INTRODUCTION TO CHEMISTRY
PART 2CHEMISTRY FAR AND WIDE
OBJECTIVES
When you complete this presentation, you will be able to
• Identify some areas of research affected by chemistry
• Describe some examples of research in chemistry
• Distinguish between macroscopic and microscopic views
MATERIALS• Scientists continue to look for new materials.
• Chemists design materials to fit specific needs.
• One day, in 1948, a Swiss engineer named Gorge de Mestral, took a look at the burrs that stuck to his clothing after his hike.
• The hooks of the burrs were stuck in the loops of his clothing.
• de Mestral went on to patent the hook and loop material we call Velcro in 1955.
MATERIALS• de Mestral’s work shows several things that can occur
when working with materials.
• He could see the individual burrs that were attached to his clothing.
• That is a macroscopic observation.
• He could not see the individual hooks of the burrs and loops of his clothing.
• Those are microscopic observations.
• In chemistry, we must be careful to distinguish between what we can observe at the macroscopic level and what we can see (or infer) at the microscopic level.
• Chemistry often occurs at the sub-microscopic level.
ENERGY• One of the most important issues in modern society is
energy.
• We use it to heat buildings, manufacture goods, process foods, and transport people and goods around the world.
• Chemists play an essential role in finding ways to conserve energy, produce energy, and store energy.
ENERGY• Energy Conservation
• Insulation is one of the safest ways to conserve energy• It prevents the flow of heat between two adjacent
locations.• An example of a new insulator developed by chemists is
graphene aerogel.
ENERGY• Energy Production
• We currently produce energy from oil, coal, and natural gas.
• These are our traditional sources of energy.
• Chemists have developed new sources of energy production, such as biodiesel and saw grass ethanol.
ENERGY• Energy Storage
• The release of chemical energy is not restricted to just burning.
• Chemical energy can also be stored as electrical potential energy in a battery or fuel cell.
• Chemists have been at the forefront of developments in lighter weight, energy dense batteries such as lithium ion batteries.
MEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY• Chemistry is applied to all areas of inquiry in medicine
and biotechnology.
• Chemistry supplies the medicines, materials, and technology that doctors use to treat their patients.
MEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY• Medicines
• There are over 2,000 prescription drugs currently on the market.
• They are used to treat infections, high blood pressure, depression, and ADD.
• These drugs are effective because we are starting to understand the interaction between the drugs and the cells they treat.
• The knowledge of the structures and functions of various chemical groups allows us to design much better drugs as time goes on.
MEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY• Materials
• Chemists supply the new materials that are used in medicine to replace diseased parts of the body.
• Arteries and veins• Joints• Skin• Bones
MEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY• Biotechnology
• The biotechnology revolution started with the discovery of the structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick.
• The Human Genome Project sequenced human DNA in 2003.
• We now are able to have our own DNA sequenced in less than a week and for less than $1,000.
• We now even tailor treatment for a variety of diseases on the basis of an individual’s genetic code.
AGRICULTURE• The population of the earth continues to increase while
the area of land available for growing food is decreasing.
• Chemists help to develop more productive crops and safer, more effective ways to protect crops.
AGRICULTURE• Productivity
• Chemists are involved in testing soil and water used to grow food.
• They also develop fertilizers that are specific for particular plants and particular conditions (such as drought or brine conditions).
AGRICULTURE• Crop Protection
• Farmers have been using non-specific pesticides to control pests for over 100 years.
• Chemists are developing pesticides that are particular to the species of plant needing protection and to the species of the pest.
• In addition, chemists are developing plants that have a natural immunity to pests without the application of a pesticide.
THE ENVIRONMENT• Our world is often the scene of the release of pollutants
into the environment.
• Chemists help to identify pollutants and prevent pollution.
THE ENVIRONMENT• Identify Pollutants
• An example of identifying an environmental pollutant is the chronic lead pollution in the developed world.
• This followed a decades long investigation by geochemist Clair Patterson (1922-1995), who also calculated the age of the Earth.
• Subsequently, lead was removed from gasoline and paint.
THE ENVIRONMENT• Prevent Pollution
• New paints and gasoline additives have been developed that are much more effective than lead.
• New techniques have been developed to decrease the pollution in chemical processes and these resulted in the award of a Nobel Prize (2005) to Yves Chauvin, Robert H. Grubbs, and Richard R. Shrock.
THE UNIVERSE• Chemists study the universe by examining materials
brought back from space exploration.
• Chemists also design robots that can chemically analyze samples millions of miles away.
• Chemists can also use starlight through instruments called spectroscopes to analyze the chemical composition of stars and planets many light years away.
