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     When I first started this blog, I didn't plan for any personal content, but some recent events in my life seem relevant enough to be publishable.

     Over this past summer, I worked in a physical chemistry lab at Tufts University, joining their research in water purification via transition-metal doped titanium dioxide. Expect more posts about this subject, and as water-purification is not a subject which spawns much ethical controversy (at least I like to think so), I'll be publishing normal posts as well.

-Stanley

     During the final weeks of Spring term '13-'14, I wrote a research paper for my chemistry class titled 'Chemical Enantioselective Synthesis: The Search for the Other Half.' Certain molecules have a property called chirality, which dictates whether or not the molecule has optical isomers. In essence, two molecules that are exactly the same, but are non-superimposable mirror images of one another, are optical isomers. d- and l- optical isomers (or enantiomers), reflect plane-polarized light in different directions.

     d- and l- enantiomers are crucial in the development of medicine and pharmaceuticals, because enzymes in the human body typically only interact with the d- enantiomer of any given substance. If a substance is administered in a racemic (half d-, half l-) mixture, the l- half of the substance might have undesirable side effects, or might just pass through the human body harmlessly. Therefore, enantioselective synthesis is a crucial process for pharmaceutical companies to manufacture controlled and safe medicines.

     Enantioselective synthesis is complicated, and feasible mechanisms are very difficult to discover. In the paper, I discuss some common synthesis methods, instances of marketed racemic mixtures that went awry, and detail the search for an efficient l-glucose synthesis. Since l-glucose is not absorbed by the body, it can be used as a zero-calorie alternative to d-glucose, the much more common enantiomer, and it has the potential to unlock more secrets of optical isomers.

     Here's the paper, I hope you enjoy it!

Enantiomers and Synthesis of L-Glucose.pdf

Image: nanocarbon.cz

     Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have made a leap forward in the race for mass production of graphene, using water, soap, and a blender that reportedly cost €39.95.
     In 2010, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov won a Nobel Prize for their experiments regarding the material, after peeling off thinner and thinner layers of carbon graphite with scotch tape until they produced graphene, a material no more than a few atoms thick. Now, researchers at the materials science center in Dublin have substituted the sticky tape method for a blender, which separates the layers of graphite, and a water-based surfactant which keeps the layers apart.
    Graphene has fascinated the scientific community since its discovery, and now that progress is being made towards the production of the wonder material, a wholly new realm of possibilities is revealing itself. The graphene industry, which is predicted to be worth $100 million by 2018, could potentially revolutionize everything from clean water, to smartphones, to cleanup of nuclear waste.

More Here: Independent