RSC - Advancing the Chemical Sciences


Chemistry World

 

News May 2006


Carbon dot. Copyright ACS

Carbon joins the dots

31 May 2006

Carbon could soon replace cadmium as the material of choice for quantum dots, claim scientists in the US


Knots

Molecular structures: why knot?

31 May 2006

A German chemist has constructed a mathematical method to describe the geometric structure of knotted molecules.


BSE - cytoarchitectural histopathologic changes in the brain. CDC/DR. Al Jenny

A physiological role for healthy prions

30 May 2006

The healthy version of the scrapie pathogen helps regulate intracellular copper ion levels.


Palladium ionic liquid catalyst

Palladium-ionic liquid catalysts

30 May 2006

Researchers in the US have developed a phosphine-free catalytic system, based on ionic liquids, for use in palladium-catalysed reactions.


Diesel

Hydrogen leads to cleaner diesel

30 May 2006

Japanese chemists have discovered a more effective way of removing nitrogen oxides (NOx) from diesel engine exhausts.


Zeolite

Cash injection for zeolite crystal growth

29 May 2006

A fundamental study into crystal growth has grabbed the attention of global industrial oil companies.


The invisible man

The Invisible Man made real

26 May 2006

Cloaks that make objects invisible will be made within 18 months, say UK and US scientists.


Ferrocene sandwich

Remarkable new iron complex

26 May 2006

Researchers in Germany have made a unique iron complex, based on ferrocene sandwiches, which could shed new light on transition-metal catalysts.


Gold electrode releasing biomolecules

Electric shock for controlled release

25 May 2006

US researchers have improved the method for controlled release of biomolecules using gold electrodes.


Phase space distribution

Manipulating molecular motion

25 May 2006

Researchers in Germany say they have gained full control over the motion of polar ammonia molecules in a molecular beam.


Spider

Skill in spider's silk spinning

25 May 2006

Researchers in the UK and China are a step closer to understanding how spiders spin their silk.


MRI brain scan

Detecting brain damage before it happens

24 May 2006

New NMR technique could detect brain damage early enough to provide treatment for stroke victims.


Copper-oxygen bond

Unexpected bonding in small spaces

24 May 2006

A copper-oxygen bond that appears to defy the law of repulsion between like charges has been discovered by chemists in the UK.


Cell on polymer array

Screening polymers for cell adhesion

24 May 2006

Scientists have developed a microarray platform that allows polymers to be screened for their adhesion to cells.


Pele (Brazil) and Moore (England) in 1970 World Cup

Brazil and UK team up

23 May 2006

Brazil is 'ready and mature' to join the international science arena, according to the Brazilian science minister


Perfume

Dynamic designer fragrances

23 May 2006

Designer fragrances might conjure up images of Calvin Klein and JLo, but chemists have added new meaning to the phrase by designing perfumes that provide a longer-lasting scent.


Euros

Budget shortfall threatens FP7

23 May 2006

EU research investment from 2007 to 2013 will fall ?20 billion short of previous agreements.


Biochip for blood typing

Blood on a chip

23 May 2006

South Korean and American scientists have developed a low-cost biochip that can be used to identify a person's blood group by eye.


Back in time for CW reporter

22 May 2006

Familiar face returns Robert Hooke's long-lost notes to the Royal Society in London


Nanotubes

Organogels offer control over nanofibre formation

22 May 2006

Scientists in Spain say they have tuned the shape and size of silica nanofibres by using pH-responsive gels as templates.


Lanthanide ions wrapped in a helical array

Wrapping adds stability to luminescent probes

19 May 2006

Chemical wrapping enhances the effectiveness of luminescent probes used in medical imaging, say chemists in Switzerland.


blood plasma separation

Inflammation monitoring for heart patients?

18 May 2006

A microfluidic device that separates plasma from blood could be used to monitor patients during cardiac surgery.


Tablets

Drug companies need change of strategy

18 May 2006

UK pharmaceutical chemists reveal significant gaps in drug making processes worldwide.


Building sensors block by block

Building sensors block by block

18 May 2006

Chemists from Poland and France have made hybrid polymers that not only have electrical properties, but also electrochromic and pH-dependent electrochemical properties.


Sertraline

Biochemists reveal hidden drug effects

17 May 2006

Canadian researchers have identified unexpected drug activities by probing biochemical pathways inside living cells.


Ordered nanoarray of molecules

Ordered molecular nanoarrays

17 May 2006

Researchers have made ordered nanoarrays of molecules on a surface, which they say could be useful for many emerging nanotechnologies.


Fluid capsule surface flow

Simulating cells on a surface

16 May 2006

Simulating the movement of model biological cells could help predict cell behaviour, say researchers in the US.


Sunlight

Switching off polymerisation in the dark

16 May 2006

With summer on the way, polymer science is about to get a boost following news that sunlight can kick-start polymerisation.


CDs

CDs offer promise for virus detection

16 May 2006

Chemists in Spain have used compact discs to detect different plant viruses using microarrays of DNA.


Au16, the world

Buckyballs worth their weight in gold

16 May 2006

Move over carbon, a team of US chemists and physicists has uncovered evidence for the existence of hollow buckyball-like cages made of gold.


Molecular beacon

DNA beacons

16 May 2006

Researchers in the US have prepared a molecular beacon that allows the quantitative detection of DNA.


University of Sussex

Sussex reprieve raises intervention issue

15 May 2006

Plans to close Sussex chemistry department scrapped, new department created.


sieve

Selective DNA crystals

15 May 2006

A US molecular biologist has developed a molecular sieve using a DNA crystal with nanoscale channels.


Bacteria

Enzyme's natural substrate identified?

15 May 2006

Branched-chain fatty acids are excellent substrates for a bacterial enzyme, suggesting that they might be part of a biologically significant process.


Image TU Delft/Tremani

Biomolecular traffic control

12 May 2006

Dutch researchers have developed a biomotor that steers microtubules to a specific location on a chip.


Smectic liquid crystals

Liquid crystals under stress

12 May 2006

Researchers in Germany say they can explain the apparently contradictory results seen when liquid crystals are mechanically stretched.


MPO contrast agent

Contrast agents to prevent heart attacks and strokes

12 May 2006

US researchers have prepared compounds that detect the presence of an enzyme linked to heart attacks and strokes.


Subduction

Sea water assumes the xenon mantle

11 May 2006

British geochemists have uncovered evidence that sea water incorporates noble gases into the Earth's mantle.


Microfluidic valve structure

Towards programmable lab-on-a-chip devices

11 May 2006

Chemists in the US have developed microfluidic valve structures for lab-on-a-chip devices that reduce the number of controllers required off the chip.


Thermo lab

Leading lab suppliers merge

10 May 2006

Analytical instrument firm Thermo Electron and chemical manufacturer Fisher Scientific have agreed a merger deal.


Mars in their eyes

Making fun of Beagle 2 (again)

10 May 2006

Colin Pillinger, who ran the failed Beagle 2 mission to Mars, has launched an exhibition of cartoons charting man's obsession with reaching the red planet.


RNA

Selective binding of modified nucleic acids

10 May 2006

Scientists in India have made a series of modified nucleic acids that show potential as gene-targeted drugs.


Acrylamide polymer

Acrylamide chains form self-assembled sheets

10 May 2006

Chemists in India reveal crystal-clear evidence that acrylamide chains form sheet-like structures similar to protein ?-sheets.


Drug capsules

Smart materials could transform medicine

09 May 2006

Intelligent biomaterials show promise in regenerative medicine, diagnostics and drug delivery, says UK scientist.


Drug capsules

Smart materials could transform medicine

09 May 2006

Intelligent biomaterials show promise in regenerative medicine, diagnostics and drug delivery, says UK scientist.


Influenza virus

Combating the influenza virus

08 May 2006

Understanding the function of key proteins found in influenza viruses could lead to more effective flu drugs.


Influenza virus

Combating the influenza virus

08 May 2006

Understanding the function of key proteins found in influenza viruses could lead to more effective flu drugs.


Tomatoes

Secret of tasty tomatoes revealed

05 May 2006

Vine-ripened tomatoes are officially tastier than gas-ripened supermarket equivalents, thanks to their umami.


Flash photography on the Mona Lisa

Coating protects organic materials from photodegradation

05 May 2006

Materials scientists in Spain have used sol-gel technology to develop a UV protective coating, which they say can protect organic materials from light damage.


Chemistry World

Gong for 'amazingly accessible' magazine

04 May 2006

Chemistry World has been named Monthly business and professional magazine of the year by the PPA


NO-releasing membrane

NO means no to biofouling

04 May 2006

Nitric oxide-releasing membranes could coat the next generation of medical sensors, claim scientists in the US.


Asbestos

Nano warning

03 May 2006

Carbon nanotubes have been compared with asbestos.


US and EU flags

US firms accuse Reach of raising trade barriers

03 May 2006

American industry warns EU chemicals directive will cause 'unnecessary barriers to trade'.


Milk

Analysis of complex samples made easier

03 May 2006

A direct method for analysing complex samples, such as urine or milk, has been developed by researchers in the US.


Chemotherapy

Ruthenium's role in cancer therapy

02 May 2006

Ruthenium compounds are emerging as potential drugs for treating secondary tumours.


Permafrost

Chilling warnings on receding permafrost

02 May 2006

The annual loss of around one per cent of the world's permafrost areas could trigger the release of even more greenhouse gases.