JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY, AUGUST 1987, VOL. 2 423 Book Review Analytical Applications of Lasers. Edited by Edward H. Piepmeier. Chemical Analysis, Volume 87. Pp. xvi + 703. Wiley-Interscience. 1986. Price f85.95. Twenty-two well known scientists from all over the world contributed to this addi- tion to the established Wiley series on Chemical Analysis. This new and inter- esting book is on an area of science that is developing strongly. The contents are organised into six parts: Introduction; Selected Methods that Use Various Detection Schemes; Methods with Improved Spectral Resolu- tion; Selected Multi-photon and Multi- wavelength Methods; Methods Based on Special Characteristics of Lasers; and Lasers with Other Methods. These six parts contain 19 chapters altogether.The Editor prepared the Introduction on the basic principles of lasers. This chapter gives an excellent readily under- standable survey on the theoretical aspects of lasers and the apparatus used. However some of the examples used could be better explained, e.g., the exact energy levels. ISBN 0-471-87023-4 Part I1 contains five chapters on: Laser- excited atomic and ionic fluorescence (LEAFS); Laser enhanced ionisation (LEI); Detection of small numbers of atoms and molecules; Optoacoustic spec- troscopy; and Infrared absorption spec- troscopy. Winefordner and Omenetto, the best known scientists in this field, contributed an informed and realistic critical section on LEAFS, with numerous diagrams, schemes and tables and 239 references. This gives an excellent account of the state-of-the-art and for the future of this most sensitive method of analytical atomic spectrometry in the field of inorganic analysis. It may even be that the future is even more optimistic as examples of extreme trace analysis are increasingly being reported.Green repor- ted on the use of LEI in organic analysis. The content of this chapter gives precise and up-to-date information about this new technique. The main advantages of this method are that it is easy to distinguish between the signal being detected and the optical excitation, there are no stray light effects and its simplicity. These advan- tages are, without any doubt, the basis for further development of this optogalvanic procedure. Sixty-two references support this progressive opinion. The more theoretical aspects rather than the practical analytical methodology is described by Alkemade, one of the senior researchers in the field, in Chapter 4, which is on the detection of small numbers of atoms and molecules, par- ticularly single atom detection.This chapter is very impressive, because it shows from a theoretical and practical point of view what is actually possible with “laser” techniques. Particularly, the recommendations of this author for spec- troanalytical chemists are a valuable guide for the future. The importance of the chapter is underlined with 121 refer- ences. The chapter on optoacoustic spec- trometry, written by Tam, is short. The theoretical part is informative and detailed but there are too few analytical examples (92 references). The chapter on IR absorption spec- trometry written by Yeung is also short, but there is some interesting information on new laser types (wave mixing, diode424 JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY, AUGUST 1987, VOL.2 lasers, spin-flip Raman laser, etc.). In accordance with the practicality of this method, some experimental techniques are briefly described (long-path absorp- tion, modulation spectroscopy, etc.); 54 references are included. Part I11 contains two chapters: Cryogenic molecular fluorescence spec- trometry (by Wehry) and Linear and non-linear site-selective laser spectro- scopy (by Wright et d). The major developments in laser-excited molecular fluorescence based on the Shpolski- effect is the main subject of the first chapter.Numerous analytical applica- tions are described and it is concluded that other methods of transition-energy selection will arise with improvements in lasers and decreasing costs of the instrumentation (209 references). The chapter on site-selective spectroscopy is much more theoretical (26 references), but shows that complex compounds, REEs, proteins etc. can be studied. Part IV also contains two chapters: Two-photon excited fluorescence (by Kostulo and Wirth) and Raman related methods in chemical analysis (by Yeung). The first stages of two-photon excitation for qualitative and quantitative analysis of organics are described (27 references). In accordance with its importance, the chapter on Raman spectroscopy is long, with conventional Raman spectroscopy, Raman remote sensing, inverse Raman scattering, Kerr-effect spectroscopy, photoacoustic Raman spectroscopy, coherent anti-Stoke’s Raman spectro- scopy, resonance Raman, Raman spectro- electrochemistry being descirbed from theoretical and practical points of view (130 references).Six chapters on different topics are included in Part V. Remote sensing with lasers, written by Measures, is an interest- ing area from the theoretical and particu- larly from the practical point of view in environmental sciences. The author shows that it is possible to determine both major and minor constituents and to measure thermal properties of the atmo- sphere by absorption and scattering processes using lasers; 190 references underline the importance of this field. The Editor contributed the next chapter on Intracavity-enhanced spec- troscopy.This gives rise to the possibility of measuring very small absorption coeffi- cients. In spite of the fact that the method is still in its early stages of development, it is evident that this technique could be the most sensitive of all (52 references). Harris describes the thermal lens effect, which is also a new technique for trace analysis. Because the lens is only a semi- selective detector, combinations with chromatography and FIA are specifically mentioned (56 references). Wirth and Blanchard present informa- tion on pico-second spectroscopy (21 references). Ware describes electro- phoretic light scattering with a brief dis- cussion of the theoretical background and of the applications (43 references).The importance of laser flow cytometry for biological, biochemical and medical research is described by Hein and Thomas, where single cells can be detec- ted in flow streams. An area where this technique could be of interest in the future should be in colloid chemistry (131 references). The last part contains three chapters on areas where lasers have been combined with other techniques. Yeung describes the application of lasers as detectors in chromatography. Because many of the principles of lasers in other areas can also be applied to chromatography much of this chapter repeats what has already been described in earlier chapters (26 refer- ences). The last two chapters discuss the use of lasers for the generation of ions for mass spectrometry (written by Houk) and for the generation of atoms and ions from solids (laser ablation) for atomic spectro- scopy (written by the Editor). The analy- sis of solids by laser desorption is des- cribed by Houk, who underlines the practical use of this very expensive tech- nique with 174 references. In the last chapter the Editor tries to deal with the wide area of laser ablation for direct solid analysis.He combines some theoretical proposals with a summary of applications. Because this is one of the oldest fields of application of lasers in analytical chem- istry there are many references (177). Summarising, it can be concluded that the book will be of interest to specialists and as well as non-specialists and students. Of course it is always a problem to produce a work with contributions from many authors, because this can lead to inhomogeneity and repetitions cannot be avoided. Another critical note is the literature. There are obviously a large number of references, but the most recent ones cited are from 1982-1983. A parti- cular example is the last chapter on laser ablation, where from 177 references only seven are from the 1980s (three being by the author). For such a strongly developing field of analytical chemistry, if the 22 authors could have worked in parallel the up-to- date character of the book would have been improved. However, this note does not diminish the value of the book too severely, so it is highly recommended for reading and studying. Klaus Dittrich Karl- Marx- Universitat, Leipzig, GDR