Nobel prize for chemistry awarded for new way to build useful molecules

 

Three scientists share the Nobel prize for chemistry after developing a technique for assembling chains of carbon atoms to make novel drugs, agrochemicals and electronic coatings.

 

"for palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis".

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/oct/06/nobel-prize-chemistry

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!! :D

It makes me so happy... I've been working for more than a year with this reaction, I even used it for my bachelor thesis... so it feels really exciting, it's an amazing chemical reaction.

 

:dance:

please vote this for nerdiest thread ever...

Sweet!

Can you explain what it is to a fool?

WOAH :surprised:

Sweet!

Can you explain what it is to a fool?

Yes please!! :uhoh:

Go Chemistry!

What about the two Manchester-based scientists who have won the Nobel Prize for Physics for creating the world's thinnest material from Graphene? (It's around 200 times stronger than structural steel and because of its light weight and strength, it is ideally suited for use in satellites and on aircraft.)

 

Don't they get a special well deserved mention, and perhaps a round of applause for making something you can actually see? I'd go and get them pissed but I think they might be in bed by now!

Okay, I'll try my best to explain it here... But I think the contribution is quite well explained on the link I posted :P

 

Why are these carbon coupling reactions so important? because in chemistry carbon carbon bonds are the essence of almost everything! the main problem, though is that's not easy to form/break (energetically speaking) them since they're very stable and not really reactive (mean bond enthalpies 348-837 kJ/mol, ranging from alkanes to alkines).

 

So in chemistry... we don't have many chemical reactions that form carbon-carbon bonds and those that we have, we appreciate much. ;) For example we have Grignard reaction and the use of lithium reagents... but they involve highly reactive species and therefore they are not really that selective, are likely to give off unwanted byproducts...

 

The discovery of the carbon-carbon coupling reactions involving palladium opened up a big sky of possibilities in synthetic chemistry (for the new drugs we need to combat more resistant diseases, the new materials to improve or everyday life) because of it's high selectivity and versatility:

 

Here's the Heck coupling reaction:

 

 

 

It looks simple, but it hides a more complicated mechanism:

 

two Manchester-based scientists who have won the Nobel Prize for Physics[/url] for creating the world's thinnest material from Graphene? (It's around 200 times stronger than structural steel and because of its light weight and strength, it is ideally suited for use in satellites and on aircraft.)

 

Don't they get a special well deserved mention, and perhaps a round of applause for making something you can actually see? I'd go and get them pissed but I think they might be in bed by now!

 

 

Maye your own thread. :P

I'm not even trying to understand the graphics you posted. :P

I dropped chemistry as soon as I could in school. :lol:

 

But thanks for the explanation before that. :hug:

(And your explanation is shorter than the article from the Guardian haha)

Okay, I'll try my best to explain it here... But I think the contribution is quite well explained on the link I posted :P

 

Why are these carbon coupling reactions so important? because in chemistry carbon carbon bonds are the essence of almost everything! the main problem, though is that's not easy to form/break (energetically speaking) them since they're very stable and not really reactive (mean bond enthalpies 348-837 kJ/mol, ranging from alkanes to alkines).

 

So in chemistry... we don't have many chemical reactions that form carbon-carbon bonds and those that we have, we appreciate much. ;) For example we have Grignard reaction and the use of lithium reagents... but they involve highly reactive species and therefore they are not really that selective, are likely to give off unwanted byproducts...

 

The discovery of the carbon-carbon coupling reactions involving palladium opened up a big sky of possibilities in synthetic chemistry (for the new drugs we need to combat more resistant diseases, the new materials to improve or everyday life) because of it's high selectivity and versatility:

 

Here's the Heck coupling reaction:

 

 

 

It looks simple, but it hides a more complicated mechanism:

 

 

Sweet!

Can you explain what it is to a fool?

why? It's very easy to understand, Greg :lol:

I'm not even trying to understand the graphics you posted. :P

I dropped chemistry as soon as I could in school. :lol:

 

But thanks for the explanation before that. :hug:

(And your explanation is shorter than the article from the Guardian haha)

 

 

but the article is friendlier to read, I guess my chemical reaction-mechanistical images complicate everything. :inquisitive: :P

OCH = Something a Scotsman says when he's happy

 

OCH3 = Something a Scotsman says several times when he's happy and pissed

 

Pd Br = Panda bear / pedobear?

 

B = Blockbusters!

OCH = Something a Scotsman says when he's happy

 

OCH3 = Something a Scotsman says several times when he's happy and pissed

 

Pd Br = Panda bear / pedobear?

 

B = Blockbusters!