YOUR SOCIETY, YOUR STORY Tell us about your favorite ACS Benefit or Experience! MENU MARIMUTHU RAJENDIRAN My favorite element is Manganese(Mn) as one of the Dimanganese decacarbonyl, which has played a key role in the successful completion of one of my M.Sc projects. Manganese carbonyl reaction with various types of ligands in the solvothermal method gives amazing crystals. Manganese carbonyl also have very good anti-cancer activity as compared to other metal carbonyl, and also act as a catalyst for a number of organic transformations. I am currently working as a Ph.D student in various metal complexes, and will hopefully continue on with that work in my future career as a scientist. DEANNA NELSON Strontium tops my list of favorite elements. As an adult woman, one of my concerns is deterioration in bone and joint health. To my surprise, I discovered several years ago that the strontium ion acts on bone stem cells to convert them to osteoblasts (and then osteocytes). This action restores bone rebuilding that has declined with changes in hormones and age. In addition, the strontium ion reduces inflammation and pain. The cation does not act in isolation, but works together with calcium, magnesium, vitamins D and K2 to restore healthy bone and joint maintenance. The whole story is a fascinating rediscovery of what was known at the turn of the 20th century. DR. ASHISH KUMAR My journey of research in the area of catalysis started with Ruthenium. Ruthenium is a versatile catalyst, especially its oxides, which are used in the removal of H2S from oil refineries and other industrial processes, for the production of ammonia from natural gas, and for the production of acetic acid from methanol. One ruthenium-molybdenum alloy is superconductive at 10.6 K. Ruthenium was the last of the platinum group metals to be discovered and is the only group 8 element that does not have 2 electrons in its outer shell. In its pure form Ruthenium is susceptible to attack by halogens and hydroxides, but is not affected by acids, water, or air. PROF. N. RAJESH My favorite element is chromium and I find its chemistry to be incredibly fascinating. Among the stable oxidation states, Cr (III) is perceived to be a nutrient in glucose metabolism, while Cr (VI) is carcinogenic. Although, the +6 oxidation state is toxic, nevertheless it is quite useful as a catalyst in several reactions and also finds application in electroplating. While in the reduced +3 state it is green and pleasant, the orange and yellow colors of hexavalent chromium in highly acidic and alkaline environments are equally appealing. It would not be an exaggeration if I could call this trait as a kind of chemical chameleon. Having done considerable work in remediation of chromium, I found the excellent speciation of this element at varying pH extremely valuable towards developing adsorbents for the sequestration of chromium from waste water. DANIEL DYCUS My favorite element is Nitrogen (N). Nitrogen is one of the fundamental elements of Biochemistry and the metabolic processes of this world. It is an integral piece of amino acid construction and is a building block for life on earth as it resides in our DNA. It is even responsible for feeding the world so that the world can feed humanity. If that isn’t enough fun already, Nitrogen is also very important for yeasts to make beer and wine! Studies regarding the impact of Nitrogen in soil and plants have increased our ability to solve some of humanities greatest problems of food scarcity and food shortage. Additionally, free amino groups act as a source of energy for life on earth! Nitrogen is awesome! LAROUSSI CHAABANE My favorite element is Gold (Au). It was among the first metals to be mined because it commonly occurs in its native form, that is, not combined with other elements, because it is beautiful and imperishable, and because exquisite objects can be made from it. Additionally, it is called a “noble” metal (an alchemistic term) because it does not oxidize under ordinary conditions. My thesis has been to experiment with new ways of exfoliation of graphene sheets in Tetraaza molecules doped with Gold nanoparticles and its catalytic activity in A3 coupling reactions in either aqueous media or without solvent. More importantly, Gold can be used repetitively up to 11 times without a significant loss of catalytic efficiency. NILOOFAR KARIMIAN My favorite element is antimony (Sb). This interesting potentially toxic metalloid belongs to group 15 of the periodic table and has a well-known neighbor, arsenic. Antimony was named after the Greek word antimonos which means “against loneliness” and it nicely reflects the fact that antimony exists in nature usually in compound form and is rarely found in its metallic state. The major ore mineral for antimony is stibnite and its chemical symbol Sb comes from the Latin stibnum. From almost 6,000 years ago to the present day, from the ancient use of stibnite as black eyeliner and medicine to the current incorporation of antimony in ceramics, rubber products, flame retardants in kid’s toys and clothing, aircraft, alloys and metal products, antimony has found its way into our lives. The rapid growth in industrial use and the significant presence of antimony in our modern lives makes me even more interested to study the environmental behavior of this mysterious metalloid. PRIYA RANJAN SAHOO My favorite element is copper (#29, Cu). Copper is known as ‘’man’s eternal metal’’ and is 100% recyclable. I remember finding beautiful crystals of Cu-complex when I mixed copper solution into our synthesized sensor for the first time during the first year of my PhD programme. The crystals of copper complexes were attached to the walls of the test tube, shining brightly. The crystals looked even more amazingly beautiful when I kept them under sunlight or UV light due to a high fluorescence response. Since that time, copper has fascinated me to engage in its world. Interestingly, copper complexes are used as inhibitors, anticancer agents, radiopharmaceuticals and also as molecular magnets. MEGHNA BAJAJ My favorite element for the rest of the year is Platinum. During my summer internship, I synthesized the pt-pincer complex using platinum as the metal with the CCC-backbone. After shining UV-light on the compound, I found that it emitted a bluish-greenish light which was a very interesting step for my research in organometallic chemistry. KIRUTHIKA ELAMPARUTHI My favorite element is copper. This reddish brown element has not only been commercially important, but has also made my life bright as a graduate scholar. I still remember when people were excited to use expensive catalysts, with copper being very calm and composed, saying I (copper) can do exactly most of the things that other transition catalysts do except I follow a different path. Copper is synthetically so significant for many coupling reactions. Apart from organic chemistry, copper finds its way into our homes, including electrical wiring, pipes, appliances, gadgets, utensils, jewelry, etc. Many chefs and cooks prefer cooking with copper vessels because of its uniform heating and since it produces no heat spots. Many architecturally important classic monuments have been built with copper including the Statue of Liberty. It’s no surprise that copper is known as man’s eternal metal because of its inevitable applications in our lives. LOAD MORE STORIES © MYACS 2016–2021