Volume 40, Issue 2

On 28 July 2016, I received the following message from Sir Martyn Poliakoff, Professor at Nottingham University in the UK and a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, who I have known for years. He wrote:

Justus von Liebig (1803-1873) has been described as “one of the founding fathers of organic chemistry and a great teacher who transformed scientific education, medical practice, and agriculture in Great Britain” [1]. His research was generally initially published in German, although in some cases an English translation was released at the same time. William Brock identified a number of people associated with providing English translations. Most of these were former students, such as John Buddle Blyth (1814-1871), John Gardner (1804-1880), William Gregory (1803-1858), Samuel William Johnson (1830-1909), Benjamin Horatio Paul (1827-1917), Lyon Playfair (1818-1898), Thomas Richardson (1816-1867), Warren De La Rue (1815-1889), as well as Edward Turner (1796-1837) and his brother Wilton George Turner (1810-1855). In this article, the emphasis is on Edward Turner, Wilton George Turner, and John Buddle Blyth, who were all born on sugar plantations in Jamaica [2].

The pre-Socratic philosophers made the first honest attempt, at least in the western world, to describe natural phenomena in a rudimentary scientific manner and to exploit those for technological application [1]. Pythagoras of Samos (570–495 BC) was an Ionian Greek philosopher and the first to actually call himself a “philosopher”. He was credited with many mathematical and scientific discoveries, including the Pythagorean theorem, Pythagorean tuning, the five regular solids, the theory of proportions, and the sphericity of the Earth. The Pythagorean triple is also well-known. Heraclitus of Ephesus (535–475 BC) was famous for his insistence on ever-present change as the fundamental essence of the universe, as stated in the famous saying “panta rhei” —everything flows.

After a long-lasting and demanding effort, a dream has come true: plans to establish the International Centre for Natural Product Research (ICNPR) in Dhaka, Bangladesh are becoming a reality. At the end of November 2017, the Islamic Development Bank approved a significant loan that made it possible to achieve an ambitious idea. The centre will be built at, and become an integrated part of, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences in Dhaka. This odyssey would never have become a success if it had not been for Professor Mohammad Mosihuzzaman, who worked relentlessly to build international support for the idea through IUPAC projects and CHEMRAWN XX.

The conservation of works of art makes them accessible, and will ensure the transfer of cultural heritage to future generations,. For long term preservation, the development of effective and sustainable conservation materials is of fundamental importance. Although in the past traditional approaches in restoration have used highly effective natural materials for cleaning, modern research has focused on the systematic design of materials and methodologies. For instance, during the nineteenth century conservators reported the use of materials such as vinegar, wine, lemon juice, and today saliva is still used in cleaning applications. Although it is now recognized that these materials contain components that are effective cleaning agents, until recently there has been a lack of systematic studies regarding the control of their structure and reactivity.

At the meeting in São Paulo, Brazil in July 2017, the IUPAC Council approved important recommendations for the revision of the programmes through which individual chemists can be affiliated to IUPAC, either as a paid member (the Affiliate Membership Programme, or AMP) or as a sponsored affiliate (an option for limited numbers of early career chemists from emerging regions). The proposals were developed through a process during 2016 and early 2017 led by the Treasurer and Executive Director, through discussion at the 99th Executive Meeting, Beijing 8-9 November 2016, and the 99th Bureau meeting 8 April 2017, before consideration at Council in July 2017.

The Executive Editorial Board of  Polymer International  (PI) and the IUPAC Polymer Division (Div IV) are pleased to announce Professor Cyrille Andre Boyer as the winner of the Sixth Polymer International–IUPAC award.

Peter D.J. Grootenhuis received this award in recognition of his outstanding creative contributions to the invention, discovery and development of ivacaftor (KALYDECO™) which was a transformational event in the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF). Peter Grootenhuis led the team that not only brought this revolutionary drug to the clinic but also has continued to work in the CF field to extend his work with new drugs to treat CF.

On 20 December 2017, during its 74th Plenary Meeting, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly 72nd Session has proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT 2019). In proclaiming an International Year focusing on the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements and its applications, the United Nations has recognized the importance of raising global awareness of how chemistry promotes sustainable development and provides solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health. Indeed, the resolution was adopted as part of a more general Agenda item on Science and technology for development. This International Year will bring together many different stakeholders including UNESCO, scientific societies and unions, educational and research institutions, technology platforms, non-profit organizations and private sector partners to promote and celebrate the significance of the Periodic Table of Elements and its applications to society during 2019.

The theme for World Metrology Day 2018 is Constant evolution of the International System of Units . This theme was chosen because in November 2018, the General Conference on Weights and Measures is expected to agree one of the largest changes to the International System of Units (the SI) since its inception. The proposed changes are based on the results of research into new measurement methods that have used quantum phenomena as the basis for standards that are fundamental.  The SI will be based on a set of definitions each linked to the laws of physics and have the advantage of being able to embrace further improvements in measurement science and technology to meet the needs of future users for many years to come.

ICSU’s Committee on Freedom and Responsibility in Science issued a statement from the World Science Forum, where it held its 23rd meeting 6-8 November 2017, highlighting the role of science as the bedrock of a peaceful and equitable world. The statement fed into the closing declaration of the World Science Forum 2017.

The Malta VIII Conference titled “Frontiers of Science: Research and Education in the Middle East—A Bridge to Peace” took place in the Republic of Malta. From the 10-15 December 2017, one hundred scientists, from 14 Middle East countries, who are committed to using science diplomacy for peace, spent five days collaborating with each other in order to solve regional problems of environmental degradation, water scarcity, chemical and nuclear security, and science and technology education.

The IUPAC 46 th World Chemistry Congress (in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 9-14 July, 2017) emphasized the importance of the link between chemistry and the environment in their ‘Energy, Water and Environmental Science’ programme. The Chemistry and the Environment Division of IUPAC (Division VI) has sponsored and organized three symposia to present the latest advances concerning the environmental impact of emerging technologies and the fate of pollutants in the environment. Additional financial support was provided by the IUPAC Project Committee under the ‘New Directions in Chemistry’ initiative.

The tools of analytical chemistry, and the expertise and enthusiasm of many of its practitioners, have had a profound influence in the field of cultural heritage [1, 2]. Analytical techniques, especially those involving non-destructive methods of examination, have played a key role in the characterization, restoration, and preservation of an incredible range of works of art and cultural heritage, including ceramics, textiles, paintings, books, drawings, sculptures, jewelry, and a myriad of artifacts made of glass, wood, or metal. In addition, modern analytical instrumentation has been successfully applied to study the techniques used to produce heritage materials, to verify the authorship or estimate the date of pieces of art, and to detect reproductions and forgeries.