h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey, I think it's going great. I just wanted to ask you a more techinical question. First, to give you my background I'm in Ph.D. program in physical chemistry, so we should use all the technical language we want.

On the sun-bleaching thread, you mentioned that the O2 electronic configuration kept it from being reactive, and thus kept us from bursting into flame. I guess I didn't understand this because I consider O2 to be very reactive...

Hi, yeah it is going great I must say

I know it sounds like a conundrum but if oxygen as reactive as it is was in a singlet state then we would all spontaneously burn up. Sinlget oxygen is a *lot* more reactive and is used quite often in organic chemistry.

Triplet states reacting with singlet states (most molecules) is spin forbidden. Of course reaction with transition metals with unpaired d-electrons such as iron is entirely possible which is how nature uses it.

I'm glad somone else spotted oxidation as the cause there anyway - good work

Right!! Of course, DOH! I forgot all about how reactive singlet oxygen is. Cool.

Woodward-Hoffman rules spell out reactivity based on MO theory - does that also cover explain spin forbidden reactions?


Yeah, I pretty much had to spot that or I've lost it completely. I did undergrad research in physical organic, on a photo-initiated reaction, did a summer internship at Kodak (that's there whole business), and work downstairs from a big-time inorganic photo-excited reactivity group (Dan Nocera's group).

There are two sets of Woodward Hoffmann rules, one for thermal reaction and one set for photoinduced reactions- they end up working to opposite symmetry rules because a photoinduced transition must involve a change in the l quantum number (I think - the laporte selection rule? ) whereas thermal transitions do not.

Spin forbidden stuff in organic chemistry is not really used as it would be too slow for the rate of reaction to be usefuly I suspect. Useful for analytical techniques though sometimes and people do occasionally make materials with an intended intersystem crossing pathway - that way materials with phosphorescent properties can be made

What's your project on then? Physical chemistry is another planet to my are but still very interesting. I did a supplementary subject of Quantum Chemistry when I was an undegraduate (I got off on hard maths back then ).

to my are?

to my area!

I do ultra-high vacuum surface science. I think we may have met on hootoo a very long time ago, when I was different researcher (I went off hootoo altother for awhile [self-imposed] and closed that account). I study reactions on Ni surfaces and Au-Ni surface alloys. We're actually about to submit a paper to JACS about CO oxidation. It got rejected from Science and Nature - even though they eat that stuff up if it's done by a nano-structure. I told my advisor we should resubmit, but instead of saying a surface catalyzed the reaction, say sub-nanometer Au structures did the job

What's your area of organic? Sounds like you're not a regular type organic if you are/were into math and quantum mechanics.

By the way, I think you're name is great. Brings back great memories of reading Monster Manual for D&D.

Ah, I hate it when researchers do that. Blues once said to me that he had been looking forward to meeting me again. I was like "we've met before?" Turned out he called himself 1000W Warlock and I did in fact recall.

I've got my pot in several area of organic really but mostly I work at making molecules of biological relevance - ie. that are active against an enzyme or other biomolecule. I'm currently doing enzyme assays so I can get very biological. Mainly I'm working on studying an enzyme called inositol monophosphatase which is probably the target for Lithium ions when they are used as a drug for manic depressiong. The idea is to make somthing less toxic than lithium, also I'm working on making modified terpene precursors both to study the enzymes that make terpenes and to hopefully generate new ones.
I'm unusual in as much as I'm just interested in science generally. Something that is sadly lacking in most of the students I have supervised or taught.
Actually having an understanding of molecular structure and the quantum theory behind it is pretty important in following what''s going on in any chemical reaction so I feel I have an advantage over those who aren't interested.

Yeah, nano is a good buzzword to use for funding as well as publication these days. My boss is of the opinion that funding is done by buzzword these days. Dunno much about surface science myself but I can see why it would be pretty essential stuff, most reactions take place on some sort of surface.

bout that. Stuff happens I guess. Anyway, seems you're working in a big money area, drug discovery and the like . It seems that's the way the winds blowing these days, and I have no way to relate at all. But my horizons have been broadened. And since I agree with you absolutely that it is *very* useful to have a strong working knowledge of woodward-hoffman, MO theory, quantum, stat mech, etc...well I have to admit it must be good for me to know more about Biology than what I learned in high school.

Although I'm going to stick in non-bio areas myself. Just don't think I can contribute anything special. My talents better used elsewhere, I think.

Wish some of that money would filter its way down to me. I was talking to a dustman in the pub on Sunday who earns four grand a year more than me.

Och, dont' worry about the biology bit. Everyone has their own interests.
Biochemistry and molecular biology rely *very* heavily on physical chemists for their intsrumentation and analytical techniques. They'd be screwed without their X-ray diffractometers, Atomic force microscopes and the like.

what's a dustman?

Well, the only money I was talkin about was grant money, and that never makes it into your pocket. Well, at least its not suppposed to. But now they other thing is patent/startup money, and bio is hot for that.

Dustman, guy who comes around your house with a big truck and takes your rubbish away.

Not sure what you call them over the pond (assuming your from USA right?)

Big on patents yes but to be fair the drug discovery thing is a bit like your Nano word. it's a buzz word. Really we're a bunch of academics looking at enzymes because we want to learn about how they work and such. I doubt very much that there will ever be a patent giving me sole rights...

So who did you used to be? Just out of curiousity, I won't blame you if you wish to remain anonymous

well, my identity may be breaking out gradually. I'd rather not reveal it on a hootoo thread. Are you on Az's photo gallery?

Anyway, you never know about patents. You're in the game at least, rolling the dice. There's always a chance.

Dunno, I haven't ever looked all the way through that. I doubt it though. The last meets I attended were a good three or four years back. I'm a real oldie round here.

Ahh. Her photo gallery is a lot of voluntary self contributions. So you would have probably had to send one in. Well, I helped found the Laviosier society of hootoo (which collapsed), I think you were there. And I also wrote the articles on quantum mech and stat mech.

Ah I did suspect that that might be you.

Lavoisier!

You know I scoured the search pages looking for that when SEx was started but couldn't remember the name. And of course I was looking for a researcher who I suspect shares my real name

Ah, no wonder I couldn't find it, it's not there anymore

So, how do I get some of that sodium penthol you're peddling?

Ahh, so we share more than a chemical background. Well, it seems you've also found location of our hidden rebel cabal base as well. You can have all the sodium pentathol, but you have to swear allegiance to the cabal. This means you get a free decoder ring, agree to submit to Azahar's mind control, and promise not to wear tinfoil helmets (which block the mind control signals). In exchange we teach you the secret ritual songs.