SOUTHWEST RETORT
SEVENTY-THIRD YEAR
May 2021
Published for the advancement of Chemists, Chemical Engineers and Chemistry in this area published by The Dallas-Fort Worth Section, with the cooperation of five other local sections of the American Chemical Society in the Southwest Region.
Vol. 73(9) May 2021 Editorial and Business Offices: Contact the Editor for subscription and advertisement information. Editor: Connie Hendrickson: retort@acsdfw.org Copy and Layout Editor: Lance Hughes: hugla64@gmail.com Business Manager: Martha Gilchrist: Martha.Gilchrist@tccd.edu The Southwest Retort is published monthly, September through May, by the Dallas-Ft. Worth Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc., for the ACS Sections of the Southwest Region.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Fifty Years Ago………………………….......5 ARTICLES and COLUMNS Letter from the Editor…..…..……..............21 The Chair’s Corner…………………….…...6 And Another Thing………………………….7 NEWS SHORTS An Uncrackable Combination of Invisible ink and Artificial Intelligence ......................9 Illuminating Invisible Bloody Fingerprints with a Fluorescent Polymer.........................10 Personalized Sweat Sensor Reliably Monitors Blood Glucose without Finger Pricks..11
How a SARS-CoV-2 Variant Sacrifices Tight Binding for Antibody Evasion……....…….12 Reducing Blue Light with a New Type of LED that Won’t Keep You Up All Night….13 Waste from Making Purple Corn Chips Yields a Natural Dye, Supplements, Kitty Litter …………………..…………………...17 Cracking Open the Mystery of How Many Bubbles are in a Glass of Beer …….……...18 AROUND THE AREA UTD and UTA……………………………...19
Contact the DFW Section General: info@acsdfw.org Education: ncw@acsdfw.org Elections: candidates@acsdfw.org Facebook: DFWACS Twitter: acsdfw
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ANNOUNCEMENTS and MEETINGS ACS DFW Award Nominations…………...14 53rd Meeting in Miniature……...……..…..15 ACS DFW Virtual Meeting Report...…......16
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Huffman Laboratories……………..…........3 Vance Editing…..……………….…...….......3 TMJ Data Entry and Editing.………......…3 ANA-LAB…………………………...….…..4 The Southwest RETORT
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FIFTY YEARS AGO IN THE SOUTHWEST RETORT Dr. O A Battista, Vice President for Science & Technology at Avicon Inc., Ft. Worth, has been chosen by the American Academy of Achievement as one the fifty giants of accomplishment to receive the Golden Plate award at during the tenth annual Salutes to Excellence weekend June 24-26 in Philadelphia. Dr. Battista is the author of numerous publications on polymer science, holder of 405 US and foreign patents, and a pioneer of microcrystalline polymer chemistry. He is the author of his well-known Quotoons, and this and succeeding issues of The Southwest Retort will feature his Quotoons. In the Central Texas ACS Section at UTAustin, Dr. James E. Boggs has been selected to give the Hassel lecture named in honor of Prof. Odd Hassel, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry last year for his work on conformational analysis. Boggs’ lecture subject will be “Structural Chemistry in Cyclopropane Derivatives.” Dr. George E. Watt attended the Los Angeles ACS meeting. At the Board of Directors Meeting he presided as Chair of the Board Committee on Grants and Awards. Welch Professor Michael Dewar attended the Annual Meeting of the Chemical Society in Brighton, England, where he gave an invited lecture on “MO Theory as a Chemical Tool.” In the Dallas-Ft. Worth ACS Section at the Mobil Field Research Lab Dr. Donald E. Woessner attended the 8th Colloquium on NMR Spectroscopy April 14-20 at Aachen, Germany, where he presented an invited paper on “Magnetic Relaxation Under Hindered Rotation in Toluene.” Dr. James Melrose presented a paper at the Los Angeles ACS meeting on “Thermodynamic Dependence of Adsorption and Adhesional InteracMay 2021
tions of Paraffin Hydrocarbons with Water.” Dr. Conrad Hinckley of Southern Illinois University visited Drs. Brinkley Snowden and E. Thomas Strom on Mar. 22 to discuss his work on shift reagents for NMR.
At UT-Dallas Dr.D. Storm has joined Dr. Donald Rapp as postdoctoral associate. He will study charge-transfer reactions. Dr. Rapp’s book on “Quantum Mechanics” has just been published by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. It features greater emphasis on dynamic phenomena. New faculty members are Drs. Christopher Compiled by Parr and Richard E. Thomas Strom Caldwell. The Chemistry Department at East Texas State University (now Texas A&M University Commerce) is pleased to announce a new program, the degree of Doctor of Education in the College Teaching of Chemistry. This degree is designed to be much stronger in chemistry than the traditional Ed.D. At Tarleton State Dr. Robert Fain was elected Vice President of Region 1 of the Western District of Alpha Chi honorary scholastic society. North Texas State University (now UNT) faculty members attending the Los Angeles ACS national meeting were Drs. J. L. Marshall, W. H. Glaze, W. T. Brady, J. L. Carrico, and R. B. Escue. At Baylor University Welch Professor Malcolm Dole participated in a radiation chemistry conference in Budapest.
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The Chair’s Corner Welcome to May 2021! We were able to hold our second virtual dinner meeting in April with Dr. Carie King and her wonderful discussion on the Disseminating Scientific Findings to a Non-Scientific Audience. It was well attended and the discussion was outstanding. Thank you to all that were able to join. On May 1st, we were able to reestablish (postpandemic) our DFW Meeting in Miniature. Thank you to the University of Texas at Dallas for hosting the 2021 Meeting in Miniature virtually. Thank you also to Dr. Mihaela Stefan, UTD, for coordination and Dr. Prof. Nicolay V. Tsarevsky, SMU, for being our Keynote Speaker. In total we had of 108 undergraduate and graduate students in attendance at the Meeting in Miniature. Given the attendance and the terrific presentations it was truly a fabulous meeting. Congratulations also to the award winners which are detailed in the Meeting in Minatare recap presented in this issue of the Retort. April was also very busy in the local section as we were collecting nominations for the Wilfred T. Doherty Award, Werner Schulz Award, and the Chemistry Ambassador Awards for 2021. We also had a highly contested science-art contest to celebrate Earth Week. Watch for an announcement of winners, along with their photos, shortly on our website. In April our Local Section started soliciting
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nominations for the 2021 Outstanding Seniors in Chemistry or related disciplines at each college/university in the local section area. We are also doing the same with community colleges and their second-year students. Each university can nominate one senior to be recognized and the chair of each department should have received information to nominate their outstanding chemistry student. The deadline for nominations is May 15. The award winners will be announced on our website and in the Retort. The Local Section is gearing up for programming over the Summer. Specifically, we are working to schedule a graduatestudent led roundtable in June and an industry-focused talk in June-July timeframe. Once again, the executive committee continues to be very excited about 2021 and the local section's future. If there is anything that I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time (trey.putnam@ttuhsc.edu). Best, Trey Putnam 2021 Chair DFW Local Section of the ACS
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And Another Thing... Pivot By Denise L. Merkle, PhD Summertime! All May contributions to ‘And Another Thing…’ mention summertime, and the glorious days that afford some level of escape to those ensnared by mortgages, classrooms, laboratories, and our very brains. Summertime 2020 was a bit different, since it found many people gazing out windows past computer screens, wondering how essential we really were, and fantasizing desperately about spending more time standing beside the front door, waving a remote thank you at the driver who just lobbed a box of paper products onto the porch. Summertime 2021 has the potential, at least, to be infused with more kinetic energy than a year ago. Data and vaccinations allow a bit more Brownian motion, especially to those who have trace elements of adrenaline junkie in the nerd flask. How do scientists want to spend their summer vacations? And how will they actually spend them? 19% of those polled responded to the informal survey. We’re on the move a little bit more, but unsurprisingly, people’s dreams for vacation bliss were not spared by the upheaval that is COVID-19. Two different respondents, who should have been headed to Belize1, have pivoted right back into their living rooms, as has a scientist-artist who would have been enjoying the gorgeous Smoky Mountains while creating even more beauty via a jeweler’s bench at Arrowmont School of Crafts2. Can SCUBA diving and silversmithing begin at home? One can only hope so. One intrepid OutdoorsNerd plans to solo camp at Caprock Canyons State Park3; a scientist May 2021
and the stars – with not a coronavirus in sight. Calling up a different style of bravery, another valiant professorial vacationer will not travel the still-unsettlingly-infectious world, but will instead tackle Pandemic Clutter4. Oh, My. Will the Chicago Blues Festival5 happen from June 6-9? It looks like a businessfocused chemist will program a continued stay in America’s Dairyland6, where it might actually get warm enough to skip the parka for a day or two! (Note that last clause was not added by the survey respondent). The most- and ironically least – specific response detailed travel, if possible, to someplace not too hot, with activities that involve “cooking, wine, art, and music.” 7 For many, this could be Sonoma 8, Italy 9, their own back yards, or the kitchen, with a select few vaccinated friends. Adaptability – the ability to pivot – obviously serves scientists well in the lab and in times of crisis. Whatever your summer vacation brings you, may it be the best time you can possibly have! Last year’s AAT still works in 2021: ‘Be ready to evolve faster than viruses. Don't Assume, Wear Sunblock10, Don't Reach Where You Can't See11- and Wash Your Hands!’ Many thanks to everyone who participated in the survey, and apologies to any whose responses were accidentally overlooked. --dlm, phd • https://www.travelbelize.org • https://www.arrowmont.org/2020instructor-exhibition/cogswell-2/ • https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ caprock-canyons • https://bookauthority.org/books/besthome-organization-books Continued on Page 8
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And Another Thing... •
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https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/ depts/dca/supp_info/ chicago_blues_festival.html https://www.wisconsin.gov/Pages/ Home.aspx https://www.foodnetwork.com/ grilling/grilling-central-barbecue/best -backyard-barbecue-recipes https://www.sonomacounty.com http://www.italia.it/en/home.html https://www.prevention.com/beauty/ skin-care/g20074495/best-naturalsunscreens/ https://www.facebook.com/ groups/987850051297436/ (National Snakebite Support)
2021 DFW Section Officers Chair: Trey Putnam Chair-elect: Mihaela C. Stefan Past Chair: Mihaela C. Stefan Treasurer: Martha Gilchrist Secretary: Heidi Conrad Councilors: Mary Anderson, Linda Schultz, E. Thomas Strom, and Jason McAfee Alternate Councilors: Michael Bigwood, John McIlroy, Daniela Hutanu, and Danny Tran
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From the ACS Press Room
An Uncrackable combination of Invisible ink and Artificial Intelligence “Paper Information Recording and Security Protection Using Invisible Ink and Artificial Intelligence” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Coded messages in invisible ink sound like something only found in espionage books, but in real life, they can have important security purposes. Yet, they can be cracked if their encryption is predictable. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have printed complexly encoded data with normal ink and a carbon nanoparticle-based invisible ink, requiring both UV light and a computer that has been taught the code to reveal the correct messages.
compounds or can be seen with predictable methods, such as light, heat or chemicals. Carbon nanoparticles, which have low toxicity, can be essentially invisible under ambient lighting but can create vibrant images when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light – a modern take on invisible ink. In addition, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) models — made by networks of processing algorithms that learn how to handle complex information — can ensure that messages are only decipherable on properly trained computers. So, Weiwei Zhao, Kang Li, Jie Xu and colleagues wanted to train an AI model to identify and decrypt symbols printed in a fluorescent carbon nanoparticle ink, revealing hidden messages when exposed to UV light.
Even as electronic records advance, paper is still a common way to preserve data. Invisible ink can hide classified economic, com- The researchers made carbon nanoparticles mercial or military information from prying from citric acid and cysteine, which they dieyes, but many popular inks contain toxic luted with water to create an invisible ink that appeared blue when exposed to UV light. The team loaded the solution into an ink cartridge and printed a series of simple symbols onto paper with an inkjet printer. Then, they taught an AI model, composed of multiple algorithms, to recognize symbols illuminated by UV light and decode them using a special codebook. Finally, they tested the AI model’s ability to decode messages printed using a combination of both regular With regular ink, a computer trained with the codebook red ink and the UV fluorescent ink. With decodes “STOP” (top); when a UV light is shown on the paper, the invisible ink is exposed, and the real message is 100% accuracy, the AI model read the regurevealed as “BEGIN” (bottom). lar ink symbols as “STOP”, but when a UV Credit: Adapted from ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2021, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c01179
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From the ACS Press Room Illuminating Invisible Bloody Fingerprints with a Fluorescent Polymer “Highly Stable, Nondestructive, and Simple Visualization of Latent Blood Fingerprints Based on Covalent Bonding Between the Fluorescent Conjugated Polymer and Proteins in Blood” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces .Careful criminals usually clean a scene, wiping away visible blood and fingerprints. However, prints made with trace amounts of blood, invisible to the naked eye, could remain. Dyes can detect these hidden prints, but the dyes don’t work well on certain surfaces. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have developed a fluorescent polymer that binds to blood in a fingerprint — without damaging any DNA also on the surface — to create high-contrast images. Fingerprints are critical pieces of forensic evidence because their whorls, loops and arches are unique to each per- Fingerprint patterns son, and these patterns made in blood are visible on alumidon’t change as people clearly num foil (left) and age. When violent painted wood (right) developed with a crimes are committed, a when fluorescent polymer. culprit’s fingerprints inked in blood can be hard to see, especially if they tried to clean the scene. So, scientists usually use dyes to reveal this type of evidence, but some of them require complex techniques to develop the images, and busy backgrounds can complicate the analysis. In May 2021
addition, some textured surfaces, such as wood, pose challenges for an identification. Fluorescent compounds can enhance the contrast between fingerprints and the surface on which they are deposited. However, to get a good and stable image, these molecules need to form strong bonds with molecules in the blood. So, Li-Juan Fan, Rongliang Ma and colleagues wanted to find a simple way to bind a fluorescent polymer to blood proteins so that they could detect clear fingerprints on many different surfaces. The researchers modified a yellow-green fluorescent polymer they had previously developed by adding a second amino group, which allowed stable bonds to form between the polymer and blood serum albumin proteins. They dissolved the polymer and absorbed it into a cotton pad, which was placed on top of prints made with chicken blood on various surfaces, such as aluminum foil, multicolored plastic and painted wood. After a few minutes, they peeled off the pad, and then let it air-dry. All of the surfaces showed high contrast between the blood and background under blue-violet light and revealed details, including ridge endings, short ridges, whorls and sweat pores. These intricate patterns were distinguishable when the researchers contaminated the prints with mold and dust, and they lasted for at least 600 days in storage. In another set of experiments, a piece of human DNA remained intact after being
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From the ACS Press Room Personalized Sweat Sensor Reliably Monitors Blood Glucose without Finger Pricks “Touch-Based Fingertip Blood-Free Reliable Glucose Monitoring: Personalized Data Processing for Predicting Blood Glucose Concentrations” ACS Sensors .Many people with diabetes endure multiple, painful finger pricks each day to measure their blood glucose. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Sensors have developed a device that can measure glucose in sweat with the touch of a fingertip, and then a personalized algorithm provides an accurate estimate of blood glucose levels.
drogel on top of an electrochemical sensor, which was screen-printed onto a flexible plastic strip. When a volunteer placed their fingertip on the sensor surface for 1 minute, the hydrogel absorbed tiny amounts of sweat. Inside the sensor, glucose in the sweat underwent an enzymatic reaction that resulted in a small electrical current that was detected by a hand-held device. The researchers also measured the volunteers’ blood sugar with a standard finger -prick test, and they developed a personalized A hand-held device combined with a algorithm that touch sweat sensor (strip at right) could translate measures glucose in sweat, while a personalized algorithm converts that data each person’s into a blood glucose level. sweat glucose Credit: Adapted from ACS Sensors to their blood 2021, DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.1c00139 glucose levels. In tests, the algorithm was more than 95% accurate in predicting blood glucose levels before and after meals. To calibrate the device, a person with diabetes would need a finger prick only once or twice per month. But before the sweat diagnostic can be used to manage diabetes, a large-scale study must be conducted, the researchers say.
According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 34 million children and adults in the U.S. have diabetes. Although self-monitoring of blood glucose is a critical part of diabetes management, the pain and inconvenience caused by finger-stick blood sampling can keep people from testing as often as they should. Scientists have developed ways to measure glucose in sweat, but because levels of the sugar are much lower than in blood, they can vary with a person’s sweat rate and skin properties. As a result, the glucose level in sweat usually doesn’t accurately reflect the value in blood. To obtain a more reliable estimate of blood sugar from sweat, Joseph Wang and colleagues wanted to devise a system that could collect sweat from a The authors acknowledge funding from the fingertip, measure glucose and then correct University of California San Diego Center for individual variability. for Wearable Sensors and the National ReThe researchers made a touch-based sweat search Foundation of Korea. glucose sensor with a polyvinyl alcohol hyMay 2021
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From the ACS Press Room
How a SARS-CoV-2 Variant Sacrifices Tight Binding for Antibody Evasion “Insights into SARS-CoV-2’s Mutations for Evading Human Antibodies: Sacrifice and Survival”
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry The highly infectious SARS-CoV-2 variant that recently emerged in South Africa, known as B.1.351, has scientists wondering how existing COVID-19 vaccines and therapies can be improved to ensure strong protection. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Journal of Medicinal Chemistry have used computer modeling to reveal that one of the three mutations that make variant B.1.351 different from the original SARS-CoV-2 reduces the virus’ binding to human cells –– but potentially allows it to escape some antibodies.
caused the coronavirus to evolve along this path. The researchers used molecular dynamics simulations to analyze the consequences of the K417N mutation in variant B.1.351. First, they modeled binding between the original SARS-CoV-2 RBD and ACE2, and between the RBD and CB6, which is a SARS-CoV-2neutralizing antibody isolated from a recovered COVID-19 patient. They found that the original amino acid, a lysine, at position 417 in the RBD interacted more strongly with CB6 than with ACE2, consistent with the antibody’s therapeutic efficacy in animal models. Then, the team modeled binding with the K417N variant, which changes that lysine to an asparagine. Although this mutaComputer simulations shed light tion reduced the on how a SARS-CoV-2 variant evades antibodies strength of binding between the RBD and ACE2, it decreased the RBD’s binding to CB6 and several other human antibodies to a much greater extent. Thus, variant B.1.351 appears to have sacrificed tight binding to ACE2 at this site for the ability to evade the immune system. This information could prove useful to scientists as they work to enhance the protection of current vaccines and therapies, the researchers say.
Since the original SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in late 2019, several new variants have emerged, including ones from the U.K., South Africa and Brazil. Because the new variants appear to be more highly transmissible, and thus spread rapidly, many people are worried that they could undermine current vaccines, antibody therapies or natural immunity. Variant B.1.351 bears two mutations (N501Y and E484K) that can enhance binding between the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the coronavirus spike protein and the human ACE2 receptor. However, the third mutation (K417N; a lysine to asparagine mutation at position 417) is puzzling because it eradicates a favorable interaction between the RBD and ACE2. Therefore, Binquan Luan and Tien Huynh from IBM ReThe authors acknowledge funding from their search wanted to investigate potential beneemployer, IBM. fits of the K417N mutation that could have May 2021
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From the ACS Press Room
Reducing Blue Light with a New Type of LED that Won’t Keep You Up All Night “Advancing Human-Centric LED Lighting Using Na2MgPO4F:Eu2+”
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces To be more energy efficient, many people have replaced their incandescent lights with light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. However, those currently on the market emit a lot of blue light, which has been linked to eye troubles and sleep disturbances. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have developed a prototype LED that reduces — instead of masks — the blue component, while also making colors appear just as they do in natural sunlight. LED light bulbs are popular because of their low energy consumption, long lifespan and ability to turn on and off quickly. Inside the prototype device crebulb, an LED chip This ates a warm white light converts electrical without the blue hues that current into high- can cause health problems. energy light, including invisible ultraviolet (UV), violet or blue wavelengths. A cap that is placed on the chip contains multiple phosphors — solid luminescent compounds that convert high-energy light into lowerenergy visible wavelengths. Each phosphor emits a different color, and these colors combine to produce a broad-spectrum white light. Commercial LED bulbs use blue LEDs and yellow-emitting phosphors, May 2021
which appear as a cold, bright white light similar to daylight. Continual exposure to these blue-tinted lights has been linked to cataract formation, and turning them on in the evening can disrupt the production of sleep-inducing hormones, such as melatonin, triggering insomnia and fatigue. To create a warmer white LED bulb for nighttime use, previous researchers added red-emitting phosphors, but this only masked the blue hue without getting rid of it. So, Jakoah Brgoch and Shruti Hariyani wanted to develop a phosphor that, when used in a violet LED device, would result in a warm white light while avoiding the problematic wavelength range. As a proof of concept, the researchers identified and synthesized a new luminescent crystalline phosphor containing europium ((Na1.92Eu0.04)MgPO4F). In thermal stability tests, the phosphor’s emission color was consistent between room temperature and the higher operating temperature (301 F) of commercial LED-based lighting. In long-term moisture experiments, the compound showed no change in the color or intensity of light produced. To see how the material might work in a light bulb, the researchers fabricated a prototype device with a violet-light LED covered by a silicone cap containing their luminescent blue compound blended with red-emitting and greenemitting phosphors. It produced the desired bright warm white light while minimizing
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The Doherty Award is given for excellence in chemical research or chemistry teaching, meritorious service to ACS, new chemical methodology (for the industry), solution of pollution problems, and advances in curative or preventive chemotherapy. Nominees may come from industry, academia, government, or small business. The nominee should be a resident member in the area served by the ACS DFW Local Section, and the work should have been performed here. The award is $1500 and an engraved plaque. The Schulz Award is given to high school chemistry teachers, who, like the late Dr. Werner Schulz, bring that something extra to the teaching of chemistry. The nominee and/ or nominator need not be ACS members. Nominees should show excellence in chemistry teaching, as demonstrated by testimonials from students and fellow teachers, results in student competitions, and diligence in updating and expanding scientific/teaching credentials. The award is $1500 and an engraved plaque.
tee. Submissions should be one page in length and address the community outreach activities either through teaching, service, or working with legislators to affect public policy. Submissions will be evaluated on the impact made, which may include but not limited to how many people were reached, impact on individual people in the community, and exemplary commitment to the promotion of chemistry in the community. The award is $500. Each nomination should contain a completed nomination form, a cover letter highlighting the nominee’s accomplishments, and a copy of the CV. One second letter may accompany nominations. The nomination package should be sent by email as a single pdf file Dr. Trish Smith at trishsmithtx@gmail.com. Nominations remain active for five years but should be updated annually.
The deadline is extended to May 15, 2021
The DFW Section instituted the Chemistry Ambassador Award to recognize an outstanding Section member who has made a significant impact by promoting chemistry to the community. The 2021 Chemistry Ambassador of the Year award is based on peer or self-nominations to the selection commitMay 2021
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The 53rd ACS DFW Meeting in Miniature The 53rd ACS DFW Meeting in Miniature took place on May 01 in virtual format. The meeting was organized by the University of Texas at Dallas using the Blackboard Collaborate platform. A total of 108 undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows submitted abstracts ang gave presentations. The meeting had 7 sections that are: Organic, Polymer, Inorganic, Materials, Biochemistry/Biological Chemistry, Physical/ Computational, and Undergraduate. Each section gave 3 prizes (for a total of 21 prizes from 7 sections) sponsored by the ACS DFW local section. First prize winners will receive $250, second prize winners will receive $200, and third prize winners will receive $150. Students were also recognized with 12 special prizes ($150 each) for creativity. The special prizes were sponsored by the University of Texas at Dallas. The winners of the prizes are listed at https://sites.utdallas.edu/acsdfw2021/ schedule/ The winners of prizes for the 2021 Virtual Meeting in Miniature are listed below. Organic Section Melissa Anne Collini (University of North Texas) 1st prize Kara Kassees (University of Texas at Dallas) 2nd prize Moumita Singha Roy (University of Texas at Arlington) 3rd prize Shashini D. Diwakara (University of Texas at Dallas) Special prize Polymer Section Erika Lopez Calubaquib (University of Texas at Dallas) 1st prize John Michael Cue (University of Texas at Dallas) 2nd prize
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Alejandra Durand-Silva (University of Texas at Dallas) 3rd prize Jeri LaNiece Gill (Tarleton State University) Special prize Inorganic Section Kapil Sayala (Southern Methodist University) 1st prize Trent Kyrk (University of Texas at Dallas) 2nd prize Juan Vizuet (University of Texas at Dallas) 3rd prize Kurt Bodenstedt (University of North Texas) Special prize Marie Mortensen (University of Texas at Dallas) Special prize Materials Section Jacob Fripp (University of North Texas) 1st prize A K M Nur Alam Siddiki (University of Texas at Dallas) 2nd prize Jennifer England (University of North Texas) 3rd prize Yafen Tian (University of Texas at Dallas) Special prize Samia Rifat (University of Texas at Dallas) Special prize Physical/Computational Section Lama Abu-Amara (University of North Texas) 1st prize Leonel Varvelo (Southern Methodist University) 2nd prize Madison Brandi Berger (University of North Texas) 3rd prize Sadisha Manendri Nanayakkara (Southern Methodist University) Special prize Biochemistry/Biological Chemistry Section Fabian Castro Herbert (University of Texas at Dallas) 1st prize
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Hi fellow ACS DFW Chemists! This is a report of the Council meeting held virtually March 24. All of your Councilors were present (Linda Schultz, Tom Strom, Jason McAfee, and me, Mary Anderson).
The Committee on Ethics has been continued.
The meeting was busy and lasted almost all day!
The Distribution formula for Division Allocations by the Committee on Divisional Activities was approved. The new formula for the 32 Divisions should provide a more stable base for funding.
The Candidates for President-Elect for 2022 ballot are Judith C. Giordan and John C. Warner.
Budget and Finance reported that the Society finances have improved over last year and are strong.
The Candidates for Directors-at-Large are Rodney M. Bennett, Arlene Garrison, Natalie A. LaFranzo, and Lee H. Latimer. Two will be elected in Fall.
Nominations and Elections solicits input for qualified individuals for President-Elect and/ or Directors for future consideration. Please send suggestions to your councilors, who can then submit to N & E.
The petition by Committee on Committees on “Harmonization of Committee Structures, Processes, and Terms was passed. Now there will a maximum of two terms of 3 years each on committees. There will no longer be any Councilor only committees, anyone can apply to serve; ConC will select membership; some term limits may be extendable.
The virtual National meeting was April 5-16. The registration fees were lower this year, and many reported that it was better organized than the Fall 2020 meeting.
The Board of Directors evaluated executive compensation; appointed/reappointed Journal Editors; and screened nominees for the The petition by the Committee on Local Sec- 2022 Priestley Medal and 2022 Award for tion Activities (LSAC) to allow LSAC to take Volunteer Service. action on behalf of a local section if there is a The Chief Executive (Flint Lewis) reported leadership lapse. on items related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect initiative, Membership 2.0 The petition from the Membership Affairs milestones, ACS finances. Committee (MAC)—the committee that I
have served on for 7 years—was approved. The new schedule of membership will have regular dues down to $160! There are several categories of membership. It has taken time, but we are happy to have a more dynamic dues structure. May 2021
The Board confirmed the Council Actions approved above. To contact your Local Section officers and Councilors and get up-to-date info on ACS DFW events see DFWACS.org
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From the ACS Press Room Waste from Making Purple Corn Chips Yields a Natural Dye, Supplements, Kitty Litter “Biorefinery Approach Applied to the Valorization of Purple Corn Cobs”
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
typically discarded. Past attempts at repurposing cobs have involved harmful and expensive solvents to extract compounds. Water could be used as an eco-friendly and costeffective agent for this process, but it is not very efficient. And then the insoluble cob material is still left over as waste. So, Fabrizio Adani, Roberto Pilu, Patrizia De Nisi and colleagues wanted to extract beneficial pigments from purple corncobs with a multistep approach to make many value-added products, while also closing the loop with zero waste at the end.
.The more colorful a food, the more nutritious it probably is. For example, purple corn contains compounds associated with a reduced risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. The cobs contain the same compounds but are typically thrown out. Now, researchers report a step-wise biorefinery approach in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering that uses the whole cob, producing a dye and a possible nutraceutical with the pigments, and an animal litter with the left- The researchers devised a biorefinery approach to extract anthocyanins from a new overs. variety of purple corn they developed. First, Eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables ground-up corncobs and water were mixed provides a variety of health benefits, with vit- and heated, removing 36% of the pigments amins and nutrients stored within the plant’s compared to methods with acetone and ethacolornol solvents. The pigments from this step producing were used to dye cotton and wool fabrics. In compounds. the next step of the biorefinery method, the One group of researchers removed an additional 33% of compounds the anthocyanin content from the watercontributing treated cobs with an ethanol mixture. These distinct hues extracts showed antioxidant activity and antito food are inflammatory properties in cells in petri dishanthocyanins es and could be used in the future to develop Researchers extracted pigment from — vibrant nutraceutical supplements, the researchers purple corn cobs (right) for supplements and dyeing fabrics (top left), pigments de- say. Finally, the team found that the remainand tested the remaining grounds sired as natu- ing insoluble purple grounds were similar to (bottom left) for animal litter. ral dyes that commercial corncob animal litter. In tests, also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory the residual cob material was even more abproperties. Anthocyanins are found in purple Continued on Page 20 corn’s kernels and the corncobs, which are May 2021
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From the ACS Press Room
Cracking Open the Mystery of How Many Bubbles are in a Glass of Beer “How Many CO2 Bubbles in a Glass of Beer?”
ACS Omega After pouring beer into a glass, streams of little bubbles appear and start to rise, forming a foamy head. As the bubbles burst, the released carbon dioxide gas imparts the beverage’s desirable tang. But just how many bubbles are in that drink? By examining various factors, researchers reporting in ACS Omega estimate between 200,000 and nearly 2 million of these tiny spheres can form in a gently poured lager.
The researchers first measured the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in a commercial lager just after pouring it into a tilted glass, such as a server would do to reduce its surface foam. Next, using this value and a standard tasting temperature of 42 F, they calculated that dissolved gas would spontaneously aggregate to form streams of bubbles wherever crevices and cavities in the glass were more than 1.4 µmwide. Then, high-speed photographs showed that the bubbles grew in volume as they floated to the surface, capturing and transporting additional dissolved gas to the air above the drink. As the remaining gas concentration decreased, the bubbling would eventually cease. The researchers estimated there could be between 200,000 and 2 million bubbles released before a half-pint of lager would go flat. Surprisingly, defects in a glass will influence beer and champagne differently, with more bubbles forming in beer compared with champagne when larger imperfections are present, the researchers say.
Worldwide, beer is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages. Lightly flavored lagers, which are especially well-liked, are produced through a cool fermentation process, converting the sugars in malted grains to alcohol and carbon dioxide. During commercial packaging, more carbonation can be added to get a desired level of fizziness. That’s why bottles and cans of beer hiss when opened and release micrometer-wide bubbles when poured into a mug. These bubbles are important sensory elements of beer tasting, similar to sparkling wines, because they transport flavor and scent compounds. The carbonation also can tickle the drinker’s nose. Gérard Liger-Belair had previously determined that about 1 million bubbles form in a flute of champagne, but scientists don’t know the number created and released by The authors acknowledge funding from the beer before it’s flat. So, Liger-Belair and French National Centre for Scientific ReClara Cilindre wanted to find out. search (CNRS). May 2021
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Around the Area UT Arlington Four of the UTA College of Science (COS) honors were awarded to members of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. They were: COS Distinguished Record of Research, Dr. Carl Lovely; COS Teaching in the Non-Tenure Track Category, Dr. Bill Cleaver; COS Outstanding Technical Staff Award, Dr. Brian Edwards; COS Outstanding Administrative Staff Award, Mrs. Jill Howard. Among the awards given to students were: ACS Award for Outstanding Chemistry/ Biochemistry Undergraduate Student, Umang Dhaubhadel; President Spaniolo Graduate Student Award. Abbas Vali. Students Weike Chen and Maumita SinghaRoy received awards at the recent online Meeting-in-Miniature.
Dr. Fred MacDonnell was selected to join the UTA Academy of Distinguished Scholars. Dr. Sherri McFarland has received a three year, $440,000 NSF grant to study “The Excited State Behavior of Ru (II) Photodrugs.” Dr. Kevin Schug and his group have entered into a research contract with Genentech to study and characterize advanced drug delivery modalities. Dr. Kayunta Johnson-Winters was one of three guest hosts for CHE’s “Listening Session on Broadening Participations, Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity.” The session was held on Mar. 17 with 400 attendees.
May 2021
UT Dallas The 2021 UT Dallas President’s Teaching Excellence Award in Undergraduate Instruction was awarded to Associate Professor Jeremiah Gassensmith Chemistry and Biochemistry, The School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NS&M) Teaching Award for Professors of Instruction was awarded to Dr. Nimanka “Pathum” Panapitiya, and the School of NS&M Graduate Student Teaching Award was awarded to Abhi Bhadran (Stefan Lab).
Miniature Con’t Nisansala Sandamali Abeyrathna (University of Texas at Dallas) 2nd prize Arezoo Shahrivarkevishahi (University of Texas at Dallas) 3rd prize Yingyu Huang (University of Texas at Dallas) Special prize Weike Chen (University of Texas at Arlington) Special prize Undergraduate Section Andrew Duy Vu (University of Texas at Dallas) 1st prize Samantha Martin (Tarleton State University) 2nd prize Arun Kumar Raja (University of Texas at Dallas) 3rd prize Yujin (Lisa) Kim (Southern Methodist University) Special prize Jacob Lynd (University of Texas at Dallas) Special Prize Abigail Lewis (University of Texas at Dallas) Special Prize
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From the ACS Press Room Continued
“Invisible Ink”
“Reducing Blue Light’”
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light was shown on the writing, the invisible ink illustrated the desired message “BEGIN”. Because these algorithms can notice minute modifications in symbols, this approach has the potential to encrypt messages securely using hundreds of different unpredictable symbols, the researchers say. The authors acknowledge funding from the Shenzhen Peacock Team Plan and the Bureau of Industry and Information Technology of Shenzhen through the Graphene Manufacturing Innovation Center (201901161514).
“Illuminating Fingerprints” Continued from page 10
mixed with the polymer, suggesting that any genetic material found after processing a print could still be analyzed to further identify a suspect, the researchers say. The authors acknowledge funding from Yao Liu, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; the Major Basic Research Project of the Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China; the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions; and the National Key Technologies R&D Program of China. May 2021
the intensity across blue wavelengths, unlike commercial LED light bulbs. The prototype’s optical properties revealed the color of objects almost as well as natural sunlight, fulfilling the needs of indoor lighting, the researchers say, though they add that more work needs to be done before it is ready for everyday use. The authors acknowledge funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Welch Foundation.
“Purple Corn Cobs” Continued from page 17 sorbent than the commercial product. And because the material still contains anthocyanins, which have antimicrobial activity, the purple litter could fight bacteria and reduce odors, the researchers say. Used purple corn cob litter could also be composted along with other organic matter, resulting in no waste, they explain. The authors acknowledge funding from Fondazione Cariplo.
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From the Editor As you all probably know, the Southwest Retort is on a nine-month schedule, correlated to the traditional academic year (September to May). So this is our last issue of Volume 73...yes! The Retort is 73 years old, and the eRetort is 10 years old. What can I say? Time flies when you’re having fun. The 53rd ACS DFW Meeting in Miniature and first virtual Meeting-in-Miniature took place on May 1, and the winners are listed in this issue. It was organized by the University of Texas at Dallas using the Blackboard Collaborate platform; 109 undergrads, graduate students, and postdocs participated. My favorite press room article this month is the calculations for bubbles in a glass of beer. No, the researchers didn’t do it just because they liked beer (although they probably do). Bubbles are an important part of the sensory experience of beer drinking (or of any bubbly beverage); the bubbles transport flavor and scent compounds as well as tickling your nose. This particular paper caught my fancy because it combines elements of gas laws, foaming/surfactant chemistry, and flavor and scent transport, all working together to produce the effect of a bubbly beverage. Keep safe and well and have a good summer...back in September!
May 2021
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