THE HOPE DIAMOND GRAPHENE DIAMONDS in the ROUGH Solving the Mystery
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ResonanceIssue 9 | Autumn 2018 The University of Sheffield’s Chemistry News Team THE HOPE DIAMOND GRAPHENE DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH Solving the mystery. Where is it now? From jewels to drills. Contents Resonance The University of Sheffield’s On the Cover In This Issue Chemistry News Team Editorial 1 Resonance is a biannual newsletter produced by chemistry Diamonds in the Rough 3 Editor Resonance 3 Josh Nicks students at the University of Sheffield. It aims to provide insights into unheard stories from the department and Rosalind Franklin 4 Design Editor to engage its readers with issues in the wider scientific world. Josh Nicks Graphene: Where is it Now? 5-6 Elemental Factfile: Carbon 6 Social Media Coordinator Editorial Diamonds in the Rough James Shipp Favoured by both royalty and precision engineers alike, Laser Lab Opening 7-8 This is now my second issue as editor of resonance, and this issue Zoe Smallwood details why diamonds are useful beyond marks the end of my fifth year studying at the University of Sheffield. wedding rings. The Hope Diamond 9-10 Contributing Authors Throughout my time here I have been frequently exposed to stories of great accomplishments made in this department, both past and present, New Head of Department: 11-12 Josh Nicks and it is my privilege to be able to be one of the first to hear them. Interviewing Graham Leggett James Shipp Zoe Smalwood This issue is somewhat oxymoronic, in that its focus is actually Departmental News 13-15 Dave Ashworth incredibly vague when you think about it - carbon. Carbon is all Abbie Sinclair around us: in the air we breathe, the clothes we wear, the things Kitchen Chemistry: Deep-frying 16 Jasmine Catlow we eat and even our very muscles and organs. It is also fundamental 5 Crisps Mahir Mohammed to the field of chemistry, so much so that organic chemistry is based almost solely on the study of its molecular compounds. t Chemistry Crossword 17 This issue aims to bring to light some interesting stories involving carbon, Copy Editors from a supposedly cursed diamond, to a nanomaterial deemed to be the This Semester in Pictures Back solution to a cacophony of materials chemistry problems. Aside from Josh Nicks this, we have an interview with our new Head of Department, Prof. Graphene: Where is it Now? James Shipp Graham Leggett, detailing his plans for the Department’s future. Of Dr Grant Hill An article focussing on graphene’s story since it’s course, these plans are likely to include the new laser lab opened by Prof. Check Us Out Prof Anthony J. H. M. Meijer discovery in 2004, and whether or not it lived up to its Weinstein, whom Abbie Sinclair and James Shipp interviewed for details. intial hype. @resonancenews If you’re reading this with your lunch, you might find our “kitchen chemistry” section interesting, which explains the @SheffieldChem Email science behind crisp manufacture. Alternatively, if you’re more of [email protected] a history buff, you can read a short biographic article on the late @sheffield.chem Rosalind Franklin and her many academic accomplishments. 9 The University of Sheffield Before you dive in, I’d like to thank my team for this issue and all University of Sheffield Chemistry Alumni Printers the hard work they’ve put into writing the articles. Jas Catlow and Mahir Mohammed in particular have written two fantastic and Print and Design Solutions @Resonance_Sheff Bolsover Street unique articles about two topics I originally knew nothing about! Sheffield Zoe Smallwood continues to impress with her article on two S3 7NA contrasting uses of diamonds, and Dave Ashworth has applied his [email protected] research expertise in two-dimensional materials to his feature article. The Hope Diamond Modern analytical techniques preempt the solution to Once again, happy reading, a centuries-long mystery involving a diamond and its www http://bit.ly/2weV7M1 curse. Joshua Nicks 1 Resonance Issue 9 || Autumn 2018 The University of Sheffield || Resonance Issue 9 2 Feature InterviewInsight Diamonds in the Chemistry Greats: Rough Rosalind Franklin By Zoe Smallwood By Joshua Nicks ften found glistening in tiaras of the nitrogen is as important as due to the inclusion of more nitrogen n 1962, the Nobel Prize in relation to coal and related materials’ finally culminated in the proposition Oand engagement rings, diamonds the quantity; if spread throughout from their formation process, limiting Iphysiology and medicine was being completed in tandem with the of a double-helix structure with are considered a true symbol of wealth the stone, the colour is much darker their aesthetic value in an industry awarded to James Watson, Francis British Coal Utilisation Research complimentary strands. This data and opulence. Their popularity with than if they are located in clusters at which prizes colourless diamonds. Crick and Maurice Wilkins “for their Association during the second world was a vital factor in Watson and jewellers is attributed mostly to their certain sites - the type of nitrogen discoveries concerning the molecular war. It is often overlooked that her Crick’s model, which would most natural sparkle and colour (or, to inclusion can be detected using structure of nucleic acids and its proficiency in X-ray diffractometry likely not exist otherwise. This be more precise, the lack of colour - electron paramagnetic resonance significance for information transfer in techniques came as a result of her time resulted in Watson and Crick’s model completely colourless diamonds are to help validate the colour. Much living material.” However, by their own spent as a post-doctoral researcher at being published in Nature, alongside extremely valuable). However, the rarer colours are caused by other admission, Watson and Crick could the Laboratoire Central des Services two papers written by Franklin and smaller stones that don’t find their imperfections such as boron (blue), not have arrived at their model of Chimiques de l’Etat in Paris. Her Wilkins (separately) which supported way onto rings and pendants are used graphite (black) or defects in crystal DNA without X-ray crystallographic work there focused on applying it. in performance cutting tools and high growth (red). The Aurora Pyramid data obtained by one Rosalind diffractometry to imperfectly pressure cells. of Hope, currently an exhibit in the A comparison between diamond (left) Franklin. Though Franklin’s career, crystalline materials – namely coal. Franklin did not fit in well at King’s, Natural History Museum, displays and synthetic moissanite (right). and possible Nobel recognition, were The papers she published on this and chose to leave in 1951, moving Whilst these two applications may 296 natural diamonds, each a different cut short by her untimely death in research continue to be cited today, to Birkbeck College. Here she began seem completely unconnected (after colour! More recently, another form of 1958, this article aims to demonstrate and earned her a great deal of respect her work on RNA viruses, publishing all, why would a drilling tool need to be synthetic diamond has begun to just how significant her discoveries in the field. 14 papers between 1955 and 1958 sparkly?), it is the extreme hardness of appear. Moissanite, a crystalline form were to chemistry as well as science as and becoming an expert in the the stone that links the two. The word of silicon carbide, has a hardness a whole. topic. Her work ethic did not falter, ‘diamond’ is derived from the Greek only marginally less than diamond with 13 of these papers having been word ‘adamas’ which literally translates and is normally used for cutting of published after her cancer diagnosis. as ‘unbreakable’, with a hardness and precious metals in the jewel industry. Unfortunately, three others had to stability greater than any other natural Moissanite is named after Dr Henry be submitted for publication by her compound. This supreme strength is Moissan, who discovered trace students after her death in 1958. due to an “infinite” network of strong amounts of the stone in a meteor crater One of these students, Aaron Klug, carbon-carbon bonds arranged in a in the late 1800’s. The sparse amounts went on to win the 1982 Nobel Prize tetrahedral structure. formed naturally meant it was not in chemistry for his development of Photograph 51, from which Franklin until 100 years later that an industrial crystallographic electron microscopy. derived the double helix. Whilst the demands of drilling are process for manufacturing jewellery- much more intense than normal life, quality stones was developed. In 1951, Franklin moved to King’s So there you have it, Franklin was an the extreme hardness and scratch The Aurora Pyramid of Hope under Unlike diamonds, moissanite is only College London, where she worked authority in physical chemistry and resistance means that diamonds both visible and UV light. formed synthetically, making it a on DNA for two years. She worked particularly diffractometry during keep their sparkle and shine almost cheaper and less ethically concerning in the lab of John Randall, alongside her career. We cannot know whether indefinitely; a hugely desirable feature Due to cost and ethical considerations, alternative to some mined diamonds. Rosalind Franklin Wilkins - though the two did not get her death stopped her from being in jewellery. Softer minerals such as more and more consumers are A bonus is that moissanite has a on. Here, Franklin became the first awarded the Nobel Prize ahead of opals, are brightly coloured but are buying synthetic gemstones instead higher refractive index, making Franklin was born in 1920, into a well- to identify the two forms, dubbed A Wilkins. After all, sexist attitudes less common in rings, particualrly of those mined from the ground.