Interesting facts about chemical elements. Interesting facts about chemistry
Still from the film “Lean on Friends”
The history of soap making began around 2800 BC. The first stone had not yet been laid in Rome, Gautama Buddha had not founded the most ancient of existing religions - Buddhism, the Mayan tribe did not exist, and our ancestors were already mixing oils of biological origin with ash and sand, thus obtaining a prototype of laundry soap.
Over the long millennia of its existence chemical industry survived its ups and downs, growing amazing stories and facts. We, the employees of Prochistotu LLC, study the market, new products and compositions every day chemicals for home and body care, selecting the most effective and safe ones to supply to Russian market. But our collection is no less interesting. amazing facts, which accumulate in the process of our work. After all, professionalism lies not only in the ability to masterfully understand the intricacies of one’s business, but also to love, respect and constantly make small discoveries.
Our list of 9 amazing facts:
1. The first trendsetters on household chemicals you can call the ancient Egyptians. Yes, they were not the first to invent cosmetics, perfumes and detergents. But for the first time in history, they managed to reproduce the entire beauty industry, organizing production and economic relationships similar to those that operate in the modern market. It was in Egypt that household chemicals were made through the division of labor into narrow specializations (one sculpts clay containers for perfume, another makes this perfume, a third makes eye shadow, and a fourth makes wooden sticks for applying it).
2. Did you know that The creators of toothpaste are considered inhabitants of the lower Nile? Back in 5000-3000 BC. they mixed pumice, wine vinegar and even ashes from the burnt entrails of a bull. Fortunately for us and the bulls, much more effective and safe ingredients are now being used in toothpaste production.
3. The peculiarity of Japanese and Korean household chemicals is that these countries have a very humid maritime climate, which promotes the development of mold. That is why all detergents produced in Japan and Korea disinfect and prevent the development of fungi and bacteria. Even poorly dried items lying indoors do not develop a musty smell. In addition, high water prices force manufacturers to create formulations that are easy to wash off, safe and economical for the end consumer. This is why Japanese and Korean dishwashing detergents are also suitable for washing vegetables and fruits.
4. If you think you're safe as long as household chemicals don't come into contact with your skin or get into your body by ingestion, then we have bad news. Household chemicals are most dangerous when inhaled.. Even if you rinse your shirt well, small amounts of phosphates remain on it, inhaling which does not bode well for your body. Therefore, for your own safety, we recommend completely avoiding phosphate-containing washing powders and detergents.
Clean work: Japanese household products appeared on the Voronezh market
- More details
5. White doesn't mean new! Imagine taking your favorite yellowed blouse and painting it white. Seems stupid? But you do this stupid thing every time you wash. The thing is that many washing powders contain so-called optical brighteners. Cheap powders contain synthetic salts, while high-quality and expensive ones contain enzymatic optical brighteners (they are more environmentally friendly and safe). So, these same bleaches have the ability to absorb invisible natural ultraviolet rays (in the region of 300-400 nm) and convert them into visible rays with longer waves (400-500 nm). It is due to this simple trick that materials begin to appear cleaner and whiter.
6. Before the invention of shampoo in the 19th century, people washed their hair with ash and regular soap. The starting point was the invention of Casey Herbert. He mixed soap powder with herbs and simply began selling this mixture in bags near his house. He called his invention Shaempoo (from Shaempo, which translated from Hindi translated as “massage”, “rub”). Gradually, the use of dry shampoo has become quite popular among Londoners. Herbert himself developed 8 different scents. But his problem was legal illiteracy. He didn't know that the invention needed to be patented. Soon other pharmacists, hairdressers and perfumers began making their own shampoos. And in 1903, an unknown woman brought such a bag to Berlin and told the pharmacist about the miracle drug. He quickly appreciated the potential of the invention and was able to create an entire brand. This pharmacist's name was Hans Schwarzkopf.
7. Did you know that toothpaste can successfully care for more than just your oral cavity? The extract of star anise (or star anise) included in a good expensive toothpaste is an excellent anesthetic. If you apply this toothpaste to an insect bite, the itching will stop immediately. In addition, star anise has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects. Therefore, such toothpaste, when applied to a small cut or callus blister, will disinfect and quickly dry the wound.
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8. Chlorine is one of the most effective means for removing stains from brilliant green. Don't believe me? Take any chlorine-containing detergent and apply it to a piece of cloth stained with brilliant green. The stain will disappear instantly. This trick is used by sellers of some detergents, getting rid of the brilliant green on a scarf in the blink of an eye before the gaze of an astonished public. In fact, this trick speaks about the chlorine-containing components in the composition of such powders. Of course, they cope with removing such difficult-to-remove stains, but they are not recommended for daily use (as they quickly wear out the fabric in your favorite things). In addition, components containing active chlorine are not the most beneficial substances for health.
9. Men clean less often, but more effective than women. Unbelievable but true. Our research has shown that gender stereotypes are becoming a thing of the past, and the boundaries of employment have become more blurred. Women are increasingly giving preference to a career, and men are beginning to take on more active responsibilities at home. At the same time, men show much greater interest in the compositions, and are also more demanding about the effectiveness of detergents. Our sales statistics show that women tend to be conservative in their choices, rarely experiment, and give preference to the brand. Men are the opposite. They are experimenters and rationalists, their fields of interest are technology and science. We did an interesting study. They gave us a questionnaire to fill out and asked us to rate from 1 to 10 points the priorities of the requirements for household chemicals. The results showed that men ranked efficiency and composition first and second, while women prioritized efficiency but only ranked composition eighth. At the second stage, we showed three brands: one is a well-known “children’s” washing powder in Russia, the other is a regular washing powder from a well-known trademark(without the “children’s” marking), the third sample is Japanese concentrated washing powder. After which we covered the labels on the packs and asked respondents to guess the brand, having only the ingredients on hand. In this experiment, men guessed the Japanese remedy in 42% of cases, women barely reached 27%. When distinguishing “children’s” washing powder from “adult” ones, the indicators were approximately equal. Although this is not surprising. After all, even we, professionals in our field, did not see any differences in the composition of the “children’s” and “adult” brands known in Russia.
You've probably seen the Periodic Table of the Elements before. Perhaps she still appears in your dreams, or perhaps he has sunk into oblivion for you, being nothing more than a decoration on the classroom wall, designed to make the office more respectable. However, there is more to this system of seemingly random cells than meets the eye.
The periodic table (or PT, as this article will refer to it periodically) and the elements it describes have features you may never have guessed. From unlikely origins to new additions, here are ten facts you probably don't know about the Periodic Table of Elements.
10. Mendeleev got help
The periodic table has been in use since 1869, when it was created by the bearded Dimitri Mendeleev. Most people think that Mendeleev was the only one who invented the table and became the genius chemist of the century. However, his efforts were supported by several European scientists who made important contributions to make this colossal diagram of the elements complete.
Mendeleev is, as he should be, widely known as the father of the periodic table, but he did not document every element known to us.
9. New additions
Photo: IUPAC
Believe it or not, the periodic table hasn't changed much since the 1950s. However, on December 2, 2016, four new elements were added: nihonium (element 113), moscovium (element 115), tennesine (element 117), and oganesson (element 118). These new additions were announced in June 2016, but required five months of analysis before they could be officially added to the PT.
Each of these elements was named after the city or state in which they were discovered, with the exception of oganesson, which was named after Russian nuclear physicist Yuri Oganessian for his efforts in documenting the element.
8. No "J"
There are 26 wonderful letters in the English alphabet, and each of them is no less important than the previous and subsequent ones. However, Mendeleev looked at it differently. Try to guess which unfortunate letter never appears in PT? Here's a hint: say the letters and curl your fingers until you've folded them all (if you have all ten). Did you guess it? That's right, it's the letter "J", which never appeared in PT.
They say that one in the field is not a warrior? Then perhaps J is the loneliest letter. However, here's a fun fact: "J" has been the most commonly used letter in boys' names since 2000. So, "J" gets enough attention, don't worry.
7. Artificial elements
Photo: Popocatomar
As you just learned, there are now as many as 118 elements in the periodic table. Can you guess how many of these 118 are man-made? Of the 118 elements, 90 can be found in the beautiful place we call nature.
How can 28 elements be artificial? This is indeed true. We have been synthesizing elements since 1937 and continue to do so today. The good news is that PT is amazing and these artificial elements can be easily spotted if you ever get curious. Just look at elements 93 to 118. Full disclosure: this range includes several elements that are very rarely found in nature and therefore are almost always created in laboratories, which is also true for elements 43, 61, 85 and 87.
6. Element 137
In the mid-20th century, a famous scientist named Richard Feynman made a serious statement that struck a chord with scientists around the world, leaving them scratching their heads forever. He said that if we ever discovered element 137, we would have no way to quantify its protons and electrons. Element 137 is different in that it is the value of the subtle matter constant, defined as the probability that an electron will absorb . Theoretically, element 137 would have 137 electrons and a 100 percent chance of absorbing a photon. Its electrons would spin at the speed of light. What's even crazier is that element 139's electrons, if such a substance exists, should spin faster than the speed of light.
Enough physics? Think about it and you'll find it interesting (well, as interesting as reading about electrons). Element 137 in theory could unify three important parts of physics: the speed of light, quantum mechanics and electromagnetism. Since the early 1900s, physicists have theorized that element 137 could underlie a Grand Unified Theory that could connect all three of the above fields together. By all accounts, it sounds as crazy as Area 51 with aliens or the Bermuda Triangle.
5. What's unusual about the name?
Almost all element names have more meaning and significance than you might imagine. They are chosen at random. We would, for example, name the element with the first word that came to our mind. "Kerflump." Yes fine.
Further, the names of the elements take their origins in one of five main categories. One of them is the names of famous scientists, a classic example is Einsteinium. Elements can also be named after the places where they are documented, such as germanium, americium, gallium, and so on. Options for names can be names celestial bodies, such as planets. Uranus was first discovered shortly after the discovery of the planet Uranus. Elements can get names from mythology: for example, there's titanium after the Greek Titans and thorium after the Norse God of Thunder—or the Star Avenger, whichever you prefer.
Finally, there are names that describe the properties of the elements. Argon comes from the Greek word argos, which means "lazy" or "idle." Now you will decide that argon is the laziest element. Hey argon, go to work. Bromine is another such name from the Greek word bromos, which means “stench,” which very accurately describes the terrible smell of bromine.
4. It was hardly inspiration
If you are good at cards, then this fact is only for you. Mendeleev needed to somehow sort all the elements, and for this he needed systems approach. Naturally, to break down the table into categories, he turned to a game of solitaire. Mendeleev wrote on separate cards atomic weight each element, and began a mad game of solitaire, so to speak. He arranged the elements according to specific properties that formed the type of "suit". He was then able to organize these categorized elements into columns according to their atomic weight.
Many of us have a hard time getting through the levels of a regular solitaire game, so this guy who is a level 1000 player is very impressive. What's next? Will someone turn to chess to revolutionize astrophysics and build a rocket that can travel to the edge of the galaxy and back while remaining absolutely stable? This is quite possible if such a crazy professor as Mendeleev was able to systematize something huge with the help of a card game.
3. "No" to inert gases
Photo: Wikimedia
Remember how we classified argon as the laziest and most boring element in the history of the Universe? Mendeleev felt something similar. When argon was first isolated in 1894, it did not fit into any of the columns of the new table, so instead of finding a way to make an addition, the scientist decided to deny the existence of this element.
Even more surprising is that argon is not the only unfortunate element to suffer a similar fate. Five more elements were found to exist, as was unclassified argon. Just some kind of discrimination of elements. Jokes aside, radon, neon, krypton, helium, xenon - they were all denied existence, only because Mendeleev could not find a place for them in the table. After years of reconfiguration and reclassification, these lucky elements (called noble gases) were able to enter an elite club called the Existing Elements.
2. Romantic connections
This fact is for you, romantics. If you take a paper copy of the Periodic Table and cut out the middle columns, you will end up with a periodic table that has no elements. Fold it once in the middle of group IV, and there you have it - you have learned which elements can form compounds with each other.
The elements that are “kissed” form stable compounds. They have complementary electronic structures that allow them to be combined. If this isn't true love like Romeo and Juliet, or even Shrek and Fiona, then what is it?
1. Carbon is the main one
Carbon wants to be the most important thing. You think you know everything about carbon, but you don't. This bad boy is capable of more than you ever thought. Do you know that large quantity compounds contains carbon, what does not contain it? What about the fact that 20% of the weight of living organisms is carbon? What's even stranger is that every carbon atom in your body was once part of a lobe carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Not only is carbon practically a superelement, but it is also the fourth most abundant element in the entire universe.
If the periodic table were a party, you'd want to be on it next to carbon. This element really seems to know how to have fun. It is also the main element of diamonds, so add a little sparkle to the list of its amazing qualities.
The football club "Amkar" from Perm received its name from the abbreviation of two chemical substances- ammonia and urea, since they were the main products of JSC " Mineral fertilizers", who created the club.
If the viscosity of a liquid depends only on its nature and temperature, such as water, such a liquid is called Newtonian. If the viscosity also depends on the velocity gradient, it is called non-Newtonian. Such liquids, when suddenly applied force, behave like solids. An example is ketchup in a bottle, which will not flow unless you shake the bottle. Another example is a suspension of corn starch in water. If you pour it into a large container, you can literally walk on it if you move your feet quickly and apply enough force to each kick.
Ernest Rutherford's research was primarily in the field of physics and once stated that "all sciences can be divided into two groups - physics and stamp collecting." However, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry, which came as a surprise to both him and other scientists. Subsequently, he noticed that of all the transformations that he was able to observe, “the most unexpected was his own transformation from a physicist to a chemist.”
Since the 1990s, calls to ban the use of dihydrogen monoxide have frequently appeared on websites and in mailing lists. They list the numerous dangers that this substance causes: it is the main component of acid rain, accelerates the corrosion of metals, and can cause short circuit etc. Despite the danger, the substance is actively used as an industrial solvent, food additive, at nuclear power plants, and enterprises dump it in huge quantities into rivers and seas. This joke - after all, dihydrogen monoxide is nothing more than water - should teach critical perception information. In 2007, a New Zealand MP bought into it. He received a similar letter from a constituent and forwarded it to the government, demanding that the dangerous chemical be banned.
Strawberry aldehyde in terms of organic chemistry is not an aldehyde, but an ethyl ether. Also, this substance is not contained in strawberries, but only resembles them with its smell. The substance received its name in the 19th century, when chemical analysis was not yet very accurate.
Platinum literally means “silver” in Spanish. This disparaging name given to this metal by the conquistadors is explained by the exceptional refractoriness of platinum, which could not be melted down, for a long time was not used and was valued at half the price of silver. Now on world exchanges, platinum is about 100 times more expensive than silver.
The smell of wet earth that we smell after rain is the organic substance geosmin, which is produced by cyanobacteria and actinobacteria living on the surface of the earth.
Many chemical elements are named after countries or other geographical features. Four elements at once - yttrium, ytterbium, terbium and erbium - were named after the Swedish village of Ytterby, near which a large deposit of rare earth metals was discovered.
When cobalt minerals containing arsenic are fired, volatile, toxic arsenic oxide is released. The ore containing these minerals was given the name of the mountain spirit Kobold by the miners. The ancient Norse attributed the poisoning of smelters during the melting of silver to the tricks of this evil spirit. The metal cobalt itself was named after him.
Canaries are very sensitive to the methane content in the air. This feature was once used by miners who, going underground, took with them a cage with a canary. If singing had not been heard for a long time, then it was necessary to go upstairs as quickly as possible.
Antibiotics were discovered by accident. Alexander Fleming left a test tube containing staphylococcus bacteria unattended for several days. A colony of mold fungi grew in it and began to destroy the bacteria, and then Fleming isolated the active substance - penicillin.
Turkey vultures have a very keen sense of smell; they smell especially well ethanethiol, a gas that is released when animal corpses rot. Artificially produced ethanethiol is added to natural gas, which itself is odorless, so that we can smell gas leaking from an uncovered burner. In sparsely populated areas of the United States, inspection engineers sometimes find leaks in main pipelines precisely by the circling of turkey vultures above them, attracted by their familiar smell.
American Charles Goodyear accidentally discovered a recipe for making rubber that does not soften in the heat and does not become brittle in the cold. He mistakenly heated a mixture of rubber and sulfur on the kitchen stove (according to another version, he left a rubber sample near the stove). This process is called vulcanization.
As we know, substances are made up of atoms. A different types atoms are called chemical elements. In this post you will read many interesting facts about chemical elements.
There are significantly fewer chemical elements than different substances. There are only 80 stable elements (the atoms of which do not decay over time), and there are also several radioactive, but long-lived ones that are also found in nature. All the variety of substances is formed due to the fact that atoms are able to connect with each other. Positively charged nuclei of atoms, when brought closer together, attract negatively charged electrons of other atoms and because of this, a stable bond is formed between the atoms.
Atoms of chemical elements differ from each other in the number of protons in the nucleus of the atom. Protons and neutrons are held in the nucleus nuclear forces, but electromagnetic forces try to push the protons away from each other. The more protons in a nucleus, the stronger the repulsion, so nuclei that are too large cannot exist for long. The last chemical element whose atoms are stable is lead (number 82), and the last one that occurs in nature is uranium (number 92). All known elements with high numbers were obtained artificially in nuclear reactors or accelerators. The heaviest element to date that has been obtained artificially is ununoctium (number 118). It was synthesized by Russian scientists at an accelerator in Dubna. All elements numbered 100 and above are obtained in very small quantities (sometimes only in quantities of a few atoms).
According to modern concepts, all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium were formed during the evolution of stars. The nuclei of atoms from hydrogen to iron are capable of merging with each other, releasing energy, and are gradually formed during the life of the star. But all the chemical elements whose atoms are heavier than iron, according to scientists, were formed during the explosions of supernovae or neutron stars.
The very first chemical element is hydrogen. It is the most common in the Universe, more than 90% of atoms are hydrogen atoms. But there is not much hydrogen on Earth, and the most common element is oxygen. IN earth's crust about 50% oxygen, followed by silicon (26% by weight) and aluminum (7%).
Even pure chemical elements can exist in the form of different substances, since the atoms in them can be combined in different ways. This phenomenon is called allotropy.
example of allotropy - crystalline boron (left) and amorphous boron
Chemical elements differ greatly from each other in their ability to enter into chemical reactions. The most chemically passive elements are inert gases, especially helium. This is because their outer electron shell is completely filled. Helium and neon do not form true chemical compounds at all. Also characterized by low chemical activity are the so-called. noble metals - gold, silver, platinum and platinum group metals.
The most active chemical elements are those that easily give up or gain electrons. The most active metal is cesium, and the most active non-metal is fluorine.
Cesium is so active that it spontaneously ignites in air and explodes in water.
video - reaction of cesium with water (first rubidium is thrown into the water, and then cesium)
Fluorine is so active that it reacts with almost all known substances. Even substances such as sand and water ignite in this gas. Fluorine is so dangerous that many chemists, trying to obtain it in pure form, died during the experiments.
video - burning of asbestos and water in fluorine
video - even a brick catches fire in fluorine
Of all the chemical elements in pure form, 11 elements are normal conditions- gases, and almost all the rest are solids. Only mercury and bromine are liquids.
In their properties, many chemical elements are somewhat similar to each other. For example, among them there are such groups as alkali metals, halogens, inert gases, etc. At the same time, almost any known chemical element is unique in some way and in some areas of application is irreplaceable. For example, titanium, on which super-strong alloys are made, is indispensable in aircraft construction. Silicon is indispensable in microelectronics. Lithium is indispensable in the production of compact batteries. Cesium is indispensable as a material for infrared sensors. Uranium is indispensable in the nuclear industry.
The human body consists of more than 30 chemical elements, without which it cannot function normally. For example, bones are made of calcium compounds, iron is part of blood hemoglobin, iodine is needed for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, etc.
At this very minute
While you are reading this article, yours eyes use organic compound – retinal, which converts light energy into nerve impulses. While you are sitting in a comfortable position, back muscles maintain correct posture thanks to chemical breakdown of glucose with the release of the required energy. As you understand, The gaps between nerve cells are also filled with organic substances - mediators(or neurotransmitters) that help all neurons become one. And this well-coordinated system works without the participation of your consciousness! Only organic chemists understand as deeply as biologists how intricately man is created, how logically internal systems organs and their life cycle. It follows that the study of organic chemistry is the basis for understanding our life! And high-quality research is the way to the future, because new drugs are created primarily in chemical laboratories. Our department would like to introduce you closer to this wonderful science.
11-cis-retinal, absorbs light
serotonin – neurotransmitter
Organic chemistry as a science
Organic chemistry as a science emerged in the late nineteenth century. She arose at the crossroads different areas life - from obtaining food to treating millions of people who are unaware of the role of chemistry in their lives. Chemistry occupies a unique place in the structure of understanding the Universe. This is the science of molecules , but there is more to organic chemistry than this definition. Organic chemistry literally creates itself, as if growing . Organic chemistry, studying not only natural molecules, has the ability to create new substances, structures, matter. This feature gave humanity polymers, dyes for clothes, new medicines, and perfumes. Some believe that synthetic materials may harm humans or be environmentally hazardous. However, it is sometimes very difficult to distinguish black from white, and to establish the fine line between “danger to humans” and “commercial benefit”. It will also help with this issue Department of Organic Synthesis and Nanotechnology (OSiNT) .
Organic compounds
Organic chemistry began as a life science and was previously thought to be very different from inorganic chemistry in the laboratory. Scientists then believed that organic chemistry was the chemistry of Carbon, especially the compounds coal. In our time organic chemistry combines all carbon compounds of both living and non-living nature .
The organic compounds available to us are obtained either from living organisms or from fossil materials (oil, coal). An example of substances from natural sources essential oils are menthol (mint flavor) and cis-jasmone (jasmine flower scent). Essential oils obtained by steam distillation; details will be revealed during training at our department.
Menthol 
Cis-jasmone 
Quinine
Already in the 16th century it was known alkaloid – quinine , which is obtained from the bark of the cinchona tree ( South America) and is used against malaria.
The Jesuits who discovered this property of quinine, of course, did not know its structure. Moreover, in those days there was no question of synthetically producing quinine - which was only possible in the 20th century! Another interesting story related to quinine is discovery of the purple pigment mauvein William Perkin in 1856. Why he did this and what the results of his discovery are - you can also find out at our department.
But let's return to the history of the formation of organic chemistry. In the 19th century (the time of W. Perkin), the main source of raw materials for the chemical industry was coal. Dry distillation of coal produced coke oven gas, which was used for heating and cooking, and coal tar, rich in aromatic carbocyclic and heterocyclic compounds (benzene, phenol, aniline, thiophene, pyridine). At our department they will tell you how they differ and what their significance is in organic synthesis.
Phenol has antiseptic properties (trivial name - carbolic acid ), A aniline became the basis for the development of the paint industry (production of aniline dyes). These colorants are still commercially available, for example Bismarck-Brown (brown) shows that much of the early work in chemistry was carried out in Germany:
However in the 20th century, oil overtook coal as the main source of organic raw materials and energy , therefore, gaseous methane (natural gas), ethane, propane have become an available energy resource.
In the same time, The chemical industry was divided into mass and fine. The first is engaged in the production of paints, polymers - substances that do not have complex structure, however, produced in huge quantities. And the fine chemical industry, or more correctly, fine organic synthesis is engaged in the production of medicines, aromas, flavoring additives, in much smaller volumes, which, however, is more profitable. Currently, about 16 million organic compounds are known. How much more is possible? In this area, organic synthesis has no restrictions. Imagine that you have created the longest alkyl chain, but you can easily add another carbon atom. This process is endless. But one should not think that all these millions of compounds are ordinary linear hydrocarbons; they cover all kinds of molecules with amazingly diverse properties.
Properties of organic compounds
What are physical properties organic compounds?
They can be crystalline like sugar, or plastic like paraffin, explosive like isooctane, volatile like acetone.
Sucrose 
Isooctane (2,3,5-trimethylpentane)
Connection coloring it can also be very diverse. Humanity has already synthesized so many dyes that it seems that there are no more colors left that cannot be obtained using synthetic dyes.
For example, you can make the following table of brightly colored substances:
However, in addition to these characteristics, organic matter have a smell which helps differentiate them. An interesting example is the defensive reaction of skunks. The smell of skunk secretions is caused by sulfur compounds - thiols:
But the most terrible smell was “smelled” in the city of Freiburg (1889), during an attempt to synthesize thioacetone by decomposition of the trimer, when the city’s population had to be evacuated, because “ bad smell, which quickly spread throughout large area in the city, causes fainting, vomiting and anxiety.” The laboratory was closed.
But chemists at the Esso research station south of Oxford decided to repeat this experiment. Let's give them the floor:
"IN Lately, the odor problems went beyond our worst expectations. During early experiments, the cork popped out of a waste bottle and was immediately replaced, and our colleagues in the nearby laboratory (200 yards away) immediately began to feel nauseous and vomited.
Two of ourschemists who were simply studying the cracking of minute quantities of trithioacetone found themselves the target of hostile glances in a restaurant and were put to shame when a waitress sprayed deodorant around them. The odors "defied" the expected effects of dilution because the lab workers did not find the odors intolerable... and truly denied their responsibility since they were working in closed systems. To convince them otherwise, they were distributed with other observers throughout the laboratory at distances of up to a quarter of a mile. Then one drop of acetone gem-dithiol and later a mother liquor of trithioacetone recrystallization was placed on a watch glass in a fume hood. The smell was detected downwind in a matter of seconds.". Those. the odor of these compounds increases with decreasing concentration.
There are two candidates for this terrible stench - propane dithiol (the above mentioned heme-dithiol), or 4-methyl-4sulfanyl-pentanone-2:
It is unlikely that anyone will be able to identify the leader among them.
However, unpleasant odor has its own area of application . Natural gas, what comes into our homes contains a small amount of flavoring - tert-butyl thiol. A small amount is so much that humans can sense one part of thiol in 50 billion parts of methane.
In contrast, some other compounds have delicious odors. To redeem the honor of sulfur compounds we must refer to the truffle, which pigs can smell through a meter of soil and whose taste and smell are so delicious that they are worth more than gold. Damascenones are responsible for the scent of roses . If you have the opportunity to smell one drop, you will probably be disappointed, as it smells like turpentine, or camphor. And the next morning, your clothes (including you) will smell very strongly of roses. Just like trithioacetone, this odor increases with dilution.
Demascenone - the scent of roses
What about the taste?
Everyone knows that children can taste household chemicals (bathtub, toilet cleaner, etc.). The chemists were faced with the task of ensuring that unfortunate children would no longer want to try some kind of chemistry in bright packaging. Please note that this complex connection is a salt:
Some other substances have a “strange” effect on a person, causing complexes of mental sensations - hallucinations, euphoria, etc. These include drugs and ethyl alcohol. They are very dangerous because... cause addiction and destroy a person as an individual.
Let's not forget about other creatures. It is known that cats love to sleep at any time. Recently, scientists obtained a substance from the cerebrospinal fluid of poor cats that allows them to quickly fall asleep. It has the same effect on humans. This is a surprisingly simple connection:
A similar structure, called Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), has antitumor properties:
Another interesting molecule, resveratol, may be responsible for beneficial influence red wine in the prevention of heart disease:
As a third example of “edible” molecules (after CLA and resveratrol) let's take vitamin C. Seafarers from the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries suffered from scorbutus disease (scurvy), when degenerative processes occur in soft tissues, especially the oral cavity. Lack of this vitamin causes scurvy. Ascorbic acid (the common name for vitamin C) is a universal antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals, protecting people from cancer. Some people believe that large doses of vitamin C protect us from colds, but this has not yet been proven.
Organic chemistry and industry
Vitamin C is obtained in large quantities in Switzerland, at the Roshe pharmaceutical plant (not to be confused with RoshenoM). Worldwide The volumes of the organic synthesis industry are calculated in both kilograms (small-scale production) and millions of tons (large-scale production) . This good news for organic students, because There is no shortage of jobs (nor an overabundance of graduates) here. In other words, the profession of a chemical engineer is very relevant.
Some simple connections can be obtained from both petroleum and plants. Ethanol used as raw materials for the production of rubber, plastics, and other organic compounds. It can be obtained by catalytic hydration of ethylene (from petroleum), or by fermentation of waste from the sugar industry (as in Brazil, where the use of ethanol as a fuel has improved the environmental situation).
Worth mentioning separately polymer industry . It absorbs most of the petroleum products in the form of monomers (styrene, acrylates, vinyl chloride, ethylene). Production synthetic fibers has a turnover of more than 25 million tons per year. About 50,000 people are involved in the production of polyvinyl chloride, with an annual output of 20 million tons.
It should also be mentioned production of adhesives, sealants, coatings . For example, with the well-known superglue (based on methyl cyanoacrylate) you can glue almost anything.
Cyanoacrylate is the main component of superglue.
Perhaps, the most famous dye is indigo , which was previously isolated from plants, but is now obtained synthetically. Indigo is the color of blue jeans. To dye polyester fibers, for example, benzodifuranones (as dispersol) are used, which give the fabric an excellent red color. To color polymers, phthalocyanines are used in the form of complexes with iron or copper. They also find application as a component of the active layer of CDs, DVDs, Blu Ray discs. New class“high-performance” dyes based on DPP (1,4-diketopyrrolopyrroles) were developed by Ciba-Geidy.
Photo At first it was black and white: silver halides interacting with light released metal atoms, which reproduced the image. Colored photographs in Kodak color film arose as a consequence chemical reaction between two colorless reagents. One of them is usually an aromatic amine:
You can easily move from photography to the sweet life.
Sweeteners such as classic sugar received on a huge scale. Other sweeteners like aspartame (1965) and saccharin (1879) are produced in similar volumes. Aspartame is a dipeptide of two natural amino acids:
Pharmaceutical companies produce medicinal substances for many diseases. An example of a commercially successful, revolutionary drug is Ranitidine (for peptic ulcers) and Sildenafil (Viagra, we hope you know who needs it and why).
The success of these drugs is related to both therapeutic effectiveness and profitability:
That's not all. This is just the beginning
There is still a lot of interesting things to learn about organic chemistry, so training at the Department of OS&NT is a priority not only for chemistry lovers, but also for applicants who are interested in the world who want to expand the scope of their perception and unlock their potential.
