page 6). But then the $4.2 billion global settlement to compensate implant recipients for alleged damages began to unravel. The settlement included implant and material makers BristolMyers Squibb, Baxter Health Care, 3M, and Dow Corning. It did not include Dow Chemical, which never made implants. The federal judge overseeing the settlement said in June that the fund was not large enough to compensate eligible women among the 248,500 U.S. women who had applied for compensation. Efforts to salvage a settlement including Bristol-Myers Squibb and Baxter Health Care, but not Dow Coming, are still under way. In April, the same federal judge also decided breast implant suits against Dow Chemical could go to trial under the laws of some states. Marc Rcisch
Simple method makes cell skeleton mimics No sooner was Halloween over last week than a team of materials chemists at the University of Toronto announced discovery of a quick and simple method for making "skeletons in the beaker/' The "skeletons" are self-assembling inorganic materials whose elaborate shapes and patterns mimic those in the exoskeletons of single-cell marine organisms like diatoms and radiolaria. Besides aiding understanding of how nature builds skeletal structures, the work could lead to materials with novel electronic, optical, or other properties, says Toronto materials chemistry professor Geoffrev A. Ozin. Such materials might have an important impact on computer chips, bone replacement materials, industrial catalysts, separation technology, and "smart" materials that respond to changes in their environment. One chemist familiar with the work calls it "extremely exciting." Nature uses simple, abundant minerals such as silica, calcium carbonate, and calcium phosphate to construct "an extraordinary array of exquisite architectures," Ozin notes. These architectures are seen in bones, teeth, seashells, sea urchins, corals, opals, and the microskeletons of single-cell organisms. The multilevel complexities of these structures have both delighted and puzzled scientists. But despite much effort, chemists
Colonzed scanning electron microscope images of the surfaces of synthetic aluminophosphate spheroids reveal a pattern of micrometer bowls (left) and of "meshed" bowls that resemble the silica microskeletons of radiolanan, a single-cell organism (right). The tivo patterns are produced using slightly different chemical systems. haven't come close to matching nature's architectural feats. One of the biggest challenges is how to control the complexity and shape of such so-called hierarchical materials. Now, the tide is beginning to turn, says Ozin, thanks to a "new materials synthesis paradigm" that he, graduate student Scott Oliver, and other coworkers have developed over the past three years. The method can "mimic nature's dexterity for sculpting biominerals" with intricate structural features that span three size realms—the nanoscopic (less than 10 A), mesoscopic (10 to 1,000 A), and macroscopic (more than 1,000 A). Overall, Ozin says, many of the artificial skeletons his group has generated bear a striking resemblance to naturally occurring structures, such as the delicate "lacelike" microskeletons of diatoms and radiolaria, the exquisitely sculpted spicules of marine sponges, the quiltlike patterns seen in sea urchins, and the star-dodecahedral patterns of certain rushes. Ozin's new approach to materials synthesis is detailed in several papers—the first of which was published last week [Nature, 378, 47 (1995)]. Coauthored with Oliver, Alex Kuperman, Neil Coombs, and Alan Lough, the paper describes synthesis of well-ordered, stacked aluminophosphate structures using self-assembled organic vesicles (hollow sacs) as templates. The recipe, notes Nature chemistry editor Philip Ball in the same issue, "sounds alarmingly simple: throw together phosphoric acid and pseudoboehmite (a hydrated aluminum oxide) in tetraethylene glycol in the presence of an alkylamine; heat, dry, and [crystal-
lize]." The millimeter-sized aluminophosphate spheroids produced show intricate surface features like disks, ridges, pores, platelets, and honeycomb arrays. Ozin believes that the alkylammonium dihydrogen phosphate bilayers, which initially form, interact with the tetraethylene glycol to produce contiguous arrays of vesicles around which the aluminophosphate is deposited. The bowl-shaped craters on these spheroids, he thinks, are the imprints of vesicles packed together like soap bubbles. And the finer scale patterns may arise from precipitation of aluminophosphate into specific domains in the vesicle walls. But this explanation is still speculative. Although heating is a necessary step in the chemistry detailed in the Nature paper, Ozin tells C&EN that subsequent papers will describe roomtemperature reactions with a number of other chemical systems. Ron Dagani
Praxair makes hostile bid for CBI Industries Praxair has made a hostile $2.1 billion bid for Oakbrook, Ill-based CBI Industries, parent to carbon dioxide maker Liquid Carbonic. The cash tender offer to CBI stockholders comes after failure of six months of merger negotiations between the two and of a bid to CBTs board of directors. Liquid Carbonic is the largest carbon dioxide business worldwide. Praxair is a power in the air separation business but lacks carbon dioxide capabilities. Its only major stake in carbon dioxide NOVEMBER 6, 1995 C&EN
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is a venture scheduled to start production in Brazil in early 1996. Praxair, which was spun off from Union Carbide in 1992, had total sales Donald F. Othmer, internationally reof $2.27 billion in 1994. CBI had sales of nowned chemical engineer, educator, and $1.89 billion. philanthropist, died Nov. 1 at his home in "A business combination would re- Brooklyn, N.Y., after a lengthy illness. He sult in significant strategic benefits for was 91. Burial services will be held in both our companies and our respective Omaha, Neb., Othmer's birthplace. shareholders," says H. William LichtOthmer and his wife, Mildred Topp enberger, Praxair chairman and chief Othmer, are members of the American executive officer. There is a "powerful Chemical Society's distinguished Jobusiness logic behind our proposal/7 seph Priestley Society—reserved for he adds. Besides the carbon dioxide the highest individual donors to the sobusiness, Liquid Carbonic would bring ciety—for their generous support of the many distributors and "an entrée into ACS Campaign for Chemistry. The countries in South America that we are Donald F. & Mildred Topp Othmer targeting," notes a Praxair spokesman. building at ACS headquarters in WashLichtenberger proposed the merger to ington, D.C., is named in their honor. CBI's board of directors in an Oct. 27 let"Of the many individuals who have ter to CBI President and CEO John E. contributed to ACS, and to the chemiJones, giving the board until noon on cal enterprise, few can equal Don OthNov. 1 to respond. CBI says it has a mer," ACS Chairman of the Board Paul "regularly scheduled board meeting on H. L. Walter says. "He was a philanNov. 8 and will respond in due course." thropist in the true sense of the word. But right after expiration of the Nov. 1 ACS, our science, and the world are noon deadline, Praxair announced it poorer at his loss." would begin a $32-per-share tender offer During his career, Othmer wrote directly to shareholders. more than 350 articles on chemical proOn Oct. 28, CBI's share price zoomed to cesses and thermodynamics, and he 1 $303/H from the previous day's $20 /s clos- held more than 150 patents. But he is probably best known as a coauthor of ing price. It closed at $32 on Nov. 1. "The synergies are just so compel- the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of ling, [Lichtenberger] had to make the Chemical Technology. Published in offer," says Joseph S. Cappello, analyst several languages, the encyclopedia is at investment research firm New Vernon considered the best reference for the Associates, Parsippany, N.J. Carbon di- field of chemical engineering. oxide will smooth out the cyclical naNews of Othmer's death spread ture of Praxair's business and allow its quickly through the chemical engineerstock to trade at a premium, and tax ing community. "Long before it was synergies with CBI will enable Praxair fashionable to speak of the global econto save $20 million in the first year af- omy, Don Othmer was a global chemiter purchase, he notes. cal engineer," Pat McCurdy, editor of "I don't believe any of the other in- Today's Chemist at Work tells C&EN. dustrial gas companies could get the Othmer was committed to educating same synergies" to justify a bidding chemical engineers about the best prowar, Cappello adds. And if Liquid Car- cesses and techniques available, Mcbonic remains independent, it is "going Curdy says. He believed that knowlto have to adapt to Praxair's carbon di- edge should be shared with fellow prooxide presence in Brazil." Praxair like- fessionals wherever they worked. ly would spin off or divest CBI's two Othmer received a Ph.D. degree in other businesses—contracting and stor- chemical engineering in 1927 at the age terminals—he adds. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Earlier this year, gas distributor Air- with his dissertation on the condensagas, Radnor, Pa., considered purchas- tion of steam. He began his career at ing all of CBI after it was rebuffed on Eastman Kodak in Rochester, N.Y. At an offer for Liquid Carbonic alone the time, safety film was being intro(C&EN, Jan. 23, page 11). Airgas says it duced, and he helped Kodak solve imscuttled its plans because of the ex- portant problems of acetic acid and solpense and risk of acquiring the entire vent recovery for its safety film manucorporation. facturing process. Elisabeth Kirschner Kodak immediately offered Othmer
Donald Othmer has died at age 91
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Donald F. Othmer a high-ranking managerial position. But in 1932, he decided to move his career to academe, and he began teaching at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute (now Polytechnic University). In 1937, he became head of the department of chemical engineering. Altogether, his teaching career spanned more than 45 years. Othmer's numerous awards include the New York City Mayor's Award for Excellence in Science & Technology, the Perkin Medal of the Society of Chemical Industry, and the 1978 E. V. Murphree Award in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry from ACS. The Othmers were active in many philanthropic causes. Long Island College Hospital has a building named for Othmer in recognition of his contributions, and the Othmer Library of the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia recognizes generous contributions to that institution. Othmer was shy and humble about his wealth, says longtime friend Alec Jordan, founding editor of Chemical Week. "Don was just a great guy—a wonderful educator and probably the most widely known chemical engineer in the world." Othmer is survived by his wife, his sister Mildred Othmer Peterson, and several nieces. Memorial services will be held by the Chemical Heritage Foundation and Polytechnic University. William Schulz
