03/31/2005 -
Macromolecules Containing Metal and Metal-Like Elements, Volume 1: A Half Century of Metal- and Metalloid-Containing Polymers (2003)
edited by Alaa S. Abd-El-Aziz, Charles E. Carraher, Jr., Charles U. Pittman, Jr., John E. Sheats, and Martel Zeldin
ISBN 0-471-45832-5. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. 2003. Hardcover. 268 pages. $125.
| REVIEWED BY: | Gary Vardon, OSHA
|
Wow, there is a lot of neat stuff in the book Macromolecules Containing Metal and Metal-Like Elements Volume 1 by Alaa S. Abd-El-Aziz, Charles E. Carraher, Jr., Charles U. Pittman, Jr., John E. Sheats, and Martel Zeldin. By neat stuff, I am referring to a great number of intriguing polymers and clever reaction schemes that pepper almost every page. One criticism of many chemistry books is that the books do not contain enough pictures. Well, this one does. The illustrations of the novel structures serve as pictures and give the book visual appeal. The text is linked to and explains the figures and vice versa. This is as it should be. Another good touch is that the chapters are concluded with a summary. This serves as a needed review.
The authors demonstrate expert knowledge of organic, polymer, and metal coordination chemistry. They also intelligently incorporate results of such techniques as cyclic voltammetry, thermogravimeteric analysis, and conductivity measurements. This book will make the reader more knowledgeable about important areas of chemistry and how they interact. In other words, Macromolecules is well written and state of the art. The work is well documented as well. The references cited show that all the authors are active contributors in the field of metal polymer research. This book may well be an example of a team project where the efforts of a team exceed the efforts of even the brightest individual in the group. This group effort provides a breadth of knowledge which is well displayed. A multitude of different polymers and polymer types are surveyed in this volume. The novel structures show great imagination.
As is shown in Macromolecules, there are a great many possibilities for research involving polymers containing metals. The metals can be varied. An index is devoted to just the metals in polymers. The geometries of the macromolecules can be many and varied as is amply illustrated in this volume. Linear, two-dimensional, three-dimensional, interlocking rings, dendritic, and star structures are possible. Investigating the material properties associated with the different structures is a subject worth pursuing. Macromolecules just whets the appetite for this. Determining synthetic techniques for macromolecules containing metals is an area rich in investigative possibilities. Of course, the reactions and chemical analyses of these freakish molecules are worthy topics for investigation. Understanding chemical reactions is at the heart of chemistry and is emphasized in this volume. In fact, the authors of Macromolecules, who are all professors, have ably tackled all the described subjects. Charles Carraher, Jr., one of the authors of this book, also wrote Giant Molecules, which is an excellent and well-written textbook on polymers that would serve well as a complimentary book to Macromolecules for polymer lovers.
Macromolecules is well suited for those interested in new developments in polymer chemistry. A background in organic and polymer chemistry would be helpful for the full appreciation of this much-praised work. Yes, Macromolecules has the wow factor, and, if you can be excited by a chemistry book (and who can't?), then rush out and get educated on metal-containing polymers by reading this book. |
