Fifty Fascinating Molecules from A to Z

Fifty Fascinating Molecules: From A to Z, Volume 2 continues the series begun with Every Molecule Tells a Story, Every Molecule Matters and Fifty Fascinating Molecules From A to Z, Volume 1, bringing another fifty stories of molecules – some everyday, some little-known – to the general reader. As before, each chapter combines narrative with accessible science, and familiar names sit alongside surprising ones: the vinegar acid acetic acid and the nail-varnish-remover solvent acetone rub shoulders with cobalt chloride and Zeise's salt, reflecting the author's own background in transition metal and organometallic chemistry.Many important medicinal molecules are featured, including Acyclovir, Galanthamine, Ibuprofen, Testosterone, Tramadol, and Vinblastine and the other vinca alkaloidsSeveral molecules with distinctive smells and flavours are discussed, including Benzaldehyde, Carvone, Eugenol, the banana esters, and the floral molecules behind jasmine and rose oil, notably β-DamascenoneUnpleasant odours get their own chapters too, including (E)-2-Butene-1-thiol from skunks, Dimethyl disulphide from the Titan arum, and Incensole acetate, the psychoactive constituent of incenseFour vaping-related molecules are covered, including Acrolein, Diacetyl, Ketene, and 6-MethylnicotineSeveral explosive and hazardous nitro-compounds are included, such as 2,4-Dinitrophenol, 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine, Nitroglycerine, and 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT)Two important polymers are discussed, Kevlar and Poly(tetrafluoroethene) (Teflon)Several molecules important in the environment are included, such as Nitrogen dioxide, Peroxyacetylnitrate, and Deuterium oxide (heavy water)Other notable molecules featured include Ammonia, Strychnine, Nonen-2-al (linked to ageing skin), and 1,8-Cineole, the eucalyptus-oil component associated with koalas and, more recently, memory enhancementThe book is complemented by a detailed bibliography of references from the original literature, providing all the background information one could reasonably expect for each of the fifty molecules detailed throughout the chapters.