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[email protected] C&EN Online: http://pubs.acs.org/cen EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Madeleine Jacobs MANAGING EDITOR: Rudy M. Baum ART DIRECTOR: Robin L. Braverman, Nathan Becker (Assistant Art Director) SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Lois R. Ember NEWS EDITOR: Janice R. Long SPECIAL FEATURES EDITOR: Celia M. Henry ONLINE EDITION: Melody Voith (Editor), Luis A. Carrilto (Production Manager), Rachel E. Sheremeta (Editorial Assistant) EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Michael Heylin CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Susan J. Ainsworth, Κ. Μ. Reese ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Patricia Oates STAFF ASSISTANT: Stephanie Wahl PROGRAM ASSISTANT: Nick Wafle BUSINESS Michael McCoy, Assistant Managing Editor NORTHEAST: (732) 906-8300. Marc S. Reisch (Senior Correspondent), William J. Storck (Senior Correspondent), Alexander H, Tutlo (Assistant Editor), Karen J. Watkins (Associate Editor), Rachel Eskenazi (Administrative Assistant). HOUSTON: (281) 486-3900. Ann M. Thayer (Bureau Head). HONG KONG: 852 2984 9072. Jean-François Tremblay (Bureau Head). LONDON: 44 20 8870 6884. Patricia L. Short (Senior Correspondent) GOVERNMENT & POLICY David J. Hanson, Assistant Managing Editor WASHINGTON: (202) 872-4495. Bette Hileman (Senior Editor), Cheryl Hogue (Senior Editor), Jeffrey W. Johnson (Senior Editor), William G. Schulz (Associate Editor)
Watching Paint Dry
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LOVE THE PHOTOGRAPH ON THIS WEEK S
cover. It shows an advanced-technology ultraviolet "oven" for curing powdered coatings. These new types of coatings may someday be used as an alternative to paints; for example, in the automotive industry as long-lasting car body coatings. Because paints and coatings are so common, the average person probably doesn't think of them as chemicals. But, of course, they are. And the chemistry that goes into making new paints and coatings is impressive. Indeed, contrary to popular belief, watchingpaint—and coatings—dry can be a fascinating and extremely lucrative pastime. In this week's issue, Senior Correspondent Marc Reisch once again paints a picture of the health of the paints and coatings industry In 2000, the world's paint makers shipped about 5 billion gal ofpaint—valued
SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY/EDUCATION Pamela S. Zurer, Assistant Managing Editor WASHINGTON: (202) 872-4411. Stuart A. Borman (Senior Correspondent), Doron Dagani (Senior Correspondent), Rebecca L. Rawls (Senior Correspondent), Stephen K. Ritter (Senior Editor), A. Maureen Rouhi (Senior Editor), Sophie L. Wilkinson (Associate Editor). NORTHEAST: (732) 906-8301. Stephen C. Stinson (Senior Editor). CHICAGO: (847) 679-1156. Mitch Jacoby (Associate Editor). WEST COAST: (510) 849-0575. Elizabeth K. Wilson (Associate Editor). LONDON: 44 1256 811052. Michael Freemantle (Senior Editor) ACS NEWS Linda R. Raber (ACS News Editor), Kevin R. MacDermott (Assistant Editor) EDITING & PRODUCTION Robin M. Giroux, Assistant Managing Editor Janet S. Dodd (Senior Editor), Arlene Goldberg-Gist (Associate Editor), Aalok S. Mehta (Assistant Editor), Deanna Miller (Associate Editor), Susan R. Morrissey (Assistant Editor), Stephen M. Trzaska (Assistant Editor), Amanda T. Yarnell (Assistant Editor) PUBLISHING & CREATIVE SERVICES William R. Succolosky (Head), Linda Mattingly (Staff Artist). PRODUCTION & IMAGING: Vincent L. Parker (Manager), Krystal E. King (Assistant) MARKETING MANAGER Scott Nathan ADVISORY BOARD Paul S. Anderson, Shenda M. Baker, Robert T. Betz, Ronald Breslow, Cynthia J. Burrows, Margaret A. Cavanaugh, Jean Chmielewski, John R. Danzeisen, Mark E. Davis, Earnest W. Deavenport Jr., Nance K. Dicciani, Cynthia M. Friend, Richard M. Gross, Ryota Hamamoto, J. Roger Hirl, Nancy B. Jackson, Carl A. Jennings, Robert L. Lichter, Jonathan MacQuitty, Sergio Marchionne, Chad A. Mirkin, James C. Mullen, George A. Olah, Riccardo Pigliucci, Douglas J. Raber, David R. Rea, Gregory H. Robinson, Mark C. Rohr, Richard R. Schrock, Jeremy Scudamore, Ian Shott, Jay S. Siegel, Mary C. Waltham, John T. Yates Published by AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY John Kistler Crum, Executive Director Robert D. Bovenschulte, Director, Publications Division EDITORIAL BOARD Joan E. Shields (Chair); ACS Board of Directors Chair: Nina I. McClelland; ACS President: Attila E. Pavlath; Peter C, Jurs, Eli M. Pearce, Eisa Reichmanis Copyright 2001, American Chemical Society Canadian GST Reg. No. R127571347
at $70.6 billion. To keep up with the latest developments, Reisch will join thousands of paint manufacturers, formulators, and materials suppliers at the International Coatings Expo sponsored by the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology Nov 5-7, in Atlanta. For readers with a long memory let me bring you up to date on my 1997 Editor's Page on that year's paints and coatings story It was titled 'Whatever Happened to Red?" It was the tale ofhowbothmycars died one weekend, and in my search for new cars I was bewildered by the exotically named colors. Thefinalparagraph read: "Meanwhile, I'm delighted that most auto and paint makers have my best interests at heart. Reisch quotes one paint supplier who believes that carfinishesthat last a decade are not really needed. Who keeps a car for 10 years or longer?' he asks. Wfell, I do, and I for one am really enjoying my sporty little hatchback in vogue silver metallic and my staid sedan in heather mist. I hope to be able to bask in the reflected glory of their still lovely finishes as they move into their teenage years." Sad to report, 60,000 miles later, the
paint job on my staid sedan is no reflection of itsformerself. I could really use abetter coating—and as always, IllreryonDuPont's once-famous slogan, "Better Things for Better Living through Chemistry"
PEAKING OF THE WONDERS OF CHEM-
S
istry last month I had the privilege of being the banquet speaker at the 16th Annual William S. Johnson Symposium in Organic Chemistry at Stanford University The symposium honors the late William S. Johnson, a brilliant synthetic organic chemist who is credited with building the modern-day Stanford chemistry department. Several hundred students and faculty from Stanford and other universities, as well as researchers and executives from chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech firms, heard one-hour lectures from seven distinguished chemists. The range and breadth of their talks was afittingtribute to BillJohnson and to the power and beauty of organic chemistry The speakers and their talks were as follows: RobertW Armstrong, vice president, Discovery Chemistry Research, Eli Lilly & Co., on "The Chemistry of Change in New Drug Discovery"; Cornell University chemistry professor Jon C. Clardy on "Natural Products and Natural Product Libraries"; Stanford University chemistry professor Eric T. Kool on "Mimicking Biological Pathways with Nonbiological Molecules"; Caltech chemistry professor Peter B. Dervan on "Regulation of Gene Expression by Small Molecules"; University of Wisconsin chemistry professor Samuel H. Gellman on "Structure and Function in βand 7-Peptide Foldamers"; ETH-Zentrum chemistry professor Don Hilvert on "Searching Sequence Space for Protein Catalysts"; and Caltech chemistry profes sor Robert H. Grubbs on "Making Mole cules with Transition-Metal Complexes." The title of my talk was "The Two Cul tures, Zen, and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." It had nothing to do with paints and coatings and darn little to do with zen or motorcycles, but ifyou're inter ested in reading it, send me your name and address and I'll ship off a copy
Editor-in-chief
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C&EN / NOVEMBER
5, 2001
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