Chemical News

November/December 2011

Electronic nose developed at NRC
The human nose contains millions of cells coated with more than 1,000 types of olfactory receptors. Now, researchers at the National Research Council (NRC) have found a way to mimic this process, creating a prototype ‘e-nose’ that can detect a range of substances, from toxic pollutants to dangerous goods. ...

Bio-based succinic acid plant planned for Sarnia
The world’s first commercial-scale bio-based succinic acid plant is set to be built in Sarnia, Ont. The announcement was made this past August by BioAmber Inc., which will build the plant through its subsidiary, Bluewater Biochemicals. ...

Six per cent success for solar cells
Six per cent may not sound like a big number, but for Ted Sargent, Canada Research Chair in Nanotechnology at the University of Toronto, it’s meaningful. It represents the power conversion efficiency of his group’s colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells — the highest ever reported for this technology. ...

October 2011

Artificial molecules harvest light energy
Molecules are often compared to children’s construction sets, where ­atoms of different sizes are connected by chemical bonds. Now the same principle has been applied to quantum dots and the result could lead to advances in solar cells and optical devices. ...

Sweetly healthy maple syrup
Canadians love maple syrup, but the associated sugar rush can be hazardous to one’s health, especially for those living with diabetes or other metabolic disorders. But thanks to some clever chemical engineering, a new maple syrup product may soon alleviate those concerns. ...

Protein-membrane anchors ­offer new cancer strategy
In order to block the action of an enzyme, it’s usually necessary to create a molecule that binds to its active site. But a group of researchers at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) have come up with a different strategy — they simply throw out an anchor. ...

September 2011

Researcher develops faster software for folding proteins
The process of folding a linear polypeptide into a complete protein with a specialized shape and function is one of nature’s miracles. Computers can model this process using molecular dynamics (MD) but it’s still an enormous task - determining the folding pathway for a single protein can take thousands of hours of processing time. Now a researcher at McGill University has developed a program that could greatly speed up this process. ...

Buzz about new batteries
Although still in the experimental stages, lithium-sulphur (Li-S)batteries could offer three to five times more energy density than lithium-ion, the current industry standard for personal electronics and electric vehicles. Now, a discovery at the University of Waterloo has brought Li-S batteries one step closer to commercial viability ...

More trees won't solve climate change
It seems logical enough: if deforestation raises CO2 emissions, then afforestation — planting more trees — should be an effective way of combating climate change. But a new Canadian climate model shows that while this is true, the effect is smaller than you might expect. ...

July/August 2011

Breakthrough in CO2 gas separation
The field of carbon capture and storage (CCS) has taken a big step forward. Researchers at the National Research Council (NRC) have created a polymer membrane that shows unprecedented ­performance in separating CO2 from various gas mixtures. ...

Mixing medications can improve efficacy of antibiotic
Pharmacists are constantly warning us to avoid mixing medications because of the risk of harmful interactions. But a team at McMaster University recently demonstrated that when it comes to antibiotics, interactions with other medications can sometimes be beneficial. ...

Chemist's death leads to recommendations
Nova Scotia’s Occupational Health and Safety Division has called for new warnings about trimethylsilyldiazomethane (TMSD) after a chemist died following exposure to fumes. ...

June 2011

Porphysome holds promise for cancer treatment
A nanoparticle that delivers drugs, provides photothermal therapy, acts as a fluorescent tracer and is non-toxic seems too good to be true. But a research team at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Biomaterials and ­Biomedical Engineering has created a nanoparticle, called a porphysome, which does all this and more. ...

Chlorine key to simpler, cheaper OLEDs
Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) can replace liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in such things as cell phones but, due to their complexity, are costly to produce. This could soon change, thanks to an accidental discovery by Michael Helander, a graduate student in the University of Toronto’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering. ...

Russian dandelion seeds Ontario rubber industry
The Russian dandelion isn’t much to look at, being a smaller version of the humble yellow blossom currently dotting your back yard. But for Dave Wolyn, professor in the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph, this weed could germinate a nascent natural rubber industry for southern Ontario.. ...

May 2011

Over 4000 chemicals discovered in human blood
The test results are in, and the news may be shocking: Your blood contains measurable levels of at least 4,229 different naturally occurring chemical entities. ...

Xenon dioxide may help to solve one of Earth’s mysteries
Chemists at McMaster University have become the first in the world to synthesize and characterize XeO2, an unusual compound that could be the solution to a decades-old mystery. ...

Colder stratosphere leads to thinning Arctic ozone
Remember that “hole” in the ozone layer? It never entirely went away; each spring the Arctic experiences a certain amount of ozone loss, usually in the range of 10 to 20 per cent. ...

April 2011

Takeover brings Nunavut iron mine nearer to reality
A recent takeover of Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. by two foreign investors means that the world’s northernmost iron mine is closer to reality than it has ever been. ...

Steam generator shipment approved despite "fearmongering"
As soon as the ice melts this spring, a ship containing 16 radiation-contaminated steam generators from the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station could travel across the Great Lakes to Sweden. Despite vocal objections about the public safety risk of shipping radioactive materials across the Great Lakes from environmental groups, First Nations, and regional officials, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) approved the shipment in early February. ...

Study suggests manganese hinders child development
When thinking about contaminants in drinking water, manganese isn’t necessarily top of mind. Yet according to a new study produced by researchers in Quebec, elevated levels of this element in groundwater can have drastic impacts on the neurological development of children exposed to them. ...

March 2011

Butterfly wings inspire anti-counterfeit devices
Quick — what do a butterfly and a banknote have in common? Maybe not much right now, but thanks to a B.C. researcher and entrepreneur, the same phenomenon that makes a butterfly’s wing a brilliant blue could soon make your $20 bill harder to counterfeit. ...

New NMR technique solves oxygen puzzle
Imagine trying to put together a puzzle when a quarter of its pieces are invisible. That has more or less been the situation faced by chemists using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study large proteins. The technique easily detects three of the four basic building blocks of life: hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen. The fourth, oxygen, had remained elusive until a team led by Gang Wu, professor of chemistry at Queen’s University, tackled the problem. ...

Nanoparticles offer better lung cancer treatment
Anyone who has used an inhaler knows that the best way to get drugs into your lungs is as an aerosol. With cancer drugs, however, controlled release is key; The drug must destroy tumour cells while leaving regular lung tissue alone. Now, researchers at the University of Alberta have taken a big step toward solving this problem. Their secret weapon? Bubbles. ...

February 2011

Changing the Periodic Table: a weighty issue
It may look like a brick wall, but the periodic table of the elements has always been a fluid document, constantly evolving to reflect the latest science. Now, it’s undergoing one of its most substantial changes in a decade with changes to the atomic weights of no fewer than 10 elements. ...

BPA experts meet but don't agree
The effect of bisphenol A (BPA) on human health continues to be a subject of debate, even among the experts. In early November, Ottawa played host to an international scientific panel convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) with the goal of coming to some kind of consensus. According to the final report, issued in December, that goal is still distant. ...

Water could replace mercury in fluorescent bulbs
Environmentalists have good reason to be conflicted about fluorescent light bulbs. True, they are more efficient and longer-lasting than the incandescent variety, but they also contain mercury, a well-known neurotoxin. Now, an accidental discovery at McGill University has led to a new breed of bulb that replaces the mercury with plain old water. ...

January 2011

Glass-wood fusion: beautifully simple
The unique properties of wood and glass have fascinated sculptors and artisans for centuries. Now, an accidental discovery at the University of British Columbia has led to a new fusion of these materials that could have applications for everything from tinted windows to industrial catalysis. ...

Beep, beep, beep. The chips are done!
There’s a new tool in the quest to design ever-smaller silicon circuits: the microwave oven. Researchers at the University of Alberta­’s National Institute of Nanotech­nology are using microwave heat to speed up the self-assembly of certain block ­copolymers. ...

Antimatter containment: not just for warp drives anymore
Fans of Star Trek’s various TV incarnations will recall the fictional antimatter-powered warp drive, which threatened to catastrophically spill its contents about every other episode. As it turns out, real antimatter can indeed be quite difficult to contain, which is one of the reasons it’s so hard to study. Now, thanks to an international research team of 42 scientists, including 15 Canadians, science is one big step closer to getting a good look at antihydrogen. ...