#chemistry
Don’t you forget about me
When one of Eric Täuscher’s PhD students arrived at the lab one morning and discovered she had left a TLC plate in an iodine chamber overnight, she could have simply thrown it out. But something compelled her to take a close look at the neglected plate. When she did, she noticed the tiny crystals growing from the plate, the product of the iodine in the chamber reacting with the plate’s aluminum backing. The crystal growth had also caused the silica on the front of the plate to lift off in delicate flakes. Intrigued, she showed it to Täuscher. He also found the corroded plate strangely beautiful, so he snapped a photo.
Täuscher’s lab at the Ilmenau University of Technology studies fluorescent organic molecules for pH, temperature, and ion sensing applications. The student had been running the TLC to try and identify a mysterious non-UV-absorbing byproduct of a reaction. It took her all of ten minutes to redo the plate. — Brianna Barbu
Credit: Eric Täuscher. Follow him @heroofmolecules on Instagram
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Controlling chemical reactions near absolute zero
It is an understatement to say that chemical reactions take place everywhere, constantly. In both nature and the lab, chemistry is ubiquitous. But despite advances, it remains a fundamental challenge to gain a complete understanding and control over all aspects of a chemical reaction, such as temperature and the orientation of reacting molecules and atoms.
This requires sophisticated experiments where all the variables that define how two reactants approach, and ultimately react with, each other can be freely chosen. By controlling things like the speed and the orientation of the reactants, chemists can study the finest details of a particular reaction mechanism.
In a new study, a team led by Andreas Osterwalder at EPFL’s Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, working with theorists from the University of Toronto, have built an apparatus that allows them to control the orientation and energies of reacting atoms, down to nearly absolute zero. “It’s the coldest formation of a chemical bond ever observed in molecular beams,” says Osterwalder. A molecular beam is a jet of gas inside a vacuum chamber, frequently used in spectroscopy and studies in fundamental chemistry.
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Researchers discover traditional fluid flow observations may miss the big picture
Before and after comparisons don’t tell the full story of chemical reactions in flowing fluids, such as those in a chemical reactor, according to a new study from a collaboration based in Japan.
The researchers published their paper on May 6 in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B, a journal of the American Chemical Society. The results were featured on the journal’s cover.
The team examined how a solution of dissolved polymers changed after the addition of Fe3+ solution. These types of solutions are used to better control variables in several fields, including manufacturing. In automobile manufacturing, for instance, the solutions help achieve a thorough evenness of paint coverage and control over how much a material expands or contracts under various temperatures.
Traditionally, researchers examine a solution before a reactant, such as Fe3+solution, is added, and again after the reaction takes place.
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GUYYYYS!
If anyone is studying chemistry I found this freeapp that I use on my laptop called Elements: The Periodic Table
It is sooo easy to use and super helpful as it has loads of information on each element and has a feature to compare elements
I thought I’d share this as I hate needing to search for information about elements on the internet and having like a million tabs open, plus it has relative atomic masses for each element which I find a lot easier to find than searching through my data book.
Hope this helps!!
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2 • 7 • 2018
I haven’t posted in a while since my notes have been anything but aesthetic- but that’s sort of what studying is, especially in college. I’m learning SN2 and electrophilic addition reactions and loving the heck out of organic chemistry. (I declared my major in Biochemistry a couple days ago because of how much I adore this class and my professor).
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So people are like the periodic table of elements… there’re the alkali metals and the alkaline earth—super reactive. they’re the ones that are dating someone every other week, always in an out of relationships, have chemistry with EVERYONE. Then there’s the noble gases and they’re the forever alone… and then there’s everyone in between
Another early morning study session! (I just realized that I am not as enthusiastic as this when it comes to my 07:30 am classes)
I’m really loving the cover of my ring-bound reviewers. I just finished archiving most of my school files and I plan to have them bound like the one in the photo. Goodbye, boring, plain paper! Hello, cute covers that I actually want to look at!
Photo credit: Seamless flower pattern by DaryaGribovskaya
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Revision session day 6/?
I’m still studying in advance for next sem’s chemistry class. So many key terms and people that I almost forgot about! My last chem class was back in my junior year of high school, but man, we still gotta keep these kinds of things in the hippocampus!
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Visiting old notes while on my chemistry revision session. I saw the complete list of subjects that I have to take up this semester and I don’t think I’ll be able to focus on all of them equally if I don’t start reading things in advance.
I’m really excited about starting my second year in college as a psychology major, so I’m going to do things right by working twice as hard!
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Uploading new photos and prepping for another chem revision session. Cheers to a productive morning!
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Six days into the Chemistry Advent Calendar! Missed any so far? Catch up here: http://www.compoundchem.com/2015advent/
Christmassy chemistry…
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