During the forty years which have passed since Masuzo Shikata published his paper on the reduction of nitrobenzene at a dropping mercury electrode, the number of polarographic studies of organic compounds in the literature has risen to several thousands. The ever increasing amount of experimental data was in need of some unified method of classification which would yield unambiguous and possibly complete information on the polarographic behavior of organic substances. Dr. Zuman's book presents an original attempt to meet this need by providing a system based on correlations between the polaro graphic half-wave potentials of organic depolarizers and their Hammett constants. I consider this a very happy conception, for, more than any other book yet written, it brings polarography nearer to the organic chemist; and it will undoubtedly convince him that, in its application to his subject, the method is more than a mere analytical tool. The author hardly needs any introduction. During many years of research in the field of organic polarography, he has published numerous papers on a variety of problems; his latest interest is the application of the Hammett-Taft equation to polarographic measure ments, in which he has done pioneering work. It remains for me to hope that this book, which opens up new prospects for the fruitful application of polarography, may inspire vii viii Foreword some reader with useful ideas in his search for new paths in his research problems.

Even though the nwnber of requests for reprints and the number of quotations in the Science Citation Index has indicated an ever-increasing interest in topics of organic polarography, I have often felt that the reason that some work is less known may well be because the papers were published in less accessible journals. Therefore, I was pleased when I was asked to prepare a selection of my papers on organic polarography for reprinting. This collection of papers may indicate some of the possibilities offered by polarography in the study of properties of organic compounds. The fact that the papers are published in one volume, not only makes the information more easily accessible for the reader, but also enables a direct comparison of related topics. The mode of selection is discussed in the Introduction. The papers reprinted in this volume are mostly based on work carried out in the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Polarography of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in Prague, in cooperation with my co-workers. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all of them for the pleasure I got from this cooperation on the solution of varying problems of organic electrochemistry .

This second edition of the highly successful dictionary offers more than 300 new or revised terms. A distinguished panel of electrochemists provides up-to-date, broad and authoritative coverage of 3000 terms most used in electrochemistry and energy research as well as related fields, including relevant areas of physics and engineering. Each entry supplies a clear and precise explanation of the term and provides references to the most useful reviews, books and original papers to enable readers to pursue a deeper understanding if so desired. Almost 600 figures and illustrations elaborate the textual definitions. The “Electrochemical Dictionary” also contains biographical entries of people who have substantially contributed to electrochemistry. From reviews of the first edition: ‘the creators of the Electrochemical Dictionary have done a laudable job to ensure that each definition included here has been defined in precise terms in a clear and readily accessible style’ (The Electric Review) ‘It is a must for any scientific library, and a personal purchase can be strongly suggested to anybody interested in electrochemistry’ (Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry) ‘The text is readable, intelligible and very well written’ (Reference Reviews)

It is now time for a comprehensive treatise to look at the whole field of electrochemistry. The present treatise was conceived in 1974, and the earliest invitations to authors for contributions were made in 1975. The completion of the early volumes has been delayed by various factors. There has been no attempt to make each article emphasize the most recent situation at the expense of an overall statement of the modern view. This treatise is not a collection of articles from Recent Advances in Electrochemistry or Modern Aspects of Electrochemistry. It is an attempt at making a mature statement about the present position in the vast area of what is best looked at as a new interdisciplinary field. Texas A & M University J. O'M. Bockris University of Ottawa B. E. Conway Case Western Reserve University Ernest Yeager Texas A & M University Ralph E. White Preface to Volume 8 Experimental methods in electrochemistry are becoming more diverse. This volume describes many of the new techniques that are being used as well as some of the well-established techniques. It begins with two chapters (1 and 2) on electronic instrumentation and methods for utilization of microcomputers for experimental data acquisition and reduction. Next, two chapters (3 and 4) on classical methods of electrochemical analysis are presented: ion selective electrodes and polarography.