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The author is not a physician. The content on this website does not, and is not intended to constitute medical advice. It should not be relied upon when making medical decisions. It is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare provider.

May 14, 2008

Adamantane (That's like, what, a million diamonds for $400?)

Category:

Adamantane is a sort of triple-fused-cyclohexane structure:

May 9, 2008

More on Volatile Buffers

Category:

Previously I've mentioned triethylammonium acetate, and ammonium carbonate. These are salts formed by mixtures of volatile stuff - triethylamine, acetic acid, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. Awhile ago I made one I hadn't ever made before.

May 7, 2008

Triacetin (Always liquid, always semi-edible)

Category: Food

Triacetin is the glycerol triester of acetic acid:

May 5, 2008

Fmoc (Amino acid condoms)

Category: Synthesis

Automated solid-phase synthesis of biomolecules defines 20th century biology. I previously covered a protecting group that is ubiquitous in DNA synthesis, but the Nobel was actually awarded for peptide chemistry.

May 1, 2008

Dichloromethane (Now healthier with 50% less chlorine!)

Category: Synthesis

Chlorinated solvents are great solvents. The polarizability of chlorine, moderate electronegativity, moderate volatility, lack of acidic protons or reactivity - it all adds up to a great reaction medium. However, they usually are toxic.

April 28, 2008

Niacin (Nicotine vitamins?)

Category: Medicine

Niacin is also known as Vitamin B3. Interestingly, it's also called "nicotinic acid," and the similarity of the name to "nicotine" isn't coincidental:

April 23, 2008

Isotopic food (Why was I not informed?)

Category: Medicine

Is paying $5/liter for Fiji water not cutting it? Trying to come up with a more environmentally abhorrent, gauche hydration accessory? How would you feel about $1,000/liter, along with some iffy health benefits?

April 20, 2008

Mercury Beating Heart

Category: Inorganic

Oscillating reactions are neat; I should write up one of my favorites sometime... Here, electrons flow from iron metal to mercury (I) sulfate to chromium (VI) oxide. Listen to the video for a step-by step explanation...

April 18, 2008

Molecules in the news...

Category: Not Really a Molecule

A couple previous molecules of the day were in the news today: polylactide and lead chromate.

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