Between grocers and physicians: pharmacists, the new chemistry, and institutional reforms in Bologna during the Napoleonic period

This case study deals with pharmacy and the profession of the pharmacist in the Bolognese context of Napoleonic Italy. Pharmacists wished to be considered as peers by physicians. In order to reach this goal, they adopted two strategies: on the one hand, they tried to distinguish themselves from charlatans and grocers, with the refusal of the new decimal metric system in the name of the tradition and of the peculiarity of their discipline. On the other hand, they insisted on the theoretical side of the new anti-phlogistic chemistry, which provided pharmacy with a scientific basis. Through an analysis of the relationships between physicians and pharmacists before and after the reforms of public education and public health brought by Napoleon, as well as an analysis of the pharmacists' attitude towards the new chemistry, this paper shows that the two strategies adopted were too contradictory to allow the pharmacists to reach their goal.     

Chemistry and biology in the new age

Ahmed Zewail won the 1999 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his visionary work in probing the motions of atoms at the femtosecond level. This pioneering research, a decade earlier, opened up a new frontier of scientific knowledge. Zewail and his multidisciplinary team at Caltech are now pushing further into the realm of molecular complexity, with the ultimate aim of exploring the global dynamics of biological systems at atomic resolution. This requires a new method of 'watching' reactions--ultrafast electron diffraction.     

Colloidal Semiconductor Q-Particles: Chemistry in the Transition Region Between Solid State and Molecules

In semiconductor particles of nanometer size, a gradual transition from solid-state to molecular structure occurs as the particle size decreases. Consequently, a splitting of the energy bands into discrete, quantized levels occurs. Particles that exhibit these quantization effects are often called “Q-particles” or, generally, quantized material. The optical, electronic and catalytic properties of Q-particles drastically differ from those of the corresponding macrocrystalline substance. The band gap, a substance-specific quantity in macrocrystalline materials, increases by several electron volts in Q-particles with decreasing particle size. In Q-particles there are approximately as many molecules on the surface as in the interior of the particle. Therefore, the nature of the surface as well as the particle size is also largely responsible for the physico-chemical properties of the particle. Q-particles of many materials can be prepared in the form of colloidal solutions or embedded in porous matrices and are stable over a long period of time. In sandwich colloids, in which Q-particles of different materials are coupled, as well as in porous semiconductor electrodes containing Q-particles in the pores, very efficient primary charge separation is observed. As a result, sandwich colloids have greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity relative to the individual particles, while electrodes modified with Q-particles show high photocurrents. This article deals with the size quantization effect, the synthesis and characterization of Q-particles, as well as with the spectroscopic, electrochemical, and electron-microscopic investigation of these particles.     

高中化学竞赛与化学前沿研究的密切联系* ——以第32届全国化学奥林匹克竞赛(决赛)有机试题为例

通过详细解析第32届全国化学奥林匹克竞赛(决赛)第7和8道有机试题,让参加化学竞赛决赛的考生理解关注化学前沿研究的重要性,并指出如何快速检索出备考中所需要的文献,以及如何利用文献弥补知识漏洞。     

Connections Between Pedagogical and Epistemological Constructivism: Questions for Teaching and Research in Chemistry

The rich and ongoing debate about constructivism in chemistry education includes questions about the relationship, for better or worse, between applications of the theory in pedagogy and in epistemology. This paper presents an examination of the potential to use connections of epistemological and pedagogical constructivism to one another. It examines connections linked to the content, processes, and premises of science with a goal of prompting further research in these areas.     

Aqueous Foams: A Field of Investigation at the Frontier Between Chemistry and Physics

This paper reviews the properties of aqueous foams. The current state of knowledge is summarized briefly and the interdisciplinary aspects of this field of investigation are emphasized. Many phenomena are controlled by physical laws, but they are highly dependent upon the chemicals used as foam stabilizers: surfactants, polymers, particles. Most of the existing work is related to surfactants and polymer foams, and little is known yet for particle foams although research in this field is becoming popular. This article presents the general concepts used to describe the monolayers and the films and also some of the recent advances being made in this area.     

Bridging the Gap Between First and Second Semester General Chemistry: A Laboratory Exercise

A simple yet challenging exercise that reviews many fundamental chemical concepts and laboratory techniques from first semester general chemistry is offered for use in the first laboratory period of the second semester general chemistry course. This exercise is easy to do and involves a minimal amount of equipment and reagents. Students at the authors school like this exercise because they get good results, yet feel challenged because they have to think for themselves.     

关于生物学科无机及分析化学实验课教学改革的几点看法

本文就目前无机及分析化学实验课内容设置方面存在的问题、拟解决的办法以及指导教师队伍建设等 3方面提出一些看法     

抗日战争时期的中央研究院化学研究所

考查了抗战时期中央研究院化学所的内迁经过以及在大后方恢复重建、开展科学研究的艰难历程,并对化学所战时科研的特点及学术贡献等相关问题进行详细探讨。     

Dimephosphon,a new Phosphorus-Containing Medical Drug for Treatment of Acidosis: Chemistry and Technology

Abstract

Medical drug dimephosphon-dimethyl 1,l-dimethyl-3-oxobutnylphosphonate was created as a result of chemical and biological investigations of low-toxic organophosphorus compounds. This drug was selected from a number of acyclic transformation products of 1,2-oxyphospholene derivatives. A technology was worked out which is based on the Pudovik reaction and transformed into the continuous process. For this process an original continuous flow reactor has been created.     

Fallout from Chernobyl in Bologna and its environs: Radioactivity in airborne,rain water and soil

The Chernobyl fallout was estimated in Emilia-Romagna, a Northeastern region of Italy. Nuclide composition of airborne and the time evolution of the radioactivity were investigated. The comparison of the activity ratio of¹⁰³Ru to¹³⁷Cs allows to conclude that Italy was not influenced by the first release. The trend of the total activity and¹³⁷Cs percentage in rain water was very similar to those of air particulates. A calculation model to estimate¹³⁷Cs deposition onto the ground has been developed and validated by comparison of the calculated and experimental values for soil samples. The activity range was 2–40 kBq ·m^–2.     

化学:我们的生活,我们的未来——庆祝2011国际化学年

<编者按> 在联合国教科文组织和国际纯粹与应用化学会的联合推动下,联合国大会全体会议在2008年12月19日通过决议,将2011年确定为国际化学年,作为实施联合国可持续发展教育计划(2005～2014)的重要措施.中国科学院、中国科学技术协会及中国化学会积极响应并参与组织推动2011年国际化学年在中国的各项活动.为了帮助广大读者了解国际化学年的目标和意义,本刊将分别约请专家学者撰文庆祝国际化学年.本期刊登章宗穰教授大作,文中较详尽地介绍了2011年国际化学年的由来、目标和全球所面临的严峻挑战以及化学工作者的责任.从下期起将陆续刊登电化学各领域科技工作者有关庆祝国际化学年的文章.欢迎读者、作者踊跃参与,惠投佳文.热切希望广大读者积极参与国际化学年的各项活动.     

Polymer research in industry: Between commodities and new frontiers

The situation of polymer chemistry has changed dramatically in the last few years. However, many challenges remain for polymer research. Some representative examples are given.     

新教材钠与水反应实验的定量问题

鲁迅先生是第一位向国人介绍居里夫妇及镭发现的学者,他于1903年写的《说 》一文中,在充分肯定居里夫妇对化学,对整个科学领域的伟大贡献的同时,指出：镭的发现是居里夫妇勤劬劳动和总结集体智慧的结果;是社会经济与科学文明发展的必然,是前人成果的承传与后人开拓创新的标范,这种实事求是的科学态度和唯物主义的论证也正是当前科研工作中应该十分珍视的,故乃署此文。     

潮州文化走进大学化学课堂的实践与反思——以一堂综合性化学实验课的教学改革为例

以一堂综合性化学实验课的教学改革为例,浅析了地方性大学应充分利用地方特色文化优势,培育大学特色文化的意义。并且就如何研究、整理地方文化资源,开发其教育功能进行了总结与反思。