Seth C. Rasmussen – författare

Conjugated organic polymers first drew significant interest in the late 1970s when metallic-looking plastic films of polyacetylene were shown to exhibit conductivities in the metallic regime after treatment with various oxidizing agents. These results formed the basis for awarding Alan MacDiarmid, Alan Heeger, and Hideki Shirakawa the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the "for the discovery and development of electrically conductive polymers." However, reports of electrically conductive polymers date back to the early 1960s, with the study of conjugated polymers as a whole dating back to the early 19th century.The Origins and Early History of Conjugated Organic Polymers rethinks the accepted historical narrative of conjugated organic polymers, challenges the established interpretations, and provides new insights into these fascinating electronic materials. Using a range of reader-friendly figures, tables, and illustrations, this book charts the history of the first six primary parent polymers, beginning with the introduction of polyaniline in 1834 and continuing up through the development of polythiophenes and low bandgap polymers in the 1980s.Thought-provoking and original, The Origins and Early History of Conjugated Organic Polymers presents an authoritative history of the primary conjugated organic materials that now make up the foundations of a significant field of science and technology.

This book is a collection of essays, written by an international group of historians of chemistry, about some of the most interesting chemists dating back into the 18th century. The contributing authors are well-established biographers, and their subjects make a diverse cast of chemistry characters. Among the chemists covered are Robert Bunsen, Joseph Black, John Dalton, Lucretia Borgia, William Crookes, and Humphry Davy. These chemists come from all over the world,and from different eras. Together, this collection truly is a celebration of the wide range of personalities and characters that have worked in chemistry over the centuries.

Chemistry is intimately involved in the development of the oldest known civilizations, resulting in a range of chemical technologies that not only continue to be part of modern civilized societies, but are so commonplace that it would be hard to imagine life without them. Such chemical technology has a very long and rich history, in some cases dating back to as early as 20,000 BCE.Chemistry Technology in Antiquity aims to present the discovery, development, and early history of a range of such chemical technologies, with the added goal of including a number of smaller subjects often ignored in the presentation of early chemical technology. While the book does not aim to be a comprehensive coverage of the full range of chemical technologies practiced during antiquity, it provides a feel and appreciation for both the deep history involved with these topics, aswell as the complexity of the chemical processes that were being utilized at such a very early time period.

From the rise of chemical technology in antiquity to the present day, Igniting the Chemical Ring of Fire tracks the development of professional chemistry communities in the countries of the Pacific Rim. Critical in this process was the development of local education and training in chemistry. The doctorate in chemistry is generally regarded as coming into existence in early 19th century Germany, with the model spreading globally as time passed. In early years it was common for international chemistry scholars to train at the ranking German or English universities before returning to their home countries to seed a local version of the doctorate. However, little has been formally written about this process outside of Europe.Representing a first in the field for countries of the Pacific Rim, this book documents the detailed history of chemical communities in ten countries from a team of internationally renowned historians. Providing insights into how and when these countries initiated local chemistry PhD programs and became independent chemical entities, Igniting the Chemical Ring of Fire shows that there is no single path to development.

This monograph explores the history and chemistry of glass technology, tracing its origins from antiquity through its evolution into a vital material for science and society. Beginning with early synthetic silica glass production around 2500 BCE, it examines its development up through the Roman period, the transformative innovations of Venetian and Murano glassmakers, and the eventual rise of Bohemian glass. The text highlights glass’s crucial role in the development of mirrors, lenses, eyeglasses, and chemical apparatus, all of which enabled critical scientific advancements. Covering glass’s refinement up to the 18th century, this book dives into its profound impact on both chemical practices and broader societal advancements.This volume is an updated and extended version of the author’s earlier Springer publication, How Glass Changed the World: The History and Chemistry of Glass from Antiquity to the 13th Century (2012), expanding the historical scope and deepening the analysis of glass’s transformative role in science and society.

Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is one of the most ubiquitous chemical compounds in the history of the chemical sciences. The generation of alcohol via fermentation is also one of the oldest forms of chemical technology, with the production of fermented beverages such as mead, beer and wine predating the smelting of metals. By the 12th century, the ability to isolate alcohol from wine had moved this chemical species from a simple component of alcoholic beverages to both a new medicine and a powerful new solvent. Of course, this also began the long tradition of production of liqueurs and strong spirits for consumption. The use of alcohol as a fuel, however, did not occur until significantly later periods. This volume presents a general overview of the early history and chemistry of alcohol production and isolation, as well as a discussion of its early uses in both the chemical arts and medicine.

This Brief presents for the first time a detailed historical overview of the development of acetylene polymers, beginning with the initial discovery of acetylene in 1836 and continuing up through the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The polymerization of acetylene is most commonly associated with polyacetylene, which was found to be conductive when treated with oxidizing agents such as Br2 or I2 in the mid‐to‐late 1970s. In fact, under the right conditions, oxidized polyacetylenes can exhibit conductivities into the metallic regime, thus providing the first example of an organic polymer exhibiting metallic conductivity. As a consequence, the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Hideki Shirakawa, Alan MacDiarmid, and Alan Heeger for this pioneering research, the award citation reading “for the discovery and development of electrically conductive polymers.” Because of this, most incorrectly view polyacetylene, as well as conducting polymers in general, to originate in the 1970s.In this work, the author examines the polymerization of acetylene from early thermal polymerization studies to the ultimate production of the fully conjugated polyacetylene. Although true polyacetylene was not successfully produced until the 1950s by Giulio Natta, the polymerization of acetylene dates back to 1866 with the work of Marcellin Berthelot. These initial efforts were continued by a range of scientists to produce a polymeric material collectively given the name cuprene in 1900 by Paul Sabatier. Between the initial cuprene studies and the production of true polyacetylene, two related materials were also studied, usually referred to as polyenes and polyvinylenes. Although both of these materials could be thought of as forms of polyacetylene, neither was actually generated from the direct polymerization of acetylene. Readers will gain insight into the fact that polyacetylene and conducting organic polymers have a much longer history than commonly believed and involved the work of a significant number of Nobel Laureates.