Chicago Section 100th Anniversary 1914 – 2014 http://chicagoacs.org MAY • 2014 THE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRD PRESENTATION OF THE WILLARD GIBBS MEDAL (Founded by William A. Converse) to PROFESSOR JOHN E. BERCAW sponsored by the CHICAGO SECTION AMERICAN CHEMCIAL SOCIETY FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014 Meridian Banquets HONOR YOUR RESERVATIONS. The The Citation: 1701 Algonquin Road Section must pay for all food orders. No- For path-breaking advances in inorganic Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 shows will be billed. and organometallic chemistry related to 847-952-8181 the elucidation of olefin polymerization Seating will be available after the dinner and hydrocarbon oxidation mechanisms Directions to Meridian Banquets are for people not attending the dinner but and development of early metal polym- on page 2. interested in hearing the speaker. erization catalysts. RECEPTION 6:00 P.M. AWARD CEREMONY 8:30 PM Hors-d’oeuvres The Willard Gibbs Medal Two Complimentary Drinks The History of the Willard Gibbs DINNER 7:00 P.M. Award Dr. Josh Kurutz, Chair Dinner reservations are required and Chicago Section, ACS should be received in the Section Office via phone (847-391-9091), email (chica- Introduction of the Medalist [email protected]), register at http:// Professor Tom Driver www.chicagoacs.org or Eventbrite by University of Illinois at Chicago Monday, May 12. The price of the dinner is $50 for members and $52 for non-mem- Presentation of the Medal bers. The menu is on page 2. PLEASE Dr. Diane Grob Schmidt President-Elect, ACS IN THIS ISSUE 2 Dinner Menu 6 Benefits for Unemployed Members 2 Chemical Bulletin Past 6 Section Meeting Dates 2 Notice to Illinois Teachers 7 Volunteers Needed-Science Tent Professor John E. Bercaw, Centen- nial Professor of Chemistry, Division of 3 ChemShorts for Kids 7 InChemistry App Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 3 Gibbs Awardees 7 Ad Index California Institute of Technology, Pasa- 5 Spring Council Report 7 Calendar dena, CA (continued on page 2) 05/14 2 (continued from page 1) ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS into the metal alkyl bonds of metallocene 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF catalysts. He identified key steric and THE CHEMICAL BULLETIN “Hydrocarbon Upgrading to Fuels and electronic interactions that discriminate Chemicals: Progress towards Homo- between the two propylene enantiofaces. REMEMBRANCES OF THINGS PAST geneous Catalysts” He developed a deuterated, isotopically chiral and enantiomerically pure 1-pen- The December 1932 Chicago Section Abstract: Current technologies for con- tene that enables simple quantitative version of natural gas and petroleum to NMR determination of the enantioface meeting was held at the Midland Club fuels and commodity chemicals are en- selected for insertion. on Jackson Blvd. Dinner was $1. We ergy intensive and polluting. New cata- In conjunction with Jay Labinger, Ber- have no attendance records; the official lytic processes that are more efficient caw elucidated key mechanisms in the membership count was 1022. The main and “greener” are required to reduce "Shilov" oxidation system, a catalytic sys- speaker was C.G. King, Professor of tem for oxidation of methane to methanol Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, CO2 emissions and to more effectively utilize our fossil fuel reserves. Dis- -- one of the most promising model sys- who discussed his five-year study on Vitamin C isolation and identification of cussed will be fundamental research tems for further developing useful cata- which had been accomplished that year. efforts directed towards developing (1) lysts for selective alkane oxidation. Using There were six pre-dinner group talks a selective, homogeneous catalyst for an array of elegant mechanistic probes, direct, partial oxidation of light alkanes, including model complexes, isotope and (Inorganic, Analytical, Organic, Physical, (2) a homogeneous catalyst system for stereochemical labeling, in combination Biochemical, and Education). converting syngas (a mixture of CO and with kinetic studies and isotope effects, One of the Chemical Bulletin’s features H ) obtained by steam reforming of light his laboratory has established many of at that time was a “Chemist’s Calendar”, 2 which listed things of interest to chemists alkanes, to C products, and (3) a cat- the important features responsible for the n>1 unique selectivity of this system for pri- for each day of the month. On December alytic tandem olefin dimerization/hydro- mary C-H bonds. 12, there is an entry that reads “More gen transfer scheme for upgrading light Author of approximately 300 academic jobs than chemists in 1928”. alkane/alkene mixtures to transporta- papers, Bercaw is a member of the U.S. tion fuels. National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow THE MEDALIST: of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has received dozens of Prof. John E. Bercaw received his B.S. other honors and awards. For his basic degree from North Carolina State Uni- science, he has been awarded the ACS versity in 1967, his Ph.D. from the Univer- award for Pure Chemistry, the ACS A.C. NOTICE TO ILLINOIS sity of Michigan in 1971, then undertook Cope Scholar Award, and the Southern postdoctoral research at the University of California ACS Tolman Medal; he was TEACHERS Chicago. He joined the faculty at the Cali- also named as a Seaborg Scholar by The Chicago Section ACS is an fornia Institute of Technology as an Arthur the Los Alamos National Laboratories. ISBE provider for professional devel- Amos Noyes Research Fellow in 1972, His applied work has been manifested opment units for Illinois teachers. and in 1974 he joined the professorial in productive collaborations with major Teachers who register for this ranks, becoming Professor of Chemistry corporations BP, ExxonMobil, Dow, and month's meeting will have the oppor- in 1979. From 1985 to 1990 he was the for a period was named the Shell Distin- tunity to earn CPDU's. Shell Distinguished Professor of Chemis- guished Professor of Chemistry. try, and in 1993 he was named Centen- nial Professor of Chemistry. DIRECTIONS TO THE MERIDIAN BANQUETS Prof. Bercaw has made major contribu- tions to our understanding and develop- From Chicago ment of processes that form common Take I-90 west to Arlington Heights Road. Exit north to the first light, Algonquin Rd., plastics such as polyethylene and polypro- Route 62, turn left/west and travel to Meridian Banquets on the left. pylene with worldwide production of 200 billion pounds per year. The Gibbs Medal From I-294 North/South ranks with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in Take I-294 north or south to the I-90 junction near O’Hare. Travel west on I-90 and prestige, placing him among fellow Gibbs follow the directions above. awardees Marie Curie, Irving Langmuir, Robert Woodward, Rudy Marcus, Harry From I-290/I-355/Rt. 53 Gray, and other luminaries. Travel north past I-90 as 355 turns into 53. Exit Algonquin Rd., Rt. 62 east and go to The Bercaw laboratory specializes in Meridian Banquets on the right. studying mechanisms of olefin polym- erization, especially the Ziegler-Natta On-Site Parking: Free (ZN) reaction. Their work has led to a fundamental understanding of the de- DINNER MENU tailed mechanisms of chain growth in ZN polymerizations and the factors which • Cream of Tomato Basil with Bleu Cheese control syndio- and isotacticities and the • Meridian Salad degree of comonomer incorporation in • Wine copolymerizations; these variables are • Choice of critical in determining the physical prop- o Roast Top Sirloin of Beef with rosemary merlot sauce erties of the resultant polymers and co- o Fresh Broiled Norwegian Salmon with dill sauce polymers. o Portobello Mushroom with zucchini Prof. Bercaw elucidated the general • Green Beans Almondine principles that dictate nearly perfect fa- • Duchess Potato cial discrimination of α-olefin insertion • Hot Fudge Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream and Hot Fudge Sauce 05/14 3 honeycombcandy.htm THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION http://www.honeybeesuite.com/how- OF CHEMISTRY TEACHERS acid-is-honey/ (AACT)—COMING IN The Elementary Education Committee SEPTEMBER! of the Chicago Section ACS presents Submitted by DR. KATHLEEN CARRADO GREGAR Serving K–12 teachers of chemistry this column and hopes it will reach young everywhere, AACT will offer specialized children and help increase their interest chemistry teaching resources, a in science. Please print it out and pass To view all past “ChemShorts for Kids”, go to: periodical about teaching chemistry in it on to your children, grandchildren, or the K–12 classroom, an online community elementary school teachers. Teachers are http://www.chicagoacs.net/ChmShort/ kidindex.html for sharing strategies, and more! Please encouraged to incorporate the projects in visit www.acs.org/aact to learn more, this column into their lesson plans. stay in touch, and get involved. Honeycomb Candy - Cooking with CO 2 THE WILLARD GIBBS AWARD Founded by William A. Converse Kids, honeycomb candy is easy to make and has an interesting texture that The award was founded in 1910 by William Converse (1862-1940), a former chairman is caused by carbon dioxide bubbles and secretary of the Chicago Section. The medal was named for Professor Josiah Willard trapped inside it. The carbon dioxide is Gibbs (1839-1903) of Yale University. Gibbs, whose formulation of the Phase Rule founded produced when baking soda (sodium a new science, is considered by many to be the only American born scientist whose bicarbonate) is added to a hot simple discoveries are as fundamental in nature as those of Newton and Galileo. syrup. The bubbles in the candy make it Mr. Converse supported the award personally for a number of years, and then light and give it a honeycomb appearance. established a fund for it in 1934 that has subsequently been supported by the Dearborn Division of W. R. Grace & Co. Considerable contributions to the award have also been Materials: made by J. Fred Wilkes and his wife.