NEWS
Bucky Ball Chemistry Now that a synthesis of Buckminsterfullerene, the soccer-ball-shaped C 6 0 molecule, and its oblong-shaped C 7 0 analogue has been found, scientists are scrambling to unravel their chemistry. One of the first reports comes from researchers at the Santa Barbara and Los Angeles campuses of the University of California. They recently announced that electrochemical experiments—cyclic voltammetry and bulk electrolysis— found that both forms accept up to three electrons per molecule. "Both have almost identical tendencies to accept electrons," explains Santa Barbara chemist Fred Wudl. This high electron affinity suggests that the fullerenes could have electrical properties similar to semiconductors, although Wudl says the data also suggest that they can take a metallic form. The experiments were run in dichloromethane, o-dichlorobenzene, tetrahydrofuran, and benzonitrile. Wudl also reports that the electrolysis experiments resulted in some interesting color changes. For instance, the purple color of C 6 0 in o-dichlorobenzene turned silver brown when one electron was added. Further details will appear in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Analytical Instruments for Undergraduates Hewlett-Packard has provided 18 colleges and universities with benchtop GC/MS systems for their undergraduate laboratories. Each system is valued at $53,000. "The purpose of the grants is to help upgrade the level of undergraduate chemical education by exposing students to modern instrumentation," said HP's grant administrator and R&D manager James Serum. For 1991, grants were awarded to Arkansas College, Batesville; California State University, Long Beach; Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff; the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; the University of Puerto Rico—Mayaguez; and the University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point. Nine grants will also be awarded in 1992. Instruments will go to Beloit College, Beloit, WI; the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA; Hendrix College, Conway, AR; James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA; Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY; Union College, Schenectady, NY; the University of Louisville, KY; the University of Texas at El Paso; and the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire.
Proposed IUPAC Bioanalytical Nomenclature Because of the involvement of different disciplines in the practice of clinical laboratory medicine, the terminology is often vague, inexact, and, in some cases, at variance with conventional and official terminology. To rectify this situation, the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and the International Union of Biochemistry have compiled a general set of definitions. This document includes sections on general terminology as well as terms that describe body fluids, enzymology, and immunology. Other relevant topics will be included in subsequent reports. Copies of the document are available by writing to ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY at our Washington, DC, address.
Comments on the definitions are welcome and should be sent by October 31 to Carl Burtis, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Bldg. 4500-M, MS-6194, Oak Ridge, TN 37831.
CFCs: Worse Than Ever Recent measurements of ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by Sherwood Rowland's group from the University of California—Irvine indicate that levels of these chemicals in the atmosphere continue to rise. "As of June 1990," explains Rowland, "the concentrations of CFC-11 and CFC-12, the two compounds long identified as the major CFCs in the atmosphere, are growing at a steady rate. The yearly release of CFC-13 [used primarily to clean electronics] is increasing rapidly and has reached a level almost as large as the other two." Rowland's analysis was based on measurements of air samples from different locations in the Pacific ranging from Alaska to New Zealand. "The total amount of CFCs going into the atmosphere in 1989 appears to be the largest of any year," adds Rowland. Because CFCs take approximately 10 years to reach the stratosphere where they can remain for up to 100 years, it appears that the worst ozone depletions are yet to come.
For Your Information The Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) has announced newly approved analytical methods in pesticide formulations and disinfectants, drugs, foods, microbiology, feeds and fertilizers, and environmental quality. For more information, contact AOAC, Suite 400, 2200 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201-3301 (703-5223032, fax: 703-522-5468). The Board of Chicago's famed Museum of Science and Industry has approved a $50 million renovation program. Included in the plans are new exhibits that explore recent developments in lasers, genetics, robotics, and a "trip" through various simulated climates and environments.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 63, NO. 4, FEBRUARY 15, 1991 · 213 A
