ChemCafé

Synthetic chemists use to perform their reactions in various pieces of glassware such as round-bottomed flasks, vials, Schlenk tubes of simple beakers. An article recently published in PNAS(1) reports synthetic chemistry performed in an unusual environment, as the authors present it, ‘in the physiologically relevant context of a mouse‘!
The team from University of California (UC) [...]

To romantic people such as chemists, autumn and its spectacular colors provides every year an endless source of wonder. Rather unsurprisingly, a couple of coloured chemicals are involved in the process, which leads several billions tons of leaves to go from green to red, yellow or orange, and finally to fall and let the winter [...]

When inhalated, organophosphorus compounds can cause death within minutes. Although they are prohibited by the Chemical Convention Weapons, several states still possess large stockpiles of these chemicals, and terrorist organisations are not particularly known for complying with international conventions – one of these organophosphorus compounds is sarin, (in)famous for having been spread in the Tokyo [...]

Phosphorus was known since heroic alchemistry times for its propensity to emit light and spontaneously self-ignite when exposed to air. These rather unusual properties make this compound dangerous to handle and transport. The most reactive allotrope of phosphorus is the so-called white phosphorus (also named yellow phosphorus, never mind), which in more modern times became [...]

Spring is usually associated with renewal, growth and mating. For some people (including myself) it also means hay fever. So last morning I was taking my daily pill against allergies, I looked at the label on the flask, where it is mentionned that the active ingredient is ‘cetirizine hydrochloride‘, which serves as ‘antihistamine‘. So, what [...]

Last week we enjoyed in Lausanne the long expected visit and talk by Prof. Makoto Fujita, from the University of Tokyo. Since my undergrad supramolecular chemistry courses I had been fascinated and intrigued by the macrocycles and cages that regularly popped up from the Fujita lab, so the idea of watching him giving a talk [...]

Following recent fears of a potential influenza pandemic, anti-viral drugs are receiving substantial media coverage. Among them is oseltamivir, marketed by Roche under the trade name Tamiflu. But, how is it working? What is the chemistry behind this strange name? What is a neuraminidase inhibitor? Here are some answers…
Tamiflu is often refered to as a [...]

Some time ago came to Lausanne Prof. Lanny S. Liebeskind from Emory University in Atlanta, co-inventor of the Liebeskind-Srogl coupling. This coupling allows the formation of a new C-C bond starting from a thioester and a boronic acid. The reaction usually requires catalytical palladium as well as a copper-based co-catalyst, but a variation using only [...]