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o f n e w sor ts o f cells. T h e n t h e fue l cell research , in i t i a t ing the s t u d y o f p o r o u s e l ec t rodes and ex tens ive inves t iga t ions o f e l e c t r o d e mate r i a l s as well as n e w non- a q u e o u s l iquid and solid e l ec t ro ly tes , b r o u g h t a cons ide rab l e q u a n t i t y o f n e w cells wi th in te res t ing proper t ies . S o m e o f these s y s t e m s are c o m m e r c i a l l y available.

A c o m p l e t e l y m o d e r n m o n o g r a p h on e l e c t r o c h e m i c a l P o w e r sources, under - s t andab le also to non -e l ec t rochemis t s , was b a d l y needed . N o w this g a p has been f i l led by M o d e r n Bat ter ies . The b o o k cons is t s o f e igh t chap te r s . A ve ry c lear ly wr i t t en i n t r o d u c t i o n to e l e c t rochemica l t h e r m o d y n a m i c s , w h i c h can b e easi ly read by e l ec t rochemica l l a y m e n , is t he sub jec t o f t h e f i rs t chap te r . I n t he n e x t t w o chap t e r s t h e classical f ie ld o f p r i m a r y and s e c o n d a r y cells is d e a l t wi th , o f course inc lud ing all r e cen t deve lopmen t s . T h e e f f o r t t o achieve a cons ide rab l e : increase o f E M F t o g e t h e r w i th a decrease in w e i g h t o f t h e cell r e su l t ed in t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f alkali meta ls , pa r t i cu la r ly o f l i t h ium, as a n o d e mater ia ls . Thus , t he f o u r t h c h a p t e r is c o n c e r n e d wi th cells cons i s t ing o f a l i t h i u m e l ec t rode and an organic so lven t . T h e c h a p t e r on high t e m p e r a t u r e cells inc ludes l i t h i u m and s o d i u m bat ter ies . Par t icu la r a t t e n t i o n is pa id to t h e s o d i u m - - s u l p h u r s y s t e m which, as we hope , will dr ive o u r f u t u r e electr ical vehicles. T h e seven th c h a p t e r deals w i th solid s ta te cells based on solid e l ec t ro ly tes . As an in t e re s t ing case i n t e r ca l a t i on c o m p o u n d s are m e n t i o n e d as use fu l e l ec t rode mater ia ls . T h e sub- j ec t .of t he last c h a p t e r is s e c o n d a r y h y b r i d sys tems , i.e. meta l - -a i r , m e t a l - - ha logen and h y d r o g e n - - m e t a l cells. T h e fue l cells have n o t been i n c l u d e d Ln t h e b o o k as t h e y have been ex tens ive ly dea l t wi th in o t h e r r e c e n t t ex ts .

T h e a u t h o r s shou ld be c o n g r a t u l a t e d w i th t he i r exce l l en t f r esh ly wr i t t en b o o k which shou ld f ind b road readersh ip n o t o n l y a m o n g e l e c t r o c h e m i s t s b u t also a m o n g special ists in t h e f ield o f e lectr ical eng ineer ing and t e c h n o l o g y .

J. KORYTA Prague

M o d e r n Trends in A n a l y t i c a l Chemis t ry . Ana ly t i c a l C h e m i s t r y S y m p o s i a Series, Vol. 18. Par t A ed i t ed b y E. P u n g o r a n d I. Buz~s. Pa r t B ed i t ed by E. Pungor , G.E. Verecs a n d I. Buz~s. Elsevier, A m s t e r d a m , 1 9 8 4 , xiii + 432 pp. (Par t A) and viii + 195 pp. (Par t B), U S $ 1 3 4 . 5 0 .

This v o l u m e b inds u n d e r o n e cover t h e p roceed ings o f t w o qu i t e separa te s y m p o s i a wh ich h a p p e n to have been he ld one a f t e r t h e o t h e r in Mat raf i i sed , H u n g a r y in O c t o b e r 1982 . T h e lack o f c o m m o n in t e res t in t h e subjec ts is i nd i ca t ed by t h e few n3mes in c o m m o n b e t w e e n t h e t w o lists o f pa r t i c ipan t s ; t h e r e is in f ac t o n l y o n e b u t p r e s u m a b l y t h e ed i to rs , a~. least , shou ld also be c o u n t e d in th is n u m b e r .

The f i rs t a n d larger p a r t is m o r e c lose ly r e l a t ed t o e l ec t rochemica l in te res t s as i nd i ca t ed by its t i t le " E l e c t r o c h e m i c a l D e t e c t i o n in F l o w Ana lys i s " . Vo l t am- me t r i c , ion select ive a n d c o n d u c t i m e t r i c m e t h o d s are covered p a r t i c u l a r l y w i th r e f e r ence to use in c o m b i n a t i o n w i t h c h r o m a t o g r a p h i c m e t h o d s . The f i rs t p l ena ry l ec tu re is by t h e " g r a n d o ld re_an" o f th i s sub jec t W i k t o r K e m u l a . The re are e ight o t h e r p l e n a r y and k e y n o t e l ec tu res f o l l o w e d b y 13 d iscuss ion

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l ec tures . T h e p a r t i c i p a n t s ( a b o u t 60) were p r e d o m i n a n t l y f r o m Eas t e rn E u r o p e , b u t t h e Czechos lovaks are c o n s p i c u o u s b y the i r absence . T h e d i scuss ion fo l low- ing each or each g roup is r e p o r t e d , a p p a r e n t l y i n full . I t is s o m e t i m e s i l lumina t - ing b u t a l s o a t t i m e s r a t h e r trivial. C u r i o u s l y in th is p a r t ( b u t n o t in Pa r t B) t h e r e m a r k s are r e p o r t e d a n o n y m o u s l y w i t h o n l y t h e list o f n a m e s a t t h e h e a d o f each sec t ion .

Par t B covers a m u c h m o r e genera l t op i c " P a t t e r n R e c o g n i t i o n in A n a l y t i c a l C h e m i s t r y " t h a t is essent ia l ly t h e c o m p u t e r based eva lua t ion o f da t a . I t was a smal ler m e e t i n g (40 pa r t i c ipan t s ) b u t t h e impress ion f r o m t h e d i scuss ion is t h a t t h e r e was less c o m m o n g r o u n d b e t w e e n t h e pa r t i c ipan t s . Pe rhaps th is i~ because t h e j a rgon in th is f ie ld is less well e s t ab l i shed a n d u n d e r s t o o d . I t m , l s t be said also t h a t t h e Enali.~h is in g rea t n e e d o f ed i to r i a l a t t e n t i o n .

T h e v o l u m e is we l l - p roduced in r e adab l e o f f - se t b u t t h e pr ice is high.

ROGER PARSONS Bristol