All Feature articles – Page 29
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FeatureBiting insects - a challenge for chemists
In many parts of the world biting insects are major disease vectors, being the source of malaria and yellow fever for example, though in the UK they are mainly just a nuisance
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FeatureArtemisinin and a new generation of antimalarial drugs
Every year between one and two million people - mainly children - living in the tropics and subtropics die of malaria.
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FeatureAmadeo Avogadro 1776-1856
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the death of the Italian chemical physicist, Amedeo Avogadro.
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FeatureSpicing up Chemistry
Spices have been used in cooking since Roman times, and were believed to be important as antiparasitic agents and as gastrointestinal protectants in the diet
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FeaturePioneering women chemists of Bedford College
In the early part of the 20th century, a few institutions seemed to have been havens for women interested in chemistry.
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FeatureTitan - a museum of the Earth's atmosphere
Titan, the largest moon of the planet Saturn, has an atmosphere that is predominantly nitrogen with a small amount of carbon present in the form of methane and higher hydrocarbons.
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FeatureChlorpromazine - unlocks the asylum
The history of pharmaceuticals is enriched by accounts of drugs developed for one therapeutic purpose that found application in another. This is true for chlorpromazine, a treatment for severe mental illness
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FeatureIn the steps of Markovnikov
The addition reactions of HCl and HBr to propene to give either 2-chloropropane or 2-bromopropane are often given as examples of Markovnikov's Rule, but in his original 1870 paper, Markovnikov used HI and not HBr or HCl.
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FeatureThe carbon dioxide problem
Measuring carbon dioxide from plant debris provides an opportunity for an inquiry-based experiment aimed at 14-15 year olds. Similar experiments are done by soil scientists and ecologists in their efforts to understand the global carbon cycle
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FeaturePercivall Pott, chimney sweeps and cancer
Over 200 years ago, doctor and writer Percivall Pott made the astute connection between soot and scrotal cancer, known then as the chimney sweep's cancer.
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FeatureChemistry, medicine and genetic analysis
In the near future, doctors will be able to carry out a 'while you wait' test, using genetic analysis, for chlamydia, the silent disease that can lead to infertility in women.
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FeatureAcid mine drainage - a legacy of an industrial past
The environmental damage caused by acid mine drainage (AMD) is a worldwide and growing problem in those countries that once, or are still, extracting coal and/or metals. What is AMD, what effect does it have on the environment, and what can be done about
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FeatureRough science and homemade batteries
Investigations involving simple batteries made from items found in the home or school laboratory can help KS3 pupils understand the origin of current, voltage and power, and the chemistry that drives batteries.
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FeatureGM foods - addressing public concerns
Genetically modified (GM) foods continue to generate media attention and concern among the public. How can analytical chemists help consumers make informed choices
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FeatureThe Chemistry Olympiad – miss it, miss out
The international final of the Chemistry Olympiad – a chemistry competition for sixthformers – was held in Taiwan this year
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FeatureThe chemistry of self-healing polymers
A familiar example of a system with self-healing ability is the human body. But could an analogous strategy be used for the self-repair of polymeric composites?
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FeatureInvestigating the secrets of the Stradivarius
For the past 200 years violin makers around the world have sought to produce violins that would rival those of Stradivari and Guarneri made during 1700-50.
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FeaturePain relief: from coal tar to paracetamol
Analgesics, ie pain-relieving drugs, fall into two categories: those that also reduce body temperature in fevers (antipyretics), and those that act mainly on the brain - typically morphine and diamorphine/heroin. Here we consider members of the first group, particularly those once designated 'coal tar analgesics'. Paracetamol, our most popular over-the-counter pain killer, is one of these.
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FeatureAnalytical chemistry makes the news
University departments traditionally divided chemistry into inorganic, organic and physical subsets, with analytical chemistry sitting somewhere in between. But this is changing. The teaching of analytical chemistry is currently undergoing a renaissance in many universities.