Charged 2026

Tag: chemistry

  • Fabrican: Taking a Piece of Chemistry onto the Catwalk

    One of the most valuable experiences for any designer or innovator is the process of mastering new fields of knowledge to better guide and inform creative decisions. Almost every new problem or project requires designers to think of new ways to approach their solution or design. Manel Torres is the perfect example of this approach as he had to immerse himself in chemistry to develop what is now known as spray-on clothing. His work demonstrates how expanding beyond traditional design boundaries can lead to groundbreaking results with multiple applications! Torres’s invention really highlights how impactive ideas often emerge when disciplines intersect.

    During Paris Fashion week in 2022 at the Coperni runway, Bella Hadid made a stunning performance as she stood there practically naked, while being sprayed with some white liquid material. Well, this material so happened to originate from the works of Manel Torres’ Fabrican. Inspired by silly string spray cans, Torres wanted to create a spray-on T-shirt from an aerosol can during his doctoral years at the Royal School of Art in London. With the help of Professor Paul Luckham from Imperial College’s department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology, Torres was able to create the right formulation to produce something that can spray thin fabric onto a model (Melton, 2023). A featured article years back on the home page of the Guardian Newspaper, highlights the work of fashion designer Dr. Manel Torres who invented a spray that “forms a seamless fabric on contact with the body” (Amato, 2011). Along with the article was a video, showing Torres in a lab coat demonstrating his new innovation by spraying the torso of a male model with a liquid mix of fibers and polymers that instantly dried and solidified upon contact with the skin. The results came out to be a skintight t-shirt!

    (source: drawn by An Truong)

    So how is it possible for a liquid material to become something that you can actually wear? 

    Torres’ invention consists of a liquid mixture of short fibers that are suspended in a solvent that evaporates when exposed in the air, so that the spray turns into a solid non-woven non-knit material upon contact (Melton, 2023). It was made to be applied using an aerosol can or a spray gun that would be sprayed directly onto a person or onto a mannequin or mold, forming a fabric layer that can be thickened and strengthened by applying multiple layers. With this, you would be able to style, peel off, and shape the fabric as needed. The fibers themselves are biopolymers created from natural or synthetic sources such as corn starch, wool or mohair based keratin, hemp, or even collagen (Amato, 2023). Torres also experimented with various other kinds of fabrics and textures such as a paper-like texture, fleece, rubber, and lace. These fabrics and textures were able to be embossed, molded, and essentially patterned in any ways a designer wishes. 

    (source: TEDxTalk)

    Further Application

    Torres believes that his invention should be and can be used to create a wide range of products, including fashion, automotive components such as dashboards and interior fabrics, and for medical application such as bandages, instant sterile dressings, or drug delivery patches. 

    As any great designer and innovator would do, Manel Torres continues developing and improving his own works. In a TED TALK Torres gave in 2012, he mentions how he wants to push Fabrican to be fully reusable and sustainable as well as incorporate some kind of smart technology in the future. This is a great practice for designers and innovators alike as they should all reflect on their designs and continue to improve them even after its final outcome is presented.

    Conclusion

    Manel Torres’s work with Fabrican shows how innovation in design is truly never finished. It should evolve alongside new ideas, technologies, and needs. By continuing to refine his spray-on fabric with goals of sustainability, material and cost efficiency, and integration of smart technology, Torres sets a perfect example for future designers and innovators that creativity should not end at just the final invention or outcome, it instead continues to grow through constant iteration. Manel Torres’ process demonstrates how science and design can merge to create materials that are functional and adaptable. As Fabrican develops, it has great potential to reshape industries starting from fashion and expanding to fields such as medicine. Ultimately, Torres’s process and work encourages designers to think beyond traditional materials and to embrace experimentation and iteration. His brilliant vision for the future of clothing and textiles challenges the next generation to design with both imagination, experimentation, and research!

    Citations:

    Amato, Sarah. (2011). Fit to a T: Spray-On Clothing, Craft, Commodity Fetishism, and the Agency of Objects. Utopian Studies, 22(2), 285–302. https://doi.org/10.5325/utopianstudies.22.2.0285

    Coperni. (2023, September 14). The making of a dress [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxObP6-ovdk

    Melton, Lisa. The instant spray-on dress. Nat Biotechnol 41, 743 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-023-01829-1

    TEDx Talks. (2012, April 26). Spray-On Fabric: Manel Torres at TEDxImperialCollege [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW6Gv-IoErw

     

  • A Spotlight on Black Licorice and its Darker Side

    Black licorice. You either love it or you hate it. Some delight in the intense spice flavor that comes with a bite of licorice and others find it repulsive and gag at the mere scent of it. As a divisive food and old-timey treat, black licorice has a long history of being a chewy confectionery and a popular flavor for drinks and tobacco in many parts of the globe. Licorice (scientifically referred to as Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a flowering plant that comes from the legume family. Its roots contain the flavor that we know as licorice and are commonly extracted for various uses. While it shares similar flavoring compounds, it is not related botanically to anise or fennel as some may think. (though sometimes they are used instead of licorice to evoke the same flavor profile)

    What makes black licorice so sweet?

    The iconic scent and flavor of licorice come from a mix of different compounds, but the one that gives it most of its sweetness is glycyrrhizin (a compound that is about 50 times sweeter than sugar!) This sweetness is different than regular sugar in that it more closely resembles sweeteners like Sweet ‘n’ Low which is comprised of saccharin. Some people vehemently dislike this type of sweetness which is also known to linger on the tastebuds for longer. Many people claim to dislike how “sickeningly sweet” it is and feel that it strongly dominates whatever you taste in your mouth for many minutes even after it is consumed. Others say that their aversion comes from the glycyrrhizin tasting more bitter than sweet.

    This bitterness can be attributed to herbal medicine, which licorice is also known to be useful for. There are many patented licorice-based medicines in China, where its extract is used in the treatment of bronchitis, colds, cough, and upper respiratory diseases. Glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhizinic acid, isoliquiritin, and glycyrrhizic acid are the most notable substances used for health benefits as they possess anti-cancer, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Excessive consumption that allows for the build-up of these compounds, however, may lead to serious adverse health effects.

    Consequences of Overconsumption

    Like most things in life, licorice is best enjoyed in moderation, but for more sinister reasons than you may think. Eating more than 57g of black licorice a day for at least 2 weeks could potentially cause serious health problems, such as an increase in blood pressure and an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia). This happens because of an excess of glycyrrhizic acid in the body. Normally your body is able to process glycyrrhizic acid into glycyrrhetinic acid, which is relatively harmless in small amounts, but when larger concentrations are present in the body, it can inhibit an enzyme that assists in converting active cortisol (the hormone that controls adrenaline) into inactive cortisone. You can imagine what too much active cortisol might do to your body, and this imbalance like this can wreak havoc on your body. 

    Cortisol is a hormone that plays a role in your fight-or-flight response and is similar chemically and structurally to aldosterone, which during a stressful event can signal to the body to hold on to water if you’re dehydrated. It does this by binding to structures in the kidneys that cause sodium to be pulled from urine in order to trigger osmosis and cause water to stay in your cells. Sodium has a +1 charge, however, and if it’s taken from the urine, then another +1 charge must replace it. This is done by potassium which can then replace the sodium in the urine and be excreted from the body. Now, when cortisol is present in concentrations that are dangerously high, it can be concluded that it would cause your body to pull more sodium from your urine, and you would lose more potassium right? 

     

     

     

     

     

    Cortisol (left) & Aldosterone (right)

    This leads to hypokalemia or low potassium presence in blood, which can be detrimental to the muscles of your body especially one of your most essential muscles, your heart. Potassium is an ion in your body that signals a relaxation of your muscles after a contraction. If there isn’t enough potassium present in your blood, then your muscles will stay contracted, which can be especially bad for your blood vessels and your heart. This is where the increased blood pressure and arrhythmia can restrict proper oxygen flow throughout your body and cause your organs to shut down.

     

    No Need to Panic

    Now, of course, the chances of this happening to the average black licorice fan are very slim as long as the treat is enjoyed in moderation. Since most people wouldn’t eat 57g of black licorice every day, I think it’s safe to say that fearing death by licorice overdose won’t be found in anyone’s nightmares. All in all, black licorice is a novel sweet with an interesting chemical makeup that is loved (or hated) by many across the globe.

     

    Sources:

    Pastorino G, Cornara L, Soares S, Rodrigues F, Oliveira MBPP. Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra): A phytochemical and pharmacological review. Phytother Res. 2018 Dec;32(12):2323-2339. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6178. Epub 2018 Aug 17. PMID: 30117204; PMCID: PMC7167772.

    Wahab S, Annadurai S, Abullais SS, Das G, Ahmad W, Ahmad MF, Kandasamy G, Vasudevan R, Ali MS, Amir M. Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice): A Comprehensive Review on Its Phytochemistry, Biological Activities, Clinical Evidence and Toxicology. Plants (Basel). 2021 Dec 14;10(12):2751. doi: 10.3390/plants10122751. PMID: 34961221; PMCID: PMC8703329.

    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/black-licorice-death

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg76qIZ4BQ8 

  • Coffee Chemistry

    Written by Julia Raver and Lauren Mellinger

    Coffee – an integral part of your morning routine. You wake up and groggily walk to the kitchen to make your morning cup. It has become so integral to our morning routine that a lot of people can’t function without it. Especially in the mornings, having your order messed up at Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts can change the trajectory of your entire day. But how does coffee keep you awake all day? Caffeine is the secret to coffee’s success. 

     

    Part 1 – The Chemistry

    Caffeine, or C8H10N4O2, is a drug known for its ability to give you energy and boost metabolism. It functions very similarly to xanthine, which is a crystalline drug that is often found in chocolates and teas. This provides an increase in stimulation and wakefulness, the ability to sustain intellectual activity, and decrease in reaction times. In the image below, you can see the similarities between the xanthine and caffeine molecules. The main differences are that caffeine has extra methyl (or CH3 groups) attached to its two rings (National Academy Press, 2001).

    Due to the polarity in caffeine molecules, or difference in strength between the nitrogen and oxygen bonds, caffeine exhibits unique bonding forces. It can bond via dipole-dipole forces, where positive and negative atoms of different molecules bond together. Caffeine also bonds via hydrogen bonding with water, which is a strong bonding of hydrogen atoms with carbon atoms of water and caffeine respectively. In layman’s terms, caffeine reacts in the bloodstream by bonding via its nitrogen and oxygen atoms. 

    Absorption in the Bloodstream

    We can now dive deeper into how caffeine is absorbed in the bloodstream. People absorb caffeine within 45 minutes of ingestion but has an elimination half-life of anywhere from 1.5 to 9.5 hours. This means that if you drink your morning coffee at 8 am, it could still be in your system at 5:30! When absorbed, caffeine undergoes the hepatic first-pass effect, meaning it is not removed by the liver and heads straight for the bloodstream. There, due to the presence of carbons within the structure, caffeine acts as a hydrophilic (or water-liking) molecule and can bond with the water in your tissues. Once bonded with this tissue water, caffeine works with proteins and begin to give you that energy boost you so desperately needed when you drank it at 7am (National Academy Press, 2001). 

    Now remembering that caffeine is in fact a drug, it is important to note that it also comes with a certain toxicity level. Luckily for coffee drinkers however, caffeine only becomes fatal when around 10-14g are ingested daily. To get an idea of how much this really is, divide 150 or 200 by your total body weight in kilograms. This gives the toxicity level based on your weight per day (National Academy Press, 2001). For example, if you weigh 110 pounds (or 50kg), 7500 milligrams or 7.5 g of caffeine is your daily toxic dosage of caffeine. An average cup of coffee contains around 100 mg of caffeine so you would need to drink 75 cups of coffee in a day to die of caffeine overdose (Dews, 1982).

    Caffeine Appearance

    Caffeine is what helps coffee give you energy in the morning but what makes coffee look and taste how it does? Melanoidin, or heterogeneous polymer with a brown pigment, is formed when sugars and amino acids combine at high temperatures (Merriam-Webster). This melanoidin is what gives coffee its nice rich brown color. Depending on the temperature to which the coffee beans are heated, the coffee can taste differently. Once heated above 180 °C, exothermic reactions (that release heat) within coffee beans occur (Rao, Fuller, & Grim, 2020). 

    The reactions occurring at these high temperatures are called Maillard reactions, which are defined as reactions between amino acids and sugars. Basically, sugars and amino acids reacted at high temperatures produce brown products, or these melanoidin molecules that create brown pigments (Ellis, 1959). Therefore, different roasting temperatures cause these reactions to go to either more or less completion and are responsible for both the color and taste of your morning beverage. Now that we understand the chemistry behind caffeine, we can look at flavor preferences.

     

    Part 2 – The Psychology

    Cold beverages have accounted for 75% of Starbucks’ sales in the past quarter (Creswell, 2022). All across the world, coffee drinkers prefer the mellow, balanced flavors of cold coffees. Hot coffee, on the other hand, can only be enjoyed for the fleeting moments between scalding and sour. But why is it that the same beans can produce such different flavors?

    The Making

    The final cup of coffee is affected by the extraction method — the way water pulls flavor, aroma, and caffeine from the grounds. This is strongly influenced by temperature and time.

    For example, in a pour over, water moves over the coffee and produces a brighter tasting coffee. Immersion brews result in a fuller extraction leaving more body in the cup (Kelly, 2018). The cold brew method taking the coffee world by storm involves lower temperatures than your typical drip coffee. To compensate, it needs a much longer extraction time (between 8 and 24 hours) (Córdoba et al., 2021).

    Coffee and the Senses

    The ability of substances to dissolve out of the grounds and into the water increases with temperature. This causes acids to extract more efficiently in hot brewing. In turn, more sour and bitter elements are released. (Córdoba et al., 2021). Using a lower temperature better retains those delicate flavor components that would degrade or evaporate with exposure to heat (Lane et al., n.d.). Plus, hours of contact with water causes the fats in the beans to emulsify, creating that creamy mouthfeel. Therefore, higher temperatures lead to more nutty, roasty notes — and possibly some unsavory ones as well. Colder temperatures retain flavor compounds and generate a smoother, sweeter beverage (Córdoba et al., 2019).

    When you walk into a coffee shop, you are guaranteed to be welcomed by the scent of roasted beans. But you might notice that your cup of cold brew doesn’t smell very strong at all. Since the oils that carry aromas remain in the water, they stay in your coffee. You’ll perceive these as cold brew’s characteristic floral and fruity flavor (Oden, n.d.). Your drink might not have a strong fragrance or bite, but cold brew rewards those who wait (Alkin, 2014).

    Is Cold Brew Better?

    The novel brewing method also extracts more caffeine with time, which means cold brew is a concentrate. This allows coffee drinkers to adjusted it to their preferred strength and endlessly customize it to their liking. In addition, the lack of acidity may mean cold brew is a better alternative for those with sensitive teeth, heartburn, or GI issues (Rao & Fuller, 2018).

    Whether you crave the smokiness of an automatic drip, or the natural sweetness from an hours-long immersion, ultimately, the choice of brew is up to you.

     

    Reference List

    • https://www.scienceandfood.org/coffee-brewing-chemistry-hot-brew-and-cold-brew/
    • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224419305692
    • https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/02/business/starbucks-quarterly-earnings.html
    • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996921000387
    • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643821005168
    • https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nu.02.070182.001543
    • https://doi.org/10.1016/s0096-5332(08)60223-4
    • https://blog.lacolombe.com/2018/09/19/brewing-method-affects taste/#:~:text=Immersion%20and%20pourover%20brewing%20each,%E2%80%9D%2Dtasting%2C%20brighter%20coffee
    • https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/arbutus/article/view/16816
    • https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/melanoidin
    • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223808/
    • https://www.javapresse.com/blogs/cold-brew/hot-brewed-vs-cold-brewed-coffee
    • https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-34392-w
    • https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9070902

     

  • A Picture Can be Worth a Thousand Words…or Dollars

    Whether you dabble in it or appreciate it, we come across art in any shape or form several times in our daily lives– especially the visual kind. For most, we came into contact with making art in some art class in elementary school, using nontoxic watercolors and, if they let us, acrylic. These paints, obviously, are very different from those that professionals use in their lives, but in what ways? Why don’t professional artists use Crayola watercolors for their work? The answer may lie in the science and chemical composition of the paint itself. 

     

    For starters, paints contain binders, solvents, and pigments. The pigment is the actual color part that we see, and the more light that’s absorbed by it, the deeper the color. Binders are what help the pigment stick to the surface of a painting and can vary depending on whether the pigment is organic or inorganic, but most paints use a gum arabic binder. 

    handprint.com

     

    Typically, organic pigments are more preferred due to their more vibrant colors and their increased stability. These paints will use a turpentine binder. Inorganic pigments, however, are more affordable and are heat and light stable. These pigments are made of metal oxides, usually transition metals that can sometimes be toxic, so these aren’t commonly used. These elements usually have their bonding electrons in d-orbitals, and when bonded, can lead to these orbitals splitting into 2 levels of energy which allow electrons to absorb energy and move between the two levels, but the wavelength they absorb can be different depending on how large the gap between the 2 energy levels are. The light that is not absorbed and reflected is what we perceive. 

    Gamma represents the wavelength that’s absorbed (ResearchGate)

     

    Staying with pigments, the more pigment, the more it will cost. Typically, artist-grade paint will have a higher concentration of finely-ground pigment, increasing surface area of the pigment and its vibrancy. Another factor that will raise the cost is if the pigment is organic or inorganic. Organic pigments, which can be more expensive since they are naturally-found colors and can be rare, are more vibrant and retain color over time when exposed to light. 

     

    A more expensive, higher quality watercolor may have smaller, more concentrated pigment. Due to the smaller particle size of the pigment (which can get as low as 0.05 microns), the color will literally seep into the fibers of the paper and will stain (stick to the paper better after it has dried) more effectively, which can be better or worse depending on your art style. However, this pigment concentration and permanence also implies that the paint is suspended in fewer fillers and uses a more effective binder, which also increases the price.

    AhmadArt, YouTube (2018)

     

    As someone who likes to dabble in watercolors and has used paints of all different quality, learning specific aspects such as these helps with understanding why it may be sometimes worth it to invest in a more expensive watercolor palette. Because sometimes, the price can be translated into its quality. However, it can be easier to see it in person, or maybe under a microscope because after all, a picture is worth a thousand words. 

     

    References

    acrylgiessen. (2022, February 16). Best Watercolor Paints – All About Professional Watercolor Paints. acrylgiessen.com. Retrieved March 4, 2022, from https://acrylgiessen.com/en/best-watercolor-paints/

    Compound Interest. (2014, March 21). Inorganic Pigment Compounds – The Chemistry of Paint. Compound Interest. Retrieved March 4, 2022, from https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/03/21/inorganic-pigment-compounds-the-chemistry-of-paint/

    Guide, S. (2021, May 19). Best Watercolor Paints – How to Choose the Right Watercolor Paint Set. craft-art.com. Retrieved March 4, 2022, from https://craft-art.com/best-watercolor-paints/

    MacAvoy, B. (n.d.). handprint : how watercolor paints are made. Handprint. Retrieved February, 2022, from https://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/pigmt1.html

    McArdle, T. (2008-2022). Watercolor Paint Buyers Guide: Learn What to Look For When You Buy Watercolors — Art is Fun. Art is Fun. Retrieved March 4, 2022, from https://www.art-is-fun.com/watercolor-paint

  • Butterfly Pea Flower Tea

    A cup of tea brings feelings of peace and serenity to mind.  Whether it be a rainy day or cold evening, drinking a warm cup of tea has never failed to help me feel calm and happy.   There’s an amazing selection of tea for all types of different palates to choose from like your classic green, black, and white tea, but my personal, newfound favorite is butterfly pea flower tea!  Befitting its exquisite name, this tea also has an appearance like no other.

    Butterfly pea flower tea may seem like a new and recent addition to tea shelves, but this tea has been consumed in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia for centuries.  It is a caffeine-free beverage made from oftentimes dried lemongrass and blue flowers and leaves of a plant known as Clitoria ternatea (Centeno, 2018).  It is said to have an earthy taste similar to green tea despite its color (Goldberg, 2016).

    What makes this tea unique, however, is not just its natural, blue color, but its ability to change color depending on pH.  Adding lemon will allow this beverage to take on a purple color (see below).  Add more and it’ll turn hot pink, adding a perfect and mesmerizing ombre. Like other plants that function as pH indicators, butterfly pea consists of anthocyanins, allowing it to change color.  The plant has been tested as a pH indicator to successfully differentiate pH levels between 2-12 (Amaolo, 2017).

    Anthocyanins also contain high amounts of antioxidants, making blue tea a common use in traditional medicine and a source of many health benefits (Kungsuwan, Singh, Phetkao, & Utama-ang, 2014).  Butterfly pea flower extract has been found to have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving abilities (Kumar and Ishwar, 2012) as well as the potential to relieve diabetic complications caused by advanced glycation end products (AGEs).  AGEs are compounds that can clog vessels and form more often in diabetics when sugars combine with particular amino acids (Barone, 2017).  Clitoria ternatea extract has also been found to improve memory and acetylcholine levels (Taranalli & Cheeramkuzhy, 2011) and has anti-depressant, anti-stress, anti-convulsant, and anti-microbial properties (Jain et al., 2003).   Its antioxidant activity has also been applied in cosmetics (Kamkaen & Wilkinson, 2009).

    Try making your own tea by seeping 1-2 teaspoons of butterfly pea flower with a cup of water and add honey, lemon, juice, or milk for more flavor.  You can also make ice cubes with the tea to add color to any drink!

     

    References
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Amaolo, A. (2017). The Butterfly Pea Flower as a pH Indicator. Retrieved from http://isjos.org/ISJOSv11p2-ButterflyPeaIndicator.pdf

    Barone, J. (2017, February 28). What Are AGEs (Advanced Glycation End-Products)? Retrieved from http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/food-safety/article/abcs-ages-advanced-glycation-end-products

    Centeno, E. (2018, July 03). What is Butterfly Pea Flower Tea? Retrieved from https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/what-is-butterfly-pea-flower-tea-hint-it-changes-color

    Goldberg, E. (2016, January 31). The Science Behind This Mesmerizing Color-Changing Tea. Retrieved from https://www.bonappetit.com/drinks/non-alcoholic/article/butterfly-pea-flower-color-changing-tea

    Jain, N. N., Ohal, C. C., Shroff, S. K., Bhutada, R. H., Somani, R. S., Kasture, V. S., & Kasture, S. B. (2003, June). Clitoria ternatea and the CNS. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12895670

    Kamkaen, N., & Wilkinson, J. M. (2009, November). The antioxidant activity of Clitoria ternatea flower petal extracts and eye gel. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19367668

    Kumar, S. & Ishwar, B. (2012, March 19). Anti Inflammatory, Analgesic and Phytochemical Studies of Clitoria Ternatea Linn Flower Extract. Retrieved from https://irjponline.com/admin/php/uploads/935_pdf.pdf

    Kungsuwan, K., Singh, K., Phetkao, S., & Utama-ang, N. (2014). Effects of pH and anthocyanin concentration on color and antioxidant activity of Clitoria ternatea extract. Retrieved from https://www.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/fabjournal/article/view/77397

    Taranalli, A., & Cheeramkuzhy, T. (2011, January 10). Influence of Clitoria Ternatea Extracts on Memory and Central Cholinergic Activity in Rats. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1076/1388-0209(200001)3811-BFT051

  • Carbon Negative Concrete???

    As Industrial Design major who’s future career will most likely consist of creating a wide variety of products, something that is a big concern for me is creating environmentally friendly products. I don’t want to just create things that will eventually just create more waste and end up in a landfill polluting our Earth. I also don’t want to help perpetuate environmentally harmful manufacturing processes like those used to make cement that release tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.  So when I heard about the Calera process I was very interested and wanted to look into it more to see if this was actually an effective and sustainable method for capturing and storing carbon.

    The Calera Corporation developed the Calera process to sequester CO2 from our environment in a way that is actually sustainable and effective over time. They then used this process to create a superior form of concrete that mimics the form of calcium carbonate that marine animals use to create their hard shells. The Calera process results in the production of the vaterite polymorph which is stable when stored in the absence of water. When water and other proprietary additives are added to the vaterite polymorph, a cement reaction occurs in which the vaterite transforms via a dissolution and reprecipitation reaction to form another polymorph of calcium carbonate known as aragonite. This conversion of vaterite to aragonite results in a material with high strength, just as natural systems like mother of pearl are also constructed from the aragonite polymorph of calcium carbonate.

    Concrete is the most widely used man-made material in the world. Concrete is made of roughly 80% aggregate (sand and gravel), 10-15% cement, and the remainder air, water, and additives. The Calera process can permanently mineralize carbon into either fine or coarse aggregates or a supplementary cementitious material that can be used to create building materials such as concrete. The standard process for manufacturing Portland cement generates large amounts of CO2 both from the fuel used to heat the raw materials as well as from the conversion of CaCO3 to CaO, which releases CO2. Because of this, concrete made from Portland cement carries a CO2 footprint of approximately 0.8-1.5 ton CO2/ton cement, translating to roughly 537 pounds of CO2/cubic yard of concrete! Calera SCM both captures carbon from one source and avoids carbon emissions from another. Concrete made with 20% cement replacement with Calera SCM, and 20% cement replacement with fly ash would have carbon footprint of negative 1146 pounds of CO2/cubic yard of concrete. This is a carbon savings of 1683 pounds of CO2/cubic yard of concrete compared to standard concrete. “With projected U.S. Portland cement consumption at nearly 200 million metric tons by 2020, a 20% market penetration with a SCM replacement level of 50% would reduce CO2 emissions by 30 million metric tons.” Which is far more than the reduction that would be accomplished by supplementing fly ash as a replacement for some portions of Portland cement used in regular concrete mix.

    The carbon capture method employed by Calera, is also unique because it has many possible inputs including: fly ash, brines, waste water, and flue gas. In capturing CO2 and other emissions from flue gas, Calera’s carbonate mineralization technology uses solid and liquid sources of alkalinity, such as fly ash, wastewaters, and brines. The outputs of the process are clean air, fresher water, and solid materials that can be used as an aggregate or supplementary cementitious material. Another concern that often comes up in the conversation of carbon capture is how efficient is it, especially since you are trying to capture and manipulate a gas in this process. In its pilot landing facility, the Calera process regularly observes Carbon capture rates greater than 50% and has even reached rates of over 90%.

     

  • From Flaky to Fabulous

    Alpha hydroxy acids. Beta hydroxy acids. These sound like complicated and possibly dangerous chemical compounds you would learn about in high-level chemistry classes, right? Have no fear; these organic compounds will make you beautiful.

    Both alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids are used in many skincare products as chemical exfoliants. Alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs, when used in low concentrations, can be used to treat dry skin and keratosis pilaris. At higher concentrations, AHAs cause epidermolysis, which causes the top layer of skin to peel away, revealing new and healthy skin underneath. This can improve the appearance of photoaged skin by reducing wrinkles and lightening dark spots. Common AHAs include glycolic acid and lactic acid. Beta hydroxy acids, or BHAs, act as a peeling agent and can be used to treat acne, photoaging, and calluses. Common BHAs include salicylic acid, citric acid, and malic acid.

    These chemical exfoliants sound great, but how do these acids work? The top layer of your skin is called the epidermis. The very top layer of the epidermis is the stratum corneum. This layer consists of dead skin cells known as corneocytes that are ready to slough off with exfoliation. These corneocytes are held together by intracellular bonds. Chemical exfoliants such as AHAs and BHAs break these bonds and encourage desquamation, otherwise known as skin peeling. If the stratum corneum consisted of bricks stacked on each other and held together by cement, these acids would dissolve that cement and allow bricks to easily be removed.

    When used correctly, chemical exfoliants such as AHAs and BHAs cause very little irritation and have no lasting negative effects. When used incorrectly, however, chemical exfoliants might leave you worse off than you started. If an acid is too strong for your skin, it might penetrate too deep into lower layers of your skin, breaking too many intracellular bonds and causing healthy, living skin cells to slough off. You could be left with chemical burns and scars once your skin heals. Additionally, AHAs and BHAs can increase photosensitivity, causing sun damage to occur faster than usual. However, this effect can be mitigated by wearing sunscreen daily, and as a bonus, you can prevent the need for chemical exfoliants in the future because photoaging will decrease with the use of sunscreen.

    Scary-sounding chemical exfoliants like alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids are nothing to be afraid of when you understand how they work and the effects they have. Do your research and you too can be beautiful!

    Sources:

    Alpha Hydroxy Acids. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2018, from https://cosmeticsinfo.org/alpha-hydroxy-acids

    Chemical peel. (2018, May 24). Retrieved October 2, 2018, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chemical-peel/about/pac-20393473

    EJ, V. S., & RJ, Y. (n.d.). Alpha hydroxy acids: Procedures for use in clinical practice. Retrieved October 2, 2018, from https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/2523288

    Heathman, C. (n.d.). Skin Exfoliation. Retrieved October 2, 2018, from https://www.dermascope.com/exfoliation/skin-exfoliation

    Kornhauser, A., Coelho, S. G., & Hearing, V. J. (2010, November 24). Applications of hydroxy acids: Classification, mechanisms, and photoactivity. Retrieved October 2, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3047947/

    Trench, B. L., & Nesvig, K. (2017, October 23). Your Guide to Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and How They Work. Retrieved October 2, 2018, from https://www.allure.com/gallery/what-you-didnt-know-about-lactic-salicylic-citric-glycolic-acid-creams

    Van, E. J., & Yu, R. J. (1984, November). Hyperkeratinization, corneocyte cohesion, and alpha hydroxy acids. Retrieved October 2, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6096420

  • Raindrop Cake, Not a Cake?

    Have you ever wondered what a raindrop would taste like if it was transformed into cake form? Look no further! Raindrop cake, albeit very different from your typical, traditional cake, will let you have a truly magical experience.

    IMG_1885                                                         My first attempt!

    Screen Shot 2018-11-01 at 8.50.37 PM

    My second attempt!

    I’ve always loved scrolling through food reviews and videos. One trend that emerged in recent years caught my eye. It was a clear, beautiful jelly bubble resembling a raindrop. It seemed so unique that I set out on a journey to try creating it myself, and it was definitely not an easy task. Being able to set the cake while trying to keep it light, soft, and bouncy and to where you’re able to feel like you’re eating a drop of water took many trials and errors. Keep reading to discover more about the secret ingredient and how you can make your own raindrop cake!

    Raindrop cake, also known as Mizu Shingen Mochi, was first created by the Kinseiken Seika Company in Japan, using two main ingredients: fresh, mineral water from the Japanese Alps and agar. This light, refreshing delicacy resembles a jiggly, blob of jello, but will melt in your mouth and fill it with a hint of sweetness and nuttiness when paired with brown syrup and roasted soybean flour. But beware! If not eaten immediately, this dessert will dissolve and vanish within 30 minutes as recipe calls for the minimal amount of agar.

    The key ingredient that solidifies water into a raindrop cake is a polysaccharide known as agar-agar. Agar is made from seaweed or red algae, Gelidium amansii. It was first introduced in Japan over 350 years ago, in 1658, and is still commonly used to this day due to the hydrocolloid properties and agarose composition that allow it to form gel-like substances using hydrogen bonding in the presence of water. Agar is also unique in that its thickening properties are reversible; disintegration occurs when temperatures are varied.

    IMG_1883The structure of agar.

    Due to agar’s gelling ability and the ease at which substances can be gelled, melted, and reformed, agar has numerous uses. One of the most common applications of agar can be found in the food industry. Agar is used in canning foods and is also tasteless, making it a perfect addition to foods and desserts that need thickening such as ice cream, icings, puddings, cookies, jelly, and pie fillings. It can also be found as an agar jelly or as a crystal boba topping in many bubble tea drinks. It has also been used as a laxative and in diets due to its ability to stimulate fullness using low calories.

    bubbleAgar jelly used as a topping for bubble tea.
    This was the first time I’ve ever had agar jelly, and I haven’t looked back since! Yum!

    Application in biology labs as a medium to breed insects like silkworms and fruit flies or to culture bacteria and yeasts is also common.

    IMG_1118     Here an agar plate was used to culture Serratia marcescens, a Gram-negative bacteria. 

    Agar is a valuable ingredient for many reasons such as being extremely low in calories and containing fiber. Agar also does not require sugar to solidify, which is highly beneficial in food preparation for diabetics. It is also known as a vegan and vegetarian gelatin substitute, and best of all, it is an environmentally friendly product.

    Here’s how you can make your own raindrop cake that has swept the internet in recent years!

    Ingredients

    DSC_0452

    • 1 cup of mineral water
    • 1/4 tsp agar-agar
    • 3 tsp of granulated sugar (optional)

    Optional toppings

    • 1 tbsp roasted soybean flour
    • brown sugar syrup (1 cup of brown sugar + 1/2 cup of water)
    • flowers, petals, fruits

    flowers

    1. Dissolve agar and water in a small pot.
    2. Allow mixture to come to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue boiling over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
    3. Pour mixture into any round-bottom mold. (Optional: Add light fruit/flower toppings to the mixture.)
    4. Let mixture cool and place in the fridge overnight or until it sets.
    5. To make syrup, dissolve the brown sugar in water over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Maintain a rolling boil for 1 minute.
    6. Remove mixture and let cool. Serve with raindrop cake along with optional soybean flour. *Consume your raindrop cake upon taking it out the fridge. May melt if left out for over 20-30 minutes.

    References

    Giant Raindrop Cake Recipe by Tasty. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://tasty.co/recipe/giant-raindrop-cake

    K. (2018, September 15). Raindrop Cake. Retrieved from https://kirbiecravings.com/raindrop-cake/

    Maitland, H. (2017, August 02). Everything You Need To Know About Raindrop Cakes. Retrieved from https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/everything-you-need-to-know-about-raindrop-cake

    National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database; CID=71571511, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/71571511 (accessed Sept. 28, 2018).

    Phillips, G.O. Williams, P.A.. (2009). Handbook of Hydrocolloids (2nd Edition).Woodhead Publishing. Retrieved from
    https://app.knovel.com/hotlink/toc/id:kpHHE00002/handbook-hydrocolloids/handbook-hydrocolloids

     

  • Learn How to Make Water Disappear

    Learning intricate card tricks and complex hand movements can be overwhelming and hard to execute in front of an eager audience, so here is a how to perform a magic trick that does not require any skill but, instead, just a little bit of science. Here is the premise of the trick: You tell an unassuming bystander to pour a glass of water into your magician’s hat. You wave your hands over the hat and chant a seemingly realistic spell. When you flip the hat over, no water pours out… not even a drop. So how did this happen?

    While the audience believes that the enchanting spell you cast over the hat made the water disappear, the real magic is rooted in the chemistry behind one particular item: the diaper. When we think of diapers, words like “ew” or “baby” or even “ew babies” come to mind. However, after reading this, you might have a new perspective on the amazing properties of diapers.

    We’re now going to do something no ordinary person would do: dissect the diaper. The magical substance that you will line your magician’s hat with can be found underneath the lining of a diaper. This substance is a water-absorbing chemical called sodium polyacrylate. Polyacrylate can absorb more than 200 times its own mass (which is extremely fortunate for those potty training and those who have to change the diapers of potty trainers). Although this superabsorbent polymer is now found in a wide variety of products like medical bandages, female hygiene products and diapers, the substance was originally manufactured for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the 1970s. The original use for polyacrylate gel was to improve the water retention in soils in an effort to improve germination and plant growth (Liu, 2001).

    sodium polyacrylate
    This is the chemical structure of sodium polyacrylate. The molecule is a polymer, so this structure repeats beyond the bars in the diagram.

    Sodium polyacrylate is a network polymer that contains sodium ions. The key to the absorption process and this magic trick is understanding basic rules of diffusion, osmosis and bonding. Osmosis is the when molecules in a solvent move from a less concentrated solution to a more concentrated solution. In this magic trick, when the water comes into contact with the sodium-containing polymer, the sodium diffuses into the water. This results in the replacement of sodium atoms with water molecules in the complex network (Carnegie Mellon University, n.d.). The polymer is essentially a long chain of negatively charged molecules and bonds to water through hydrogen bonds. The bonds allow the network to swell and hold the water in place, which is why the resulting mixture is crystal-like, fluffy substance that does not spill out of the hat. Now that you know the secret to this trick you will now be able to hone and perfect your water vanishing skills!

    Hopefully now when you think of diapers you think “awesome, absorbent polymer.” That said, there are limitations to how amazing this polymer is. Although bunnies are about 70% water, please know a diaper will not make a bunny disappear.

    Here’s what you need for the trick:

    –       Hat

    –       Source of sodium polyacrylate (>2g)

    –       Glass of water (8 floz.)

    Start with some sodium polyacrylate at the base of the hat. You can tape a diaper to the bottom of the hat to conceal the water-absorbing polymer. Ask someone to pour a regular glass of water in the hat. Swirl the hat around and distract the audience while the water absorbs. The absorption time will depend on how much sodium polyacrylate you use and how much water is added, however, this process should occur within a matter of seconds to minutes. Once you are convinced everything has been absorbed, flip the hat over and watch the audience be amazed!

     

     

     

     

    References:

    Carnegie Mellon University (n.d.). Super absorbing polymer powder. Retrieved from https://www.cmu.edu/gelfand/education/k12-teachers/polymers/polymer-and-absorption/super-absorb-powder.html

    Foy, J. M., & Schnieden, H. (1960). Estimation of total body water (virtual tritium space) in the rat, cat, rabbit, guinea‐pig and man, and of the biological half‐life of tritium in man. The Journal of physiology, 154(1), 169-176.

    Liu, M., & Guo, T. (2001). Preparation and swelling properties of crosslinked sodium polyacrylate. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 82(6), 1515-1520.

    Parks, L. R. (1981). Cross-linked sodium polyacrylate absorbent. U.S. Patent No. 4,295,987. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

     

  • What’s The Connection Between Complex Chemistry and Islamic Medieval Architecture?

     

    karbala, iraw

     

    The expansive domes and minarets of famous mosques such as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul or Al-Masjid An-Nabbi in Medina exude a quiet, powerful energy. Oftentimes these are characterized by a large, stone courtyard. You walk through the simple, colorless path towards the mosque entrance. You feel cleansed, as if you’re leaving a part of the world outside; it’s almost unsettling. At a first glance, you could describe these mosques as plain. Crossing the threshold, however paints a different picture. Your sight is overloaded with bright jewel-toned colors: azure, emerald, turquoise, fuchsia, red. It’s hard to focus on one detail – will it be the gold leaf, intricate etch work, milky marble, shimmering glasswork? You are humbled standing underneath the enormous ceilings.

    The glittering shrines and mosques that characterized medieval Islamic architecture are more than just a pretty sight, but in fact the product of geometrical planning. Aside from the lavish materials and colors, it is the tiling patterns that make the architecture stand out. These patterns are featured prominently in Islamic arts as a substitute for more figurative images. The reasoning was that images depicting people would lead to idol worship. Inside the mosque, you see these tiles plastered densely together on the ceilings, the columns, the minarets, the free wall space.(*)

    Islamic interlacing patterns can be divided into two categories: the arabesque versus girih. While arabesque designs feature more curved elements in an effort to emulate greenery and nature, the girih is composed of geometric lines mostly of stars and polygons with interlaced lines. Muslim architects designed the girih tiling system with only two simple tools: a compass and ruler. These patterns became complex tessellations made up of up to five different shapes: the bowtie, rhombus, pentagon, elongated hexagon, and decagon. Between the 1200s to 1400s, Islamic art developed the girih exhibiting the same complexity as quasi-crystals, a material that defies normal atom packing. Back at the mosque, you trace your fingers along the figurative tiles that blend seamlessly. A lime green pentagon here, an ivory star there.You see that the tiles are made of contrasting colors with a multitude of small shapes.

    Quasi-crystals are made of patterns that look regular but do not repeat exactly. The patterns in Islamic architecture demonstrate this by including “tessellations” that have five, ten, and twelve-fold symmetry. Technically, they are are not actually patterns, but just appear to be so. Scientists conjecture that Islamic architects wanted the effect of extend a pattern without just repeating images. Looking up at some of the mosques ceilings confirms the success of this design – you feel as if you are swallowed by the dizzying depths of shimmering oceans and bright stars.500 years later mathematical physicist, Roger Penrose at University of Oxford discovered the concept of quasi-aperiodic tiling. Sir Penrose stumbled upon a pair of tiles that cannot form a pattern in a periodic manner. This discovery was just a consequence of his work on the famous tiling pattern in mathematics – “given a collection of polygonal shapes, is it possible to cover the whole plane using just these shapes, with no overlaps?”

    Quasicrystals are found mostly in metallic alloys such as (Al-Li-Cu), and lack translational symmetry. The discovery of the non-symmetrical packing of atoms took a while for the scientific community to accept. Although first discovered in the 1960s, much of the scientific community refused to believe that materials could consist of irregular atomic structure. Next, materials scientist, Dr. Dan Shectman, designed an artificial alloy with quasi-crystal properties. He did not publish his results for years because he feared that others would ridicule his work.  Only after researcheres found a  natural quasi-crystal, icosahedrite in the Koryak Mountains, Russia in 2009 that led people to be convinced. Shectman received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2011 for this work.

    Researchers connected Islamic girih and quasi-crystals recently; Dr. Peter Lu a physicist from Harvard University recognized ten-fold symmetry in architectural motifs while visiting Uzbekistan.  He analyzed 3700 Penrose tiles found in an archive of documented medieval Islamic architecture, and published a paper with Princeton University’s Dr. Paul Steinhardt titled ”Decagonal and Quasi-Crystalline Tilings in Medieval Islamic Architecture”. Dr. Lu uses the Darb-I-Imam Shrine in Iran as the iconic “near perfect” example of Penrose tiling. He conjectures that laborers could easily have created mathematically complex patterns by lining tiles decorated with lines that, once set down next to each other, form a continuous pattern.

    Back at the mosque – you see a worshipper prostrated to the ground, oblivious of the art around them. Their hearts disconnected from the ancient mathematics and chemical mimicry in which they are enclosed in. Science and spirituality; a Nobel prize in chemistry yet also an artform. These two paradigms reside side by side in the glorious, kaleidoscopic patterns of centuries old Islamic architecture. There is an elegance in the scales that aperiodic tiling has reached – from the utterly microscopic crystals to the gigantic mosques that can hold thousands of people.