cussed together with electronic spectra and the theory of vi- brational and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra in the first section on “Bonding and Spectra”. The second section, “Equi- libria”, deals with chemical equilibria and includes chap- ters on the partition function, heats of formation, solvent and isotope effects, linear free energy relationships, and acidity functions, etc. The third section, entitled “Kinetics”, first describes methods of determining the rate constants and rate laws from kinetic data and then discusses the absolute rate theory, kinetic isotope effects, the influences of solvents, linear free energy relationships, and acid catalysis. The book closes with a long appendix containing tables, a discussion of the mathematical treatment of NMR spectra and kinetic data, and an introduction to programming for electronic compu- ters, together with a collection of Fortran programs for the problems dealt with in the book. “Physical Organic Chem- istry” is expressly written as a textbook and therefore does not attempt an exhaustive compilation of the publications that have appeared on individual fields; instead, the methodo- logy is explained by means of carefully selected examples, which are given a detailed treatment. Each chapter is rounded off with problems and reading lists. This brief description of the contents suffices to show that pre- cisely those borderline fields are dealt with which are essential for understanding many publications but which still receive only little attention in textbooks and lecture courses. From this point of view the attempt to write a useful textbook has been highly successful. The value of the book is not impaired by the relatively large number of misprints and by an occasionally subjective selection of material (e. g. the somewhat one-sided presentation of the arguments of Dewar and Schmeising on the delocalization of x-electrons). Unfortunately, however, the book is rather unbalanced and at times didactically inade- quate, as the following examples indicate, which could easily be multiplied. In the chapter on vibrational spectra, the terms normal modes, degenerate vibrations, and parallel and perpendicular type bands are applied without being explained. Methods are given for calculating the spectrum of an A2X2 spin system, but the definition of an A2X2 system is sought for in vain. Frequently (e. g . on pp. 5 , 215, and 453), at the vital point in a detailed mathematical derivation, the next step is in- troduced merely by “it can be shown that. . .”. On p. 16, the same symbol is used within a single formula with two different meanings. On p. 28, the text and the figure and on p. 420 the text and the table do not agree. The equations are not numbered, and thus the text is sometimes hard to understand and cross-references become difficult. Factual errors occur, for example, on p. 11 6, where it is stated that the integral (1 1/12) disappears when using orthonormal orbi- tals, but this is only true when applying the Mulliken approxi- mation, which is not mentioned. On p. 453, it is stated: “The properties of determinants deduced previously (e. g . by multiplication of a row or a column with a factor, the deter- minant is multiplied by this factor) also apply to matrices”.

Most of the inaccuracies and broken trains of thought could be remedied, and the missing definitions could be included without increasing the size of the book if the figures on pp. 29-35, etc. were reduced to reasonable dimensions and if the appendix were shortened: Especially since it is assumed that the reader makes use of electronic computers, 24 pages with tables of the thermodynamic functions of a harmonic oscilla- tor and 13 pages of overlapping integrals are superfluous, when other sections are kept so brief (e. g . the treatment of symmetry by the group theory is restricted to 3 pages!) that they must necessarily remain incomprehensible without re- verting to further literature. One would like to see as many students as possible acquainted with the material presented here. The book should therefore be strongly recommended. UnfortunateIy, however, the reader must be willing to take the trouble that the author should have invested in order to develop this book into a r ea l ly use fu l text. It can only be hoped that a completely revised edition will s3on appear. M. Klessirtgrr [NB 3411204 I € ]

Radiolysis of Hydrocarbons. Edited by A . V. Tupchiev. English edition edited by R. A . Holroyd. Elsevier Publishing Co., Amsterdam-London-New York 1964. 1st Edit., XI1 + 232 pp., 69 figures, 35 tables, linen, DM 36.- (about $9.00).

In the radiation chemistry of hydrocarbons, there are some reactions, e. g. cracking, that are of preparative and technol- ogical interest. Kinetic studies are of particular importance since they furnish information on the reactions of radicals, on energy-transfer mechanisms, and on the influence of catalysts on radiolytic reactions. Topchiev’s book goes into all of these matters insofar as they have been investigated in the Institute for Petroleum Research in the U.S.S.R. between 1957 and 1961. The book contains a lot of experimentat results and theories on the radiation chemistry of hydrocarbons, and thus gives an excellent survey of advances in the radiolysis of hy- drocarbons in the U.S.S.R. up till 1961. Radiation chemistry flourishes and fades with the rapid changes in theoretical concepts, which in turn depend upon the advances in molecular and radiation physics and in ex- perimental methods. Topchiev’s book conveys the impression of being dedicated especially to energy transfer. The phenome- non of energy transfer is demonstrated convincingly by elec- tron spin resonance measurements on irradiated solid hydro- carbons containing minute amounts of an inhibitor which, although immobile, reduces the radical yield. The author presents a theory according to which inhibition occurs by radiationless transfer before the energy of electronic excita- tion is converted into vibrational energy. The assumption that this theory - which is developed in clear and precise ma- thematical terms - is generally applicable to inhibition effects, even in liquid systems, appears to be hardly justified, because of the complexity of radiochemical reactions. Energy transfer from oxide catalysts to adsorbed hydrocarbon molecules is also described in detail and formulated mathemat- ically. Attention is drawn to the difference between energy dissipation by fast charged particles in gases and in condens- &d materials. For example, the principle of “collective” exci- tation which is occupying the theoreticians in radiation chem- istry so much a t present, is anticipated by the discussion on p. 113. In concluding it can be said that although some ofthe material presented is probably already superseded by newer results be- cause of the rapid development in this field of research, Tup- chiev’s book contains many ideas on the theory of radiation chemistry with which the expert in this discipline ought to be

A. Henglein [NB 343/200 IE] familiar.

Experimental Spectroscopy. By R . A . Sawyer. Dover Publica- tions Inc., New York 1963. 3rd Edit., X + 358 pp., 110 figures, paperback, $2.00.

Sawyer restricts his discussion to spectroscopy in the range from the ultraviolet to the infrared available with prism or diffraction grating spectrographs: other ranges and inter- ference methods are intentionally excluded. A simple, easily understandable discourse on the experimental aspects of spectroscopy is developed in 13 chapters, starting from funda- mentals and going on to instrumentation, then to photo- graphic processes, the determination of wavelengths and in- tensities, and finally discussing ultraviolet and infrared spec- troscopy and spectrochemical analysis. However, some essen- tial points are overlooked; for example, the light intensity of a spectrograph is characterized by its relative aperture, with- out making it clear to the inexperienced reader that the length of the basis of the refracting element is the most important factor for the energy density per wavelength region in the plane of the image. The chapter on photographic processes contains so many elementary mistakes that it is hard to imagine how the author’s attention has not been called to this by users of the previous editions. The photographic process is described in details that are unnecessary for practical spectroscopy and

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