Fancy a giggle? Brian Clegg looks at the important – and frivolous –  uses of nitrous oxide in this week’s Chemistry in its element podcast.

                  

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— Grotto or artwork?

They (whoever they are) say that moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do. But what about when you need to move a chemistry filled artwork and the entire installation needs to be moved from it’s original site in London to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, around 200 miles away?

The artwork in question is Seizure, a flat (or apartment for our transatlantic readers) encrusted in shimmering blue crystals of copper sulfate pentahydrate that Bibi first blogged about in 2009.That puts my attempts with dangling a string into a jam jar of copper sulfate solution on the kitchen windowsill to shame.

Although Seizure had remained in the block of flats since it was first made, the council estate that contained it was condemned and so for the artwork to be saved it had to be removed intact. Luckily for the removal men, the flat had already been encased in a watertight steel box back when the artwork was first made, to allow the copper sulfate solution to be safely poured into the flat without it then leaking everywhere. After cutting away from around it, the steel-encased flat has now been removed and will be set in the greenery of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park inside a new housing.

So, until I can take a trip up to see the artwork in its new home, did any of our readers go and see it in its original location? Let us know if you have any good pictures.

Laura Howes

                  

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With goggles covering their eyes and gloves protecting their hands, laughing children splattered their shirts as they learned to tie-dye.

The activity was part of this week's Colorful Chemistry camp offered by the Northwest Ottawa Recreational Authority at Lakeshore Middle School.

NORA Recreation Programmer Gentry Soule said the organization offers a variety of athletic programs in addition to the science camps, which included Polymer Palooza and Water Wonders.

Not every kid can play sports, so we want something for those kids, too, she said.

During the four-day camp, the third- through fifth-grade students spent two hours a day participating in a variety of activities making bouncy balls, slime and bubble wands. They also watched a fire demonstration by their instructor, Melissa Jaeger.

Jaeger said she enjoys watching the excitement on the kids faces when theyre in awe of an activity. How excited they get (is the best part), she said.

Jaeger, a seventh-grade science and math teacher at Lakeshore Middle School, ran the NORA Science camps with her husband, George.

Melissa Jaeger said the camp is 90 percent fun. Once the students finished an activity, she explained the scientific process behind it.

To read more of this story, see todays print or e-edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.

For more photos from the camp, see the "Colorful Chemistry" photo gallery.

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Colorful Chemistry

Artist's impression of how arsenic life would look

The saga of arsenic life appears to be finally coming to a close. Two papers out in Science this week put under the microscope the claim that the bacterium could incorporate arsenic into its DNA in place of phosphorus. And the two teams found no evidence that the bacteria could make use of arsenic.

When the arsenic life story kicked off back in December 2010, it was big news. (You can read our coverage of it here, here and here.) The discovery by a Nasa team led by Felisa Wolfe-Simon that a bacterium could make use of an exotic element not normally used by life cracked open the door an inch to the idea that there could be life on more planets than ever thought possible. After all, if we could find bacteria thriving in the arsenic laced lakes of California, then surely they could be eking out a living on inhospitable planets.

However, some researchers were less than impressed with the science and they took to social media channels to register their concerns with the paper, with Nasa and with Science for letting the paper get through. The paper quickly became a serious headache for the journal, and in June 2011 they took the unusual step of publishing eight short critical responses to the original paper that caused all the controversy, followed by a defence from Wolfe-Simon.

One of the most vocal critics of the arsenic life claim, Rosie Redfield, was soon blogging what she saw as the problems with the authors’ interpretation of the data. One of her biggest gripes was the way the authors inferred that the bacterial DNA contained arsenic – by examining the molecule’s arsenic to phosphorus ratio. She and others pointed out that if phosphate were being replaced by arsenate, the DNA ought to be extremely susceptible to hydrolysis. If arsenate containing DNA were stable, it would fly in the face of years of chemical data on how these compounds behaved.

Redfield is the lead author on the first paper, which examines whether arsenate DNA even exists. They grew the bacteria up in the same way as Wolfe-Simon’s group, isolated the DNA and washed it thoroughly. They picked up very little arsenic in the sample and conclude that the original result was all down to contamination. They also performed tests on the DNA immediately after it was isolated from the bacterium and then two months later to check for the expected hydrolysis of arsenate containing DNA and found none.

Another controversial point in the original arsenic life paper was that the bacterium was metabolising arsenate in levels of phosphate thought to be too low to allow it to grow. Alex Bradley, a microbiologist at Harvard University, US, pointed out, however,  that the medium Wolfe-Simon’s team said contained too little phosphate for bacteria to survive on actually contained 300 times more phosphate than that found in the Sargasso Sea in the middle of the North Atlantic – a place where microbes thrive.

The second paper examined this by attempting to grow the bacterium in a truly phosphate free environment. They found no evidence that the bacterium can replace arsenate with phosphate. They did discover some arsenate-based compounds when growing up the bacteria, but concluded that this was the result of abiotic processes as the compounds disappeared with more stringent washing of the cells.

I guess the takeaway message here is that GFAJ-1 is just a hardy bacteria that can survive levels of arsenic toxic to most life. That and calling the bacterium that is meant to be the crowning achievement of your research career ‘Give Felisa A Job’ is unwise – unless you’re absolutely certain you’ve covered all your bases.

Patrick Walter

                  

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A bequest from the estate of Margaret Kirkwood Philipsborn has established an endowed professorship in Yales Department of Chemistry. Named in memory of her brother, John Gamble Kirkwood, the professorship will support a full-time faculty member in the area of theoretical chemistry.

Kirkwood was a member of Yales faculty from 1951 until his death in 1959 at age 52. Known for his groundbreaking work in statistical mechanics, theory of liquids, and statistical physics, he served as chair of Yales chemistry department and was named as a Sterling Professor, Yales highest faculty honor.

The bequest comes at an important time for Yales growing chemistry department, which ranks among the top 15 departments nationally and has been home to Nobel Prize-winners such as Lars Onsager and Thomas Steitz. The department plans to hire as many as five new faculty members.

John Kirkwood was a giant in his field, and he was also a dedicated mentor and administrator, said President Richard C. Levin. This generous bequest from Mrs. Philipsborn will help the University and the chemistry department advance a tradition of excellence in teaching and research.

Our ambition is to continue to be a powerhouse in theoretical science, added Scott J. Miller, the Irne du Pont Professor and chemistry department chair. Many students are drawn to theoretical chemistry, as it touches on all aspects of the field. We need to meet this demand with a faculty of the highest caliber.

Yale Provost Peter Salovey recently called the chemistry department one of the jewels of Science Hill, a corner of campus in the midst of a dramatic upgrade. In 2005, the department moved into the state-of-the-art Class of 1954 Chemistry Research Building and will take advantage of renovated Sterling and Kline Chemistry Laboratories in the coming years. These physical improvements are occurring in tandem with a campus-wide effort to create a new model for teaching in the STEM fields science, technology, engineering, and mathematics focused on active learning for undergraduates.

John Gamble Jack Kirkwood was born in 1907 and raised in Wichita, Kansas. Following a distinguished career at Cornell University and the California Institute of Technology, he arrived at Yale in 1951 and was named a Sterling Professor in 1956. In addition to serving as chair of the chemistry department, he later was the Universitys director of science. A winner of the 1936 American Chemical Society Award in Pure Chemistry as well as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Kirkwood died of cancer in 1959, and is buried in Grove Street Cemetery next to his contemporary Lars Onsager.

Since 1962, Yales chemistry department and the New Haven section of the American Chemical Society have awarded the John Gamble Kirkwood Award, which honors outstanding theoretical or experimental research in the physical sciences.

A freelance journalist, Margaret Kirkwood Philipsborn was born in 1921 in Wichita, and lived mostly in London and Chicago until her death in 2011 at age 90. In her later years, she frequently communicated with Yale and its chemistry department and visited campus in the 1990s to present the Kirkwood Award. Everyone that met her knew her to be an especially kind and generous person, Miller said. In particular, she was very thoughtful about how to celebrate her brothers scientific contributions.

Our family is enormously proud of Uncle Jacks achievements, and my aunt very much wanted to honor his legacy by supporting the field he so loved, said Rob Bonner, Philipsborns nephew.

See the original post here:
Chemistry’s newest endowed chair honors pioneering Yale scientist John Gamble Kirkwood

In late June, the American Chemical Society (ACS), a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress, held its 16th annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference in Washington, D.C. The conference, which was sponsored by the American Chemical Societys Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI), had a theme this year of Innovation, Jobs, Sustainability The Role of Green Chemistry. A number of noteworthy new green chemistry processes were presented at the event.

Textile manufacturing involves some of the worlds most resource-wasting processes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it takes about 2,900 gallons of water to produce a single pair of jeans. Most of this water is used in whats known as wet processing, as well as in the dyeing of fabric.

Specialty chemicals company Clariant may soon change that. It has debuted a new process called Advanced Denim, which it says can produce a pair of jeans using up to 92 percent less water and up to 30 percent less energy than conventional methods. The process also generates up to 87 percent less cotton waste (which is often burned) and virtually no waste water, according to Miguel Sanchez, a textile engineer at Clariant.

While traditional denim production requires up to 15 dyeing vats that contain a cocktail of chemicals, Clariants process uses a single vat of liquid sulfur dyes that require only a single, sugar-based reducing agent, says Sanchez. The reducing agent, sodium hydrosulfite, is a much greener alternative to traditional reducing agents.

The result is a more eco-friendly process that cuts out most of the waste from traditional jean production. Sanchez says that if even one-quarter of the jeans produced in the world were made via the Advanced Denim process, enough water about 2.5 billion gallons would be saved to cover the needs of 1.7 million people each year. It would also prevent the release of 8.3 million cubic meters of wastewater each year and save up to 220 million kilowatt hours of electricity. At the same time, it would cut down carbon dioxide emissions significantly.

The jeans produced via Advanced Denim look similar to other commercially produced jeans, or even better, Sanchez says. Clariant claims that the process can produce looks and effects not possible today with current technologies.

One thing the world has a lot of today is algae. One thing its getting short on is fuel. For years, scientists have been searching for ways to make fuel out of algae, and many have succeeded at least in the lab. Its an economical process that, thus far, has eluded most researchers.

At the Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference, a team of researchers from Yale University presented a breakthrough toward a long-sought viable process, which turns algae into biodiesel.

The new process extracts from algae fatty molecules called lipids and transforms them into usable fuel in a single process. It would make biodiesel from algae much cheaper, faster and greener than current multistep methods that require separate stages and chemicals. The reaction involves supercritical carbon dioxide, which at elevated pressures and temperatures fills its container like a gas but is as dense as a liquid, according to the researchers.

Algae has great promise as a next-generation biofuel, a fuel that is sustainable and renewable, says research team leader Julie Zimmerman,

See the rest here:
New Breakthroughs Propel the Field of Green Chemistry

Attention! This competition isnt only open to writersproducers, you are also welcome. The joy. Science communication isnt only about great proses but also about effective multimedia reports. As such, this competition has two categories: writing and multimedia.

Chemistry World, a popular magazine published by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), and ChemCareers invite budding science reporters, students, postgrads and early-career scientists around the world to participate in their first science communication competition. Writers can write any piece they want (be in news, opinion, feature) in a maximum of 800 words while producers should come up with an audio or video documentary of 5 minutes or less. Your awesome works must of course be related to the chemical sciences and should be sent in before August 31.

Your work will be reviewed by well-respected science journalists and academics such as the Financial Timess science correspondent, Clive Cookson, and the RSCs soon-to-president Prof. Lesley Yellowlees. Even more exciting perhaps, 20 participants will be shortlisted and invited to a (very sciencey) reception on October 10 in London. The winners of each category will have their work published in Chemistry World and pocket a cool 300 (about $465). An equally cool 100 (about $155) to each runner-up.

So, to recap: open to participants from around the world, both writing and multimedia, related to the chemical sciences, 20 shortlisted participants to attend cool reception in London, winners get published in Chemistry World and win 300 cash prize.

You should be interested so here are the details in more comprehensive point form:

More info:

Best of luck to you.

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Science Writing And Multimedia Competition By Chemistry World

How’s your hay fever this summer? Phil Robinson looks at the role of histamine in the immune system and allergies in this week’s Chemistry in its element podcast – and it’s not to be sniffed at!

                  

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Over on the BBC Nature site is an amazing story explaining how the cold, desolate Antarctic, with poor quality soil, can play host to several species of moss and the reason is enough to get anyone with a slightly childish mind (including me) excited – frozen penguin poo.

— Arctic moss can grow into large beds despite the harsh environment

The elevated site in East Antarctica hasn’t had any penguins for several thousand years but between 3000 and 8000 years ago the site was home to a colony of Adelie penguins, as evidenced by the remains of the penguins’ rock nests and the nutrients from the birds’ poo. In the BBC story they just say that a ‘chemical signature’ shows that the nitrogen in the soil passed through a marine predator, so what does this mean? Well at a wild guess I figured this might be something to do with our good friends isotopic ratios. Long used to date and trace the origin of archaeological finds, in recent years ecologists have started to use the technique to map food webs.

You see, it seems that soil that has been pooed on by seabirds is enriched with more ¹⁵N than normal, but why? Well, when producing urea and uric acid, ¹⁴N is preferentially used and then excreted, leaving behind more ¹⁵N than found in the environment. This, I suspect, is due to the kinetic isotope effect, making the rates of reactions using ¹⁴N faster than those using the heavier element. Any predator will then ingest more ¹⁵N and further concentrate it, until you get up to the apex predator. Therefore a predator high up the food chain, like penguins, will have a higher concentration of ¹⁵N in their flesh, and presumably their poo will have an isotopic ratio reflecting their isotopically enriched diet.

Of course, this has got me wondering whether that means we’re also ¹⁵N enriched due to our protein heavy diets? Could you even distinguish a seafood eater from a meat eater and/or a vegetarian based on the amount of ¹⁵N in our bodies? Well I’m behind the times: there are studies doing just that to work out the diets of our predecessors and suggestions that the same can be used to diagnose eating disorders.

So now you that it’s the remains of ancient penguin poo that fertilised the Antarctic, creating a habitat for small insects and other animals, and how that was worked out.

Laura Howes

                  

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Kendall N. Houk holds UCLAs Saul Winstein Chair in Organic Chemistry. (Credit: Reed Hutchinson/UCLA)

(Phys.org) -- In 1928, chemists Otto Diels and Kurt Alder first documented diene synthesis, a chemical reaction important for synthesizing many polymers, alkaloids and steroids. Their work on this mechanism, which came to be known as the DielsAlder reaction, won them the 1950 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

Since then, the iconic reaction has become the most commonly used and studied mechanism in organic chemistry. But what happens during the reaction has never been entirely clear.

Now, Kendall N. Houk, UCLA's Saul Winstein Professor of Organic Chemistry, and colleagues report exactly how the DielsAlder reaction occurs. Their research is published this week in the early online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and will be published in an upcoming print edition.

"We have examined the molecular dynamics of the DielsAlder reaction, which has become the most important reaction in synthesis, in detail to understand how it happens," said Houk, who is a member of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA.

Houk and his colleagues created a number of simulations he calls them short movies of molecules coming together and reacting.

One of Houk's DielsAlder movies:

(Houk isn't the only one making movies about DielsAlder. UCLA organic chemistry students in Professor Neil Garg's class have produced a series of amusing music videos in which they reference the reaction: Watch "Chemistry Jock" [reference at 2:08], "Hey There Neil Garg" [1:44] and "Payphone" [1:07].)

"The idea," Houk said, "is to understand how the reaction happens not just that A goes to B and B goes to C, but to actually follow how the bonds are forming and how the atoms are moving as these things come together. Using the massive computing power we have now, we get a degree of resolution of the mechanism that was not really possible before. It took a lot of computer time, but as a result, we now have unprecedented insight into how this reaction occurs."

Organic chemists have argued about this for years: If two bonds form during a reaction, do they form at the same time, or does one form first and then the other?

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New insights into how the most iconic reaction in organic chemistry really works

Inorganic chemists and long time readers of Andrea Sella’s Classic kit column (older editions here) will no doubt be familiar with a piece of lab equipment known as Perkin’s triangle. As Andrea revealed in his original article, it was not in fact Perkin who invented the apparatus, but a colleague named Leonard Temple Thorne. How the device came to bear Perkin’s name rather than Thorne’s is not entirely clear – presumably Perkin took versions of it with him and spread the idea around as he moved between laboratories after gaining his doctorate, and either claimed credit or at least didn’t protest too hard when colleagues referred to the apparatus as the ‘Perkin’ triangle. That said, Andrea’s searchings for references to Perkin actually using the device failed to show up much.

One thing we can now be absolutely sure of is that he did definitely use the kit – as attested in this account, discovered by Andrea in his rummaging through the classic literature:

I particularly like the references to a ‘stiff’ bunsen flame (I wonder when this terminology fell from favour), and the idea of having a stock of seed crystals and nuclei in your beard to induce recalcitrant materials to form beautiful needles or prisms – perhaps the decrease in chemist–beard quotient is why we still see crystallisation as a bit of a black art…

Phillip Broadwith

                  

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In the July podcast, we can’t stop asking questions: how do buckyballs grow? What should Olympic athletes eat and drink to improve their performance? Just what IS the structure of CuF? And how much gold is in them thar medals anyway? Will you listen in?

                  

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NEW YORK, July 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Clinical Chemistry Market Report & Forecast (2012 2015): Global Analysishttp://www.reportlinker.com/p0923602/Clinical-Chemistry-Market-Report--Forecast-2012--2015-Global-Analysis.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Diagnostics

Clinical Chemistry Market Overview

Valued at more than US$ 9 Billion in 2011, Clinical Chemistry market is likely to grow moderately from 2012 to 2015. In Clinical Chemistry Tests segment: Toxicology, Hemoglobin and Cholesterol testing contributed more than 40% of market revenues in 2011, and in future also they are likely to dominate the market till 2015. Faecal Occult Blood testing market, Cardiac Enzyme testing market and Prothrombin Time/International Normalized Ratio (PT/INR) testing market all these three testing markets are expected to grow with double digit CAGR from 2012 1015.

In countries analysis segment, United States and Europe together holds more than 85% market share in 2011. But by 2015 China is expected to nearly double its market revenue from 2011; thus reducing the market share of Europe in worldwide Clinical Chemistry market by 2015. Brazil Clinical Chemistry market is bigger than India but it is expected to grow with a CAGR of single digit compared to double digit of India from 2012 2015. In the coming years, the Clinical Chemistry market will undertake important change. These changes will be caused by the convergence of new and more stringent regulations, advances in diagnostic technologies, automation, IT and intensifying competition.

Renub Research report entitled "Clinical Chemistry Market Report & Forecast (2012 2015): Global Analysis" provides a comprehensive assessment of the nine clinical chemistry tests market & reviews, analyses and projects clinical chemistry market for global and seven countries market. The report also provides market landscape and market share information in the clinical chemistry market. The report also entails major drivers and challenges of clinical chemistry market.

What We Have Achieved In This Report?

Clinical Chemistry Tests Covered: Blood Gas & Electrolyte Test, Cardiac Enzyme Test, Faecal Occult Blood Test, Drugs of Abuse Test, Toxicology Test, Urine Chemistry Test, Cholesterol Test, Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) Test, Prothrombin Time/International Normalized Ratio (PT/INR) Test

Countries Covered: United States, Europe, China, Brazil, India, Mexico, Taiwan

Key Topics Covered in the Report

Originally posted here:
Clinical Chemistry Market Report & Forecast (2012 - 2015): Global Analysis

CHICAGO -- The White Sox knew they had a tough fight with Jake Peavy in the American League portion of the 2012 Final Vote competition. It was difficult only because Texas' Yu Darvish, the eventual winner, also was on the ballot and not because Peavy didn't deserve it.

So, in this uphill battle, the White Sox had some creative fun with the TakeJake campaign. The video that stands out a little bit brighter among all of the high-quality productions was second baseman Gordon Beckham's impersonation of Peavy during a mock interview. Beckham had the mannerisms and buzz words down perfectly, in a concept developed by first baseman Paul Konerko.

It was also great entertainment for the entire team.

"Everybody thought it was funny," Beckham said. "The thing about it is that's a caricature of him. It's like when those people draw those little pictures of somebody and they blow it up out of proportion. We were trying to mess around and come up with the ultimate Jake Peavy.

"I can't believe it all came in one take and it just happened to work out. I think he thought it was hilarious and that's the most important thing. In no way, shape or form were we trying to make fun of him. I always do a good impression of Jake, so Paul decided he wanted me to do this. We thought it could help out."

This video also illustrates the camaraderie running throughout this tight-knit clubhouse.

"If there's sensitivity issues there, that probably wouldn't have happened," Beckham said. "Jake knows we were joking.

"Everybody in here could have the same thing done to him. He took it all in stride. It was fun."

CHICAGO -- When White Sox left-hander Chris Sale presented his return to the rotation case to Ken Williams back in early May, he argued with the same fire and conviction that he takes into each start.

The White Sox general manager responded to the 23-year-old's confidence and bravado, and the team decided that Sale's bullpen hiatus would only last from May 4-12. Since that discussion about the southpaw's normal elbow pain, Sale has posted a 7-1 record and enters the All-Star break with a 10-2 mark, a 2.19 ERA, 98 strikeouts over 102 2/3 innings and a .198 opponents' average against.

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TakeJake clips part of club's chemistry

This year’s Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year Award has been given to Paul Workman ‘for his work as a scientific pioneer and serial entrepreneur whose numerous commercialised discoveries and academic research led to his founding two successful chemical companies: Piramed Pharma and Chroma Therapeutics‘.

The award is an international accolade that recognises an individual’s contribution to the commercialisation of research. Awarded annually, the winner is featured in Chemistry World and receives £4000 and a trophy.

Workman is a chemical biologist and molecular pharmacologist at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) where he is currently deputy chief executive and director of the ICR’s Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit in Sutton, UK. He has been responsible for a large number of new cancer drugs and his unit at ICR has discovered 16 preclinical development candidates over the last six years.

Upon hearing of the award, Workman spoke of the importance of creating a great team and of his motivation to work in drug discovery: ‘Successful drug discovery is incredibly complex and requires not just scientific expertise but also great people. It has been a real privilege for me to build a high-performing, multidisciplinary team and to collaborate with some fantastic colleagues. Also, because we want to bring effective new drugs

— Paul Workman

to patients as fast possible, it’s been important for us to build a network of commercial collaborations. But the main motivation for me is that the drugs we discover through our science have a real impact on the lives of cancer patients.’

Karl Coleman of Durham Graphene Science and Hagan Bayley of Oxford Nanopore Technologies are previous winners of the award. A feature length article on Workman will be published  in the September issue of Chemistry World.

Bibiana Campos Seijo

                  

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/tzf55n/organic_chemistry) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Organic Chemistry As a Second Language: Second Semester Topics, 3rd Edition" to their offering.

Readers continue to turn to Klein because it enables them to better understand fundamental principles, solve problems, and focus on what they need to know to succeed. The third edition explores the major principles in the field and explains why they are relevant. It is written in a way that clearly shows the patterns in organic chemistry so that readers can gain a deeper conceptual understanding of the material. Topics are presented clearly in an accessible writing style along with numerous of hands-on problem solving exercises.

Key Topics Covered:

CHAPTER 1 IR SPECTROSCOPY

CHAPTER 2 NMR SPECTROSCOPY

CHAPTER 3 ELECTROPHILIC AROMATIC SUBSTITUTION

CHAPTER 4 NUCLEOPHILIC AROMATIC SUBSTITUTION

CHAPTER 5 KETONES AND ALDEHYDES

CHAPTER 6 CARBOXYLIC ACID DERIVATIVES

Originally posted here:
Research and Markets: Organic Chemistry As a Second Language: Second Semester Topics, 3rd Edition Shows the Patterns ...

My family loves going to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July. Who doesnt? And our friends at ByteSize Science have a new video explaining how all those different colors are produced. (Did you know they put in extra stuff to make the boom?) The video features a demonstration by fireworks expert John A. Conkling, of Washington College in Maryland, who literally wrote the book on The Chemistry of Pyrotechnics. ByteSize Science is produced by the American Chemical Society.

Make a fireworks pinecone with chemistry. Image: Anne Helmenstine

If youre brave, you can get the same colorful effects in your own backyard campfire by adding common household chemicals like boric acid or Epsom salts to dried pinecones or rolled newspaper logs. Check out Anne Helmenstines directions and video at the About.com Chemistry blog.

Or if you prefer an explosion thats quieter (and colder), be sure to pick up some Fireworks Ice Cream for your holiday picnic. Which reminds me I better make sure we have some for our post-show treat!

Note: A version of this post was originally published on GeekDad in July 2010.

Go here to see the original:
The Chemistry of Fireworks

Among your "couple friends," you may have that one pair who still seem smitten with one another years or even decades into their relationship. If you're really lucky, you're one half of that relationship yourself. Hollywood couples are no different; a pair with sizzling chemistry can't hide that inevitable attraction. These matches seemed destined to happen.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the couple that no one saw happening, or at least not for long. Russell Brand and Katy Perry lasted just 14 months. Separately, each half of the brief partnership was young, talented and fairly attractive, yet it was obvious even to fans that they didn't fit. Their chemistry felt off-kilter. While the pair was together, they seemed intent on talking about how wonderful their relationship was, but happy couples don't need to announce their happiness.

The unforgettable image of Tom Cruise jumping on a sofa on the Oprah Winfrey Show years ago was another prime example of telling instead of showing. When love is self-evident, no one needs to jump on the furniture and shout it from a rooftop. Chemistry's impossible to hide, as Eddie Cibrian and LeAnn Rimes discovered. They're still facing the fallout from the actor's divorce from ex-wife Brandi Glanville, but they seem willing to face it together, bonded by their unmistakable chemistry.

Look at Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom. While no one would call any Kardashian shy or reticent to talk about her love life, Khloe's never made a big deal about her relationship with Lamar. Despite a one-month courtship, their marriage has already lasted three years and seems to be strong despite the stress of his job and her reality TV appearances.

Body language is another sure indicator of chemistry or a lack thereof, and it was obvious for years that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were speaking entirely different tongues. Their gazes were usually in different directions, rarely toward one another. Pictures in which they held hands appeared to have all the passion of a couple of kindergarten kids who didn't much like one another being forced together for the buddy system. Even their kisses captured on film looked dutiful.

Compare their lukewarm interaction to the electricity that pervaded "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt appeared together in the action flick. They weathered storms of controversy after their chemistry spilled over into real life, but it's still obvious from the way they look at one another on the red carpet: the inexorable force that pulled them together during filming that movie is still exerting its gravitational pull. Meanwhile, Tom and Katie appeared to travel in entirely separate orbits from early in their courtship.

When compared with celebrity couples who have genuine chemistry, the TomKat marriage looked doomed from the start. Perhaps the real surprise is that it lasted as long as it did.

Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Join the Yahoo! Contributor Network here to start publishing your own articles

Originally posted here:
Celebrity Chemistry: How Tom and Katie Compare to Other Star Pairs

July 2, 2012 - Available for use with FlowIR(TM) dedicated Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) instrument, interchangeable FlowIR High Pressure (HP) Sensors come in DiComp and SiComp models that allow chemists working with high-pressure experiments to swap sensor types as needed to meet application requirements. Diamond and silicon sensors, which can be trusted under pressures up to 725 psi and temperatures up to 120C, cover full spectral region and are insensitive to bubbles. Original Press release Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Im Langacher Greifensee, , 8606 Switzerland Greifensee, Switzerland. - METTLER TOLEDO is pleased to announce the launch of its new FlowIRTM High Pressure (HP) Sensors for use with FlowIRTM. FlowIRTM is a small, dedicated Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) instrument that offers real-time flow chemistry monitoring nearly anywhere within a continuous reactor setup. The addition of durable HP Sensors expand the use of flow chemistry by allowing users to gain the enhanced control of critical process parameters provided by FlowIRTM in high-pressure experiments. Benefits include faster experiment optimization, easier lab-to-plant scaling, reduced costs, and shorter time-to-market.

Interchangeable FlowIRTM HP Sensors, available in both DiComp and SiComp models, allow chemists working with high pressure experiments to quickly and easily swap sensor types to meet the needs of the current application. The new models can be trusted under pressures up to 50bar (725psi) and temperatures up to 120C.

FlowIRTM HP Sensors cover the full spectral region with swappable diamond and silicon sensors. Their insensitivity to bubbles makes them ideal for continuous hydrogenations, and the inclusion of a temperature variable flow head maintains reaction integrity.

No extra equipment or setup is required to use the new sensors. Users simply substitute the high-pressure version for the standard FlowIRTM sensor, gaining the same performance, optical window, chemical compatibility, and flow characteristics they enjoy with the standard sensor.

For more about FlowIRTM HP Sensors or to request a quote, please visit http://www.mt.com/flowir and select the "Accessories" tab.

Contact information

Patricia Hicks Mettler-Toledo AutoChem, Inc. +1-410-910-8486 patricia.hicks@mt.com

About METTLER TOLEDO

METTLER TOLEDO provides the enabling technology, software and people that can help build a seamless workflow to translate bench scale chemistry into a commercial process. For more than 20 years, our enabling tools and services have been a strategic resource providing critical information for thousands of development scientists and engineers. Companies have used that knowledge to accelerate the discovery, development and scale-up of new chemical processes spanning the chemical and biopharmaceutical industries. For more, visit http://www.mt.com.

BEI Sensors new Model 9960 Hall effect rotary position sensor is available in numerous standard configurations with fast, one week delivery for small quantities. Packaged in a highly sealed (IP67) housing and utilizing non-contacting Hall effect technology makes the 9960 an exceptionally rugged and reliable rotary motion control sensor.

Here is the original post:
High Pressure Sensors expand flow chemistry use.

New Products

July 02, 2012 // Paul Buckley

Texas Instruments Incorporated has introduced the first in a family of multi-chemistry, multi-cell battery management gas gauge circuits with TI's proprietary Impedance Track capacity measurement technology.

The bq34z100 power management chip claims to be the first gas gauge in the industry to support a wide range of lithium-ion and lithium iron phosphate chemistries in 2- to 16-cell battery packs, extending battery run-time in applications like medical instruments, power tools, e-bikes and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). TI also plans to introduce new gauges this year to support lead acid, nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride chemistries.

Today's multi-cell lithium battery designs in portable industrial and medical equipment need a more accurate way to measure remaining battery capacity. The bq34z100 battery gauge leverages Impedance Track technology, which uses charge voltage measurements, battery characteristics and properties to determine a battery's state-of-health and maintain up to a 94-percent accurate capacity measurement for the entire life of the battery. The circuit also works independently of series-cell configuration, and can reduce power consumption through an external voltage translation circuit.

Availability and Pricing

The bq34z100 multi-chemistry fuel gauge for lithium-based batteries is available now in a 14-pin, 5-mm x 6-mm TSSOP package, priced at $2.10 in quantities of 1,000. TI's new bq34z110 battery gauge for lead acid batteries is planned for release in the third quarter. A new gauge for NiCd and NiMH is planned for announcement later in 2012.

More information about the bq34z100 multi-chemistry fuel gauge for lithium-based batteries at http://www.ti.com/bq34z100-pr

Read the original here:
Multi-cell, multi-chemistry battery gas gauge supports wide range lithium battery chemistries