Vol. 105 No. 4 (2009)

High level ab initio calculations represent basic and unique tools for the interpretation of astrophysical observations concerning molecular detection. During the last thirty years, more than 150 different species have been detected. Their properties and size varies from diatomics to large fullerenes and polycicle hydrocarbons. The detected species, which number is expected to augment with the new observatories, let us predict the chemical-physics conditions of the sources. Four lines of application of gas phase ab initio calculations to astrochemical problems are described.

Nitrocellulose, discovered by Schönbein in 1846, has different applications depending mainly on its manufacturing process and its degree of nitration. The nitrocellulose with a high degree of nitration (> 12 %) is used in smokeless powder and dynamites. To date, few studies on characterization and analytical determination of nitrocellulose in explosives have been performed. With this objective, spectrometric and separation techniques, as well as thermal analysis, are very often employed. Nevertheless, the enormous chemical and structural heterogeneity of the nitrocellulose makes its analysis a current challenging task.

The field of molecular materials has experienced a tremendous development during the last two decades. Coupled with the need to obtain new systems with interesting properties has made of hydrothermal synthesis a basic tool in the planned construction of supramolecular architectures. This article is devoted to the design and properties of some multi-dimensional coordination compounds, placing a special emphasis on the study of the magnetic interactions between the metal centers through the bridging ligands synthesized within hydrothermal reactions.

Fast ionic conductors are solid electrolytes with a high ionic conductivity, dependent among other factors on the structural type adopted by these materials. These structures are characterized by containing a subcell formed by ions that occupy fixed positions and a subcell that allows free movement of the ions. Preparation, study and further development arise primarily from the need of improvements in the functioning of secondary or rechargeable batteries, and this research is part of a technology which is currently in development.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009 has been awarded to Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (born in Tamil Nadu −India− in 1952) presently at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge (United Kingdom), to Thomas A. Steitz (born in Milwaukee−WI, USA− in 1940) Sterling Professor at Yale University and to Ada E. Yonath (born in Jerusalem −Israel− in 1939) at the Weizmann Institute of Science, for their investigations on the structure and functioning of the ribosome. The ribosomes are complex cellular particles where takes place the decoding of the genetic information and the synthesis of proteins and, consequently, play a central role in the biology of all living organisms.

Control of molecular dynamic processes represents a particularly important objective in modern chemistry. Azobenzenes are a class of organic compounds that can exist in two forms, namely the cis (Z) and trans (E) isomers, which can interconvert both photochemically and thermally. This photoinduced transformation is followed by a particular molecular movement and a significant geometry change, which has turned the azobenzene unit as an excellent candidate for dynamic molecular devices. In the present article selected examples of azobenzene-contained molecules and their "programmed" motions in response to external stimuli are included.

The MUDIC-VBS (didactic and interactive museum of sciences of the Vega Baja del Segura) is a museum whose purpose is the spready and understanding of Science. It can be found in the Miguel Hernández University and is directed by the Hypatia de Alejandría association. The chemistry-based experiments of the museum are focused towards answering the question, what is chemistry useful for? In this article, the latest interactive chemistry based experiments, the didactic values, the running of the museum, along with the results of the evaluation carried out by the first groups of students, can be found.

Keywords: MUDIC, Chemistry disclosure, interactive experiments, security, scientific education

The author discusses two core principles of education that govern his work with the large lecture class, which is the predominant educational vehicle for first-year chemistry students in the United States. He extends these core principles to how we involve students in the classroom discussion, even in classes of 300 students or more. He presents and responds to the questions he is most often asked that raise concerns about interacting with students during the large lecture.

Abstract: The biochemistry in Spain began with Laureano Calderón in 1886. As long as the 20th century it was continued mainly by Alberto Sols, Manuel Losada, Julio Rodríguez Villanueva and David Vázquez. In 1968 Severo Ochoa was offered to start working a Molecular Biology Center. This center initiated its activity in 1975.

In this paper I discuss three issues which manifest the particularities of quantum chemistry, epistemological as well as social, through the evolving (re)articulations of quantum chemistry with chemistry, physics and mathematics. The first is to trace the historical becoming of quantum chemistry. The second is that arguments to follow are not to be solely based on what we used to call internalist considerations. The third point is that the gradually articulated relative autonomy of quantum chemistry has been dramatically transformed with the advent of the first digital computers in the early-1960s.