Science Quick Picks » Chemistry http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks A Chemist's Selection of Science News and Resources Wed, 09 May 2012 23:41:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Science Fair Projects on Plants with Aspirin http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2012/05/science-fair-projects-plants-with-aspirin.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2012/05/science-fair-projects-plants-with-aspirin.html#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 14:48:27 +0000 Guest Blogger http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/?p=1642 Science Fair Projects on Plants with Aspirin is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> Science Fair Projects on Plants with Aspirin

Before we begin, you need background information for your science fair experiment.

Aspirin, also called, acetylsalicylic acid, is a pharmaceutical drug that is in the family of salicylates (salicylic acid – SA). It is a colorless crystalline organic acid and is used in synthesis and is a plant hormone.

SA is a phytohormone and is found throughout the make-up of plants. It stimulates the growth of plants as well as their development, transpiration, and photosynthesis.

Three aspirin botany related science fair projects

Aspirin in water can be used to protect a plant from insects. This is one of the best science fair projects on plants with aspirin. To complete this experiment you will mix crushed aspirin with water and spray it on the leaves of a plant. You will then determine if this plant is more, less or as insect resistant as plants that have not been treated by the aspirin water.

Can Aspirin Water Speed Up the Process of Seed Germination

This is a new application of aspirin that you can test with science fair projects on plants with aspirin. To test this hypothesis you will crush various amounts of aspirin, dissolve it in water and use this water to germinate seeds. Compare the germination rates and draw your conclusions. If it does work, why does it work? Expand your experiment by testing this application on a variety of different seeds.

Can Aspirin Water Protect a Plant From Common Plant Diseases?

This is a more complex hypothesis, and it will require a more complex experiment. To test this hypothesis you will need to have two test groups. The first test group will be the control group and it will not be treated with aspirin water. The second test group will be an experiment subject and it will be treated with aspirin water. You can expand on this experiment by testing different concentrations of aspirin water.

Can Plants Overdose on Aspirin?

The purpose of this experiment is to determine if plants can be killed if exposed to too much aspirin. To execute this experiment you will need to set up several plant experiments. One experiment will not be treated with any aspirin, this will be your control test. The remaining plant experiments will be treated with various concentrations of aspirin. What did you learn? Can plants be killed with aspirin?

Presentation of Your Project

When designing your science fair projects on plants with aspirin you need to think about your final presentation even when developing your experiment. As you complete your experiment you will need to come up with visual elements for you photosynthesis project boards or botany project boards, depending on what topic you choose to experiment with. As you collect your data take photographs and draw diagrams of your observations. These items can be added to your project boards to help explain what your project is about and what you learned.

If you have a video camera you can record the growth and then play it in fast motion. This could create a very exciting presentation and impress the judges. Also, put it on YouTube.com so all your friends and family can view your efforts.

Our Science Fair Blog or Internet site would also be interested in feature your aspirin/botany science fair project, and who knows, you may win a prize!

Science Fair Projects on Plants with Aspirin is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2012/05/science-fair-projects-plants-with-aspirin.html/feed 0 Chemistry Nobel Prize 2010 http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2010/10/chemistry-nobel-prize-2010.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2010/10/chemistry-nobel-prize-2010.html#comments Sun, 10 Oct 2010 12:27:50 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/?p=1597 Chemistry Nobel Prize 2010 is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2010 was awarded jointly to Richard F. Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki “for palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis”. This chemical tool has vastly improved the possibilities for chemists to create sophisticated chemicals, for example carbon-based molecules as complex as those created by nature itself.

In order to create these complex chemicals, chemists need to be able to join carbon atoms together. However, carbon is stable and carbon atoms do not easily react with one another. The first methods used by chemists to bind carbon atoms together were therefore based upon various techniques for rendering carbon more reactive. Such methods worked when creating simple molecules, but when synthesizing more complex molecules chemists ended up with too many unwanted by-products in their test tubes.

Palladium-catalyzed cross coupling solved that problem and provided chemists with a more precise and efficient tool to work with. In the Heck reaction, Negishi reaction and Suzuki reaction, carbon atoms meet on a palladium atom, whereupon their proximity to one another kick-starts the chemical reaction.

Wikipedia’s Palladium and Palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions pages (Heck reaction, Negishi coupling, Suzuki reaction and some more)

Chemistry Nobel Prize 2010 is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2010/10/chemistry-nobel-prize-2010.html/feed 0 Just to Remember: Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2010/07/just-remember-twelve-principles-green-chemistry.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2010/07/just-remember-twelve-principles-green-chemistry.html#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:15:41 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/?p=1568 Just to Remember: Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry:

  1. Prevention
  2. Atom Economy
  3. Less Hazardous Chemical Syntheses
  4. Designing Safer Chemicals
  5. Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries
  6. Design for Energy Efficiency
  7. Use of Renewable Feedstocks
  8. Reduce Derivatives
  9. Catalysis
  10. Design for Degradation
  11. Real-time analysis for Pollution Prevention
  12. Inherently Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention

A more complete version can be found at EPA’s site: Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry.

Just to Remember: Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2010/07/just-remember-twelve-principles-green-chemistry.html/feed 0 Archaeopteryx: The Dinobird http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2010/05/archaeopteryx_the_dinobird.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2010/05/archaeopteryx_the_dinobird.html#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 09:32:46 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/?p=1524 Archaeopteryx: The Dinobird is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> X-Rays Reveal Chemical Link Between Birds and Dinosaurs. Researchers have found that a 150 million year old “dinobird” fossil, long thought to contain nothing but fossilized bone and rock, has been hiding remnants of the animal’s original chemistry. Using the bright X-ray beam of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, located at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, an international team of paleontologists, geochemists and physicists has revealed this transformative glimpse into one of the most important fossils ever discovered: the Archaeopteryx, a half-dinosaur/half-bird species.

“Archaeopteryx is to paleontology what Tutankhamen is to archaeology. It’s simply one of the icons of our field,” said University of Manchester paleontologist Phil Manning. “You would think after 150 years of study, we’d know everything we need to know about this animal. But guess what—we were wrong.”

When the first Archaeopteryx specimen was uncovered a century and a half ago, just a year after Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, the discovery provided the strongest evidence yet for the theory of evolution. In the intervening years, nine additional specimens have been found, including the Thermopolis specimen that the researchers studied at SSRL. Like the other Archaeopteryx specimens, this fossil has undergone extensive visual analyses and even CT scans in the past, none of which revealed that beneath the surface hid the dinobird’s chemical remains. But that was before researchers placed it under the X-ray beam at SSRL.

Using light source technology primarily utilized for advanced energy-related research in materials science, biology and other fields, the scientists traced SSRL’s hair-thin X-ray beam across the Thermopolis Archaeopteryx fossil. By recording how the X-rays interacted with the fossil, the researchers were able to identify very precisely the locations of chemical elements hidden within. From this, they created the first maps of the dinobird’s chemistry, revealing half a dozen chemical elements that were actually part of the living animal itself. In almost every element studied, the researchers found significantly different concentrations in the fossil than in the rock that surrounds it, confirming that the observed elements are indeed remnants of the dinobird and not merely chemicals that leached from the surrounding rock into the fossil.

Archaeopteryx: The Dinobird is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2010/05/archaeopteryx_the_dinobird.html/feed 0 How Chemistry can Reveal the Secrets of Ancient Worlds http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2009/06/how-chemistry-can-reveal-the-secrets-of-ancient-worlds.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2009/06/how-chemistry-can-reveal-the-secrets-of-ancient-worlds.html#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:49:12 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/?p=1513 How Chemistry can Reveal the Secrets of Ancient Worlds is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> How Chemistry can Reveal the Secrets of Ancient Worlds: The day-to-day lives of prehistoric humans have been revealed following new research developed by chemists at the University of Bristol. The research, which combines archaeology with cutting-edge chemistry allowing scientists to reconstruct the past, will be presented at the Royal Society’s annual Summer Science Exhibition [30 June 2009].

Led by Professor Richard Evershed from the University’s School of Chemistry, the team has developed new methods of forensic-style chemistry enabling the extraction of chemical information from organic molecules that have been preserved in archaeological artefacts and geological deposits for hundreds, thousands or even millions of years. Using this information the team is able to unravel key aspects of the lives of ancient peoples, particularly their diet and agricultural practices.

Richard Evershed, Professor of Biogeochemistry at the University, said: ”While the archaeological record is extraordinarily incomplete, by combining molecular, isotopic and archaeological information we can build up pictures of how people lived in a way that was impossible until now. We use the latest analytical chemical techniques in a forensic approach because of the thousands of years that have passed since the evidence was left behind.”

The latest state-of-the-art analytical chemical techniques are required to reveal and identify the invisible ancient molecules ― ‘biomarkers’ ― which are then matched to modern reference materials. These molecular and isotopic ‘fingerprints’ can be used to trace human activities, adding important new pieces to the jigsaw puzzle of past life on Earth.

How Chemistry can Reveal the Secrets of Ancient Worlds is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2009/06/how-chemistry-can-reveal-the-secrets-of-ancient-worlds.html/feed 0 New Fluorescent Silicon Nanoparticles http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2009/06/new-fluorescent-silicon-nanoparticles.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2009/06/new-fluorescent-silicon-nanoparticles.html#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:39:53 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/?p=1510 New Fluorescent Silicon Nanoparticles is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> University of Leicester researchers discover new fluorescent silicon nanoparticles. Researchers in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester have developed a new synthesis method, which has led them to the discovery of fluorescent silicon nanoparticles and may ultimately help track the uptake of drugs by the body’s cells.

Dr Klaus von Haeften explained: “A key advantage of the new method is the independent control of the nanoparticles’ size and their surface properties. The method is extremely versatile and produces the fluorescent suspensions in one go. The findings may revolutionise the performance of electronic chips while satisfying the increasing demand for higher integration densities.”

The nanoparticles contain just a few hundred silicon atoms and their fluorescence were discovered after mixing them with water. This resulted in stability in fluorescence intensity over more than a three month period.

New Fluorescent Silicon Nanoparticles is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2009/06/new-fluorescent-silicon-nanoparticles.html/feed 0 More Testosterone Poisoning: ‘Humour Comes From Testosterone’ http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/12/more_testosterone_poisoning_humour_comes_from_testosterone.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/12/more_testosterone_poisoning_humour_comes_from_testosterone.html#comments Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:31:57 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/12/more_testosterone_poisoning_humour_comes_from_testosterone.html More Testosterone Poisoning: ‘Humour Comes From Testosterone’ is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> Humour ‘comes from testosterone’. ‘Men are naturally more comedic than women because of the male hormone testosterone, an expert claims.

Men make more gags than women and their jokes tend to be more aggressive, Professor Sam Shuster, of Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, says.

The unicycling doctor observed how the genders reacted to his “amusing” hobby. Women tended to make encouraging, praising comments, while men jeered. The most aggressive were young men, he told the British Medical Journal. Previous findings have suggested women and men differ in how they use and appreciate humour.

Women tend to tell fewer jokes than men and male comedians outnumber female ones.’

More Testosterone Poisoning: ‘Humour Comes From Testosterone’ is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/12/more_testosterone_poisoning_humour_comes_from_testosterone.html/feed 0 Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007: Studies of Chemical Processes on Solid Surfaces http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/10/nobel_prize_in_chemistry_2007_studies_of_chemical_processes_on_solid_surfaces.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/10/nobel_prize_in_chemistry_2007_studies_of_chemical_processes_on_solid_surfaces.html#comments Wed, 10 Oct 2007 20:20:11 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/10/nobel_prize_in_chemistry_2007_studies_of_chemical_processes_on_solid_surfaces.html Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007: Studies of Chemical Processes on Solid Surfaces is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007 – “for his studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces”: Gerhard Ertl. ‘The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2007 is awarded for groundbreaking studies in surface chemistry. This science is important for the chemical industry and can help us to understand such varied processes as why iron rusts, how fuel cells function and how the catalysts in our cars work. Chemical reactions on catalytic surfaces play a vital role in many industrial operations, such as the production of artificial fertilizers. Surface chemistry can even explain the destruction of the ozone layer, as vital steps in the reaction actually take place on the surfaces of small crystals of ice in the stratosphere. The semiconductor industry is yet another area that depends on knowledge of surface chemistry.’

Information for the Public (PDF)

See also: An Introduction to Surface Chemistry and a very good list of Surface Science Links by Roger M. Nix, Quen Mary University of London.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007: Studies of Chemical Processes on Solid Surfaces is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/10/nobel_prize_in_chemistry_2007_studies_of_chemical_processes_on_solid_surfaces.html/feed 0 Super Crystals in Organic Semiconductors http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/super_crystals_in_organic_semiconductors.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/super_crystals_in_organic_semiconductors.html#comments Sat, 18 Aug 2007 18:16:11 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/super_crystals_in_organic_semiconductors.html Super Crystals in Organic Semiconductors is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> UA Physicists Discover ‘Super Crystals’ in a Semiconductor. ‘University of Arizona physicists have discovered that “super crystals” – crystals which are hundreds to thousands times larger than conventional crystals – exist in certain organic semiconducting solids.
Pure super-crystalline organic semiconductors will conduct electricity much differently than conventional solids. Super-crystalline semiconductors, for example, could create splashes of current on electrical contacts, even in a uniform electric field, say UA physicist Andrei Lebed and graduate student Si Wu.

If experiments do confirm Lebed’s and Wu’s results, the novel, exotic solid phase in organic semiconductors promises important technological applications. Such semiconductors will conduct electricity in novels ways. Another striking feature of the super-crystalline semiconductor is that its period and electronic properties might be tuned by changing the strength of the external magnetic field, Lebed said.’

Super Crystals in Organic Semiconductors is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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]]> http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/super_crystals_in_organic_semiconductors.html/feed 0 Biofpr (Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining) http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/biofpr_biofuels_bioproducts_biorefining.html http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/biofpr_biofuels_bioproducts_biorefining.html#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2007 23:26:31 +0000 Jorge Goncalves http://pontotriplo.org/quickpicks/2007/08/biofpr_biofuels_bioproducts_biorefining.html Biofpr (Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining) is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

]]> Biofpr (Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining). ‘Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining (Biofpr) is the definitive source of information on sustainable products, fuels and energy. There is an exciting blend of news, patent intelligence and feature articles on this web portal, as well as the publication of a peer-reviewed journal.
Both the web portal, biofpr.com, and the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining, are brought to you by SCI (Society of Chemical Industry) and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

SCI (Society of Chemical Industry). ‘SCI is a unique international forum where science meets business on independent, impartial ground. Anyone can join and current Members include consumers,business people, environmentalists, industrialists, farmers, and researchers. The Society offers a chance to share information between sectors as diverse as food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, materials, chemicals, environmental science and safety. As well as organizing educational events, SCI awards a number of prestigious honours and scholarships each year, publishes peer-reviewed journals, and provides Members with news from their sectors in the respected twice-monthly magazine, Chemistry & Industry.

Biofpr (Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining) is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

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