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Ions, electrodes and membranes (Second edition)
2020
Book reviews
mention, almost as an afterthought, of UHV-based methods used to examine electrodes after their removal from the electrolyte, the techniques are organized into two main sections (respectively in situ methods for studying phenomena specific to the interface, and in situ probes of what is more generally termed the “near electrode region”). This division seems in places to be artificial, arbitrary and a cause of some repetition between the sections. “AC techniques” are assigned to the former section, yet the account inevitably involves mass transfer. Some repetition also results from overlaps between Chapters 2 and 3. In the latter the authors selected a few topics to illustrate use of methods already described. The topics include the oxidation of methanol at platinum anodes, the cathodic reduction of carbon dioxide, passivity of iron, the conduction mechanism of electrosynthetic polypyrrole and the importance of promoters in enzyme electrodes. The reviewer collected some minor irritations extending well beyond an ample assembly of printers errors. The contents list is insufftciently detailed; five useful pages on in situ X-ray diffraction are concealed within a sub-section on X-ray spectroscopies. There are incorrect formulae and equations, legends mis-matched to their respective figures,
and assaults upon the English language which, as the major medium of international scientific communication, subject continually to erosion approaching a landslide, deserves some defence from its native speakers. The use of “anodic” and “cathodic” to describe electrode potential is a practice which affronts more than any one language but sadly now appears to be endemic. Readers wishing to learn the older (electrical) methods of studying electrode processes would probably benefit more from alternative texts, such as are referenced in the present book. Authors usually write best on what they know best and, happily, in this book, this mainly coincides with what currently most needs to be written and read ie in situ microscopies, spectroscopies, mass spectrometry, diffraction, ellipsometry and microgravimetry. “Techniques and Mechanisms in Electrochemistry” refreshes the reader by the emphasis it gives to contemporary aspects of experimental interfacial electrochemistry without neglecting essential older foundations of the subject. It will deserve a place on the personal bookshelves of electrochemists for many years. 0. R. BROWN
IONS, ELECTRODES AND MEMBRANES (Second Edition) J. KORYTA Wiley, 1991, pp 198, f 13.95
This is the second edition of this very popular text. In general, it is an enjoyable and reasonably easy to read book, that is well worth the price; the author presents a wideranging introduction to electrochemistry, with many delightful snippets of history, and the reader covers a lot of ground without the learning process becoming tedious. Wherever possible the relevance of electrochemistry to “the real world” is presented in sections indented as short reviews of various technological aspects of electrochemistry that are, in the main, very good; however, it is extremely surprising that the section on biosensors does not refer to the seminal work of Dr. H. A. 0. Hill. However, the reversion of the first edition has introduced several quite serious errors, eg AG is set equal to -AH + TAS, a minus sign having disappeared between editions; and AG = zFAV, where the author appears to have got confused over the sign vs. magnitudes of his terms.
The nomenclature employed throughout the book is also sometimes odd and confusing: eg using D as the relative permittivity and AV for emf: The second edition obviously tries to take into account the continuing alarming decline in the mathematical ability of science undergraduates by minimising the use of calculus wherever possible. In the main this works, but there are sections where a particular derivation has been rendered somewhat unclear by this approach (eg the derivation of the Nernst-Planck equation). The text is intended as an introduction to electrochemistry for research workers coming in from other fields of science. a role it fulfils admirably. In addition, I believe the book would be of value as supplementary reading for postgraduates specialising in electrochemistry-based projects, and for second and third year chemistry undergraduates.
Book reviews
mention, almost as an afterthought, of UHV-based methods used to examine electrodes after their removal from the electrolyte, the techniques are organized into two main sections (respectively in situ methods for studying phenomena specific to the interface, and in situ probes of what is more generally termed the “near electrode region”). This division seems in places to be artificial, arbitrary and a cause of some repetition between the sections. “AC techniques” are assigned to the former section, yet the account inevitably involves mass transfer. Some repetition also results from overlaps between Chapters 2 and 3. In the latter the authors selected a few topics to illustrate use of methods already described. The topics include the oxidation of methanol at platinum anodes, the cathodic reduction of carbon dioxide, passivity of iron, the conduction mechanism of electrosynthetic polypyrrole and the importance of promoters in enzyme electrodes. The reviewer collected some minor irritations extending well beyond an ample assembly of printers errors. The contents list is insufftciently detailed; five useful pages on in situ X-ray diffraction are concealed within a sub-section on X-ray spectroscopies. There are incorrect formulae and equations, legends mis-matched to their respective figures,
and assaults upon the English language which, as the major medium of international scientific communication, subject continually to erosion approaching a landslide, deserves some defence from its native speakers. The use of “anodic” and “cathodic” to describe electrode potential is a practice which affronts more than any one language but sadly now appears to be endemic. Readers wishing to learn the older (electrical) methods of studying electrode processes would probably benefit more from alternative texts, such as are referenced in the present book. Authors usually write best on what they know best and, happily, in this book, this mainly coincides with what currently most needs to be written and read ie in situ microscopies, spectroscopies, mass spectrometry, diffraction, ellipsometry and microgravimetry. “Techniques and Mechanisms in Electrochemistry” refreshes the reader by the emphasis it gives to contemporary aspects of experimental interfacial electrochemistry without neglecting essential older foundations of the subject. It will deserve a place on the personal bookshelves of electrochemists for many years. 0. R. BROWN
IONS, ELECTRODES AND MEMBRANES (Second Edition) J. KORYTA Wiley, 1991, pp 198, f 13.95
This is the second edition of this very popular text. In general, it is an enjoyable and reasonably easy to read book, that is well worth the price; the author presents a wideranging introduction to electrochemistry, with many delightful snippets of history, and the reader covers a lot of ground without the learning process becoming tedious. Wherever possible the relevance of electrochemistry to “the real world” is presented in sections indented as short reviews of various technological aspects of electrochemistry that are, in the main, very good; however, it is extremely surprising that the section on biosensors does not refer to the seminal work of Dr. H. A. 0. Hill. However, the reversion of the first edition has introduced several quite serious errors, eg AG is set equal to -AH + TAS, a minus sign having disappeared between editions; and AG = zFAV, where the author appears to have got confused over the sign vs. magnitudes of his terms.
The nomenclature employed throughout the book is also sometimes odd and confusing: eg using D as the relative permittivity and AV for emf: The second edition obviously tries to take into account the continuing alarming decline in the mathematical ability of science undergraduates by minimising the use of calculus wherever possible. In the main this works, but there are sections where a particular derivation has been rendered somewhat unclear by this approach (eg the derivation of the Nernst-Planck equation). The text is intended as an introduction to electrochemistry for research workers coming in from other fields of science. a role it fulfils admirably. In addition, I believe the book would be of value as supplementary reading for postgraduates specialising in electrochemistry-based projects, and for second and third year chemistry undergraduates.