The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022: Click Chemistry

On 5 October 2022, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022 to Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless “for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry”.

 

In Click chemistry, the molecules are connected together with the simple command of "click." Making complicated processes simpler is the focus of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. A functional branch of chemistry known as "click chemistry," in which molecular building pieces fit together rapidly and precisely, was established by Barry Sharpless and Morten Meldal. Click chemistry has been expanded by Carolyn Bertozzi, who has begun applying it to living things. For a very long time, chemists have been motivated by the ambition to create ever-more complex compounds. This has frequently involved generating artificial versions of natural compounds with therapeutic qualities in pharmaceutical research. This has produced numerous admirable molecular constructs, but they are typically time- and money-consuming to make.

The theme of this year's Chemistry Prize is working with what is straightforward and uncomplicated rather than overcomplicating things. Even by following a simple path, functional molecules can be created, according to Johan Qvist, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. The initiative was established by Barry Sharpless, who is currently receiving his second Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He developed the idea of "click chemistry" around the year 2000, which is a type of straightforward chemistry in which reactions take place rapidly and unintended byproducts are avoided. Shortly after, independently of one another, Morten Meldal and Barry Sharpless presented the azide-alkyne cycloaddition, which is generally regarded as the pinnacle of click chemistry.
Now used frequently, this chemical reaction is both beautiful and effective. It is used, among many other things, to map DNA, produce medications, and make materials that are better suited for their intended application. Carolyn Bertozzi raised the bar for click chemistry. She created click reactions that function inside living beings in order to map crucial but elusive proteins called glycans that are found on the surface of cells. Her bioorthogonal processes happen without interfering with the cell's regular chemistry. Today, people all over the world employ these reactions to investigate cells and monitor biological processes. Researchers have enhanced the targeting of cancer medications using bioorthogonal processes, which are currently being examined in clinical studies.

Chemistry has entered the functionalism age thanks to click chemistry and bioorthogonal reactions. The greatest benefit to humanity is being provided by this. Illustrations Use of the illustrations for non-commercial uses is free. " Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences" should be credited.

Illustrations

Illustration: Nobel prize in Chemistry

Illustration: The click reaction that changed chemistry 

Illustration: Bioorthogonal chemistry illuminates the cell

Brief Info about the Winners

Carolyn R. Bertozzi, born 1966 in USA. PhD 1993 from UC Berkeley, CA, USA. Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor at Stanford University, CA, USA.

Morten Meldal, born 1954 in Denmark. PhD 1986 from Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark. Professor at University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

K. Barry Sharpless, born 1941 in Philadelphia, PA, USA. PhD 1968 from Stanford University, CA, USA. W. M. Keck Professor at Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA.

 

Prize amount: 10 million Swedish kronor, to be shared equally between the Laureates.

The Chemistry Behind Your Phone: What You Need to Know

The average American checks their phone 150 times a week, and they don’t even have an iPhone. It’s not just the way we communicate that has changed; phones themselves are something very different from what they used to be. Smartphones today have many functions beyond making calls, sending texts, and checking email. In fact, most of us use our phones to take photos, stream music, access social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, play games, record video and much more. This article takes a look at all the amazing things your smartphone can do thanks to chemistry. We explore the role of science in your phone’s camera, microphone, speakers, battery and other features – along with how manufacturers achieve those results at an affordable price point – so you can geek out about it over happy hour with friends or family members.

The Camera: What’s Behind the Brightness, Colour and Resolution?

All of the major smartphone manufacturers use cameras made by a company called Sony. Those companies include Apple, Samsung, LG, Huawei, and even Google, which makes its own Pixel phones. Sony makes the sensors inside these cameras and the image processing software, too. Sony was an early pioneer in the use of these image sensors and the production of CMOS sensors. CMOS stands for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor and it is used in most digital cameras today to capture and store an image, just like film in older cameras did. The sensors in these cameras get their brightness and colour by using an RGB filter, which is an approach that was introduced decades ago. The RGB colours represent the three primary colours needed to create the full spectrum of colour that our eyes can see. What makes these RGB filters special is that all three filters are made from a single piece of material. The colour filter is made from silicon, which is the main component in sand. The silicon is treated in different ways to produce either red, green or blue filters as needed.

Screen: How do they work?

The most important part of any smartphone is the screen. Without a screen, a phone isn’t much more than a brick. Fortunately, we have advanced technology that allows us to have large, bright screens in a tiny device. How do they work? A smartphone screen is made up of millions of tiny pixels. Each pixel is made up of two tiny red, green or blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs). When a pixel needs to be red, electricity travels through the LED and turns it on. This makes the pixel red. When electricity flows through the LED again, it turns off the pixel. This allows the pixel to be any colour in between red and black. The chemicals inside this LED are critical to its effectiveness. When electricity flows through the LED, it causes chemicals inside to travel between two electrodes. This releases photons (light particles) that are visible to the human eye. When the electricity stops flowing, the electrons go back to their original position, which stops the photons from being released. This process is repeated millions of times per second.

The Microphone: Why Are They So Good At Recording Audio?

Although audio is a secondary feature for most people when it comes to a smartphone, it’s still an important function for those who want to record concerts and sporting events, podcast, or even use the microphone as a voice-activated remote control for their TV. The primary mic in smartphones is usually the one used for answering and placing calls and it’s a basic MEMS or piezoelectric microphone. MEMS microphones have been around for decades and have very low noise compared to standard condenser microphones. They are also very small and they are used in smartphones, smart speakers, and almost all other audio devices, like Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Apple Homepod.

The Speakers: How Do They Sound So Good?

The speakers in smartphones are usually MEMS speakers, too, the same ones used in the microphones. Although smartphones have speakers on the front and back of the device, most people use the front speakers. That’s because the sound coming from the back speakers is reflected off of whatever surface the phone is resting on, creating a sound that is very muffled, and not nearly as loud as the sound from the front speaker. The speakers in a smartphone are both very tiny and very close together. It’s a design challenge that manufacturers work hard to overcome. Engineers use several different approaches to deal with this problem. One common technique is called “cascading,” where sound coming out of one speaker is used to drive the other speaker. Another approach is something called “acoustical coupling,” where the speakers are placed right next to each other so the sound is coupled together and travels through the air as one sound wave.

The Battery: Why Are Smartphone Batteries So Small?

While battery technology has evolved over the years, it hasn’t kept pace with the increase in power consumption of smartphones. The lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones are fairly recent. They have many advantages that have made them the battery of choice, including their light weight and ability to be recharged relatively easily. That said, lithium-ion batteries are not a perfect technology. They are still susceptible to catching fire if they are overcharged, used improperly, or are damaged in some way. All of the major smartphone manufacturers make their batteries in-house and have their own labs. In fact, many manufacturers have more than one lab because batteries are such a complicated part. It’s an incredibly difficult process to get the battery right and meet the standards set by international regulators. Each manufacturer has its own proprietary formula for the chemistry in its batteries, which is why they don’t all last the same amount of time.

Other Features: Fingerprint Scanners, Practice Software and More

Many smartphones have fingerprint scanners that are used for security and unlocking the phone, but they are also great for accessing certain apps. The fingerprint scanner that is used in Apple and Samsung phones is different than the fingerprint scanners that are used for authentication by law enforcement. It’s a capacitive sensor that uses a small electrical charge to determine if there’s a fingerprint there. Practice software can be installed on smartphones to help you improve your skills in many different areas. There are apps to help with foreign language skills, music skills, and even apps that help you practice mental exercises, like improving your memory or skills at critical thinking.

Final Thoughts

Phones have changed so much since the days of the rotary phone, but they are also very much the same, too. They are still a way for people to communicate with one another, they are just much faster, have better clarity and have the ability to go beyond just one conversation at a time. The phone has become so much more than that in today’s world, and it’s exciting to see what the future holds for them.