J. MATER. CHEM., 1991, 1(4), 709-711 BOOK REVIEWS Quasicrystals, Networks, and Molecules of Fivefold Sym- metry. Ed. I. Hargittae. VCH, Weinheim, 1990. Pp. xiii +314. Price f55.00. This book, consisting of a collection of 19 chapters and involving no fewer than 37 authors, aims to present a cross- section of work in quasicrystal research at the end of the 1980s. It is an interesting, fascinating and mystifying book. Interest is aroused by the bringing together of a wide range of concepts all associated with the phenomenon of fivefold symmetry. Fascination comes about because some of these concepts are so unfamiliar to the typical chemist, and yet relevant to the main theme. Mystification develops since, despite its title, it makes no mention of familiar small molecules of fivefold symmetry, such as ferrocene.Indeed, by far the greater portion of the book (12 chapters) is devoted to somewhat abstract considerations of fivefold symmetry, dealing with the problem of devising model lattices with some degree of appropriate symmetry present, which might be able to give rise to diffraction patterns similar to those obtained from various quasicrystalline alloys. Ideas such as special tiling patterns to obtain localised fivefold symmetry, which are relatively simple in themselves, are introduced. But there are also excursions into the unfamiliar (to many chem- ists) territory of topology-and even into Islamic architectural art. The thirteenth chapter considers the application of fivefold symmetry in relation to potential surfaces and reaction path- ways, and establishes by a graph-theoretical argument that mutual interconversion of five different entities by all of the possible direct pathways is impossible.The only significant chemical considerations are of various aspects of buckminsterfullerene and a chapter on centro-polyindans. In the former case, the experimental evidence for the occurrence of a C60 material is reviewed, and the possible candidacy of buckminsterfullerene as a source of interstellar absorption bands is discussed. Theoretical calculations of Hiickel energy levels, of the number of possible KCkulC structures, and of molecular vibration frequencies for the molecule are discussed in separate chapters.The main con- clusions are that until adequate experimental evidence of the spectroscopic properties of the molecule can be obtained, these exercises are little more than demonstrations of the application of various mathematical techniques. The calcu- lations of energies certainly produce widely differing results according to the method employed. Perhaps one set will eventually be found to correspond with observation. The final chapter on centropolyindans reviews the various methods in which five-membered rings can be joined together, and outlines synthetic routes to various different structures. Very few of these have fivefold symmetry, so that the inclusion of much of this chapter is somewhat surprising. The book is well produced.Considering the variety of different original languages of the several authors, the text is generally easily read. Sometimes, however, the mathematical concepts and symbolism are introduced with little or no explanation, which may prove difficult for the uninitiated. Most of the diagrams are clear and easily understood, although some of the stereo projections of four-dimensional items are difficult to appreciate. The use of colour from time to time is helpful in increasing clarity. There are commendably few typographical errors, but one figure referred to in the text appears to be missing. For a solid-state scientist who wishes to obtain a feeling for the current state of knowledge of the phenomenon of quasi-crystallinity, the book is an excellent source of infor- mation.For the curious, who would experience a widening of outlook in relation to all sorts of aspects of symmetry, crystallography etc., the book will prove an interesting, if somewhat expensive, investment. But for the chemist who wants to increase his or her knowledge of molecules of fivefold symmetry and little else, it is sadly deficient. J. A. Hunter Received 7th May, 1991 Surface Analytical Techniques. (Monographs on the Physics and Chemistry of Materials.) By J. C. Riviere. Oxford University Press, London, 1990. Pp. xiv +702. Price f75.00. Words like ‘magnum opus’, or ‘Herculean task’, spring to mind when coming to describe this book. The initial concept had been to write a book describing six or so of the major surface analytical techniques.However, during the writing Riviere decided that he could not justify omitting the minor techniques, so that what was produced ultimately was a volume of 23 chapters, 20 of which describe the techniques, 12 of them describing two or more techniques. The book deals with the range of application and with the advantages and disadvantages of each of the current tech- niques of surface compositional analysis. (The term ‘compo- sitional’ is used deliberately by the author in preference to elemental, since while some of the techniques do not give elemental information, they yield chemical information which is complementary to the elemental.) The book is well structured. The techniques are introduced according to the method of excitation of the effect.They are in the order: (i) electron excitation (chapters 4-9), with the techniques Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), scanning Auger electron microscopy (SAM), electron energy-loss spectroscopy (ELS), core-electron energy-loss spectroscopy (CEELS), high- resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy (HREELS), soft X-ray appearance potential spectroscopy (SXAPS), Auger electron appearance potential spectroscopy (AEAPS), disap- pearance potential spectroscopy (DAPS), inverse photoemis- sion spectroscopy (IPES), cathodoluminescence spectroscopy (CLS), electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) and electron- stimulated desorption ion angular distribution (ESDIAD); (ii) photon excitation (chapters 10-12), X-ray photoelectron spec- trocopy (XPS), X-ray excited Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy (SRPS), reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and sur- face-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS); (iii) ion excitation (chapters 13- 18), ion-excited Auger electron spectroscopy (IAES), proton-excited Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES), ion-neutralization spectroscopy (INS), metastable quenching spectroscopy (MQS), ion-beam spectrochemical analysis (IBSCA), glow discharge optical spectroscopy (GDOS), ion- scattering spectroscopy (ISS), static secondary-ion mass spec- troscopy (SSIMS), secondary-neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS) and glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS); (iv) neutral excitation (chapter 19), fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FABMS); (v) high-field excitation (chapters 20-22), inelastic electron tunnelling spectroscopy (IETS), atom probe field ion microscopy (APFIM), scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS); and (vi) thermal excitation (chapter 23) thermal desorp- tion spectroscopy (TDS).While it may have appeared tedious to have cited this long list of techniques it was done to show the comprehensive and compendious nature of this tome. Amazingly, considering the size of this book, techniques of studying the structure of surfaces have been specifically excluded, but are referred to from time to time throughout the text.Chapter2 is a resume of the physical principles of the methods of excitation described in (i)-(vi) above, while chapter 3 deals with the instrumentation, e.g. vacuum conditions, sources, analysers. Chapters 4-23, with minor additions in some, are structured in the same clear way: (i) operation, which is an enlarged experimental method (ii) theory, (iii) quantification and (iv) applications. The book is well presented and well written. It is written in a laconic, urbane style with just a hint of humour, e.g. in suggesting that scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) should be considered as different aspects of the same technique, the sentence finishes with, ‘(STMS?)’. Minor quibbles relate to the sheer enormity of the book so that the author, like the reviewer, could not possibly be familiar with all the techniques. Some chapters, therefore, seem slightly learned with a somewhat thin and esoteric bibliography.The book is aimed at those in surface science who wish to know more about other techniques and also at those outside the field wishing to gain some knowledge of surface analysis. In both areas it succeeds admirably. It is also an indispensable addition to any academic or industrial library as a reference volume. K. C.Waugh Received 7th May, 1991 Polymers for Microelectronics-Science and Technology. Ed. Y. Tabata, I. Mita, S. Nonogaki, K. Horie and S. Tagawa. VCH, Weinheim, 1990.Pp. xxv+870. Price f112,DM 280.This book comprises 67 papers of varying quality and interest, which were presented to the International Symposium on ‘Polymers for Microelectronics-Science and Technology’ held in Tokyo in 1989. They are presented in three sections which deal with aspects of the photophysics, radiation physics and chemistry of resists (36 papers), photosensitive polymers mainly in relation to optical-memory applications (1 1 papers), and polyimides and related polymers of interest to the micro- electronics industry as dielectric films for electric isolation (20 papers). These topics are of considerable current importance to the microelectronics industry but I have reservations about the general usefulness of this particular volume. At a price of &112, I cannot recommend this book for individual purchase since most papers are too specific to glean easily a general understanding of the subject, and the book is not sufficiently well produced to provide an effective source book for the expert.What is lacking, primarily, are general review papers to provide a framework to each topic, although some of the papers, notably those by Reichmanis et al. on deep UV lithography, by Moerner on persistent spectral-hole burning and by Senturia on the mechanical and adhesion properties of polyimide films, do cover some of the background to these fields. It would also have been illuminating to have included some of the discussion which presumably followed the presen- tation of the papers to the Symposium. Such background would have helped to highlight the topics and possibly answer questions the reader might have.With such a large number of authors it is always a difficult task to produce a coherent book, particularly when, as in this case, it is produced as camera-ready copy. There are many variations in typographical style with such poor printing of some of the papers as to make them difficult to read. There J. MATER. CHEM., 1991, VOL. 1 are places where chemical formulae have not been adequately finished, with bonds missing, unlabelled axes in some figures and poor reproduction of some of the photographic evidence, faults which all should have been dealt with by either the referees or the editors. There is a subject index but it is not comprehensive and lacks much cross referencing.Another fault here is that the pages cited refer to the start of the paper and not specifically to the page where the citation occurs. There are some strange listings. For example, benzene is quoted; this turns out to be a reference to its use as a resist- developing solvent. A few papers deal with Langmuir-Blodg- ett films and these are cited under that heading, but a paper dealing with continuous uptake of LB film is not quoted under Langmuir-Blodgett films but appears variously under aligning layer, molecular orientation, ultrathin film and water surface spreading method. For the two papers dealing with aspects of spiropyrans one is quoted under that heading and the other under ‘normal spiropyran’. I also found it surprising that there were no papers dealing with side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers for optical infor- mation storage using thermal writing, although there is a contribution dealing with combined LC/photochromic poly- mers as potential storage media.The opening address refers to the conductive and non-linear optical properties of poly- mers in microelectronics, but these aspects were mentioned only very briefly. H. Block Received 13th May, 1991 Pore Size Engineering in Zeolites. By E. F. Vansant. Wiley- Salle and Sauerlander, New York, 1990.Pp xii +367. Price f24.95. Zeolitic channel systems, which may be one-, two- or three- dimensional, are normally filled with water. When water is removed, other species such as gaseous elements, C02, ammonia, alkali-metal vapours, hydrocarbons, alkanols and many other organic and inorganic species may be accommo- dated in the intracrystalline space.Depending on pore diam- eter and on molecular dimensions, this process may be highly selective. Thus dehydrated chabazite, with pore openings <5 8, wide, can sorb water, methanol, ethanol and formic acid, but not acetone, ether or benzene. By contrast, the remarkable porous aluminophosphate molecular sieve VPI-5 containing 18-membered rings of tetrahedral atoms has a very large channel diameter of ca. 12 A, which gives it considerable potential for the separation of large molecules and for catalytic cracking of heavy fractions of petroleum.Sorption on molecu- lar sieves is a powerful method for the resolution of mixtures. Commercial applications are wide and include drying of organics, separation of hydrocarbons and of N, and O2 in air and the removal of NH3 and CS2 from industrial gases. The mechanism of synthesis of molecular sieves is not well understood, and the various materials have been prepared largely by trial and error. Variables during the synthesis include the type of base and of the organic template (if any), concentration of the components and the temperature. One cannot, at least at present, talke of ‘designing’ molecular sieves in the ordinary sense of the word. Exchangeable cations also influence the dimensions of the channels and cavities. The sodium form of zeolite A sorbs both N2 and O2 while the calcium form sorbs nitrogen preferentially to oxygen.The size of channel apertures can be modified (or, more correctly, reduced) further by lining the intracrystalline space with pre-adsorbed polar molecules and J. MATER. CHEM., 1991, VOL. 1 by chemical derivatization (for example by silanation) of the framework itself. It is these processors that are the subject of this slim volume. Given their limited scope, the title of the book is a considerable exaggeration, and the contents a disappointment. Vansant deals mostly with the modification of the channel openings in mordenite, one of about 10 zeolites which have found actual industrial applications, and refers largely to his own work.This is unexceptional in a thesis or a review article, but seems unsatisfactory in the hard-back book under such a beguiling title. This having been said, there is nothing wrong with the science discussed here, as opposed to the presentation which is inadequate. Still, the text contains things that would not pass the referees’ muster in a respectable journal. For example, Fig. 59 plots the percentage of encapsulated xenon released from mordenite as a function of temperature. The horizontal axis spans temperatures 323-773 K, but the results given are for 603 and 673 K only. Modern computer software makes it possible to draw bar diagrams easily, but this does not justify a figure with a total of two experimental points. Clearly the manuscript has been submitted in camera-ready form. I consider this particular practice, often used in confer- ence proceedings, to be a scourge of modern science.It is not only that almost the entire publication effort is passed on to the authors (although this is rarely reflected in the royalties or in the price of the final product) but more seriously, the 71 1 problem is the abdication of editorial intervention which, when dealing with quality publishing houses, is often invalu- able. The book under review has suffered badly from not having been edited properly. Thus the numbering of figures is continuous throughout the text, but the numbering of tables re-starts at the beginning of each chapter. By contrast, sec- tions are elaborately numbered (boranation is discussed in Section 2.3.2.3), which is of little use since there are no running heads. The title of Chapter 2 is the same as that of the book itself. The Index contains curious entries, such as ‘Acids of phosphor and salts’. The plates serve no useful purpose. The overall impression is one of a homemade text which has been hastily put together. I see no reason for publishing books like this one. To a new research student wishing to survey the state-of-the-art in this particular field, it offers little more than a list of 38 references. The wider applications and possibilities of chemical modification of zeolitic architecture are given little attention; vision, synthesis and foresight are lacking. Aluminophosphate molecular sieves, materials with most interesting sorptive properties, are not even mentioned. The kindest comment I can make about this book is that it fits nicely on a standard size book-shelf. J. Klinowski Received 20th May, 1991