Short Review about the 6th Edition UV/Vis+ Spectra Data Base CD-ROM (2008)
The whole body of the UV/Vis+ Spectra Data Base is an invaluable tool to quickly find the most reliable and updated information about absorption cross-sections, spectral characteristics and/or photochemistry of a huge number of important molecules and radicals, particularly those relevant to atmospheric and environmental studies.
The Data Base project is a non-profit project, and therefore does not have all the functionalities that could be encountered in other systems. This is precisely what makes us, the generators of new data, feel the obligation to collaborate in order to improve its content. The database is a work in continuous progress and it deserves all our cooperation.
The content is exposed in a number of categories, which reflect rather accurately the type of substance treated, though in my opinion, radicals should have their own entry in order not to be buried together with many other molecules.
It is nevertheless, easy to work with the database, its menu is very friendly and it takes no more than a couple of minutes to get acquainted with the whole content.
In general, the work done and the service offered is absolutely appreciated by the scientific community.
Gustavo
Argüello (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina), July 2009.
Short
Review on the 6th Edition of the UV/Vis+ Spectra Data Base CD-ROM by A. Noelle, G.K. Hartmann, A. Fahr, D. Lary, S. Le Calve, J.J. Orlando, A.C. Vandaele, R.P. Wayne, C.Y.R. Wu
The UV/Vis+ Spectra Data Base operates on-line since 2000 and every one or two years a mirror of the on-line database on CD-ROM is published. The 6th edition of the UV/Vis+
Spectra Data Base was published in October 2008 and compiles photochemical data in the gas, liquid, and solid phases of a large number of stable organic and inorganic species as well as radicals. The spectral information, which includes mainly absorption cross sections and quantum yields, covers the ultraviolet, visible, and, in a lesser extent, the near infrared regions. The division of the database by 23 groups of substances is an efficient way of finding what the user is looking for.
The interdisciplinary of this photochemistry database is well-known in the scientific community and provides an excellent interaction between different research areas. So, this database is an excellent tool for scientists who investigate on different fields such as atmospheric chemistry, astrophysics, agriculture, analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, medicine, remote sensing, etc.
A proof of the feedback between the scientific advisory group and the database users is that the UV/Vis+
Spectra Data Base is constantly getting updated with data from published papers and provided from the users. Links to the data through the publisher is also of great use for the user.
As a user of the UV/Vis+ Spectra Data Base, I greatly appreciate the effort to maintain and update the on-line database with more interesting photochemical
data.
Elena Jiménez (University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain), September 2009.
Short review about the 6th
edition of the UV/VIS+ Spectra Data Base
This
database contains absorption cross sections and quantum yields of many
species under atmospheric conditions whose knowledge are essential for an
accurate determination of photolysis rates, which are in turn important
parameters for the chemical models of the atmosphere.
This
database offers therefore a unique collection of spectroscopic and
photochemical information of utmost interest to atmospheric scientists.
The
database is organized such that accessing the data is achieved in a very
simple, quick, and efficient way. The chronological ordering of the data (instead
of alphabetical) as well as the dual finding mode -by categories or by CAS
number- represents very useful and practical functionalities.
I
greatly appreciate the fact that raw data initially coming from the
literature are given, also with the direct link to their associated
publication and hence to their original source. Old references for which no
dataset is available are also archived, giving the opportunity to perform a
detailed bibliographic review. This gives to the user a guarantee of
transparency and independence of the compilation.
Such
a non-profit initiative should be highly encouraged through support from the
contributors and help from the users. A database is a work in constant
evolution, and continuing efforts to improve and extend it must be pursued.
Sophie
Fally (Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Brussels, Belgium), December
2009