N.G. Adams, L.M. Babcock,Editors, ,Advances in Gas Phase Ion Chemistry, Vols. 1 and 2 Vol. 1 (1992)...

BOOK REVIEW

Advances in Gas Phase Ion Chemistry,Vols. 1 and 2N. G. Adams and L. M. Babcock, EditorsJAI Press Inc., Greenwich, CT, USAVol. 1, 1992, 329 pp; Vol. 2, 1996,266 pp$90.25 each

Book review by Alex G. HarrisonDepartment of ChemistryUniversity of TorontoToronto, Ontario M5S 3H6 , Canada

In this new series, the editors have invited the authorsof individual chapters to review recent work fromtheir laboratory. The editors have successfully at­tempted to achieve a balance between experiment,theory, and applications, as is evident from the rangeof topics considered. Volume 1 contains reports onFlow Tube Studies of Small Isomeric Ions (Mcliwan),Anion-Molecule Experiments: Reactive Intermediatesand Mechanistic Organic Chemistry (Grabowski),Thermochemical Measurements by Guided Ion BeamMass Spectrometry (Armentrout), Photoelectron Spec­troscopy of Molecular Anions (Ervin and Lineberger),Ion Chemistry at Extremely Low Temperatures: A FreeJet Expansion Approach (Smith and Hawley), Theoreti­cal Studies of Hypervalent Silicon Anions (Gordon,Davis, and Burggraf), Chemistry Initiated by AtomicSilicon Ions (Bohme), and Spectroscopic Determinationof the Products of Electron-Ion Recombination(Adams). Volume 2 contains seven chapters: Effect of

© 1996 Am erican Society for Mass Spectrometry1044-0305 /96/$15.00PIT 51044-0305(96)00087-6

Molecular Orientation on Electron Transfer and Elec­tron Impact Ionization (Brooks and Harland), Experi­mental Approaches to the Unimolecular Dissociationof Gaseous Cluster Ions (Mclvlahon), New Approachesto Ion Thermochemistry via Dissociation and Asso­ciation (Dunbar), Alkyl Cation-Dihydrogen Com­plexes; Silonium and Germonium Cations: TheoreticalConsiderations (Schreiner, Schaeffer, and Schleyer),Symmetry-Induced Isotope Effects in Ion-MoleculeReactions (Cellene), Ion-Molecule Chemistry: TheRoles of Intrinsic Structure, Solvation and Counterions(Bartmess), and Gas Phase Ion Chemistry UnderConditions of Very High Pressure (Knighton andGrimsrud).

The authors represent an impressive array of (oftenyounger) experts in the field. Each has contributed adetailed account of recent advances in gas-phase ionchemistry that originates, in large part, from theirlaboratory. Each chapter is a complete and up -to-datestory at the time of writing. Furthermore, the writingand the editing clearly have been done in a timelyfashion. Copious references in each chapter will guidethe interested reader to the original literature.

Given the range of topics covered, not every chapterin either volume will be of interest to the individualreader. However, this series does provide an excellentsurvey of recent advances in gas-phase ion chemistryand should be found on the shelves of any laboratorywith a serious interest in the field. Future volumes areeagerly awaited.