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ChemistryViews.org is a comprehensive free-to-view news and information site with an associated scientific magazine, ChemViews Magazine. It is provided by ChemPubSoc Europe, an organization of 16 European chemical societies, to the global chemistry community.

ChemistryViews.org is closely linked to society journals such as Angewandte Chemie and Chemistry – A European Journal .

Sampl e Article s

2 Why Does C 2 Cause so Many Problems? Research 3 How Amino Acids Formed in the Universe 4 Snapshot of Light as Both a Particle and Wave

5 International Chemical Trade Industry 6 Insulation through an Organic Polyurethane-Based Aerogel 7 Microalgae – Underestimated All-Rounders

8 Tips and Tricks for the Lab: Column Choices Education 9 Applying for a Job at Merck 10 What is Shale Gas? How Does Fracking Work? 11 Fresh Wind in the Austrian Young Chemists Section

12 Chemistry of a Hangover – Alcohol and its Consequences Fun 13 The Chemistry of Breaking Bad 14 Guess the Chemist (51) & The Science of Football

15 Awards Accepting Nominations & Event Calendar Videos & Tips 16 Writing Tips & Carbonate Looping 17 Why Agree to an Article Transfer? s

Research

Why Does C 2 Cause so Many Problems?

Anne Deveson, Dieter Cremer, Gernot Frenking, Mario Piris, Sason Shaik

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201600022

This small modest molecule has been the subject of a lot of attention over the past years as to what the bonding situation is between these two atoms, as can be seen from the selection of references given here [1–8]. To put it in very simple terms, there appear two main theories—a quadruple bond and not a quadruple bond (in fact somewhere in between two and three bonds). In the latest issue of Chemistry—A European Journal , four groups put forward arguments in favor of one or other of these two theories [9–12].

Dr. Anne Deveson has asked the main authors of these four papers, Professor Dieter Cremer (Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, USA), Professor Gernot Frenking (Marburg University, Germany), Professor Mario Piris (Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Donostia, Spain), and Professor Sason Shaik (The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel), to tell us why this is so important.

Please describe your findings in an easy to understand way.

Mario Piris: The carbon atom has four valence electrons and four valence orbitals. Consequently, carbon could unpair these four electrons by putting each one in a different valence orbital, or in each of the resulting four sp 3 hybrid atomic orbitals. The pairing of each of the electrons of two adjacent carbon atoms could, in principle, result in a quadruply bonded dimer. However, the quantum mechanics of the molecular electronic structure puts in place other (subtle) effects that might result in a reduced bond order. Indeed, we found that C 2 bears a bond order intermediate between ethylene and acetylene. […]

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Research How Amino Acids Formed in the Universe

Vera Koester, Uwe Meierhenrich

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201500104

Within the Rosetta mission of the European Space Agency (ESA ), Darmstadt, Germany, the Philae lander made the first soft landing on a comet nucleus by touching down on comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko in 2014. Philae carried out eleven experiments.

Comets largely consist of condensed ices and dust and circle the sun on elliptical orbits. They are remnants of the birth of our solar system and are therefore important witnesses from ancient times.

Professor Uwe Meierhenrich, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, France, is known for his research on the identification of amino acids in space and was involved in the preparation and realization of the Rosetta mission.

What got you interested as a chemist in space research?

During my PhD thesis, I became fascinated by stereochemistry and chirality-related questions. I wanted to know why biological organisms develop proteins that contain exclusively L-enantiomers of amino acids and genetic material that specifically employs units in D-configuration. To understand this evolutionary period called biomolecular symmetry breaking, we need to understand and reproduce the formation of the first organic molecules, of chiral molecules, if possible. Experiments used on a space mission like Rosetta are unique and can help us to find answers to these fundamental questions. […]

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Research Snapshot of Light as Both a Particle and Wave

Vera Koester

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201500036

Can an image capture the dual behavior of light?

It is well known that light can behave as a particle and as a wave, but it took until 2015 to capture this dual behavior of light simultaneously in an image [1].

Fabrizio Carbone and his team at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, fired a pulse of infrared laser light at silver nanowires, which were located on a layer of multilayered graphene. The laser light stimulated electronic plasma oscillations in the nanowires, as it adds energy to the charged particles in the nanowire, thus causing them to oscillate. This electromagnetic far field is accompanied by an electromagnetic near field located directly on the wire surface. Light travels back and forth on the nanowire. When waves traveling in opposite directions meet, they form a standing wave.

To image this standing wave of light, the scientists shot a stream of electrons close to the nanowire. As the electrons interacted with the confined light on the nanowire, they either sped up or slowed down. By using an ultrafast microscope, Carbone’s team imaged the position where this change in speed occurred. By doing this they were able to visualize the standing wave, which acts as a fingerprint of the wave-nature of light.

At the same time, this phenomenon shows the particle-like character of light: As the electrons pass close to the standing wave of light, they hit the photons. This affects their speed, and this change in speed appears as an exchange of energy packets, called quanta, between electrons and photons. […]

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Industry International Chemical Trade

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201500014

The international chemical industry has seen a slow recovery according to the latest Facts & Figures report [1] by the European Chemical Industry Council (cefic).

The value of worldwide chemicals sales in 2013 was 3,156 billion €, an increase of 2.4 % compared to the previous year. This was mostly driven by China, where chemicals sales swelled from 918 billion € in 2012 to 1,047 billion € in 2013. The European Union and the United States had very similar total chemicals sales in 2013 and share the second rank. […]

Chemicals Sales in 2013 – Absolute Values

(EU = EU-28, NAFTA = North American Free Trade Agreement, excluding pharmaceuticals, [1])

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Industry Insulation through an Organic Polyurethane- Based Aerogel

Vera Koester (Image: © Presse Photo BASF)

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201400093

Dr. Marc Fricke, laboratory head for Advanced Materials & Systems Research , BASF Polyurethanes GmbH, Lemförde, Germany, has developed a novel type of aerogel, which will be offered as an extremely thin and mechanically strong insulating panel, together with his team. It shows exceptional insulation performance, is light, has moisture-regulation performance, and will be produced as an aerogel panel that is easy to apply.

What kind of material is the new insulation panel made of?

The material is an organic aerogel based on polyurethane chemistry that shows an interesting combination of properties. This includes not only very low thermal conductivity – the λ value is quite low – but in addition it is a strong panel, and it is water vapor diffusive. Owing to its open-porous structure, it can absorb water or water vapor condensates within the nanopores, and it can release the water again. This makes it especially interesting for construction materials, especially for insulation applications. We can fine-tune the properties by using its chemistry.

And you are going to present this at the aerogel workshop at the TU Harburg?

Yes, I am looking forward to the academic discussion during this workshop organized by Professor Smirnova where the who's who of the chemical as well as the process engineering aerogel […]

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Industry Microalgae – Underestimated All-Rounders

Felix Derwenskus, Claudia Holdmann

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201500106

Microalgae, as one of the most important global biomass producers , do not only largely contribute to our global oxygen production, they are also able to produce several high value compounds with a high nutritional value. Next to natural antioxidant colorants, microalgae can contain high amounts of protein and omega-3-fatty acids which may help to prevent heart diseases. On the other hand, microalgae produce oil which might be a future fuel. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of research to do to make these things profitable.

1 Life at the Beginning of the Food Chain

Microalgae represent a diverse group of plant-like, unicellular organisms. Nowadays, it is estimated that about 300.000 different species exist on earth. Around 40.000 species are actually described and a few are analyzed in detail [1,2]. The term "microalgae" includes prokaryotic cyanobacteria as well as eukaryotic microalgae species (Fig. 1) capable of growing in presence of sea water (e.g. oceans), fresh water (e.g. lakes, rivers) and on several kinds of ground surfaces (e.g. soil) [3]. […]

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Education Tips and Tricks for the Lab: Column Choices

Sarah Millar

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201200074

Column chromatography is a commonly used purification technique in labs across the world. Done right it can simply and quickly isolate desired compounds from a mixture. But like many aspects of practical chemistry, the quick and efficient setting up and running of a column is something that can take years to master. Here we present some of the tips and tricks of the trade to help you optimize all the experimental parameters to get the best separation of your compounds.

Columns are generally used in organic and inorganic labs to remove unreacted starting material or isolate one desired product from a range of by-products after a reaction has been performed. To do this, the mixed sample is passed down a vertical glass tube packed with silica or alumina and collected in small portions, or fractions, at the end. The various components of the sample are separated into their different compound types through interaction with the solvent and the silica. Polar compounds will interact with the silica more strongly than non-polar ones so will come off the column, or elute, after non-polar compounds. When a sample contains compounds with similar polarity, the separation between then can be small and recovering all of your clean sample can become a challenge.

While correctly packing your column is arguably the most important experimental factor, there remain several other factors that can be optimized to help you achieve the best separation possible in the shortest amount of time. Here we guide you through how to choose the best solvent system for your sample, and look at how much silica you will need and in which size column. […]

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Education

Applying for a Job at Merck

Karin Schmitz , Vera Koester

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201500057

ChemistryViews.org and the Career Service of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh, German Chemical Society) asked international companies what they expect from applications, for example, for an entry-level position.

Dr.-Ing. Karin J. Schmitz, Career Service of the GDCh, and Dr. Vera Koester, ChemistryViews.org, talked with Peer Elger Schotmann, Global Executive Recruiting at Merck KGaA.

Mr. Schotmann, what should a curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé contain?

Firstly, a CV should contain personal information such as name, address, contact details, etc. as well as hobbies, community activities, and association memberships. The latter is optional to show your extracurricular/avocational activities. Of course, your educational background needs to be included: what/when/where you studied, which degree and what grades you achieved.

Graduates should also include when/where/with which majors/which degree school their education was completed. The career background should be included as well, starting with the most recent employment and its start/end date, the name of the employer, the job title, and job description in bullet points. Don't forget to add your language skills!

Is it necessary to include a photograph?

Merck is a globalized company, so overall it is not mandatory to include a photograph. […]

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Education

What is Shale Gas? How Does Fracking Work?

Vera Koester

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.20130001

Everywhere you can read about the shale gas rush in North Dakota , Texas, and Montana, all USA. The USA is the largest producer of shale gas. Their shale gas production rose from 2000 to 2010 from 2 to 23 % overall gas production with the trend still rising [1].

How do hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and horizontal drilling make natural gas trapped in shale rock formations financially feasible and accessible?

Shale Gas

Shale is a compressed fine-grained type of sedimentary rock. It was formed from mud silt, clay, and organic matter.

Shale gas is natural gas trapped within tiny pore spaces in shale formations. It is a hydrocarbon gas mixture. It consists mainly of methane. Other hydrocarbons are natural gas liquids (NGLs) like ethane, propane, and butane, and it also contains carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide.

Horizontal Drilling and Fracking

Horizontal drilling allows drilling vertically several thousand meters (typically 6,000 m) deep and then turning 90 ° and drilling horizontally. […]

[…] Read more on ChemistryViews.org

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Education Fresh Wind in the Austrian Young Chemists Section

Simon Albertini, Emanuel Ehmki, Stefan Felderer, Simon Hofer, Veronika Huber, Elisabeth Mairhofer, Martin Wieser

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201600004

The leading team of the Austrian Chemical Society's (GÖCH) Young Chemists Division consists of seven former student council members from the University of Innsbruck: Simon Albertini, Emanuel Ehmki, Stefan Felderer, Simon Hofer, Veronika Huber (chairwoman), Elisabeth Mairhofer, and Martin Wieser. The team started its work in 2013, and aims to build a larger network covering other Austrian universities, as well as represent the interests of young chemists towards GÖCH, the chemical industry, and the public.

Simon Hofer

At the time we started to study chemistry in Innsbruck, we, the "Jungchemiker" (young chemists), were still clueless about what to expect at university. As a bunch of newly found friends, we revived the students' council for chemistry in our second year. From there on, we stood up for the interests and listened to the concerns of our fellow students. Additionally, we organized many events to enhance the communication between the students and their professors. During this time, I personally learned a lot about dealing with challenging situations, like project management or taking part in fierce negotiations.

In my opinion, our biggest achievement during our work in the student's council was to bring people together and to establish a new identity of chemistry students in Innsbruck. […]

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Fun Chemistry of a Hangover — Alcohol and its Consequences

Klaus Roth

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201000074

How can a tiny molecule like ethanol be at the root of so much human misery?

Here we propose to get to the bottom of the chemical consequences of a night of celebrating to excess.

Many of us know from painful experience how the over-enjoyment of alcohol can disagree with our systems. Nevertheless, the tendency persists, over and over again, to suppress this simple bit of wisdom. The typical symptoms: after a short period of lifted inhibitions, accompanied by increasingly childish tomfoolery, usually serious problems with speech follow. Continuing to imbibe further leads to confusion and loss of orientation, as well as an inability to move the extremities in a coordinated fashion. The state of complete inebriation produces total helplessness from a fully impaired sense of equilibrium.

It‘s true that all the alcohol consumed will be completely metabolized within 8–12 hours, but the physical effects last longer. There arises what is colloquially referred to as a “hangover”, or “veisalgia” in medical terminology. The latter is in turn a word derived from the Norwegian “kveis”, for indisposition brought on by intemperance, and the Greek “algia” for pain. Typical symptoms include nausea, vomiting, equilibrium problems, general weakness, lack of appetite, dry mouth, etc.

Given that the ethanol culprit has already been metabolized by the time the first symptoms of a hangover appear, the question naturally arises: What is it that actually tortures us to the point […]

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Fun

The Chemistry of Breaking Bad

Falk Harnisch, Tunga Salthammer

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201300114

A recreational vehicle (RV) breaks the silence of the New Mexico desert . The driver, wearing only his underpants and a gas mask and showing signs of middle-age spread, steers it crashing into the embankment. The door bursts open, the driver falls out and, cursing, rips the gas mask from his face: Walter H. White, 50 years old, glasses and a highly talented scientist who is increasingly disillusioned in his work at a High School in Albuquerque. To help his family make ends meet, Walter is forced to take on a side job working at a car wash.

Walter H. White: hero or anti-hero? Driving force or driven by other forces? Chemist! Welcome to Breaking Bad .

Walter H. White is the protagonist of the multi-award-winning American TV series Breaking Bad , which runs for a total of five seasons and is especially popular among young audiences.

At the beginning of the series, he is diagnosed with lung cancer and, in face of his seemingly unavoidable and imminent death, he searches for a way to establish financial security for his heavily pregnant wife, Skyler, and his handicapped son, Walter Jr. On hearing how much money can be made in the narcotics business, he accompanies his brother-in-law, Hank Schrader, who works for the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) on a raid. He recognizes his former student, Jesse Pinkman, fleeing the scene.

With a mixture of cool calculation and pure desperation, Walter decides to get involved in the narcotics business and to synthesize crystal meth (N-methylamphetamine) to a very high quality. […]

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Fun Guess the Chemist (51)

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201600020

The scientist we are looking for this time made important contributions to protein chemistry, for which he or she received high honors. During college, our chemist was not entirely focused on academics, but also played on the football team. […]

Who are we looking for?

Fun The Science of Football

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201200063

In time for the European soccer championship in Poland and Ukraine, ChemistryViews gives you an overview of some of the scientific aspects involved in a football game. […]

Awards Awards Accepting Nominations

http://bit.ly/1pzY41T

Regularly updated details about awards and prizes with open nominations

Events Event Calendar http://www.chemistryviews.org/ events

Listing of chemistry and chemistry-related conferences, exhibitions, seminars, and workshops/training courses, including the option to submit your own event to the list

Videos

Writing Tips

http://bit.ly/2BwPGaL

Explaining scientific principles in simple and understandable language is a valuable skill: Insider tips on taking care of what you write

Videos Carbonate Looping

Elmar Zimmermann, Vera Köster (Video Editing: Lynsey Geldeard)

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201400036

The Carbonate Looping technology as a post-combustion process has been identified as one of the most promising approaches to capture CO 2 from power plants at reasonable expenses. It can be integrated into existing power plants and, thus, is seen as a milestone towards CO 2-free power plants.

In this short video, Professor Bernd Epple, Technical University Darmstadt, Germany, gives an introduction into the technology and shows the pilot plant which the Institute for Energy Systems and Energy Technology of the Technical University in Darmstadt has run for more than 1000 hours. […]

Clever Picture

Why Agree to an Article Transfer?

Anne Deveson, Theresa Kueckmann (Graphic: Gunther Schulz)

DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201700072

Your questions about article transfer answered: How does it work? How easy is it? What do I have to do? What does the editor do? How do I benefit—as an author and as a referee? […]

Editorial Team

Dr. Vera Koester Catharina Goedecke Editor-in-Chief Associate Editor Website Managing Editor