Polymer International 44 (1997) 403È404

Book Reviews

Nonlinear optical materials : Theory and modellingACS symposium series no. 628Edited by S. P. Karna and A. T. Yeates.American Chemical Society, Washington DC, 1996.pp. xi] 249, price, US$89.95.ISBN 0-8412-3401-9

Over the last two decades the study of nonlinear optical pro-cesses in organic materials has grown to a point wheredetailed theoretical modelling has now become justiÐed. Thetype of experimental phenomena observed through nonlinearoptical interactions is as diverse as third harmonic generation,photoabsorption, electric Ðeld and second harmonic gener-ation, intensity dependent index refraction and stimulatedRaman scattering.

This book reports papers given at the 208th ACS NationalMeeting in 1994. It is composed of 13 chapters, which form afairly coherent survey of the theoretical principles associatedwith nonlinear optical properties, grouped together intogeneral techniques used for modelling and their applications.An introductory chapter by N. Bloembergen, one of thefounders of the Ðeld, is followed by three chapters focusingon ab initio time dependent HartreeÈFock and post-HartreeÈFock techniques and their application to the calculation ofmolecular nonlinear optical materials. Chapters 5È7 discussHartreeÈFock based semi-empirical techniques in their appli-cation to the modelling of second and third order nonlinearoptical materials. Chapters 8 and 9 focus on development ofdensity function techniques and their application to predictionof molecular nonlinear optical coefficients. Chapter 10 dis-cusses time dependent perturbation theory for determinationof nonlinear optical properties of polymers. Chapters 11 and12 are devoted to the nonlinear optical properties of polymersand discuss model Hamiltonian methods and their applica-tions. The concluding chapter describes experimental evalu-ation of nonlinear optical materials and, in particular,resonant nonlinear optical phenomena which present a majorchallenge to theoretical modelling.

The book is written for specialists and requires a knowledgeof the subject to understand the subtleties contained in thesepresentations. The chapters are well written, supported byextensive references and make a valuable contribution to theliterature. It is to be recommended to anyone interested innonlinear optical properties and, although it is a conferenceproceedings, I am sure will be a landmark reference for anumber of years. It is printed on special paper to ensure thatit lasts ! !

R. A. Pethrick

Nanotechnology : Molecularly designed materialsACS symposium series no. 622Edited by G.-M. Chow and K. E. Gonsalves.American Chemical Society, Washington DC, 1996.pp. ix] 413, price, US$114.95.ISBN 0-8412-3392-6

Molecularly designed nanostructure materials have beeninvestigated for more than a decade with a wide range ofexperimental methods. The speciÐc research topics covered inthis book include retrophase synthesis, metal colloids, poly-mers and membranes, semiconductors, metals, nanocompo-sites, ceramics and solid gel derived materials.

The book opens with an introductory chapter laying outperspectives of nanoscience and nanotechnology within thecontext of chemistry. It is a good introduction to the subjectand rapidly brings the reader up to speed. The 36 articles areorganized into topics covering vapour phase growth (fourchapters) primarily concerned with inorganic materials ; metalcolloids, polymers and membranes (six chapters) ; semicon-ductor metals and nanocomposites (eight chapters) ; ceramicsand solids (seven chapters). Of these, ten chapters containmaterial relating to the use of polymeric materials either instabilization of the formation of nanodispersion or as part ofthe matrix in composite materials. The focus of this pub-lication is on the synthesis of materials ; the important physi-cal evaluation of the structures is not dealt with in any greatdepth.

This is a rapidly emerging Ðeld with great signiÐcance in thefuture. As such, this book will be a valuable reference to thosewishing to produce controlled nanostructures for investigationand evaluation for potential applications, and is a valuableresource for scientists, engineers and technologists wishing tolearn about nanotechnology.

R. A. Pethrick

Step-growth polymers for high-performance materials : Newsynthetic methodsACS symposium series no. 624Edited by James L. Hedrick and Je† W. Labadie.American Chemical Society, Washington DC, 1996.pp. ix] 469, price, US$125.95.ISBN 0-8412-3394-2

This volume has been edited by two well-respected researchersin the Ðeld of high-performance polymers. Most of the paperscontain recent research Ðndings, with short review articles

4031997 SCI. Polymer International 0959-8103/97/$17.50 Printed in Great Britain(

404 Book reviews

included at the beginning of all but one of the sections È auseful feature for those readers who are less well acquaintedwith each area.

The title covers a wide range of topics, although the forma-tion of polymers via step-growth polymerization is a featurewhich is common to all. This particular volume covers Ðvegeneral areas of step-growth polymer synthesis : transition-metal-catalysed polymerization (six papers, 127 pages) ; den-dritic and hyperbranched systems (Ðve papers, 64 pages) ;poly(aryl ether) synthesis (six papers, 81 pages) ; general step-growth polymerization topics (seven papers, 96 pages) andpolyimides and high-temperature polymers (Ðve papers, 59pages). The work has an international Ñavour with the USA,Germany, Japan, France and Canada all represented(although notably not the UK). The author list of 74 namesincludes many acknowledged experts in the Ðeld of high-

performance polymers whose work will be well known to thereader.

This is a creditable job, with a well-edited, comprehensivelyindexed volume. It is inevitable that there is some variabilityin the print/legend quality of some diagrams. However, of thenumerous examples presented, only four fell below an “accept-ableÏ standard (according to this particularly pedanticreviewer) and, of these, two were contained within a singlepaper.

In conclusion, this book would be a worthy acquisition forlibraries or laboratories. Owing to the breadth of the coverageand its relevance to current technological developments, thisvolume will serve as a useful reference source for some yearsto come in the Ðeld of high-performance polymers.

I. Hamerton

POLYMER INTERNATIONAL VOL. 44, NO. 3, 1997