The lithium-ion battery is undoubtedly one of the most important inventions in the last century. So important was this technology that the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019 was awarded to the scientists that contributed to its development. Whether it…
In 2018, Furukawa et al. published an article in Nature Communications Chemistry which aroused great interest in the world of chemists. In his article, he reported the synthesis of an organoselenium cationic species (shown below), which he claimed exhibits double…
What is MO Theory? Beginner learners of more advanced organic chemistry would certainly have encountered molecular orbital theory in some form, and may even have developed a certain aversion or fear of this powerful theory. No doubt, the intricacies of…
We learn the two mechanisms of nucleophilic substitution in school, namely SN1 and SN2. To recap, SN1 is a two-step mechanism involving first the leaving of the leaving group to form a carbocation intermediate, which is then attacked by the…
Autonomous materials are materials that can protect itself, heal damage and indicate if it is damaged throughout the course of its life cycle without any active intervention. These materials are at the forefront of materials science research, as they hold…
Nanozymes are man-made nanomaterials that can catalyse biological reactions and display similarities to biological enzymes. There are generally three types of nanozymes: metal-based nanozymes (e.g. Au, Pt, Co), metal oxides or metal sulfide nanozymes, and carbon-based nanozymes (e.g. fullerenes, graphene,…
The use of natural enzymes to catalyse chemical reactions in industry is one method to achieve a greener reaction process, since enzymes are targeted and can shorten pathways for chemical synthesis, allowing for reduced use of toxic reagents and the…
Nanoporous metals are metals which contain pores or cavities in the nanometer scale. Their range of interesting properties and potential wide range of applications has led to much research interest in them. Nanoporous metals are usually synthesised from a starting…
Metals usually exist in a crystalline structure, with the metal ions arranged in an orderly lattice structure. We learn in school how this structure gives rise to the characteristic properties of metals, such as malleability. However, in real metal samples,…
Artificial sweeteners are commonly found in low-calorie food as well as products designed for diabetics.
