriptive rather than theoretical or mathematical. and the hook is an ideal guide to the use and care of the microscope. Only minor changes have been made in the new edition. A few references have been added. a list of manufacturers has been appended and some small errors have been corrected. A 77’“r, price increase seems to be the main reason for calling it a new edition instead of merely a new printing.
Chromatog-- ph!.. Edited by D. R. HROWNNG. McGraw-Hill. New YorkKondon, 1969. v ’ 151 pp. $7.50. This book iy detiened to he used as a supplementary textbook for introductory courses in biochemistry, inTtrumenta1 methods, and in the medical laboratory sciences. It appears to be intended for use at the undergraduate level, or for those with liltle or no previous knowledge of chromatography. The following areas are covered: Column, paper. thin-layer, ion-exchange, and gel permeation chromatography. In addition, zone electrophoresis is covered. The book is well organized. Each chapter is subdivided along the same line. However, there are minimum visual aids in each one. The hulk of the subject material is devoted to discussions of column, paper, and thin-layer chromatography.
504
BOOK
REVIEWS
On the average, references were sparse with the exception of the chapter on thinlayer chromatography. They were fairly up-to-date, however. It would have been helpful in a book of this type to include a few select numbers of annotated references so that the novice could quickly gain a practical entree into a specific area of chromatography. For example, in the chapter on paper chromatography there are no specific references to an exact procedure for amino acid separations. The chapter on thin-layer chromatography was well written and contained good basic material and up-to-date general references. However, adsorbents and specific separation problems were not covered in depth. A potentially misleading statement is made that “a combination of more than two solvents should seldom be required in adsorption thin-layer chromatography.” Many major classes of metabolites cannot be separated by the adsorption technique except by the use of multicomponent solvent systems (viz., neutral lipids). In addition, a statement is made that “temperature is far less important than with paper partition chromatography.” This is quite relative since, in thin-layer chromatography, temperature and humidity also are important determining factors in the separation of many classes of compounds (viz., amino acids). The chapter devoted to the separation of macromolecules by gel permeation chromatography was disappointingly brief. More recent techniques such as ion-exclusion and dry-column chromatography are not included. This book is recommended for use by nonspecialists because it is highly readable and because it will serve as a rapid introduction to the subject of chromatography. IRWIN L. SHAPIRO, .I. T. Baker
Chemical
Co., Phillipsburg,
New
Jersey
08865
Edited by D. R. BROWNING. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1969. Spectroscopy. vii + 183 pp. $8.50. Within the space of 183 pages (21.5 x 13.5 cm), the editor has collected 10 chapters on spectroscopy written by six contributors. Tht titles are: Theory of Molecular Spectorscopy, Molecular Spectroscopy in the Visible and Ultraviolet, Infrared Spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy, Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, and Atomic Fluorescence Spectrophotometry. A list of selected references is given at the end of each chapterexcept, inexplicably, the NMR chapter. A brief list of suggstions for further reading is given at the end of the book. Too much is attempted in too little space; some of the shorter chapters are compressed recitals of topics, formulas, and definitions. However, the book may serve the practicing chemist who must decide on a spectroscopic application to his problem. R. M. SILVERSTEIN, State Unh’ersity Syracuse, New York I3210
College
of Forestry
at Syracuse
Electrometric Methods. Edited by D. R. BROWNING, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1969. viii f 131 pp. $7.50.
University,
London/
This book is one of a three-volume series on instrumental methods in chemistry. The intention of the series is to provide the chemjst with an authoritative and