Category Archives: In the lab

My #overlyhonestmethods story

Posted on January 11, 2013 by stu

Single crystals suitable for X-ray crystallographic analysis were obtained when a solution of the salt in EtOAc/nC6H14/MeCN was allowed to stand at 20 °C for about 1 d. That sentence appears in the X-ray characterization section of only the second … Continue reading →

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Make-or-break chemistry

Posted on September 22, 2011 by stu

When I told Rachel that I would write something for the favourite chemical reactions #chemcarnival being organized by C&EN, I started thinking about the reactions I did during my career at the bench (undergrad, PhD, and postdoc). My least favourite … Continue reading →

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Awed by the rings

Posted on August 14, 2011 by stu

Whether it’s actually true or not, most of us can’t help being charmed by the snake-biting-its-own-tail story of how Kekule figured out the structure of benzene (as well as the associated Ouroboros symbolism). And I’d be willing to bet that … Continue reading →

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