Pelargonium graveolens and Geraniol
A memory of warmer days: geraniol is a chemical that makes up most of citronella oil, and which is found in insect repellent sprays, candles, dog spray collars and sweet-smelling perfumes. It can be...
View ArticleCelery (Apium graveolens)
Celery (Apium graveolens) is a vegetable commonly used in salads and soups, which for some reason appears to cause more food-crazes than any other. As far back as 1877, an American writer wrote of...
View ArticleCrochet Enantiomers
Since re-learning how to crochet (I kind of knew as a teenager, but didn’t pick it up again until 2014), I’ve made a few crochet molecules, mostly as presents for the kids of scientists and for...
View ArticleBeetroot and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris)
When I was young, a couple of times each year my family would head out on a Sunday afternoon to visit my Auntie Nancy, who would reward us with a big tea. Tinned salmon, crisps, and trifle: typical...
View ArticleGuest Post Series
Picture It… Chemistry has an exciting announcement: we are having a guest post series! Our guest blog post authors, Tom and Maxim, are final year chemistry students at the University of Bristol and...
View ArticleIs Dairy Bad For The Environment?
What is dairy and why do we consume it? Dairy is the food produced from the milk of mammals or produced by animals in the mammary glands. Here in the UK, the most common dairy animals are the cow,...
View ArticleHow is global warming affecting coffee’s quality and yields?
There is no comparison to the joy of that first sip of coffee in the morning. A few sips of it make you motivated to tackle the day. As Alfred Renyi once said: “A mathematician is a device for turning...
View ArticleHousehold Aerosols: Chemical Effect on the Environment
From beautiful sunsets to dreary overcast days, aerosols, tiny particles that are suspended in the air, are the reason for them. Aerosols can be tiny droplets that are impossible to see even with a...
View ArticleAre shopping bags impacting global warming?
Every time we push through the supermarket door, we can immediately perceive the smell of freshly baked bread, recognising our favourite snacks. This is when a plastic bag becomes handy! ) Plastic...
View ArticleDr Chris Adams
Earlier this year, we lost our author, editor and friend, Dr Chris Adams. I helped to write his obituary for the School’s webpages: http://www.bris.ac.uk/chemistry/news/2022/chris-adams.html
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