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    BENZYL ALCOHOL

    March 15, 2018, Categories  Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    BENZYL ALCOHOL

    ~ also known as Phenylmethanol; Benzoyl alcohol; Benzenemethanol; 100-51-6; Phenylcarbinol; etc. is produced naturally by many plants and is commonly found in fruits and teas. It is also found in a variety of essential oils including jasmine, hyacinth, ylang-ylang, and in castoreum from the castor sacs of beavers. Due to increasing demand from end-use industries, the global Benzyl Alcohol Market is expected to reach US$282.3 million by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period 2017 – 2025.
    Chemical structure: Benzyl alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with the formula C7H8O or C6H5CH2OH. The benzyl group is often abbreviated “Bn”, thus benzyl alcohol is denoted as BnOH.
    Properties: Benzyl alcohol is a colorless liquid with a mild pleasant aromatic odor...
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    IRON OXIDE

    March 15, 2018, Categories  Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    IRON OXIDE

    ~ also known as Iron(II) oxide; ferrous oxide; Iron monooxide; Oxoiron; 1345-25-1; Iron monoxide; etc. is an inorganic compound and one of the several iron oxides. The global iron oxide market is projected to increase at a CAGR of 4.3% between 2015 – 2025, owing to its wide application as pigments, catalysts, etc. Construction and paints & coatings are the major end-use industries for iron oxides.
    Chemical structure: FeO. Typical iron deficient (non-stoichiometric) form also exists, with compositions ranging from Fe0.84O to Fe0.95O.
    Properties: Iron oxide mainly exists as black cubic crystals. It is practically insoluble in water and alkalies, but readily sol in acids.
    Production: 
    1. FeO can be prepared by the thermal decomposition of iron (II) oxalate.
    FeC2O4 → FeO + CO2 ...
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    Asteroids and Comets shower Mars with Organics

    March 15, 2018, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    Asteroids and comets shower Mars with organics

    Cartoon of the planet Mars that is showered with organics. According to calculations, 33% of the organic material on Mars comes from asteroids and comets. Only 67% comes from interplanetary dust. Credit: Anastasia Kruchevska

    Asteroids and comets appear to be a much more important supplier of organic molecules on Mars than expected. Until now, astronomers assumed that the organics on Mars mainly came from dust particles from space. Now, computer simulations by an international team of researchers led by Dutch astronomers indicate that one third of the material comes from asteroids and comets.

    In 2015, the Mars rover Curiosity discovered remnants of organic molecules on Mars. Scientists wondered how these organic molecules had ended up on Mars...

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    Mystery of Purple Lights in Sky solved with help from Citizen Scientists

    March 15, 2018, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    Mystery of purple lights in sky solved with help from citizen scientists

    STEVE and the Milky Way at Childs Lake, Manitoba, Canada. The picture is a composite of 11 images stitched together. Credit: Krista Trinder

    Notanee Bourassa knew that what he was seeing in the night sky was not normal. Bourassa, an IT technician in Regina, Canada, trekked outside of his home on July 25, 2016, around midnight with his 2 younger children to show them a beautiful aurora borealis. When a thin purple ribbon of light appeared and starting glowing, Bourassa immediately snapped pictures until the light particles disappeared 20 minutes later. Having watched the northern lights for almost 30 years since he was a teenager, he knew this wasn’t an aurora. It was something else.

    From 2015 to 2016, citizen scientists—people like Bourassa who are excited about a science field but don’t ne...

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