American Chemical Society

Major advance in using sunlight to produce steam without boiling water

WASHINGTON, — Scientists today are describing a revolutionary new way to use sunlight to produce steam and other vapors without heating an entire container of fluid to the boiling point. The advance, reported in the American Chemical Society (ACS) journal ACS Nano, has potential applications, especially in the poverty-stricken areas of the developing world, that include inexpensive, compact devices for purification of drinking water, sterilization of medical instruments and sanitizing sewage.

The controversy over flame retardants in millions of sofas, chairs and other products

Chemical & Engineering News Flame retardants in the polyurethane foam of millions of upholstered sofas, overstuffed chairs and other products have ignited a heated debate over safety, efficacy and fire-safety standards — and a search for alternative materials. That’s the topic of a cover story package in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of ACS, the world’s largest scientific society.

Date palm juice: A potential new “green” anti-corrosion agent for aerospace industry

Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research The search for a “greener” way to prevent corrosion on the kind of aluminum used in jetliners, cars and other products has led scientists to an unlikely source, according to a report in ACS’ journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. It’s the juice of the date palm — those tall, majestic trees that, until now, were noted mainly as sources of food and traditional medicines.

Inspiration from Mother Nature leads to improved wood

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Using the legendary properties of heartwood from the black locust tree as their inspiration, scientists have discovered a way to improve the performance of softwoods widely used in construction. The method, reported in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, involves addition of similar kinds of flavonoid compounds that boost the health of humans.

New micropumps for hand-held medical labs produce pressures 500 times higher than car tire

Analytical Chemistry In an advance toward analyzing blood and urine instantly at a patient’s bedside instead of waiting for results from a central laboratory, scientists are reporting development of a new micropump capable of producing pressures almost 500 times higher than the pressure in a car tire. Described in ACS’ journal Analytical Chemistry, the pumps are for futuristic “labs-on-a-chip,” which reduce entire laboratories to the size of a postage stamp.

A heady discovery for beer fans: The first gene for beer foam could improve froth

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry The yeast used to make beer has yielded what may be the first gene for beer foam, scientists are reporting in a new study. Published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the discovery opens the door to new possibilities for improving the frothy “head” so critical to the aroma and eye appeal of the world’s favorite alcoholic beverage, they say.

Cleaner fracking

Chemical & Engineering News The technology that opened a wealth of new natural gas resources in the U.S. is producing millions of gallons of dirty water — enough from one typical gas well to cover a football field to a depth of 9-15 feet. Cleaning up that byproduct of “fracking” is the topic of the cover story of the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News. C&EN is the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

New analysis of drinking water-related gastrointestinal illness

Environmental Science & Technology The distribution system piping in U.S. public water systems that rely on non-disinfected well water or “ground water” may be a largely unrecognized cause of up to 1.1 million annual cases of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI), involving nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, scientists are reporting. Their study in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology concludes that such illnesses may become more of a problem as much of the nation’s drinking water supply system continues to age and deteriorate.

Leaves of carob tree, source of chocolate substitute, fight virulent food-poisoning bacteria

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Leaves of the plant that yields carob — the substitute for chocolate that some consider healthier than chocolate — are a rich source of antibacterial substances ideal for fighting the microbe responsible for listeriosis, a serious form of food poisoning, according to a report in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

New malaria treatment requires just one dose and appears twice as effective as existing regimen

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Scientists are reporting development of a new malaria drug that, in laboratory tests, has been twice as effective as the best current medicine against this global scourge and may fight off the disease with one dose, instead of the multiple doses that people often fail to take. A report on the drug appears in ACS’ Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

New advance could help soldiers, athletes, others rebound from traumatic brain injuries

ACS Nano A potential new treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI), which affects thousands of soldiers, auto accident victims, athletes and others each year, has shown promise in laboratory research, scientists are reporting. TBI can occur in individuals who experience a violent blow to the head that makes the brain collide with the inside of the skull, a gunshot injury or exposure to a nearby explosion. The report on TBI, which currently cannot be treated and may result in permanent brain damage or death, appears in the journal ACS Nano.

A birth control pill for men? When?

When will men have their own birth control pill? Scientists have been predicting the debut of a male pill within 5 years for the last 30 years. The factors accounting for that delay — and new optimism that a male pill will emerge within a decade — are the topic of a story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News. C&EN is the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

New substances 15,000 times more effective in destroying chemical warfare agents

In an advance that could be used in masks to protect against nerve gas, scientists are reporting development of proteins that are up to 15,000 times more effective than their natural counterpart in destroying chemical warfare agents. Their report appears in ACS’ journal Biochemistry.

Date palm juice: A potential new “green” anti-corrosion agent for aerospace industry

The search for a “greener” way to prevent corrosion on the kind of aluminum used in jetliners, cars and other products has led scientists to an unlikely source, according to a report in ACS’ journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. It’s the juice of the date palm — those tall, majestic trees that, until now, were noted mainly as sources of food and traditional medicines.

Taking the battle against the toxic trio beyond “Leaves of three, leave it be”

With more than half of all adults allergic to poison ivy, oak and sumac, scientists are reporting an advance toward an inexpensive spray that could reveal the presence of the rash-causing toxic oil on the skin, clothing, garden tools, and even the family cat or dog. Using the spray, described in ACS’ The Journal of Organic Chemistry would enable people to wash off the oil, or avoid further contact, in time to sidestep days of misery.

Reducing acrylamide levels in french fries

The process for preparing frozen, par-fried potato strips — distributed to some food outlets for making french fries — can influence the formation of acrylamide in the fries that people eat, a new study has found. Published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study identifies potential ways of reducing levels of acrylamide, which the National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer regard as a “probable human carcinogen.”

Green plants reduce urban air pollution 8x more than expected

WASHINGTON, — The latest episode in the American Chemical Society’s (ACS’) award-winning Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions podcast series concludes that trees, grass and other greenery growing in the concrete-and-glass canyons of cities can reduce levels of two of the most worrisome air pollutants by eight times more than previously believed.

London Olympics anti-doping labs set for first-of-a-kind repurposing

Chemical & Engineering News The United Kingdom is preparing to convert the London 2012 Olympics anti-doping center, which conducted more than 6,000 drug tests on athletes during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, into a facility that could help revolutionize 21st century health care. That new facility — the world’s first national “phenome center” — is the topic of a story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN). C&EN is the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

Discovering new uses for old drugs

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry With the cost of putting a single new drug on the pharmacy shelves topping a staggering $1 billion, scientists are reporting development of a way to determine if an already-approved drug might be used to treat a different disease. The technique for repurposing existing medicines could cut drug development costs and make new medicine available to patients faster, they report in ACS’ Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Concern about plans to close unique Canadian environmental project

Environmental Science & Technology The Canadian government’s plans to discontinue in 2013 a unique environmental research project that has yielded insights into water pollution, climate change and other topics for almost 40 years would be a “huge loss not only to science but to the scientific heritage of humanity.” That’s the focus of a viewpoint article in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology.