Handbook of Instrumental Techniques for Analytical Chemistry Review

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(More customer reviews)Have you ever tried to explain what analytical chemistry is, to a friend, relative, or stranger feigning interest in what you do? The attempt quickly reveals the depth and complexity of a field so easily named with two simple words. Where do you begin? What do you leave out? Trying to write a textbook on the many facets of analytical chemistry is even more difficult; some attempts run to many volumes. Some texts focus on the physical principles of a technique, others on the applications.Prentice-Hall's new Handbook of Instrumental Techniques for Analytical Chemistry (Frank Every lab occasionally faces a problem outside the usual routine - questions their normal instruments can't answer. The Handbook helps them figure out what instruments might do the job. The goal of the book is to introduce nonspecialist scientists to the major techniques, outlining how each works, what it does, its limitations, the information produced, plus practical matters such as costs to buy and operate, and the expertise required of an operator. Each chapter has a list of manufacturers and a bibliography for further self-education. A person who goes through a chapter will be ready to ask intelligent questions of experts in the field and understand the buzzwords peculiar to each discipline. The book contains a CD-ROM with software for selecting appropriate methods for a sample and analysis; since it runs on Windows (3.1, 95, or NT), I couldn't test it on my Macintosh. The authors of the chapters are a mix of university researchers, innovators from industry, and a few carefully-selected experts from instrument companies, who avoid the temptation to promote their own products. For example, the STM/AFM chapter was written by Huub Salemink of the IBM labs in Zurich, where the technique was pioneered. Although I don't want to slight any of the excellent authors who contributed chapters, some areas are truly outstanding texts in their own right. Ron Majors' discussion of organic sample preparation is as thorough as readers of his LC*GC columns would expect. Robert Megargle covers LIMS with the knowledge of many years as user and observer. Defining categories for the overlapping techniques of analytical chemistry is always a challenge. Settle wisely avoided the traditional choice of categorization by underlying physical principles and grouped them according to logical applications. The result includes some based on the instrument types (separation methods, for example) and others on broad application areas (polymer analysis). While purists might fret over this organization, in fact, it makes for easy access, without having to shuffle through the whole book to gather information on a specific analysis. In a single volume covering fields that are often evolving rapidly, there are bound to be a few omissions. The ones I noted were: near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, which has become so important recently; microscopy other than SPM, especially the analytical use of electron microscopes (SEM and TEM); better discussions of time-of-flight and ion trap mass spec; ion sources other than ESI for LC-MS; microwave ovens used for digestion and extraction of inorganic samples (Majors covers its use in organic extraction); flow injection (and segmented-flow) analysis; arc-spark emission spectrometers (mentioned in passing). To really pick nits, there was no mention of solid phase microextraction (SPME) or of specialized analyzers such as CHN, TOC, BOD, or systems for Hg, CN, or S analysis. At the same time, it includes a chapter on the truly exotic and rare technique of atomic fluorescence. Any manageable text will overlook some methods and cover some obscure favorites; this criticism is hardly fatal. Any book on an evolving technology is a snapshot in time and will fairly quickly become dated. The newest techniques have already gone beyond the descriptions in their chapters. This text, nevertheless, will be an excellent introduction to analytical instrument techniques for some years, even if the published prices and suppliers' names may age. I hope some of the more enlightened professors of instrumental analysis will use it as a text; their students will emerge as better analytical chemists. It will certainly help me better understand the techniques I survey each month. Excerpted with permission from Analytical Consumer, Jo Rita Jordan, Editor and Publisher

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This book/disk Handbook provides introductory information about the most widely used instrumental techniques and methods used in analytical chemistry and helps the reader determine which technique is most appropriate for their needs. This book/disk Handbook consists of an introduction and seven sections, each addressing a major area of chemical analysis (separation techniques, optical spectroscopic techniques-qualitative, optical spectroscopic techniques-quantitative, mass spectrometry, electrochemical techniques, microscopic and surface techniques, polymer and macromolecular techniques) and a floppy disk containing Technique Selection software. Each section consists of chapters describing the most commonly used instrumental techniques in the area of analysis. Each chapter presents basic information about a specific technique. The common format used for each chapter facilitates selection and comparison of techniques.Each chapter contains the following topics: 1) a summary page, 2) how it works, 3) what it does including current applications, 4) types of samples analyzed, practical economic information, 5) summary of the routine operational characteristics, and 6) references to more detailed information on the technique.