All Organic chemistry articles – Page 14
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Feature
Pain 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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Feature
Salty solvents – ionic really
Ionic compounds are usually high melting point solids. But mix together a powdered organic salt with aluminium chloride and the result is a clear, colourless, 'ionic liquid'