Tuesday 30 October 2012

Aromatic Substitution Reactions

The chemical reactivity of benzene contrasts with that of the alkenes in that substitution reactions occur in preference to addition reactions. Find out more details here.


Courtesy: http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu

Monday 29 October 2012

NANOTECHNOLOGY INTRODUCTION

What is Nanotechnology?

The term "nanotechnology" has evolved over the years via terminology drift to mean "anything smaller than microtechnology," such as nano powders, and other things that are nanoscale in size, but not referring to mechanisms that have been purposefully built from nanoscale componentsFor more details click here.


smaller

faster

better

the nanoscale mantra

Courtesy: http://www.nanotech-now.com

Saturday 27 October 2012

Announcement

Blog's Special Edition
FAC blog's special edition column will start soon. Initially it will be on monthly basis. Later, will be upgraded to weekly edition. Thanks to all for those who have given strong support and valuable suggestions. Keep visiting the blog and continue your valuable suggestions.
Thanks to all
Have nice day
Administrator
 

Wednesday 24 October 2012

World University Rankings

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2012-2013 powered by Thomson Reuters are the only global university performance tables to judge world class universities across all of their core missions - teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. The top universities rankings employ 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons available, which are trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and governments. 


Courtesy: Thomson Reuters

The Chemistry of Petroleum

Petroleum Chemistry is made of a mixture of different hydrocarbons. The most prolific hydrocarbons found in the chemistry of petroleum are alkanes, these are also sometimes knows as branched or linear hydrocarbons. More you can find out here.

Courtesy: http://www.petroleum.co.uk

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Phase Rules

The system is simply the matter that we are studying, collected in one place and with definite boundaries. Our systems will generally not exchange matter with the surroundings, and so will be called closed. They may be isolated and not exchange energy with the environment, or sometimes in contact with a thermal reservoir of temperature T.  More details here.
Courtesy: J. B. Calvert, http://mysite.du.edu

Monday 22 October 2012

Ester Chemistry

Esters are derived from carboxylic acids. A carboxylic acid contains the -COOH group, and in an ester the hydrogen in this group is replaced by a hydrocarbon group of some kind. This could be an alkyl group like methyl or ethyl, or one containing a benzene ring like phenyl. Click here for more details.
Courtesy: Jim Clark, http://www.chemguide.co.uk 

Sunday 21 October 2012

Phases and Equilibrium

The phases of matter represent classes of the type of molecular motion found at different temperatures.  The 'motion' of the maolecules is described by the position and momenta of the atomic nuclei. The position of the molecule as a whole is derived from the center of mass of the atoms that compose it  The molecules undergo classical (not quantum mechanical) motion, either harmonically bound (solid), chaotically quasi-bound (liquid) or unbound (gas). More here.

Courtesy: PJ Brucat, University of Florida

Saturday 20 October 2012

Sir James Chadwick - Birthday

James Chadwick was born on October 20, 1891, in Cheshire, England. He graduated from Manchester University's Honours School of Physics in 1911 and spent the next two years working on various radioactivity problems in the Physical Laboratory in Manchester, earning a M.Sc. degree in 1913 as well as the 1851 Exhibition Scholarship, which allowed him to continue his research and move to Berlin to work with Professor Hans Geiger. More here.
Sir James Chadwick
Courtesy: http://www.atomicarchive.com

Ozone Affects Forest Watersheds

U.S. Forest Service and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) scientists have found that rising levels of ozone, a greenhouse gas, may amplify the impacts of higher temperatures and reduce streamflow from forests to rivers, streams, and other water bodies. For more click here.
Small stream in Maryland, U.S. (Credit: Copyright Michele Hogan)
Courtesy:  Ge Sun, Eastern Threat Center research hydrologist

Friday 19 October 2012

Rise of the Molecular Machines

Mastering and mimicking how molecular machines work has been a fascinating adventure for chemists, and one in which their creativity has been unleashed. For more click here.


Courtesy: Josh Howgego, www.rsc.org/eic

Thursday 18 October 2012

Facts on the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes, the Nobel Prizes. As described in Nobel's will one part was dedicated to “the person who shall have made the most important chemical discovery or improvement”. Learn more about the Nobel Prize in Chemistry from 1901 to 2012.

Alfred Nobel

Cold viruses point the way to new cancer therapies

Cold viruses point the way to new cancer therapies 

Credit: Courtesy of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies

An Introduction to Surface Chemistry

In most technological applications, metals are used either in a finely divided form (e.g. supported metal catalysts) or in a massive, polycrystalline form (e.g. electrodes, mechanical fabrications). For more click here.

Auger Depth Profiling

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Enhancement of piezoelectricity via electrostatic effects on a textile platform - Energy & Environmental Science (RSC Publishing)

Molecular Modeling

A model is a semblance or a representation of reality. Early chemical models were often mechanical, allowing scientists to visualize structural features of molecules and to deduce the stereochemical outcomes of reactions. The disadvantage of these simple models is that they only partly represent (model) most molecules. More sophisticated physics-based models are needed; these other models are almost exclusively computer models. 


Tuesday 16 October 2012

World Food Day 2012

The Akshaya Patra Foundation enables hunger free education for nearly 1.3 million Children in India every day. If you are interested to know more about Akshaya Patra Foundation click here.

Sunday 14 October 2012

Heterocyclic Chemistry

Compounds classified as heterocyclic probably constitute the largest and most varied family of organic compounds. After all, every carbocyclic compound, regardless of structure and functionality, may in principle be converted into a collection of heterocyclic analogs by replacing one or more of the ring carbon atoms with a different element. Even if we restrict our consideration to oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur (the most common heterocyclic elements), the permutations and combinations of such a replacement are numerous. For more click here.

Courtesy: Dr. William Reusch, http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu

Friday 12 October 2012

Anti-cancer drug fights immune reaction in some infants with Pompe disease

Anti-cancer drug fights immune reaction in some infants with Pompe disease
A simplified, conceptual diagram of a humoral immune response to a therapeutic protein and targets of various immunomodulatory agents. Immune modulation with rituximab (anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody), plus methotrexate and intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG) in infantile CRIM-negative Pompe patients has resulted in tolerance induction in the naïve setting or after early detection of an antibody response to rhGAA, but prior to the development of high sustained antibody titers (HSAT).16,17 Neither rituximab nor methotrexate depletes long-lived plasma cells, the source of such sustained antibody responses. Bortezomib acts against both short- and long-lived plasma cells. *Effects of bortezomib are not necessarily limited to those depicted in the above figure. APC: antigen presenting cell, TCR: T-cell receptor, BCR: B-cell receptor. (Credit: Image courtesy of Duke University Medical Center)

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Nobel Prize in Chemistry - 2012

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2012 was awarded jointly to Robert J. Lefkowitz and Brian K. Kobilka "for studies of G-protein-coupled receptors" For more click here.

Courtesy: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry

Robert J. Lefkowitz

Brian K. Kobilka

 

Monday 8 October 2012

Solid State Structure

Atoms can be gathered together as an aggregate through a number of different processes, including condensation, pressurization, chemical reaction, electrodeposition, and melting. The process usually determines, at least initially, whether the collection of atoms will take to form of a gas, liquid or solid. For more click here.
Courtesy: http://www.ndt-ed.org/EducationResources

Sunday 7 October 2012

Niels Bohr - 127 th Birthday

Niels Henrik David Bohr was born in Copenhagen on October 7, 1885, as the son of Christian Bohr, Professor of Physiology at Copenhagen University, and his wife Ellen, née Adler. Niels, together with his younger brother Harald (the future Professor in Mathematics), grew up in an atmosphere most favourable to the development of his genius - his father was an eminent physiologist and was largely responsible for awakening his interest in physics while still at school, his mother came from a family distinguished in the field of education.  For more click here.


Courtesy: http://www.nobelprize.org

Saturday 6 October 2012

Units and Dimensions

In science, a type of question often asked is how much? how big? In order to answer such questions it is important to have systems of measurement which are consistent and understood by all.  For more click here.


Courtesy: Geoff Walker,  http://sst-web.tees.ac.uk

Friday 5 October 2012

Know Medicinal Plants- Brahmi

Brahmi is a perennial, creeping herb whose habitat includes wetlands and muddy shores. The leaves of this plant are succulent and relatively thick. For more click here.


Courtesy: http://www.flowersofindia.net

Thursday 4 October 2012

Naming Coordination Compounds

A complex is a substance in which a metal atom or ion is associated with a group of neutral molecules or anions called ligands. Coordination compounds are neutral substances (i.e. uncharged) in which at least one ion is present as a complex. For more click here.

Courtesy: http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are substances that inhibit the growth of microorganisms (anti- metabolites ) or their replication (a bacteriostatic effect). They were traditionally obtained by extracting them from cultures of microbes. However, most drugs on the market today are semisynthetic derivatives of natural products. Sulfa drugs, discovered in the 1930s, were the first antimicrobial agents put into clinical use.
Photo by: PeterPhoto123

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Nobel Laureates in Chemistry - Series 3

Nobel Medal

What is DNA?

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. For more click here.

Courtesy: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/basics/dna

Monday 1 October 2012

Determining Molecular Chirality

Chiral objects are not superposable with their mirror images. An excellent example of this is your hands. For more click here.


Courtesy: Steven A. Hardinger and Harcourt Brace & Company, http://www.chem.ucla.edu
Message from Bhagavath Geetha
  • Do not get over excited over happiness and do not get over depressed over sorrow.
  • Do not get over bonded with anyone and anybody because it can lead to problems and sorrow.
  • Never think that my duty is the topmost or lowermost. Every duty is respectful. The responsibility undertaken or given as per the position is the noblest duty.
  • Elevate yourselves, family, society and nation and never denigrate yourselves, family, society and nation.
  • We are our own closest relatives and if not properly utilised we will become our closest enemies.
  • There are possibilities of success and failure in any endeavour. One cannot assure success always.
  • Death is inevitable for everyone in this world. In any endeavour at the maximum an individual may die.
  • People may say good and also they may say bad. Approach them with stabilised mind.
  • Take anything after scientifically, logically and rationally analysing them.
  • Perform your duty, responsibility and accept the privileges eligible for you.
  • First change ourselves and then try to change others.
  • We are all instruments /tools in the hands of the nature for performing the duty. So do not think that I am doing the duty. Think that I am an instrument to do the duty.
  • Results of action may not be sweet always. Accept what ever may be the result.
  • Follow the path of great scholars who guided the world. Listen their messages.
  • Results and rewards will come and go but stick to your duty with devotion, dedication and sincerity.