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Instrumental methods in electrochemistry
410
Book
end of each chapter. The book is useful both for teaching electrochemical engineering and for reference. Although the reviewer would have liked to have seen an analysis of the common industrial situation of complex reaction schemes operating at constant current (advanced reaction engineering) included rather than concentrating on
INSTRUMENTAL
reviews advanced reactor engineering, overall this book useful addition to the very limited electrochemical ing literature.
is a most engineer-
A. R. WRIGHT
METHODS
IN ELECTROCHEMISTRY
SOIJTHAMPTONELECTROCHEMISTRYGROUP Ellis Hot-wood,
This book is based on the one-week residential postgraduate course on Advanced Instrumental Methods in Electrode Kinetics which has been organised by the Electrochemistry Group at the University of Southampton for a number of years. The level of the book is such that it would be suitable for new researchers in most fields of interfacial electrochemistry. In addition to the introductory chapter there are chapters on: Steady state and potential step techniques Electron transfer The rotating disc and ringdisc electrodes The electrical double layer Potential sweep techniques and cyclic voltammetry Electrocatalysis
SOLID
STATE
ae techniques Electrocrystallization Spectroelectrochemistry The design of electrochemical experiments. Most of the topics discussed are developed in a careful manner with attention to the mathematics involved. There are also many well-drawn diagrams which will assist the newcomer to electrochemistry. Throughout there is a considerable emphasis on the experimental aspects of the subject. Most electrochemical research groups will find the book of considerable value. It is however unfortunate that the high price will prevent individual researchers from purchasing it. R.D.
PROTONIC CONDUCTORS CELLS AND SENSORS
J. B. GOODENOUGH, Odense
443 pp. L49.50
University
Press,
J. JENSEN 1985,
and
A. POTIER
284 pp., U.S. $20 or D.Kr.
This volume contains the proceedings of a European Workshop held in May 1984 at La Grande-Motte (Herault), France on solid state materials for low to medium temperature fuel cells and monitors, with special emphasis on proton conductors. This is the third volume of a series which commenced with the proceedings of a Danish-French workshop in 1981. Solid state proton conductors (SSPCs) are potentially useful in a number of applications, ranging from metal hydride-based batteries, photoelectrochemical devices and hydrogen pumps to sensors, but the impetus behind the current interest in the field is largely based on the possible use of these materials as electrolytes in fuel cells. The failure, to date, of fuel cell development to meet the expectations of the 1960s is a result of (a) the material problems associated with the very high operating temperatures required for zlrconiabased solid electrolytes; (b) severe corrosion problems in acidic aqueous electrolytes or (c) the interference of CO2 reactions in aqueous alkali cells. SSPCs offer the possibility of radically improved fuel cell design, coupled with operating conditions that are relatively mild. The book contains twenty short paperscoveringa range of subjects. The intention of the meeting was to emphasize (a) structural and dynamic properties of SSPCs; (b) phenomeno-
ARMSTRONG
III. FOR FUEL
(Editors) 160
+VAT
logical and physical interpretation of complex-admittance (sic) measurements and (c)device design and material specifications. In practice, the papers concentrate on the conductance and other bulk properties of a number of compounds of current interest, including kaolinite, ophretite, zeolites, molybdic acids, zirconium phosphate, VsOs gels, triethylenediamine salts, acid salts of tetravalent metals, conductors based on B_-alumina and KSbOs and, as might be expected, HUP (HUO, PO. 4H,O). Further papers deal in general with qc impedance measurements, and with the use of nmr and other physical techniques for probing the details of proton motion. There is no general development of the theory of proton mobility in SSPCs. The behaviour of kaolinite. a layered aluminosilicate is successfully described in terms of a population of dipoles characterized by a distribution of relaxation times. Other specific conductance models are suggested throughout the volume, in particular Grotthus and vehicle mechanisms. One paper discusses the results of an investigation into electrode behaviour involving a SSPC, namely that of a y-MnO,acetylene black-HUP composite. This book is well produced, but would have been greatly improved by the inclusion of an index.
COLIN A. VINCENT
Book
end of each chapter. The book is useful both for teaching electrochemical engineering and for reference. Although the reviewer would have liked to have seen an analysis of the common industrial situation of complex reaction schemes operating at constant current (advanced reaction engineering) included rather than concentrating on
INSTRUMENTAL
reviews advanced reactor engineering, overall this book useful addition to the very limited electrochemical ing literature.
is a most engineer-
A. R. WRIGHT
METHODS
IN ELECTROCHEMISTRY
SOIJTHAMPTONELECTROCHEMISTRYGROUP Ellis Hot-wood,
This book is based on the one-week residential postgraduate course on Advanced Instrumental Methods in Electrode Kinetics which has been organised by the Electrochemistry Group at the University of Southampton for a number of years. The level of the book is such that it would be suitable for new researchers in most fields of interfacial electrochemistry. In addition to the introductory chapter there are chapters on: Steady state and potential step techniques Electron transfer The rotating disc and ringdisc electrodes The electrical double layer Potential sweep techniques and cyclic voltammetry Electrocatalysis
SOLID
STATE
ae techniques Electrocrystallization Spectroelectrochemistry The design of electrochemical experiments. Most of the topics discussed are developed in a careful manner with attention to the mathematics involved. There are also many well-drawn diagrams which will assist the newcomer to electrochemistry. Throughout there is a considerable emphasis on the experimental aspects of the subject. Most electrochemical research groups will find the book of considerable value. It is however unfortunate that the high price will prevent individual researchers from purchasing it. R.D.
PROTONIC CONDUCTORS CELLS AND SENSORS
J. B. GOODENOUGH, Odense
443 pp. L49.50
University
Press,
J. JENSEN 1985,
and
A. POTIER
284 pp., U.S. $20 or D.Kr.
This volume contains the proceedings of a European Workshop held in May 1984 at La Grande-Motte (Herault), France on solid state materials for low to medium temperature fuel cells and monitors, with special emphasis on proton conductors. This is the third volume of a series which commenced with the proceedings of a Danish-French workshop in 1981. Solid state proton conductors (SSPCs) are potentially useful in a number of applications, ranging from metal hydride-based batteries, photoelectrochemical devices and hydrogen pumps to sensors, but the impetus behind the current interest in the field is largely based on the possible use of these materials as electrolytes in fuel cells. The failure, to date, of fuel cell development to meet the expectations of the 1960s is a result of (a) the material problems associated with the very high operating temperatures required for zlrconiabased solid electrolytes; (b) severe corrosion problems in acidic aqueous electrolytes or (c) the interference of CO2 reactions in aqueous alkali cells. SSPCs offer the possibility of radically improved fuel cell design, coupled with operating conditions that are relatively mild. The book contains twenty short paperscoveringa range of subjects. The intention of the meeting was to emphasize (a) structural and dynamic properties of SSPCs; (b) phenomeno-
ARMSTRONG
III. FOR FUEL
(Editors) 160
+VAT
logical and physical interpretation of complex-admittance (sic) measurements and (c)device design and material specifications. In practice, the papers concentrate on the conductance and other bulk properties of a number of compounds of current interest, including kaolinite, ophretite, zeolites, molybdic acids, zirconium phosphate, VsOs gels, triethylenediamine salts, acid salts of tetravalent metals, conductors based on B_-alumina and KSbOs and, as might be expected, HUP (HUO, PO. 4H,O). Further papers deal in general with qc impedance measurements, and with the use of nmr and other physical techniques for probing the details of proton motion. There is no general development of the theory of proton mobility in SSPCs. The behaviour of kaolinite. a layered aluminosilicate is successfully described in terms of a population of dipoles characterized by a distribution of relaxation times. Other specific conductance models are suggested throughout the volume, in particular Grotthus and vehicle mechanisms. One paper discusses the results of an investigation into electrode behaviour involving a SSPC, namely that of a y-MnO,acetylene black-HUP composite. This book is well produced, but would have been greatly improved by the inclusion of an index.
COLIN A. VINCENT