Infrared microspectroscopy theory and applications (practical spectroscopy Volume 6

322 aspects of the subject are dealt with and a good balance is maintained between natural zeolites and synthetic ones. There are chapters on zeolite structure, characterisation, synthesis, ion exchange, sorption, stability, and catalysis, and on zeotype materials. The book is completely up to date, most of the illustrative examples are from recent work, and there is even a section on the new microporous aluminophosphates. There is a useful bibliography, but readers may well be irritated by the absence of detailed references. Zeolites have many applications ranging from cracking catalysts to animal feed additives, and from detergent builders to soil conditioners. All of the main uses are covered and these provide excellent examples of the relationship between the aluminosilicate structures, the physico-chemical properties and the practical utility of zeolites. The book leaves one in no doubt that zeolites merit a place in undergraduate chemistry courses not only in their own right, but as a vehicle for displaying the power of modern techniques such as magic angle spinning NMR and high-resolution electron microscopy. It would make a good textbook for such a course, although it is clear that the publishers do not share this view having priced it well beyond the reach of most undergraduates. Nevertheless for those who need a quick introduction to zeolite science this book will prove good value, has no competitors, and is recommended. B.M.L.

Infrared Microspectroscopy Theory and Applications (Practical Spectroscopy Volume 6), edited by R.G. Messerschmidt and M.A. Harthcock; Marcel Dekker, New York, 1988, pp. xv ÷ 282, price $102.00 ($85.00 in U.S.A. or Canada). The concept of coupling an optical microscope, with all-reflecting optics, to an infrared spectrometer dates back to the 1940s. However, it is only with the development of readily available microscope attachments for the much more sensitive Fourier transform infrared spectrometers that the technique has become comparatively routine. This book, comprising 18 chapters by 35 contributors, was developed from symposia organised by the editors at FACSS and EAS meetings in 1986. The chapters are classified into a number of sections: instrumentation considerations and technique advances, analysis of polymers, applications of polarized infrared microspectroscopy, application to the semiconductor industry, application to biological and pharmaceutical research, and miscellaneous applications of infrared microspectroscopy. The book provides a useful overview of the theory behind the development of a high performance infrared microscope and describes a wide variety of applications; it should prove a good starting point for those wishing to enter the field. A.J.B.