Book Review: What's in a Name: Instrumental Methods for Determining Element. By L. R. Taylor, R. B. Papp and B. D. Pollard

Abstract

This book is intended for the analytical chemist who has to choose the most suitable method for a given problem. It treats in detail all the most important modern instrumental methods of elemental analysis: atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), voltammetry, potentiometry, chromatography, X-ray fluorescence, and combustion methods. For each method there is a brief description of the basic physical principle and the construction of the instrument. This information is intended only as a short introduction, and not as a substitute for a thorough study of the fundamentals of the method concerned. References to detailed specialist literature in the form of monographs or original papers are provided.The authors then compare the various methods with regard to their practical application, placing special emphasis on the needs of the user who must decide on a particular analytical method for the problem in hand. They consider questions about the sample itself, including the nature of the matrix, sample size, and sample preparation, economic factors such as the capital and running costs of the instrument, its complexity, sample throughput rate, and possibilities for automation. A clear distinction is made between, on the one hand, purely instrumental factors such as limits of detection, sensitivity, operating range, precision, r This section contains book reviews and a list of new books received by theeditor. Book reviews are written by invitation from the editor. Suggestions for books to be reviewed and for book reviewers are welcome. Publishers should send brochures or (better) books to Dr. Ralf Baumdnn, Redaktion Angewdndte Chemie, Postfach 1011 61, D-69451Weinheim. Federal Republic of Germany. The editor reserves the right of selecting which books will be reviewed. Uninvited books not chosen for review will not be returned. What's in a Nameand selectivity, and on the other hand element-related matters such as capabilities for multielement detection, for quantitative analysis, and for distinguishing between different species of the same element. The authors also discuss questions such as how widespread is the use of the instruments concerned (as this affects the availability of information about applications), and whether the method can be used for on-line process analysis. Each chapter is rounded off by giving examples (in the form of tables) of typical applications of the method, and information about the main instrument manufacturers, which is useful for requesting promotional and technical information. As well as the methods mentioned above, the authors also briefly discuss capillary electrophoresis, flow injection analysis, massspectrometric techniques, neutron activation analysis, and spectrophotometry.The detailed discussions of the various methods are helpful to the reader both in choosing suitable analytical methods for specific problems and, if the question arises, in purchasing a new analytical instrument. In this respect the book differs from conventional texts in this fiel...

Teaching the Tenets and Applications of Hydrodynamic Voltammetry Using an Inexpensive, User-Friendly, Hands-on Setup with a Rotating Platinum Electrode in Aqueous Solution to Fortify Student Comprehension of Voltammetry

“…The variants of HV are rotating wire electrode, rotating ring electrode, and rotating ring disc electrode. , Liza Rassaei et al have studied HV with nanogap electrodes . In the hands-on setup presented herein, a rotating platinum wire electrode without the intricacy of a mercury seal has been designed, fabricated, and employed to study the tenets and applications of HV.…”