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Chemical Analysis, 2nd edition is the English language translation of a French instrumental analysis textbook that is now in its 4th edition. This text is a mature product, with a solid, authoritative feel. It has a complete set of quite clear illustrations, including both illustrations of the concepts behind analytical techniques and diagrams (and photos) of commercial instruments. The textual material is similarly complete and clearly laid out.
The book begins with chromatography, highlighting its central position within modern analytical chemistry. A full third of the textbook is devoted to this important topic, including an overview chapter and seven chapters on specific kinds of separation methods, including GC, HPLC, ion chromatography, and electrophoresis. Each is clearly developed and presented, with appropriate end-of-chapter problems. Full answers to all end-of-chapter problems are provided at the end of the textbook, a nice feature for students that isn’t found in other textbooks.
The second third of the book covers spectroscopy, at an appropriate level. The traditional topics are included: instrumentation, UV–visible spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, luminescence methods, NMR, atomic spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence. Each topic gets full treatment. The lag time associated with producing a translation edition does show in one aspect of this topic: the recent explosion of uses for Raman spectroscopy aren’t included. Indeed, Raman spectroscopy is mentioned only as a problem in fluorescence spectroscopy, not as a full spectroscopy in its own right.
The final third of the book is labeled Other Methods, a not untypical way to group the remaining major methods. In this area, mass spectrometry and electrochemistry are the most important methods discussed, although some classic methods like elemental analysis and radiochemical measurements are also included. The mass spectrometry section is complete and clear, while the electrochemistry coverage is perhaps less than usual for such textbooks. The coverage of ion trap detectors for mass spectrometry is a bit out of date, since it highlights the dynamic range problems that the first such detectors had, without recognizing the solutions that current commercial instruments utilize.
Overall, this is an excellent, thorough but concise, instrumental analysis textbook. Its brevity is an advantage compared to several competitive texts (Robinson, Skelly Frame, and Frame’s Undergraduate Instrumental Analysis, 6th edition (1) and Skoog, Holler, and Crouch’s Principles of Instrumental Analysis, 6th edition (2) are each more than 1000 pages). The illustrations are superior, clearly communicating concepts. The text content itself is also very solid, although the translation is a bit formal at times. The content does not include as many developments from the last several years as the two mentioned competitors, but it presents the solid foundations of all major techniques in current use. Chemical Analysis, 2nd edition would be a fine choice for any undergraduate or first-year graduate course in instrumental analysis, especially for those who prefer a classical approach.
Literature Cited
- Robinson, J. W.; Skelly Frame, E. M.; Frame, II, G. M. Undergraduate Instrumental Analysis, 6th ed.; Marcel Dekker: New York, 2005.
- U Skoog, D. A.; Holler, F. J.; Crouch, S. R. Principles of Instrumental Analysis, 6th ed.; Thomson Brooks/Cole: Belmont, CA, 2007.
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