Copyright © 2012 American Chemical Society
December 24, 2012 Issue
Volume 90, Issue 52
December 24, 2012 Issue, Vol. 90 | Iss. 52
(pp. 20-25)
Features
Cover Story: Research Year In Review
Chemical Year In Review(p.19)
Designing Proteins From Scratch
Rules integrate structure and function, enabling scientists to design better protein catalysts
(p.20)Laser Tools Advance Chemical Analysis
New technologies achieve near-atomic-resolution crystal structures and blindingly fast spectroscopic measurements
(p.20)Easier Path To Leading Antimalarial Drug
Continuous-flow strategy for scaling up natural product synthesis could bring down the cost of the drug artemisinin
(p.21)Frustrated Lewis Pairs Go Hydrogenating
Lewis acid-base pairs with metal-like reactivity add new facet to synthetic chemistry
(p.21)Membrane Unmixes Oil And Water
Hydrophilic-oleophobic combo could clean up oil spills, treat wastewater, purify fuels, separate emulsions
(p.21)Adding Functionality To Aliphatics
An iridium catalyst transforms a primary C–H bond of an alcohol or ketone to an OH group, forming 1,3-diols
(p.22)Integrating Man And Machine
Materials science developments advance the integration of electronics and tissue
(p.22)Watching Nanocrystals Grow
Electron microscopy visually probes reaction dynamics in liquids
(p.22)Chemistry Nobel Goes To GPCR Research
Scientists shed light on molecular workings of signaling proteins
(p.23)Misfolded Proteins Link Brain Disorders
Studies this year suggest that the odd proteins of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s behave like the infectious agent of mad cow disease
(p.23)Opioid Receptor Gang Of Four
Two teams raced to publish the structures of four membrane proteins that control pain and pleasure signaling in the body
(p.23)News of the Week
Preliminary Hearing Ends In A Cliff-hanger For Chemistry Professor Charged With Felony Labor Code Violations
Lab safety: Judge to decide in February 2013 whether case against UCLA’s Patrick Harran goes to trial
(p.6)Richard J. Engler Nominated To Chemical Safety Board
Labor, environmental leader awaits Senate action on nomination
(p.7)Uptick Expected In U.S., European Chemical Output In 2013
Economy: After stumbling in 2012, chemical producers look to a tepid recovery
(p.7)Fighting Soot In The Air
Clean Air: EPA tightens rules for fine-particle pollution; industry cries foul
(p.8)Molecules Cooled To Near Zero
Physics: Supercooling, first done in atoms, now has been done to hydroxyl radicals, enabling quantum chemistry
(p.8)Whistle-Blower Wins $8 Million In Pigment Dumping Case
U.S. CEO helps government make case against Japanese firm
(p.9)Whole-Genome Sequencing Of Single Cells
Molecular Biology: New DNA amplification method improves sequencing of single cells?
(p.9)Gene Pollution In China’s Rivers
Biotechnology: Lab plasmids that confer antibiotic resistance may have escaped to the environment
(p.10)Polymer Linkers Play Important Part In Mechanochemical Reactions
Mechanochemistry: Seemingly innocuous molecular groups can boost reaction rate three orders of magnitude
(p.10)PPG To Acquire AkzoNobel’s U.S. Paint Business
Acquisitions: Sale ends four-year run in the U.S. for the Dutch firm
(p.11)Regulating Drug Compounders
Drug Safety: FDA pushes for new oversight of large compounding pharmacies
(p.11)Departments
Business
Concentrates
(pp. 12-13)
(pp. 12-13)- Disputed Refrigerant Passes Muster, So Far
- Niacet Will Acquire Kemira Acetates Line
- Reverdia Starts Up Succinic Acid Plant
- Solvay Favors U.S. For Making Soda Ash
- Sumitomo Buys U.S. Agchem Partners
- Johnson Controls Still Wants A123
- LG And Oman Oil Plan Polyester
- Dutch Biorefinery Wins Large Subsidy
- Nissan Opens U.S. Battery Plant
- Enzon Mulls A Sale
- Oxford Instruments Buys Asylum Research
- Aesica Partners With U.K. Universities
- Partnerships Pursue Drug Conjugation
- Business Roundup
ACS News
Science & Technology
Concentrates(pp. 16-17)
(pp. 16-17)- X-ray Method Traces Ancient Mongolian Gold
- Close-Packing Transition In Nanoclusters
- How An Origin-of-Life Idea Stacks Up
- Getting Enzymes To Make Cyclopropanes
- Synthetic Biomarkers Monitor Disease
- Heparin Building Blocks Go Upscale
- Indium Antimonide Nanoparticles Now Available
- Encapsulation Protects Iron Catalyst