- Email: [email protected]
The Raman spectra of polymers
940
Book Reviews
where spectroscopy is an active research area. The future of the field is uncertain, as arrays become larger and the wavelength range is gradually extended; this book will no doubt become dated before long, but while it is current, it is a useful resource.
School of Physics University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K.
THE RAMAN SPECTRA OF POLYMERS. C h i c h e s t e r (1993). P r i c e £ 8 5 . 0 0 .
D. WOLVERSON
B y P. J. HENDRA a n d J. K. AGBENYEGA. W i l e y ,
T h e format of this publication is designed to meet a perceived need for a substantial library of R a m a n spectra of polymers including m a n y which were difficult to measure by conventional techniques but which became accessible to Fourier transform m e t h o d s using a near-IR laser for excitation. T h e book provides a set of 105 R a m a n spectra of assorted polymers; 17 spectra of solvents and 27 spectra of natural products. Hence this is a contribution to the problem of creating the kind of library available in mass spectrometry, N M R , U V and IR spectroscopy. The difficulties of using R a m a n spectroscopy as a general analytical m e t h o d are well known. Technically m a n y polymers, particularly mixtures, co-polymers, blends and vulcanized rubbers, paints, fibres, etc. were not easy to study by R a m a n but the availability of commercial FT R a m a n instruments has dramatically opened up the technique to hitherto intractable samples. But to gain a R a m a n spectrum does not necessarily take one any further towards gaining information about the sample. Part of the requirement for exploiting R a m a n is the existence of a sufficient library of reference spectra of the kind available in large n u m b e r s for MS, N M R , U V and IR. For these reasons the numbers of R a m a n spectrometers available in industrial and analytical laboratories are still modestly low. Because the target is a moving one in terms of spectra available the authors and publishers have decided to offer a loose-leaf, ring-bound, long-page format for which readers may subscribe to up-dates. Time will tell w h e t h e r this will be a viable a r r a n g e m e n t or whether computer based spectral data will be a more efficient data collection method. A lesson of history may be drawn from the provision of the DMS system for IR spectra conceived by the late Sir Harold T h o m p s o n and Robert Maxwell as author and publisher, respectively. But high tech solutions to problems are just as vulnerable to market and other forces as low tech solutions and therefore m a n y will watch this development with interest. In addition to the data there are sections on introduction to theory, R a m a n spectrometers, presentation, vibrational spectroscopy of polymers, and the application of near-IR FF R a m a n to polymers. This volume will be of much value to all who use R a m a n and particularly those who have extensive polymer interests.
University of Glamorgan Pontypridd Mid Glamorgan CF37 1DL U.K.
W. 0 . GEORGE
Book Reviews
where spectroscopy is an active research area. The future of the field is uncertain, as arrays become larger and the wavelength range is gradually extended; this book will no doubt become dated before long, but while it is current, it is a useful resource.
School of Physics University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K.
THE RAMAN SPECTRA OF POLYMERS. C h i c h e s t e r (1993). P r i c e £ 8 5 . 0 0 .
D. WOLVERSON
B y P. J. HENDRA a n d J. K. AGBENYEGA. W i l e y ,
T h e format of this publication is designed to meet a perceived need for a substantial library of R a m a n spectra of polymers including m a n y which were difficult to measure by conventional techniques but which became accessible to Fourier transform m e t h o d s using a near-IR laser for excitation. T h e book provides a set of 105 R a m a n spectra of assorted polymers; 17 spectra of solvents and 27 spectra of natural products. Hence this is a contribution to the problem of creating the kind of library available in mass spectrometry, N M R , U V and IR spectroscopy. The difficulties of using R a m a n spectroscopy as a general analytical m e t h o d are well known. Technically m a n y polymers, particularly mixtures, co-polymers, blends and vulcanized rubbers, paints, fibres, etc. were not easy to study by R a m a n but the availability of commercial FT R a m a n instruments has dramatically opened up the technique to hitherto intractable samples. But to gain a R a m a n spectrum does not necessarily take one any further towards gaining information about the sample. Part of the requirement for exploiting R a m a n is the existence of a sufficient library of reference spectra of the kind available in large n u m b e r s for MS, N M R , U V and IR. For these reasons the numbers of R a m a n spectrometers available in industrial and analytical laboratories are still modestly low. Because the target is a moving one in terms of spectra available the authors and publishers have decided to offer a loose-leaf, ring-bound, long-page format for which readers may subscribe to up-dates. Time will tell w h e t h e r this will be a viable a r r a n g e m e n t or whether computer based spectral data will be a more efficient data collection method. A lesson of history may be drawn from the provision of the DMS system for IR spectra conceived by the late Sir Harold T h o m p s o n and Robert Maxwell as author and publisher, respectively. But high tech solutions to problems are just as vulnerable to market and other forces as low tech solutions and therefore m a n y will watch this development with interest. In addition to the data there are sections on introduction to theory, R a m a n spectrometers, presentation, vibrational spectroscopy of polymers, and the application of near-IR FF R a m a n to polymers. This volume will be of much value to all who use R a m a n and particularly those who have extensive polymer interests.
University of Glamorgan Pontypridd Mid Glamorgan CF37 1DL U.K.
W. 0 . GEORGE