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Chicago Section The Chemical Bulletin http://chicagoacs.org MAY ¥ 2009 THE NINETY-EIGHTH PRESENTATION OF THE WILLARD GIBBS MEDAL (Founded by William A. Converse) to PROFESSOR LOUIS BRUS sponsored by the CHICAGO SECTION AMERICAN FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2009

Marriott Lincolnshire DINNER 7:00 PM ACCEPTANCE OF THE AWARD Ten Marriott Drive (continued on page 2) Lincolnshire, IL 60069 (847) 634-0100 AWARD CEREMONY 8:30 PM

From the North: Take the Tri-State The Willard Gibbs Medal Tollway (I-94) south to Route 22. Exit and follow the directions below. Or, Dr. Amber Arzadon, Chair take Milwaukee Avenue (Rt. 21) south Chicago Section, ACS past Route 22 to the entrance to the Marriott Lincolnshire. Introduction of the Medalist Dr. Mark A. Ratner, NU From the South: Take I-294 (the Tri- State Tollway), which becomes I-94 in Presentation of the Medal Lake County, north to the Route 22 exit Dr. Joseph S. Francisco (Half Day Road). Head west/left about 3 miles to Route 21/45, Milwaukee ACS Chair-Elect Avenue. Before Route 21 you will come to a fork in the road. Follow the main Citation road to the left, not "Olde Half Day Rd" to the right. At Route 21 proceed For his leading role in the creation of south/left to the next light, which will be chemical quantum dots. Dr. Louis Brus’ the entrance to the Marriott Lincolnshire work led to a general understanding of hotel. Turn left onto the property and how semiconductor nanocrystals, with Dr. Louis Brus follow the signs to the parking lot to the increasing size, evolve electronically Samuel Latham Mitchill Professor of left for the conference center or the into bulk semiconductors. His group main hotel entrance. developed the basic models, mecha- Columbia University, New York nisms, and methods for nanocrystal From the Downtown: See page 2 synthesis, processing, and characteri- ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS zation that are widely used today. Parking: Free “Benjamin Franklin and J. W. Gibbs” The mission of the Chicago Section RECEPTION 6:00 P.M. Abstract: Benjamin Franklin and Josi- of the ACS is to encourage the Hors-d’oeuvres ah Willard Gibbs were both revolution- advancement of chemical sciences Non-alcoholic Punch ary American scientists. Their back- and their practitioners. grounds, personalities, approaches to (continued on page 2) 5/09 2 (continued from page 1) DIRECTIONS (continued) JOIN US AT THE FAIR! science and personal lives could not From Downtown: Take I-94/94, the Kennedy Expressway north, and at the The Chicago Section, along with the have been more different. I will discuss other ACS Illinois Sections, again plans the men and their science. junction with I-90, stay to the right, and follow the signs "to Wisconsin" on I-94, to have a cooperative tent at the Illinois State Fair August 14-23 in Springfield, THE MEDALIST which at this point is the Edens Express- way. About 6 miles further north, exit to IL. Our joint-sections' tent activities pro- Lou Brus has a B.A. from Rice Univer- vide information to the public on chem- sity and a Ph.D. from Columbia Univer- the right following I-94, which will swing west and join the Tri-State tollway, which istry with demos, hand-on activities, sity, both in Chemical Physics. As a computer quizzes, posters, literature, lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, he worked becomes I-94 at this point. A little more than 3 miles further exit on Route 22, and give-aways and give us a chance in the solid state and chemistry divisions to show the positive aspects of chem- of the Naval Research Laboratory in head west and follow the “From the South” directions. istry to many Illinois citizens and gov- Washington DC. In 1973, he joined the ernmental leaders. Last year, over research area of Bell Laboratories in DINNER (Continued) 14,600 people visited our tent—a Murray Hill, NJ, where he became Dis- record attendance!! tinguished Member of Technical Staff. Dinner reservations are required. To reserve your tickets, please call the We particularly need volunteers to He returned to Columbia in 1996, where help during the fair. Student affiliates he is now S. L. Mitchill Professor of Chicago Section office at 847-391-9091 or register at http://ChicagoACS.org and other student volunteers are Chemistry. He is a member of the welcomed! If you are interested in National Academy of Sciences and in by Tuesday, May 12 and pay $50 at the door, or fill out the reservation form on helping us for a few hours in this fun 1998 was the Chairman of the Board of and worthwhile outreach activity (you Trustees of the Gordon Conferences. In page 9 and mail it with your payment of $50 by Wednesday, May 6 to the do get free admission to the Fair, free the 1980s he pioneered research in col- parking and a T-shirt if you sign up to loidal semiconductor nanocrystals address given on the form. Tickets are $25 for students, unemployed Chicago volunteer in time!) -- call the Section exhibiting quantum size effects. He has office at (847) 391-9091 and go to our won the APS Langmuir Prize, the ACS Section members, or retired Chicago Section members. website at http://membership.acs.org/ Chemistry of Materials Prize, and the C/Chicago/statefair/index.html for OSA Wood Prize. In 2008, he received Tables of 10 may be reserved. If you information and to sign-in using our the first Kavli Prize in Nanoscience. His online volunteer scheduler. present interests include carbon nan- request seating for a group, please otubes and graphene, transition metal include a list of names of the people in oxide nanocrystals, and chemical appli- your group and their meal choices. cations of local electromagnetic fields. Tickets and nametags will be available IN THIS ISSUE at the door. No refunds will be made after noon, on Tuesday, May 12. 1 - Gibbs Banquet & Meeting 2 - State Fair Volunteers Seating will be available after the dinner Needed for people not attending the dinner but interested in hearing the speaker. 3 - ChemShorts for Kids: Invisibility Demos THE MENU: Wisconsin Winter Salad 3 - Scholarships for Future with Mesculine Greens, Candied Science Teachers Pecans, Dried Cranberries and Maple 3 - Task Force on Education Chestnut Vinaigrette Dressing; a choice of Chicken Florentine with Mozzarella 5 - History of the Gibbs Award cheese, Dried Tomatoes, and 6 - Council Report Beurre Blanc Sauce; Jack Daniel’s 6 - Great Lakes Regional Glazed Wild Salmon with Stone Mus- Meeting tard Glaze; or Roasted Vegetables Wellington; Chef’s Selection of Potato 7 - Tobin Marks, Herman or Rice and Fresh Seasonal Vegeta- Pines Awardee bles; Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with 8 - House Committee on S&T Mocha Anglaise; Wine Website 8 - May Historical Events in Chemistry 9 - Gibbs Dinner Reservation Form NOTICE TO ILLINOIS 9 - Sponsors Needed for State Fair Project TEACHERS 9 - ACS Short Courses The Chicago Section ACS is an 9 - HS Chem Clubs ISBE provider for professional 9 - Ad Index development units for Illinois teach- ers. Teachers who register for this 10 - Susan Shih, Distinguished month's meeting will have the Service Awardee opportunity to earn up to 3 CPDU's. 10 - Calendar 5/09 3 crystals scatter the refracted light at dif- ferent angles. May, 2009 Vol. 96, No. 5. Published When left in water, the fully gelled by the Chicago Section of The Ameri- super absorbent crystals contain up to can Chemical Society, Editorial Staff: The Elementary Education Committee 95% water, so they have the same opti- Cherlyn Bradley, Editor; Fran Kravitz, of the Chicago Section ACS presents cal density as water. This minimizes Associate Editor; Fadwa Al-Taher this column. They hope that it will reach refraction when submerged in water and Richard Treptow, Proofreaders; young children and help increase their and the crystals & spheres become Frank Jarzembowski, Publications science literacy. Please cut it out and invisible. Business Manager. Address: 1400 pass it on to your children, grandchil- Polyacrylamide crystals and spheres Renaissance Dr., Park Ridge, Illinois dren, or elementary school teachers. It can be purchased from science supply 60068; 847/391-9091. Subscription is hoped that teachers will incorporate companies, or from garden shops, rates: $15 per year. Frequency: some of the projects in this column into where they are used to uniformly pro- monthly-September through June. their lesson plans. vide water to plant roots over water- CHB 11 May ing/drying cycles. Invisibility Demos TASK FORCE ON References: EDUCATION Kids, how can you make crystals and ACS ChemMatters, February 2009, The American Chemical Society has spheres disappear? Start with ones Teacher’s Guide (Item #2 of “Demon- created a Board-Presidential Task that are made from polyacrylamide! strations & Lessons” from “Science at Force on Education to identify a unique Superabsorbent polyacrylamide crys- Hogwarts: Chemistry in Harry Potter’s role for the world’s largest scientific tals (e.g. Soil Moist Crystals¨, among World” by Jane Snell Copes). society in transforming education in the other brands) are small grains which, “Growing Spheres” at United States. The task force’s charter when placed in water, seem to disap- http://www.teachersource.com. calls upon it to review recommenda- pear. To your friends, you can cast an Carl Ahlers - Prof Bunsen Science; tions contained in STEM (Science, “invisibility spell” on the small crystals to http://www.profbunsen.com.au/ Technology, Engineering, and Mathe- make them grow and disappear in a matics) reports released in the last five glass of water. Small spheres made of Edited by K. A. CARRADO, Argonne years, to identify specific actions the the crosslinked polyacrylamide polymer National Laboratory ACS might take to implement those rec- are also available. ommendations, and to create a list of Place the hard crystals in a glass or All past “ChemShorts for Kids”: priorities to determine areas where the bowl about 1/4 full, add water, and they http://membership.acs.org/C/Chica Society might have a unique impact on can expand by up to 300 times, produc- go/ChmShort/kidindex.html STEM education. ing gel-like spheres that are slippery (and safe) to the touch. These are extraordinary volume increases. Crys- tals starting with a diameter of about 3 mm end with a diameter of about 20 mm. From a volume perspective, spheres can expand from 113 mm3 to 33,512 mm3, which is more than 29000%. Determine the change in vol- ume yourself using V = 4/3 pi(r)3. The wet crystals and spheres can be dyed using food coloring, then dried out and reused. Put them in the sun and they will become rock-hard again. For some other variations, tie a loop of yarn around one of the beads. When sub- merged in a glass of water, the bead disappears and the yarn forms a (seemingly empty) circle in the water. Lifting the yarn out of the water results SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE $670,962 over 5 years. 20% will be in the previously invisible bead magical- FOR FUTURE SCIENCE programmatic while 80% of the funds will be for student scholarships and ly appearing as it rises above the water. TEACHERS From a biology or earth science per- internships. Scholarships are available spective, this is a great way for starting Chicago State University recently for junior/senior undergraduates, certifi- seeds and growing plants so that the received a grant to fund students cation students, and Masters of Arts in roots can be seen. preparing to be secondary science Teaching candidates. Individuals who teachers. The project, "Establishing a have a degree in science and are look- What’s happening? Supportive Environment for the Recruit- ing into a career change are highly ment, Preparation, and Retention of the encouraged to apply for a full tuition Light changes its speed when it passes Urban Science Teacher" is funded scholarship for the certification or mas- into an optical medium of different den- through the National Science Founda- ters program. Please see our website sity. This causes the light rays to bend tion Robert Noyce Teaching Scholar- http://webs.csu.edu/~noycesch/or (refract). Crystals & spheres refract light ship Program. The Department of contact the program director, Dr. when it enters and leaves them. Fur- Chemistry and Physics and the Depart- Andrea Gay Van Duzor at agay@ thermore, the various planes of the ment of Biological Sciences will receive csu.edu, for more information. 5/09 4 Try out an ACS Webcast! 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DVD AVAILABLE A DVD entitled “Local Sections A Division of Mass-Vac, Inc. Connecting Chemistry and the Com- 247 Rangeway Road • PO Box 359 • North Billerica, MA 01862-0359 munity” is available for loan by call- TEL 978-667-2393 FAX 978-671-0014 E-MAIL [email protected] WEB www.massvac.com ing the section office at (847) 391- 9091. 5/09 5 THE WILLARD GIBBS Gibbs medalists has crossed the bound- 1977 aries between chemistry specialties. W. O. Baker 1978 AWARD E. Bright Wilson 1979 FOUNDED BY WILLIAM A. CONVERSE Svente Arrhenius 1911 Frank Albert Cotton 1980 Theodore W. Richards 1912 Bert Lester Vallee 1981 The award was founded in 1910 by Leo H. Baekeland 1913 1982 William Converse (1862-1940), a former Ira Remsen 1914 John D. Roberts 1983 chairman and secretary of the Chicago Arthur A. Noyes 1915 Elias J. Corey 1984 Section. The medal was named for Pro- Willis R. Whitney 1916 Donald J. Cram 1985 fessor Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839-1903) Edward W. Morley 1917 Jack Halpern 1986 of Yale University. Gibbs, whose formu- William M. Burton 1918 Allen J. Bard 1987 lation of the Phase Rule founded a new William A. Noyes 1919 Rudolph A. Marcus 1988 science, is considered by many to be F. G. Cotrell 1920 Richard B. Bernstein 1989 the only American born scientist whose Mme. 1921 Richard N. Zare 1990 discoveries are as fundamental in Julius Stieglitz 1923 Gunther Wilke 1991 nature as those of Newton and Galileo. Gilbert N. Lewis 1924 Harry B. Gray 1992 Mr. Converse supported the award Moses Gomberg 1925 Peter B. Dervan 1993 personally for a number of years, and Sir James Colquhoun Irvine 1926 M. Frederick Hawthorne 1994 then established a fund for it in 1934 John Jacob Abel 1927 Sir John Meurig Thomas 1995 that has subsequently been augmented William Draper Harkins 1928 Fred Basolo 1996 by the Dearborn Division of W. R. Claude Silbert Hudson 1929 Carl Djerassi 1997 Grace & Co. J. Fred Wilkes and his wife 1930 Mario J. Molina 1998 have also made considerable contribu- Phoebus A. Levene 1931 Lawrence F. Dahl 1999 tions to the award. Edward Curtis Franklin 1932 Nicholas J. Turro 2000 Since the sale of the Dearborn/Grace Richard Willstatter 1933 Tobin J. Marks 2001 division to Betz, the BetzDearborn Harold Clayton Urey 1934 Ralph Hirschmann 2002 Foundation, located in Horsham, Penn- Charles August Kraus 1935 John I. Brauman 2003 sylvania has most generously offered to 1936 2004 continue the historic relationship Herbert Newby McCoy 1937 David A. Evans 2005 between the Section and Dearborn. Robert R. Williams 1938 Jacqueline Barton 2006 This Foundation has contributed annu- Donald Dexter Van Slyke 1939 Sylvia T. Ceyer 2007 ally since the purchase toward the Vladimir lpatieff 1940 Carolyn Bertozzi 2008 Willard Gibbs Medal Fund to help Edward A. Doisy 1941 defray the cost of the medal and of the Thomas Midgley, Jr. 1942 banquet itself-helping to make the ban- Conrad A. Elvehjem 1943 quet award the outstanding and gra- George O. Curme, Jr. 1944 cious event that it is. We are most Frank C. Whitmore 1945 appreciative of their support. 1946 The purpose of the award is "To pub- Wendell M. Stanley 1947 licly recognize eminent who, Carl F. Cori 1948 through years of application and devo- Peter J. W. Debye 1949 tion, have brought to the world develop- Carl S. Marvel 1950 ments that enable everyone to live more William Francis Giauque 1951 comfortably and to understand this William C. Rose 1952 world better." Medalists are selected by Joel H. Hildebrand 1953 a national jury of eminent chemists from Elmer K. Bolton 1954 different disciplines. The nominee must Farrington Daniels 1955 be a who, because of the pre- 1956 eminence of his or her work in and con- W. Albert Noyes, Jr. 1957 tribution to pure or applied chemistry, is Willard F. Libby 1958 deemed worthy of special recognition. Hermann I. Schlesinger 1959 The award consists of an eighteen- George B. Kistiakowsky 1960 carat medal having, on one side, Louis Plack Hammett 1961 the bust of J. Willard Gibbs, for whom 1962 the medal was named. On the reverse Paul D. Bartlett 1963 is a laurel wreath and an inscription lzaak M. Kolthoff 1964 containing the recipient's name. Robert S. Mulliken 1965 Given annually for ninety-six years, the Glenn T. Seaborg 1966 recipients span nearly a century of chem- 1967 istry. Most of the names are familiar to 1968 chemists regardless of specialty. This 1969 fame may result from later recognition, Frank H. Westheimer 1970 including, in many cases, the Nobel 1971 Prize. Another reason for the familiarity of John T. Edsall 1972 these names may be that textbooks have Paul John Flory 1973 permanently associated many of these 1974 names with classic reactions or theories. Herman F. Mark 1975 In any case, the fame achieved by the Kenneth S. Pitzer 1976 5/09 6 REPORT OF COUNCIL Judith L. Benham (3M, retired) and GREAT LAKES REGIONAL Peter K. Dorhout (Colorado State) as MEETING HELD IN SALT candidates for our district director. MEETING LAKE CITY Meetings and Expositions: As of The 38th Great Lakes Regional meet- The 237th National Meeting of the March 25, 2009, the ACS spring nation- ing (GLRM) will be held May 13-26, ACS was held in Salt Lake City, UT al meeting had attracted 10,668 regis- 2009 at the Lincolnshire Marriott in Lin- from March 22 Ð 26, 2009. The Chicago trants as follows: Regular attendees colnshire, IL. The theme for this meet- section was represented by eleven 5,781; Students 3,439; Exhibitors 780; ing is “A Better Environment Through councilors and two alternate councilors. Exposition only 411; and Guests 257. Chemistry.” Symposia planned for the The councilors who attended for the Economic and Professional meeting include sessions on small section were: Cherlyn Bradley, Charles Affairs: The Council VOTED to chemical, plant biochemistry, material Cannon, Mark Cesa, David Crumrine, approve the newly revised Professional science, polymer chemistry, non-crys- Ken Fivizzani, Herb Golinkin, Russell Employment Guidelines. talline X-ray structural chemistry and Johnson, Fran Kravitz, Milt Levenberg, Membership: At the close of 2008, the environment, moleculra simulation Barbara Moriarty and Susan Shih. The Society membership totaled 154,024, and the environment, environmental alternate councilors representing the compared to 160,052 for year-end chemistry and the Great Lakes, food section were Margaret Levenberg and 2007. The decrease is attributed to the chemistry, issues and resources in Tom Higgins. economy and a correction to the counts chemical health and safety and general Unlike the last few council meetings, this of 2,589 Emeritus members whom ACS sessions in organic chemistry, inorganic meeting was less eventful, allowing time has not been able to reach for many chemistry, physical chemistry analytical for discussion of issues such as finances years. These emeritus members were chemistry and biochemistry. and ways to attract new members. identified as part of the transition to a In addition, a number of workshops Finances: The Committee on Budget new membership database. and other events are planned including and Finance reported that, in spite of the Special Discussion Item: What can career workshops, ethics workshops, a economic challenges faced in 2008, the ACS do to attract new members, while Botanic Garden tour and attendance at Society’s operating performance held up better serving membership during these the Lincolnshire Marriott dinner theater well. However, the Society was adverse- challenging economic times? An show “Spelling Bee”, and the Willard ly impacted by the historic collapse in extended discussion of ideas about Gibbs Award Banquet to publicly recog- the capital markets, which resulted in a retention of current members and nize an eminent chemist who, through sharp decline in the Society’s unrestrict- recruitment of new members was also years application and devotion, has ed net assets from $212 million at the conducted. brought to the world developments tat end of 2007 to $60 million at the end of If you have any questions and/or enable everyone to live more comfort- 2008. There were two factors driving this comments about the above actions, ably and to understand this world bet- decrease, both related to poor perfor- please contact me or one of your other ter. mance in the markets - substantial representatives. You may contact me Lincolnshire is a suburb of Chicago investment losses and a sizable by email ([email protected]). and so many activities located in Chica- increase in pension liability from the go are available by train from the loca- Society’s Defined Benefit Pension Plan. BARBARA MORIARTY tions. The Society has updated its contingen- Please go to our website at cy plan that contemplates potential www.glrm2009.org for the latest infor- threats from many different sources, their mation on the meeting. probability of occurrence, likely duration and financial impact. The updated 2009 Plan covers all operating and administra- tive units as well as member programs, and identifies new and emerging threats. ACS management has also updated the mitigation strategies to respond to the threats and ensure the Society’s long- term financial sustainability. Society man- agement and the Board of Directors are closely monitoring financial performance versus the budget. The Council voted to set dues for 2009 at $145. This vote was conducted using wireless “clickers.” Governance: The Council selected Nancy B. Jackson (Sandia National Labs, Central New Mexico Section) and Cheryl A. Martin (Rohm and Haas, Philadelphia Section) as candidates for 2010 President-Elect. These two candi- dates will stand for election in the Fall National Election. Note that, as one councilor was overheard to say, Council has entered the 20th century and voting was conducted using wireless “clickers.” Councilors from our district chose 5/09 7 TOBIN MARKS IS RECIPIENT OF THE HERMAN PINES AWARD The Herman Pines Award Selection Committee of the Catalysis Club of Chicago announces that the recipient of the 2009 Award is Professor Tobin Marks of the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University. The award is given in recognition of Tobin’s out- standing contributions in the areas of both homogenous and heterogeneous catalysis. Tobin’s work has had major impact on contemporary catalytic sci- ence with pioneering studies of olefin polymerization, supported organometal- lic catalysts, metal-ligand bonding ener- getics, and f-element catalysis. Tobin has served on numerous scien- tific committees, governmental and industrial advisory boards and review panels, has mentored over 100 PhD students and nearly as many postdoc- toral fellows, with more than 90 alumni holding academic positions worldwide. Tobin has over 900 publications and 88 patents. His current h-index is 102. He will receive the award and deliver the keynote address during the Cataly- sis Club of Chicago’s Spring Sympo- sium to be held on May 18, 2009 at the BP Research Center in Naperville. -- The Catalysis Club of Chicago solicits nominations for the Herman Pines Award for outstanding research in the field of catalysis. Herman Pines was an out- standing research scientist, and his work revolutionized the general understanding of organic chemistry, particularly the chemistry of hydrocarbons interacting with strong acids. The Award in his honor is co-sponsored by UOP, where Herman Pines began his industrial career in 1930 and amassed 145 US patents, and by the Catalysis Club of Chicago of which Herman Pines was a founding member.

2011 Ð INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF CHEMISTRY The General Assembly of the United Nations has adopted a resolution pro- claiming 2011 as International Year of Chemistry. The American Chemical Society celebrates the news. "We will help provide opportunities for Nobel Laureates, eminent scientists, teachers, outstanding young chemistry students, and chemistry communities around the world to demonstrate how people's lives are improved through chemistry", declared ACS President, Thomas H. Lane. Read more at: http://pubs.acs. org/isubscribe/journals/cen/87/i01/ht ml/8701notw8.html 5/09 8 REP. GORDON’S (D Ð TENN) expect: The title of the site on the web- enters the organism; thereby, laying the page is “Press Releases from the foundation for successful research on this HOUSE COMMITTEE ON Democratic Caucus, Committee on Sci- disease and methods of combating it. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ence.” Please note that although it is WEBSITE titled as such, it really is the work of the May 15, 1859 Pierre Curie, who discov- full committee, which has a membership ered the phenomenon of piezoelectrici- I have a recommendation for each of of 27 Democrats and 17 Republicans. ty, was born. He and his wife, Marie you. Take a look at the website of Rep. It’s just one of the prerogatives that you Curie, co-discovered polonium and Bart Gordon (D Ð Tenn), Chair of the get when you’re in control. Except for radium and shared the in House Committee on Science & Technol- the obvious politics, I think it’s a great Physics in recognition of the extraordi- ogy. It is very interesting to see what he step forward and makes a lot of informa- nary services they rendered by their has done on his site. All of the congres- tion available and readily accessible to joint researches on the radiation phe- sional websites that I have observed over the public. So, if you want to check it nomena discovered by Professor Henri the years have been pretty dull, with only out, go to the site above and then click Becquerel. the facts as needed. And indeed, Rep. on the “Get Live Feeds” in the upper Gordon’s site has always pretty well fit this left hand corner of the webpage. May 18, 1897 Dow Chemical Co. was description. So you can imagine how sur- We might be seeing a real revolution incorporated. prised I was when I saw more than half a in getting access to the work of our gov- dozen links to other subjects, none directly ernment. This comes at a time when May 20, 1879 Hans Meerwein, a re- related to a specific piece of legislation. there is also more openness than ever searcher on oxonium ions and Wagner- By clicking on the “RSS” symbol on his in the executive branch, as shown by Meerwein rearrangements, was born. site, I was directed to my webpage to find the presidential websites and the open that a site had been placed at the top of town-hall meeting “Open for Ques- May 21, 1860 Eduard Büchner, who my webpage with a half a dozen or so tions”, which I am sure we will see discovered alcoholic fermentation with- current topics that are of interest to the again during the Obama presidency. out yeast cells in 1896 and zymase in committee. Since I am a scientist, and 1897, was born. In 1907, he was that is also the committee’s interest, it will JIM SHOFFNER awarded the certainly be of interest to me. Pretty Cool!! COCHAIR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS COM- for his biochemical researches and his Anyway, if you wish view Rep. Gor- MITTEE discovery of cell-free fermentation. don’s S&T site, here is the link that will immediately get you there: http://sci May 23, 1908 John Bardeen, who ence.house.gov/about/history_com MAY HISTORICAL EVENTS shared the with mittee.shtml. IN CHEMISTRY William Bradford Shockley and Walter What I will also tell you is that the Houser Brattain in 1956 for their linked-sites are legislatively related, and May 2, 1876 Austin McD. Patterson, a researches on semiconductors and that makes them very interesting. It leader in the field of chemical nomen- their discovery of the transistor effect really does give one the opportunity to clature, was born. and with Leon N. Cooper and Robert become acquainted with legislation that Schrieffer in 1972 for their jointly devel- the committee is dealing with and may May 4, 1876 Arthur A. Blanchard, a oped theory of superconductivity, usual- well come to a vote during the 111th researcher on metal carbonyls and ly called the BCS-theory, was born. Congress. So, it would certainly be use- other inorganic compounds, was born. ful to have a link to the S&T committee May 26, 1904 John C. Bailar, Jr., who through Rep. Gordon’s site. May 6, 1859 Julius B. Cohen, a discovered optical inversion and Just to give you some idea of what to researcher on the laws of aromatic sub- explained stereospecificity in complex stitutions and optical activity, was born. inorganic reactions, was born. POP TOP RINGS COLLECTION May 7, 1909 Edwin H. Land, who May 27, 1909 Mary Fieser, who with developed a light polarizing material her husband Louis collaborated on the Instead of throwing away those pop called Polaroid, a color photography investigation of the chemistry of top rings from your pop cans, please system, the Polaroid Land camera, and quinones and steroids, was born. They bring them to the dinner meeting so founded the Polaroid Corporation, was developed synthetic procedures for the we can donate them to a program at born. preparation of Vitamin K, cortisone, and Ronald McDonald House. the antimalarial compound lapinone. In May 8, 1855 Bohuslav Brauner, who 1944, they published the textbook, was a researcher in the chemistry of Organic Chemistry. She was awarded VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!! tellurium & the rare earths and predict- the Garvan Medal in 1971. An organization called Recording For ed the existence of element No. 61 the Blind and Dyslexic is in need of [Pm], was born. May 30, 1898 William Ramsay and people with backgrounds in chemistry or Morris W. Travers discovered . biochemistry who would be willing to May 10, 1850 Edward Weston, who spend two or three hours a weeks improved nickel plating, was born. LEOPOLD MAY recording texts for use by, as the name The Catholic University of America implies, blind or dyslexic students. If you May 13, 1857 Ronald Ross, who dis- Washington, DC are interested, call Nat Meyer at the covered that malaria was transmitted by Additional historical events can be Chicago office 312-236-8715, ext 213 or the Anopheles mosquito, was born. He found at Dr. May’s website, http:// e-mail him at [email protected]. It is was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiolo- faculty.cua.edu/may/Chemistrycalen not necessary to be rich or good-looking, gy or Medicine in 1920 for his work on dar.htm or the This Week in Chemical and the work itself is very rewarding. malaria, by which he showed how it History at the ACS website: http://www.acs.org/whatischemistry. 5/09 9 2009 GIBBS DINNER RESERVATION FORM Name______Affiliation______Address______Phone ( )______Email Address ______# tickets for ACS members & guests ______($50.00/ticket) ACS Local Section______# tickets for students, unemployed members, and retirees who are Chicago Section members ($25.00/ticket)______Note: Professors must make student reservations. # dinners: Chicken Florentine with Mozzarella cheese, Sun Dried Tomatoes, & Beurre Blanc Sauce ______Jack Daniel’s Glazed Wild Salmon with Stone Mustard Glaze ______Roasted Vegetables Wellington ______Total Enclosed $______Payable at time of reservation, if reservation is made by mail. Please include a list of your guests’ names, affiliations and dinner selections with this form. Return with payment to: American Chemical Society, Gibbs Reservations 1400 Renaissance Drive, Suite 312, Park Ridge, IL 60068

ACS Short Courses in 2009 HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY SPONSORS NEEDED-- CLUBS PROGRAM IS ILLINOIS STATE FAIR ACS Short Courses are one- to five- day, in-person seminars designed to GROWING PROJECT help chemical scientists and techni- The ACS High School Chemistry Club The Chicago Section, along with the cians keep current in today's competi- tive marketplace. Please visit Program provides fun, authentic, and other Illinois Sections of the ACS, is hands-on opportunities for students to: again planning to have a tent at the www.acs. org/shortcourses to regis- ter and for more information. Illinois State Fair August 14-23. Last ¥ Experience chemistry beyond what year, over 14,600 people visited is taught in the classroom our tent. The tent provides outreach Laboratory/Lecture Courses Get in-class and hands-on experience ¥ Learn about post-secondary and to the public on chemistry though career opportunities in chemistry demos, hands-on activities, literature, with Laboratory/Lecture Courses from the ACS. ¥ Get involved in community building and give-aways. We are looking for and service individuals and companies to help ¥ sponsor our tent. In return for April 20 Ð 24; July 20 Ð 24, November 9 Ð 13 At over 150 clubs across United financial contributions we will pro- States and Puerto Rico, students plan mote your company’s name at the Chicago, IL Gas Chromatography: Fundamentals, and enjoy experiences such as science front of the tent as a sponsor as well shows for local elementary schools, as on CDs with information given to Troubleshooting, and Method Develop- ment field trips to chemical laboratories over 300 school teachers throughout fundraisers. ACS provides a handbook the state of Illinois. This is a great July 13 Ð 17; October 5 Ð 9 of information for starting a club and way to get your company recog- resource packets which include tips and nized in the public as well as pro- Chicago, IL High Performance Liquid Chromatogra- suggestions for club activities. If you moting chemistry. If you are inter- are interested in finding out more about ested in making a donation to help phy: Fundamentals, Troubleshooting, and Method Development this exciting program, or you wish to keep this worthwhile public outreach join it check out the ChemClub website project going strong, please call the August 9 Ð 14; December 6 Ð 11 at www.acs.org/chemclub or e-mail Section office at (847) 391-9091. us at [email protected]. Thank You! Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Polymer Chemistry: Principles and Practice CHERLYN BRADLEY FRAN KRAVITZ Co-Chairs, Ad-Hoc Committee of the Illinois Sections of the ACS Coopera- Advertising Index tive State Fair Project Company Page Telephone URL Northup RTS 2 847-579-0049 www.toxconsultants.com Micron Inc. 3 302-998-1184 www.micronanalytical.com NEXT ISSUE is Mass-Vac, Inc. 4 978-667-2393 www.massvac.com for the Pro Tech Engineering 5 847-714-9214 www.processtechnology June Section Lunch Meeting engineering.com and the Section’s Columbia Analytical Services 6 520-573-1061 www.caslab.com Distinguished Service Award Varian Inc. 7 800-926-3000 www.varianinc.com SUSAN SHIH RECEIVES THE May 13-16: The 38th Great Lakes Regional meeting DISTINGUISHED SERVICE (GLRM) will be held at the Lincolnshire Marriott in Lin- AWARD colnshire, IL. The theme is "A Better Environment Through Chemistry."The call for papers opened November 15, 2008. The 2009 Distinguished Service Please go to our website at www.glrm2009.org for the latest Award will be presented to Susan M. information on the meeting. Shih at the June 19 Chicago Section’s luncheon meeting. Come and honor May 14: Chicago Section Society of Plastics Engineers’ Susan with us! Supplier Night, 5-9 pm, Holiday Inn Elk Grove, 1000 Busse Road, Elk Grove, IL. For more information, go to www.4spe.org/events/tech nical-groups/chicago-section- ACS OFFERS SPECIAL suppli er-night BENEFITS FOR May 15: Chicago Section ACS Gibbs Award Banquet, Mar- UNEMPLOYED MEMBERS riott Lincolnshire Resort. Louis Brus of Columbia University is During these tough economic times it’s the medalist. See this issue. more important than ever to belong to the American Chemical Society. Unem- May 18: Catalysis Club of Chicago's Spring symposium at ployed members can tap into a host of BP in Naperville, IL. Visit http://www.catalysis valuable benefits and services that help clubchicago.org/2009SpringSymp.html for details. them get back in the workforce. And, members in good standing may qualify June: 2009: Science History Tour to England. Tour theme is for an unemployed member dues Darwin and Evolution. Two-week tour will begin in mid-June. waiver, allowing them to renew their Graduate credit available for those interested. Teachers can memberships and keep their member get CPDUs for free. For details, contact Yvonne Twomey at benefits at no cost. Contact ACS at [email protected] or Lee Marek at [email protected]. For more information, go to [email protected], 800-333-9511 or www.chem.uic.edu/marek/ (look under history stuff) and 614-447-3671 for complete details. http://community.webshots.com/ Other valuable benefits that help ACS user/oliverjcomo members get back in the workforce include: June 4-5: Society of Cosmetic Chemists will have a scientific seminar, Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. $750 ¥ Free registration at ACS National for members; $850 for nonmembers. Register at http:// Meetings and registration fees at 69.36.173.176/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen Regional Meetings of just $25. =OINF&Store_Code=SR&Product_Code=2009SEM&Attribut Meetings offer ACS Career Fairs es=Yes&Quantity=1&Action=ADPR. www.scconline.org with on-site interviews. ¥ Special discounts for ACS/Harvard June 19: Chicago Section ACS Meeting (a luncheon). The sec- courses, ACS ProSpectives and tion’s Distinguished Service Award will be presented. Short Courses, and the ACS Leader- ship Development System. June 22-26: National Plastics Expo 2009 in Chicago. Con- ¥ Membership in the ACS Network, tact Phyllis Hortie, (202) 974-5295, phortie@plasticsin dus- your online resource to connect and try.org; website: www.npe.org. communicate with friends, col- leagues, and potential employers August 14-23: ACS Illinois Sections’ cooperative tent project at ¥ Free Guidance from ACS Career the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. For further information on Consultants Ð ACS mentors offer this fun and worthwhile outreach activity, contact the section resume reviews, job search strate- office at (847) 391-9091. Also, visit website http://mem gies, and interview tips that make bership.acs.org/ C/Chicago/statefair/index.html you stand out from the rest. ¥ Free access to InterviewStream, an August 16-20: The ACS National Meeting & Exposition, online tool that will sharpen your Washington, DC. Website: www.acs.org. interview skills ¥ Members-only access to the ACS September 25: Chicago Section ACS Public Affairs Award Salary comparator. Presentation to Dr. Mary L. Good. This will also be the sec- ¥ And more! tion’s Education Night honoring our high school scholarship awardees. Contact ACS customer service today at [email protected], 800-333-9511 or October 23: Medal Award Lecture, Dinner, and Presenta- 614-447-3671 and let us know how we tion; joint Chicago Section ACS’s meeting with Northwestern can help. University’s Department of Chemistry

November 18: Chicago Section ACS Meeting

December 4: Chicago Section ACS Holiday Party jointly with the Chemists’ Club and Iota Sigma Pi