Crystallography in Modern Chemistry: A Resource Book of Crystal Structures (Wiley Professional)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 1323 pages
• Published by: Wiley-Interscience April 7, 1997
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0471184381
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0471184386
• Book Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 1.9 inches
• Weighs: 4.5 pounds

Product Description
A comprehensive resource book providing professionals and students with a broad survey of structural information delineating the parallel development of crystallography and modern chemistry. Provides detailed description of crystal structures in increasing levels of complexity, from metals to organics, inorganics, organometallics, and inclusion compounds. Examples used to illustrate topics have been carefully selected to reflect the major advances of recent years and to bring the reader to the forefront of active research by including topics of current interest.

Publisher Description
A comprehensive resource book providing professionals and students with a broad survey of structural information delineating the parallel development of crystallography and modern chemistry. Provides detailed descriptions of crystal structures in increasing levels of complexity ranging from metals, inorganics, organics, organometallics to inclusion complexes. Examples used to illustrate topics have been carefully selected to reflect the major advances of recent years and to bring the reader to the forefront of active research by including topics of current interest.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Crystallography in Modern Chemistry: A Resource Book of Crystal Structures (Hardcover) The book "Crystallography in Modern Chemistry - Resource Book of Crystal Structures" by Thomas W.C. Mak and Gong-Du Zhou (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1992, ISBN 0-471-54702-6) is always on my bookshelf - and I constantly refer to it. Why? The answer is simple: It is the best resource book about chemical structures I know. I use it constantly to compare the molecular structures I obtain with the ab-initio calculations I do with Gaussian 98W with the structures discussed in the book. The authors have collected crystal and molecular structures to illustrate chemical concepts for their introductory and advanced lectures at several universities over a period of 25 years. And what a magnificent collection of structures they have managed to collect, reproduce, discuss and place in perspective! This collection covering 1323 pages ranges from the "run-of-the-mill" structures for freshman chemistry courses (Chapter 2; 27 structures; about 160 pages of structures, data and illustrations), main group inorganic compounds (Chapter 3; 43 structures; about 280 pages), inorganic compounds of the transition elements (Chapter 4; 23 structures; about 260 pages), organic compounds (Chapter 5; 23 structures; about 110 pages), organometallic compounds (Chapter 6; 16 compounds; about 160 pages) ans inclusion compounds (Chapter 7; 9 compounds; about 130 pages). I must emphasize that the term "compound" in my list in the previous paragraph is far wider than just a single compound, for instance, the discussion of the compound "Zinc Blende, ZnS" compares it with many of the other compounds having the ideal zinc blende structure; a useful set of references for further reading is also provided for each compound type. The authors did not include structures haphazardly, but put a lot of thought into the selection of structures which are useful for illustrating chemical concepts, for instance, including hexamethyl benzene and its structural problems. The crystal and molecular structure of benzene, the symmetry of the benzene molecule as deduced from vibrational spectra, the actual equilibrium geometry of the benzene molecule, the structures of the hexa-substituted benzenes (hexachloro-, hexanitro-, hexaamino-, etc.), as well as borazine and its P- and Al-analogues, etc are also discussed. The discussion emphasizes the similariity, as well as the differences between these intriguing compounds, and the list of about thirty references to the original and extended literature invites the reader to delve deeper. A book which compliments the book by Mak and Zhou is the very valuable book written by Kozo Kuchitsu (Editor), "Structures of Free Polyatomic Molecules - Basic Data", Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1998, ISBN 3-540-60766-8), which collects the structural data of some free polyatomic molecules. However, since it's purpose is to provide a collection of critically evaluated structural data and references, it does not provide a discussion of the individual structures. In conclusion, I can say that I recommend that all teachers of chemistry should use the book by Mak and Zhou, and that all libraries should own copies of it for the use of their students. The only reason why I use the library copy is the cost of the book - namely, US$240. And I wish that the book were available in electronic format on a CD-ROM - it would make it a far more useful teaching tool, since its structures and tables could then be electronically projected from a laptop in a well-equipped classroom and discussed without the need of Xeroxes and copyright problems! In addition, a CD-ROM ought to be cheaper than the printed version and students could buy it. Strange, in this age of the information highway, that this has not been done. I would strongly recommend it!