Progress in Physical Chemistry

Abstract

(1)THE Faraday Society's general discussion on “Photochemical Processes”, held at Liverpool on April 17–18, 1931, follows a similar discussion at Oxford after an interval of less than six years. The interval has been marked by a rapid development of our knowledge of molecular spectra, so that it is now possible to foresee in a much more definite manner the mechanism by which the molecule is activated by the initial absorption of light. In particular, it is possible by a study of absorption spectra to distinguish mere electronic activation from a primary dissociation, in which the molecule is immediately shattered by the incident light, and from predissociation, in which the activated molecule lives long enough to execute a few vibrations and thus to give rise to a band spectrum, but not long enough to exhibit a quantised rotation, so that the absorption bands are devoid of fine structure.

(1) Photochemical Processes: a General Discussion held by the Faraday Society, April 1931.

Pp. 353–573. (London: The Faraday Society, 1931.) 10s. 6d. net.

(2) Recent Advances in Physical Chemistry.

By Dr. Samuel Glasstone. Pp. vii + 470. (London: J. and A. Churchill, 1931.) 15s.