Compound Interest: chemistry

The CI 2015 Advent Calendar

November 30, 2015 0Comments 0Likes 196Views

It’s the start of December tomorrow, which means it’s time for the second year of the Compound Interest Advent Calendar! From tomorrow,…

The Periodic Table of Oxidation States

November 17, 2015 18Comments 1Like 354Views

There are a whole host of periodic tables out there, and I’ve already added to the pile with a periodic table of data previously. Today’s post is another variation on the theme: a periodic table showing the possible and common oxidation states of every element. I was looking for one of these last week, out of interest, and couldn’t find one that presented the information in an easy-to-comprehend manner. To try to solve that, I made the table you can see at the top of the post here.

World Diabetes Day: Glucose, Insulin, & Diabetes

November 14, 2015 5Comments 0Likes 249Views

As it’s World Diabetes Day today, here’s a mini-graphic taking a quick look at what diabetes is, and the differences between the three main types. Though there’s no article to accompany this one, there’s a download of the graphic below, and links to further reading on the topic.

The Chemistry of Rum: Fruity esters and woody lactones

November 12, 2015 7Comments 0Likes 334Views

Infographic on the chemistry of rum. Rum is made from molasses, sugar cane juice, or cane syrup, and is fermented then distilled. It is then aged in oak barrels before different distillates are blended for consistency. Rum has a higher ester content than other spirits, giving more fruity flavours. Acids contribute towards the production of these esters, but are also important for flavour. A number of rum flavour compounds originate from the barrels the rum is aged in, including phenolic compounds and oak lactones. White rums have their colouration removed by filtration through charcoal. This can also affect flavour, as some compounds are lost during filtration. — Click to enlarge

For the latest in the alcohol chemistry series, we’re looking at a pirate’s favourite spirit: rum. It’s actually hard to describe what constitutes a rum, because there’s not really a fixed definition; different countries have different standards that rums have to meet. Still, despite the differences in types, there’s still a lot of chemistry in common.

RTC Week 2015 – #5: Forging Molecules Using Light

October 23, 2015 1Comment 0Likes 231Views

This week (19th Oct–24th October) is Real Time Chem Week (if that means nothing to you,check out their FAQ page here!). As part of it, we’re featuring the RTC Week competition-winning entries of five different chemists here on Compound Interest, with a different feature every day this week. Today’s final feature takes a look at how we can use light to create giant molecules for a whole range of applications, from dental fillings to sticky coatings.

RTC Week 2015 – #3: Nitrogen-Containing Atmospheric Pollutants

October 21, 2015 0Comments 0Likes 252Views

This week (19th Oct–24th October) is Real Time Chem Week (if that means nothing to you,check out their FAQ page here!). As part of it, we’re featuring the RTC Week competition-winning entries of five different chemists here on Compound Interest, with a different feature every day this week. Today’s feature takes a look at how what happens to the nitrogen-containing compounds released into the atmosphere by both natural and industrial processes, and considers some of the health effects they can cause.