Catalysis by Polyoxometalates

Edited by Ivan V.Kozhevnikov.(Series: Catalystsfor Fine ChemicalSynthesis, Vol. 2.)John Wiley &Sons, Chichester2002. xiv þ 201pp., hardcover£ 75.00.—ISBN0-471-62381-4

The first polyoxometalate compoundwas discovered as early as the beginningof the 19th century, but it was not until acentury later that the structure of thecompound became known. It tookalmost another 50 years, until the1970s, for the first catalytic applicationsof these compounds to be recognized.Since then, there has been an almostexponential growth of research on cata-lytic applications of polyoxometalates,which have mainly been used as acid andoxidation catalysts. The present book byIvan Kozhevnikov, one of the originalresearchers in the area since the 1970s,nicely covers the various aspects ofcatalysis by polyoxometalates for thefirst time in such a broad context.Previous reviews concentrated on spe-cific aspects. The book reviews thesubject of catalysis by polyoxometalatesin a comprehensive way that is espe-cially relevant for specialists and thoseactive in the field. However, nonspecial-ists and researchers interested in enter-ing this field or learning about thesubject will find this book very valuableas a way to get an initial grasp of these

versatile methods. But it is not clear whythis book is part of a series on catalystsfor fine chemical synthesis, since thesubject matter transcends that area. Itwould have been more natural to pub-lish this book as part of a series dealingwith more general themes of catalysis.

The book begins with a general andhistorical introduction to the area ofcatalysis by polyoxometalates, mention-ing all the previous reviews on this topic.Next, there is an in-depth discussion onthe properties, structures, and solution-state chemistry of polyoxometalates.This is followed by a very good discus-sion of the acid and redox properties ofthese compounds. These properties,along with an understanding of thestructural aspects and solution-statebehavior, are vital for the use andunderstanding of polyoxometalates asacid and oxidation catalysts, and are animportant and concise contribution thathighlights the advantages of polyoxo-metalates as catalysts. The third chapterof the book is devoted to the synthesis ofcatalytically important polyoxometa-lates, including a short compendium ofexperimental methods that are takenboth from the literature and from theauthor*s experience. This is a departurefrom the general theme of the book, butis valuable for those wishing to synthe-size catalysts described in the literature.

The twomajor parts of the book dealwith the applications of polyoxometa-lates as acid and oxidation catalysts,respectively. In the case of acid catalysis,emphasis has been placed on the typesof transformations carried out underdifferent conditions that have beenreported in the literature, such as reac-tions in homogeneous liquid phases, intwo-phase liquid – liquid and liquid –

solid systems, and in heterogeneousgas – solid systems. This is not just acollection of reactions, as the author alsodiscusses questions of mechanism andcatalyst stability. The chapter on oxida-tion catalysis is mostly concerned withliquid-phase oxidations using molecularoxygen and peroxides as oxidants, with amore limited discussion of gas-phasereactions. As well as a thorough descrip-tion of the reactions that have beenreported, there is also a detailed in-depth discussion of kinetic and mecha-nistic questions that are complicated,and in some cases still open to furtherresearch and fresh considerations.

The final part of the book reportsbriefly on industrial applications and onother areas of applications of polyoxo-metalates in catalysis. Also, the use ofpolyoxometalates in other areas notrelated to catalyis, such as analyticalchemistry, medicine, separation technol-ogy, and membranes is mentioned.

The references cover the literaturecomprehensively, with bibiographies atthe ends of the chapters. The chaptersare divided into many subsections,which makes it easy to browse or tosearch for specific topics; the index isalso helpful. In summary, this bookprovides an excellent and completeoverview of the field of catalysis bypolyoxometalates. It will certainlybecome an important basic monographfor people active in and interested in thisarea, and will definitely have a place incatalysis laboratories and libraries.

Ronny NeumannDepartment of ChemistryWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot (Israel)

AngewandteChemie

3577Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2003, 42, 3575 – 3577 www.angewandte.org 5 2003 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim