News of the year 2008 in the
fields of chemistry and chemistry-related topics like biochemistry,
nantechnology, medicinal chemistry etc.
Main focus:
press releases, scientific research results and summaries of chemistry
articles, that are published in chemistry journals.
Please send us a eMail to publish your press release!
ACS News (open access articles):
Evidence that inexpensive device boosts fuel
economy by up to 20 percent
A new device could enhance fuel
economy by up to 20 percent.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Amid sticker-shock fuel prices, researchers in
Pennsylvania are reporting results of laboratory tests and road tests
verifying that a simple, inexpensive device attached to a car engine's
fuel injector can boost gas mileage by up to 20 percent. That
translates into several more precious miles per gallon, they say.
Their study is scheduled for the November 19 issue of ACS' Energy &
Fuels, a bi-monthly journal.
In the new study, Rongjia Tao and colleagues
describe development and testing of a new fuel economy booster. The
small device consists of an electrically charged tube that can be
attached to the fuel line of a car's engine near the fuel injector.
The device creates an electric field that thins fuel, or reduces its
viscosity, so that smaller droplets are injected into the engine. That
leads to more efficient and cleaner combustion than a standard fuel
injector, the researchers say.
Six months of road testing in a diesel car showed
that the device increased highway fuel from 33 miles per gallon (mpg)
to 37 mpg. "We expect the device will have wide applications on all
types of internal combustion engines, present ones and future ones,"
the report states, citing engines powered by gasoline, biodiesel, and
kerosene. Further improvements in the device could lead to even better
mileage, they suggest. - MTS
Natural Viagra?
"Horny goat weed" shows promise in lab studies
Move over, Viagra! Researchers in Italy report that
an ancient Chinese herbal remedy known as "horny goat weed" shows
potential in lab studies as source for new future drugs to treat
erectile dysfunction (ED). The study, which provides scientific
evidence supporting the herb's well-known use as a natural aphrodisiac,
is scheduled for the October 24 issue of ACS' Journal of Natural
Products, a monthly publication.
In the new study, Mario Dell'Agli and colleagues
point out that Viagra (sildenafil) and several other prescription
drugs are now available for ED, or male impotence. ED affects an
estimated 18 million men in the United States alone. Studies show,
however, that these drugs may cause side effects such as headache,
facial flushing, stomach upset, and visual disturbances.
To find better treatments, the scientists studied
herbal extracts reputed to improve sexual performance. Scientists
exposed the substances to an enzyme that controls blood flow to the
penis and whose inhibition results in an erection. Of the extracts
tested, "horny goat weed" was the most potent inhibitor of the enzyme.
By chemical modification of icariin, the active ingredient purified
from the extract, the scientists obtained a derivative with activity
similar to Viagra and a potential for fewer side effects because it
targeted the protein more precisely than sildenafil. - MTS
Current government regulations miss key
pollutants in Los Angeles region
Smog above Los Angeles, as seen
from the Hollywood Hills.
Image by David Iliff
Existing regulations may not effectively target a
large source of fine, organic particle pollutants that contribute to
hazy skies and poor air quality over Los Angeles, according to a study
scheduled for the October 15 issue of ACS' Environmental Science and
Technology, a semi-monthly journal.
In the study, Ken Docherty and colleagues point out
that current air quality regulations target sources of 'primary,' or
directly emitted, particles. Yet their new findings indicate that "secondary"
or chemically formed, particles contribute more significantly to poor
air quality.
The study found that most of the organic haze above
the city is not directly emitted by vehicles or industrial processes,
unlike previously thought - 75 percent of organic particle pollutants
form when reactive, organic gases undergo chemical transformations and
condense onto existing particles in the air. "Our study suggests that
regulations need to focus much more attention on the organic gases
that react chemically in the atmosphere, creating the secondary
particles that make up a significant portion of haze," Docherty said.
- AD
Microscopic version of the CT scan reveals
secrets of bone formation
A juvenile snail shell of
Biomphalaria glabrata, 4 weeks after hatching with a shell
diameter of 3 mm.
Image by The American Chemical
Society
A new version of the computerized tomography (CT)
scan, which revolutionized medical imaging during the last 25 years,
is giving scientists precious new information about how Mother Nature
forms shells, bones, and other hard structures in animals ranging from
guppies to mice. That information on "biomineralization" could form a
knowledge base for understanding bone loss in humans and even snaring
the Holy Grail of regenerative medicine - discovering how newts,
starfish and other animals regrow amputated body parts.
Those are the observations in a new overview of the
field scheduled for the November 12 issue of ACS' Chemical Reviews, a
monthly journal. In the article, Matthias Epple and Frank Neues
describe ongoing research in which scientists use X-ray microcomputer
tomography to study biomineralization, the process in which animals
form bones, shells, and other hard structures. Microcomputer
tomography is the high-resolution version of conventional CT. Like a
CT microscope, it constructs three-dimensional images of structures in
bones and shells too small for viewing with regular CT.
The article provides a sweeping overview of current
research involving X-ray microcomputer tomography, and the
implications for medicine, design of new materials, and other fields.
"It is of interest in modern materials science to synthetically mimic
these inorganic structures to create new coatings, materials or
instruments for practical application," the article states. "We are
convinced that this method will be of high future value to study the
spatially different mineralization processes in mineralizing animals
and plants." - AD
Researchers are reporting that new insights into
the composition of human breast milk may lead to new ways to prevent
and treat stomach illnesses and other diseases in babies and adults.
An article on the topic is scheduled for the Sept. 29 issue of
Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.
In the C&EN cover story, Associate Editor Jyllian
Kemsley notes that human breast milk is a complex fluid composed of
several key components, including lactose, a sugar that provides
energy for the infant, and lipids, which are thought to provide
healthy fats to infants. But scientists are just now beginning to
understand the composition and function of many of the components of
human breast milk.
Researchers have found, for example, that certain
sugars in breast milk could be developed into treatments that help
fight necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a potentially deadly disease
that affects about 10 percent of premature infants. Some types of
sugars in breast milk appear to prevent bacterial infections,
including those that cause severe diarrhea, the article notes. A
better understanding of the chemistry and function of breast milk can
also lead to the design of more nutritious infant formulas and cow's
milk products, the article suggests. "[Breast milk] is a remarkable
fluid," remarked one researcher. "It's extremely embarrassing how
little we still know about it."
Purifying nanorods: big success with tiny cleanup
Rice method produces nanorods with more than 99 percent purity.
ACS News (open access articles):
New hope for tapping vast domestic reserves of
oil shale
Fossils encased in an Estonian
oil shale.
Image by Mark A. Wilson,
Wikipedia Commons
Researchers in Canada and Turkey report discovery
of a new process for economically tapping vast resources of crude oil
in the United States, Canada, and other countries now locked away in
rocky deposits called oil shale. The process could boost worldwide oil
supplies in the future and lead to lower prices for gasoline, diesel,
and home heating oil, the researchers suggest. Their study is
scheduled for the November 19 issue of ACS' Energy & Fuels, a
bi-monthly journal.
In the study, Tayfun Babadagli and colleagues point
out that oil trapped in the world's oil shale deposits exceeds the
proven reserves of Saudi Arabia. An estimated one trillion barrels of
oil, for instance, are in the so-called Green River Formation in
Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. However, existing technology for
recovering that oil, termed pyrolysis, is uneconomical because it
requires high temperatures (about 900 degrees F.) and large energy
inputs, but yields little usable oil.
The scientists describe laboratory scale
experiments in which addition of inexpensive iron powder to oil shale,
combined with heating with electric heating coils, substantially
increased oil production - by more than 100 percent for some shales. "The
experimental and numerical results show that field-scale oil recovery
from oil shales by electrical heating could be technically and
economically viable," the report concludes. - MTS
Calorie-free natural sweetener moves one step
closer to use in the U. S.
Researchers in Georgia are reporting an advance
toward the possible use of a new natural non-caloric sweetener in soft
drinks and other food products in the United States. Stevia, which is
300 times more potent than sugar but calorie-free, is already used in
some countries as a food and beverage additive to help fight obesity
and diabetes. Their study is scheduled for the October 8 issue of ACS'
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.
Indra Prakash, John F. Clos, and Grant E. DuBois
note that so-called stevia sweeteners, derived from a South American
plant, have been popular for years as a food and beverage additive in
Latin America and Asia. But several factors have prevented its use as
a sweetener in Europe and the United States. Those include concerns
about safety and hints that exposure to sunlight degrades one of the
key components of stevia.
In research that eases concerns about stevia's
stability, the scientists studied clear glass containers of cola and
lemon-lime sodas containing the two major naturally sweet components
in stevia. After exposing the beverages to sunlight for one week, they
found no significant degradation in either component of the natural
sweetener. - MTS
Toward a fast, life-saving test for identifying
the purity of heroin
A sample of black tar heroin.
Image by US Drug Enforcement
Agency
Scientists in Spain are reporting an advance toward
a new method for determining the purity of heroin that could save
lives by allowing investigators to quickly identify impure and more
toxic forms of the drug being sold on the street. Unlike conventional
tests, it does not destroy the original drug sample, according to
their report. It is scheduled for the Oct. 1 issue of ACS' Analytical
Chemistry, a semi-monthly journal.
In the new study, Salvador Garrigues and colleagues
point out that the purity of heroin can vary widely, since pushers
often mix it with chalk, flour, or other "cutting agents." Because
heroin users do not know the exact purity of the drug, they are more
at risk for overdose and even death. Conventional tests for
determining the purity of street heroin involve destructive and
time-consuming sample preparation, the scientists say.
They studied 31 illicit drug samples from Spain
that contained six to 34 percent heroin. The scientists tested the
samples using the new analytical method, called Diffuse Reflectance
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (DR-NIR). It involves shooting a beam of
infrared light into a sample to determine its chemical composition
based on the wavelength of light emitted. The method quickly and
accurately determined the chemical content of the samples without any
prior sample preparation, the scientists say. - MTS
Key proteins identified in the quest for male
contraceptive
In an advance toward a long-sought new male
contraceptive, researchers in China have identified key proteins in
men that suppress production of sperm and could become new targets for
a future male birth control pill. Their study is scheduled for the
October 3 issue of ACS' monthly Journal of Proteome Research.
Jiahao Sha and colleagues point out that scientists
do not understand one effect of the male sex hormone, testosterone -
how injections of the hormone suppress production of sperm. Building
on a previous study showing almost total sperm suppression with an
injectable testosterone combined with a synthetic hormone called
levonorgestrel (LNG), the researchers sought new insights into how
hormones affect sperm-producing cells in the testicles.
In a new study on men, they found that testosterone
combined with LNG changed the body's production of 31 proteins
compared to only 13 proteins for men given only testosterone. The
scientists identified proteins that could serve as both targets for
new male contraceptives as well as medications for treating
infertility. - JS
Toward more effective drugs, vaccines for
fighting HIV
Researchers are reporting progress toward a wave of
new drugs and vaccines that could significantly improve the health and
lifespan of millions infected with or at risk for HIV, the virus that
causes AIDS, according to an article (http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/86/8638cover.html)
scheduled for the Sept. 22 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS'
weekly newsmagazine. The findings offer hope for the estimated 33
million people worldwide who are currently infected with the virus.
In the C&EN cover story, Senior Correspondent Ann
Thayer notes that when HIV was first identified almost 25 years ago,
the life expectancy of an infected person was only about one year.
Today, with more than 20 so-called antiretroviral drugs now available
to treat the disease, an infected person can expect to live many years,
at least in developed countries. With new insights into how the virus
works in the body, pharmaceutical companies are now attempting to
develop even more effective drugs that are safer and easier to use.
While there's still no cure for the disease, Thayer
notes in a companion article in C&EN, researchers are working hard to
develop an effective HIV vaccine, considered the ultimate way to
prevent infection. But there's still a lot to learn about the virus
itself and the human body's response, as setbacks in recent clinical
trials have shown, according to the article. "Failure is the norm in
product development, particularly for something as difficult as HIV,"
notes one researcher.
Curbing coal emissions alone might avert climate danger, say researchers
Oil and gas seen to have lesser effect.
ACS News (open access articles):
Drinking chamomile tea may help fight
complications of diabetes
Chamomile tea could help prevent
complications of diabetes, scientists report.
Image by Wikimedia Commons
Drinking chamomile tea daily with meals may help
prevent the complications of diabetes, which include loss of vision,
nerve damage, and kidney damage, researchers in Japan and the United
Kingdom are reporting.
The findings could lead to the development of a new
chamomile-based drug for type 2 diabetes, which is at epidemic levels
in this country and spreading worldwide, they note. Their study
appears in the Sept. 10 issue of the ACS' Journal of Agricultural and
Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.
In the new study, Atsushi Kato and colleagues point
out that chamomile, also known as manzanilla, has been used for years
as a medicinal cure-all to treat a variety of medical problems
including stress, colds, and menstrual cramps. Scientists recently
proposed that the herbal tea might also be beneficial for fighting
diabetes, but the theory hasn't been scientifically tested until now.
To find out, the researchers fed chamomile extract
to a group of diabetic rats for 21 days and compared the results to a
group of control animals on a normal diet. The chamomile-supplemented
animals showed a significant decrease in blood glucose levels compared
with the controls, they say. The extract also showed significant
inhibition of both ALR2 enzymes and sorbitol, whose elevated levels
are associated with increased diabetic complications, the scientists
say. - MTS
Low-emission, high-performance engine for future
hybrids
A cross-sectional view of the
FPLA.
Image by Qingfeng Li
In an advance toward introduction of an amazing new
kind of internal combustion engine, researchers in China are reporting
development and use of a new and more accurate computer model to
assess performance of the so-called free-piston linear alternator (FPLA).
Their study of the FPLA, which could provide a low-emission, fuel
efficient engine for future hybrid electric vehicles, is scheduled for
the Sept. 17 issue of ACS' Energy & Fuels, a bi-monthly journal.
Qingfeng Li and colleagues point out that the FPLA
has only one moving part and is an engine designed to generate
electricity. In the device, a piston in a cylinder shuttles between
two combustion chambers. Permanent magnets on the piston generate
electricity by passing through the coils of an alternator centered on
the cylinder. The engine can burn a variety of fuels, including
natural gas and hydrogen, and seems ideal use in a future world of
climate change and possible fossil fuel shortages, they suggest.
Their report describes development of a better
computer model to evaluate performance of the FPLA and guide engineers
in construction of the engine. Results of their initial simulations
showed that the FPLA could accelerate three times faster than other
internal combustion engines and burns fuel in ways that minimize air
pollution. "It is an environmentally friendly power source for the
future," the report concludes. - AD
Potential new drug for cocaine addiction and
overdose
Chemists have developed a
substance that could help fight addictions and overdoses of
cocaine.
Image by US Drug Enforcement
Administration
Chemists are reporting development of what they
term the most powerful substance ever discovered for eliminating
cocaine from the body, an advance that could lead to the world's first
effective medicine for fighting overdoses and addictions of the
illicit drug. Their findings are scheduled for the Sept. 24 issue of
the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication.
In the new study, Chang-Guo Zhan and colleagues
point out no effective anti-cocaine medication currently exists for
cocaine abuse. One of the most promising approaches focuses on
substances that mimic butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), a natural blood
protein that helps break down and inactivate the drug, researchers say.
However, natural BChE is too weak and ineffective for medical use, the
researchers note.
The researchers describe design and produce the
most potent, stable BChE structure ever produced. In lab studies, that
form of BChE broke down, or metabolized, cocaine 2,000 times faster
than the body's natural version of BChE, the scientists say, noting
that reducing levels of the drug in the blood is a key to fighting
overdose in humans. The substance also prevented convulsions and death
when injected into mice that were given overdoses of cocaine, they
note. - MTS
Flower-shaped nanoparticles may lead to better
batteries for portable electronics
Want more power and longer battery life for that
cell phone, laptop, and digital music player? "Flower power" may be
the solution. Chemists are reporting development of flower-shaped
nanoparticles with superior electronic performance than conventional
battery materials. These "nanoflowers" may power next-generation
electronic devices, say the scientists in a report scheduled for the
Oct. 8 issue of ACS' Nano Letters, a monthly journal.
Gaoping Cao and colleagues point out that
nanoflowers are not new. Researchers have developed various types of
flower-shaped nanoparticles using different materials, including
manganese oxide, the key metallic ingredient that powers conventional
batteries. However, older-generation nanoflowers were not suitable for
electronic products of the future, which will demand more power and
longer battery life, the researchers say.
In the new study, scientists first grew clusters of
carbon nanotubes, strands of pure carbon 50,000 times thinner than a
human hair, that are known to have superior electrical conductivity.
The scientists then deposited manganese oxide onto the nanotubes using
a simple, low-cost coating technique called "electrodeposition,"
resulting in nano-sized clusters that resemble tiny dandelions under
an electron microscope. The result was a battery system with higher
energy storage capacity, longer life, and greater efficiency than
conventional battery materials, the researchers say. - MTS
New scientific insights into schizophrenia are
pointing toward new drugs that offer hope for millions of individuals
with the disease - the most serious form of mental illness, according
to an article scheduled for the Sept. 15 issue of Chemical &
Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine. Schizophrenia affects
about 25 million people, or about one percent of adults, worldwide.
In the article, C&EN Assistant Editor Carmen Drahl
notes that existing medications for schizophrenia, so-called
antipsychotics, help ease some symptoms, such as hallucinations and
disorganized speech. However, they do not deal with all of the
disease's symptoms, such as lack of motivation and impairments to
decision-making.
Researchers are now moving beyond traditional drugs,
which generally target dopamine neurotransmission, and focusing on new
targets that might tackle a wider range of symptoms. The article
describes animal and human trials of several potential new drugs that
focus on new disease targets, including the glutamate neurotransmitter
system, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, and a signaling pathway
mediated by cyclic nucleotides.
These substances appear to help relieve a wider
range of symptoms while causing fewer side effects, the researchers
note. "We're still trying to understand the basic mechanisms of
schizophrenia, which will hopefully lead to more effective treatments
that target core features of the illness," notes an outside expert.
The author- or copyrights of the listed Internet pages
are held by the respective authors or site operators, who are also responsible
for the content of the presentations.
