ISOTOPICS
The Cleveland Section of the American Chemical Society
Volume 87
Issue 2
On Deck:
March 16, 2011
Ursuline College, Meeting-inMiniature
Stuart J. Rowan, Case Western
Reserve University
Cleveland ACS Officers
Chair:
John Protasiewicz
Department of Chemistry
Case Western Reserve Univ.
Phone: 216-368-5060
protasiewicz@case.edu
Chair-Elect:
Kat Wollyung
ACS.NCW.Kat@gmail.com
Treasurer:
John Moran
Department of Science and
Mathematics
Phone: 216-373-6380
jmoran@ndc.edu
February 2011
February Meeting Notice
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Cleveland State University, Student Center (Third Floor 313)
4:30 pm
5:30 pm
6:30 pm
7:30 pm
Executive Committee Meeting
Social Hour
Dinner
Presentation
Hydrogen to Copernicium: The World of Chemistry on
Stamps
Daniel Rabinovich, PhD, Department of Chemistry, University of North
Carolina at Charlotte
Postage stamps constitute an inexpensive and engaging way of communicating
ideas to a broad audience and are therefore often used by governments or postal
authorities to inform the general public on a variety of topics, including history,
geography, literature and the arts. A surprisingly large number of stamps have
also been issued to celebrate scientific discoveries or to honor well-known
scientists and can be used as simple yet powerful teaching tools in the classroom,
to illustrate technical presentations or, as a matter of fact, to celebrate special
events such as the International Year of Chemistry (2011). This talk will feature
postage stamps and other philatelic materials related to the history of chemistry,
the discovery and sources of the elements, chemical structures and formulas,
laboratory equipment, biochemistry, and various aspects of the chemical
industrial.
Secretary:
Alice McFarland
mcfarlands1@earthlink.net
Cleveland Section Web Site:
http://www.csuohio.edu/sciences
/dept/cleveland_acs/
DINNER RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: Please RSVP by contacting
John Protasiewicz, by phone at 216-368-5060 or by e-mail at
protasiewicz@case.edu by 5 pm on Friday, February 11. (For phone
reservations, please clearly spell your last name and leave a return phone
number). Cost of the dinner is $20 for members & guests, $5 for students, and
$10 for retirees/unemployed. Checks made out to “Cleveland ACS” are greatly
appreciated. Choice of Chicken Parmesan or Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna; Italian
Salad (Spring Mix, Peppers, Artichokes, Tomatoes, Onion, Croutons, Parmesan,
Italian Dressing) or Garden Salad ( Iceberg & Romaine, Cucumber, Cherry
Tomatoes, Ranch Dressing); Brown Rice Pilaf Sauteed Broccoli Rabe or Herbed
Roasted Red Potatoes Green Beans; Amandine Apple Pie or Traditional Carrot
Cake, Dinner Rolls and Butter, Coffee, Iced Tea, Water.
Page 2
Isotopics February 2011
Directions to CSU Student Center
Euclid Ave. and East 22nd
Cleveland, OH 44115
The meeting will be held in CSU’s new Student
Center (Third Floor, 313)
American Chemical Society Cleveland Section
Parking across from Student Center on Right
(Main Classroom building); (2) Parking under
Student Center on the Left. See map for parking
locations.
Directions from the South (I-71)
Follow I-71 north to the East 22nd Street exit
(#172B). Turn left onto East 22nd Street; drive
several blocks to Euclid Avenue. Two parking
locations: (1) Parking across from Student Center
on Right (Main Classroom building); (2) Parking
under Student Center on the Left. See map for
parking locations.
Directions from the East
Follow I-90 west to the Chester Avenue/CSU exit
(#173B). Turn left onto East 24th Street; drive a
half block to Chester Avenue. Right on Chester,
Left on E.21st, Left on Euclid Ave, and then Left
on E.22nd. Two parking locations: (1) Parking
across from Student Center on Right (Main
Classroom building); (2) Parking under Student
Center on the Left. See map for parking locations.
Directions from the West (I-90)
Follow I-90 east to the East 22nd Street exit
(#172B). Turn left onto East 22nd Street; drive
several blocks to Euclid Avenue. Two parking
locations: (1) Parking across from Student Center
on Right (Main Classroom building); (2) Parking
under Student Center on the Left. See map for
parking locations.
Directions from the West (Route 2)
Follow the Shoreway (Route 2) east to I-77/I-71
South. Exit at the Chester Avenue/CSU exit
(#173B). Turn left onto East 24th Street; drive a
half block to Chester Avenue. Right on Chester,
Left on E.21st, Left on Euclid Ave, and then Left
on E.22nd. Two parking locations: (1) Parking
across from Student Center on Right (Main
Classroom building); (2) Parking under Student
Center on the Left. See map for parking locations.
Directions from the South (I-77)
Follow I-77 north to the East 22nd/East 14th
Street exit (#162B) to East 22nd Street. Turn left
onto East 22nd Street; drive several blocks to
Euclid Avenue. Two parking locations: (1)
The parking locations in the directions are
suggestions only; please consult CSU’s Map for
additional parking lots and locations.
Page 3
Isotopics February 2011
Speaker Bio
Dr. Rabinovich was born and raised in Lima,
Peru. He obtained his undergraduate (B.S.) degree
from the Catholic University in Lima and a Ph.D.
in inorganic chemistry from Columbia University
in 1994. After postdoctoral work at Los Alamos
National Laboratory in New Mexico, he joined
the Department of Chemistry at The University of
North Carolina at Charlotte, where he is now a
Professor of Chemistry. His research interests are
in synthetic and structural inorganic, bioinorganic,
and organometallic chemistry, including the
coordination chemistry of multidentate sulfurdonor ligands and the synthesis of model
compounds for metalloenzymes, as documented
in some 60 peer-reviewed publications. He is also
the Editor of Philatelia Chimica et Physica, a
quarterly publication dedicated to the study of
postage stamps related to chemistry and physics,
and is currently serving as a Program Director in
the Division of Chemistry at the National Science
Foundation.
Selected from ACS Discoveries!
Biodegradable foam plastic substitute made
from milk protein and clay
Lighter-than-a-feather, this new material, made
from milk protein and clay, could become a new
biodegradable substitute for traditional foamed
plastics. Amid ongoing concern about plastic
waste accumulating in municipal landfills, and
reliance on imported oil to make plastics,
scientists are reporting development of a new
ultra-light biodegradable foam plastic material
made from two unlikely ingredients: The protein
in milk and ordinary clay. The new substance
could be used in furniture cushions, insulation,
packaging, and other products, they report in the
ACS’ Biomacromolecules, a monthly journal.
David Schiraldi and colleagues explain that 80
percent of the protein in cow milk is a substance
called casein, which already finds uses in making
adhesives and paper coatings. But casein is not
very strong, and water can wash it away. To beef
up casein, and boost its resistance to water, the
scientists blended in a small amount of clay and a
American Chemical Society Cleveland Section
reactive molecule called glyceraldehyde, which
links casein’s protein molecules together.
The scientists freeze-dried the resulting mixture,
removing the water to produce a spongy aerogel,
one of a family of substances so light and airy that
they have been termed “solid smoke.” To make
the gossamer foam stronger, they cured it in an
oven, and then tested its sturdiness. They
concluded that it is strong enough for commercial
uses, and biodegradable, with almost a third of the
material breaking down within 30 days.
2011 ACS Cleveland Meeting-inMiniature
March 16th 2011 at Ursuline College
We invite abstracts for presentations at our
upcoming Meeting-In-Miniature (MIM) from
graduate students, undergraduate students, as
well as principal investigators. This year’s MIM
will be held at Ursuline College. Directions and
other details will follow. Abstracts are to be
submitted by email only as Microsoft Word
documents to Prof. David Ball at the following
email address: d.ball@csuohio.edu. Please include
a succinct title, name of authors and affiliation
(the name of the presenter should be underlined).
Please write MIM-Undergrad in the subject line of
the email for undergraduate student presenters,
MIM-Grad for graduate student presenters, and
MIM-PI for principal investigators. Monetary
awards for best undergraduate and graduate
student oral presentations will be given, so please
urge your students to participate. Questions about
paper submissions can be directed to John
Protasiewicz (protasiewicz@case.edu).
Call for Nominations: Heller Award
By Kenneth W. Street
The Cleveland Section of the American Chemical
Society annually sponsors an award to recognize
an outstanding high school chemistry teacher in
the Cleveland Section. The award consists of an
honorarium of $1,000 and a framed certificate.
The award is named for Irene Heller of North
Olmsted High School in recognition of her
Page 4
Isotopics February 2011
contributions as an outstanding high school
chemistry teacher and her service to the Cleveland
Section. For more details regarding the award
please visit:
http://www.csuohio.edu/sciences/dept/cleveland_
acs/Heller.htm
Nominations for the award should be presented to
Kenneth Street, at the address below by close of
business Friday, March 11, 2011. The
nominations should consist of information on the
candidate's education, professional experience and
activities, awards and honors, offices held and
specifics on significant contributions. The letter of
nomination should highlight these significant
contributions. Seconding letters are suggested. A
detailed curriculum vita of the candidate may also
be included. Nominations should be sponsored by
at least one member of the Cleveland Section. If
you do not know a local section ACS member
willing to serve as Champion for your candidate,
contact Ken Street and he will provide one for
you. The Cleveland Section is geographically
confined to the counties of Cuyahoga, Geauga,
Lorain, Medina, Huron, and Erie. Nominators of
candidates who work outside of these counties
may contact the Cleveland Section of the
American Chemical Society for more information
about High School Chemistry Teacher Awards.
Hard copy nomination packages should be
American Chemical Society Cleveland Section
addressed to: Kenneth Street, NASA-GRC, MS23-2, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, Ohio
44135. Electronic nominations using Word or
PDF Files mailed to kenneth.w.street@nasa.gov
are preferred. Ken Street may be contacted at 216433-5032 during business hours for assistance
with submissions.
The award will be presented at the April 20, 2011
meeting of the Cleveland Section.
ACS-Hach High School Chemistry
Grant
By Chris Ciolli
The ACS-Hach High School Chemistry Grant is
awarded to high school chemistry teachers seeking
funds to support ideas that transform classroom
learning, foster student development, and reveal
the wonders of chemistry. Teachers can request up
to $1,500 for their ideas.
Applications are accepted annually February 1 –
April 1. Applicants for the 2011-2012 award cycle
will be notified of their status by June 30, 2011
Please visit the ACS website for additional
program details:
http://portal.acs.org/portal/PublicWebSite/funding
/grants/hachhighschool/index.htm
Page 5
Isotopics February 2011
American Chemical Society Cleveland Section
Celebrate International Year of Chemistry at CSU Michael Schwartz Library
Chemistry – Our life, our future
The Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library, in partnership with the CSU Chemistry
Department, will host events, including presentations and an exhibit, through February to launch and
celebrate the International Year of Chemistry 2011. These events will highlight the achievements of
chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of human kind.
Presentations
Experts in the field of chemistry will make presentations in the Michael Schwartz Library (first floor),
located in Rhodes Tower, at 1860 East 22nd Street. All presentations are free and open to the public.
Refreshments will be provided.




Wednesday, February 2; 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Dr. Helen Mayer, Research Associate & Project Manager, GrafTech International, will give a talk
entitled: "100 years of Chemistry in Cleveland"
Wednesday, February 9; 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Dr. Joe Gorse, Chemistry Department, Baldwin Wallace College, will speak about his work in
renewable energy
Wednesday, February 16; 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Dr. Michael Kalafatis, Chemistry Department, Cleveland State University, will present on his
promising research to combat cancer
Wednesday, February 23; 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Dr. Jerry Mundell/Dr. Anne O'Connor
Chemistry Department, Cleveland State University, will perform chemistry demonstrations
Exhibit
A 2011 International year of Chemistry Exhibit will be displayed on the first floor of the CSU Michael
Schwartz Library through February 2011 during regular library hours. Display materials include the
history of chemistry timeline, a 12-foot DNA Molecule model, a thematic periodic table display, and
more. A display of circulating books on chemistry and informational brochures about careers in chemistry
will also be available.
For more information about the events or the display, please contact Theresa Nawalaniec, Sciences and
Engineering Librarian, at 216-687-3504.
Page 6
Isotopics February 2011
American Chemical Society Cleveland Section
Contribution to the International Year of Chemistry
Celebration of the 125th Anniversary of Charles M. Hall’s Discovery of the Process
for Electrochemical Refining of Aluminum Metal
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH
4:45 p.m., Wright Lecture Hall W201, Science Center
Lessons from Charles Hall: Stabilization of Highly Reactive Molecules
Gregory H. Robinson, University of Georgia
8:00 p.m., Craig Lecture Hall, Science Center
Aluminum: The Miracle Metal
Kevin Anton, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Alcoa, Inc.
Exhibits at Oberlin Heritage Center, Mudd Library, and the Science Center
Abstract for Robinson’s Lecture
This laboratory has long been interested in the synthesis and structure of aluminum-based molecules.
These efforts have resulted in experimental realization of metalloaromaticity (the concept that metallic
rings may also display traditional aromatic behavior) and novel compounds containing multiple bonding
between main-group metals. Our recent efforts concerning the utilization of N-heterocyclic carbene
ligands with main-group elements have yielded fascinating results. This presentation will highlight the
unique chemistry of boron, aluminum, silicon, and gallium.
Bio for Robinson
A native of Anniston, Alabama, Gregory H. Robinson was born in 1958.
He earned a football scholarship to Jacksonville State University
(Alabama), where he obtained a B.S. in Chemistry. Under the guidance of
Professor Jerry L. Atwood at the University of Alabama, he earned a
Ph.D. in the organometallic chemistry of aluminum. He joined the faculty
of Clemson University in 1985 and developed a productive research
program emphasizing the organometallic chemistry of the group 13
elements. In 1994 Professor Robinson was awarded an Alexander von
Humboldt Research Fellowship and studied in the laboratory of Prof. Dr.
Herbert Schumann at the Institut für Anorganische and Analytische
Chemie at the Technische Universität in Berlin, Germany. Professor
Robinson joined the faculty of the University of Georgia in 1995 and now
holds the title of Franklin Professor of Chemistry. He has won a number of awards, including the 2010
Lamar Dodd Creative Research Award, the highest research award at the University of Georgia. He has
many publications in the area of main group chemistry.
Page 7
Isotopics February 2011
American Chemical Society Cleveland Section
Bio for Anton
Kevin J. Anton was named Chief Sustainability Officer for Alcoa in
August 2010.
In this role, he is responsible for developing a
comprehensive strategy that integrates all of the Company’s sustainability
efforts. He is also a vice president of Alcoa and sits on the Alcoa
Executive Council. Kevin Anton has worked more than 30 years in the
metals and mining industry. Most recently, he served as Vice President,
Finance and Strategy for Alcoa Global Primary Products. He joined Alcoa
in 1998 as vice president of Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals. He then
became vice president, Finance for Alcoa’s Primary Products organization.
In 2006, he was elected a vice president of Alcoa, and a year later became
Chief Financial Officer for Global Primary Products. As CFO, Kevin
Anton oversees financial activities and strategy for Alcoa’s nine alumina
refineries, bauxite assets in Australia, Brazil, Jamaica, Suriname and
Guinea, and the company’s worldwide smelting system. Before joining Alcoa, he held senior
management positions at Alumax. Alcoa acquired Alumax in 1998. He graduated from the University of
Bridgeport in 1986 with a degree in accounting.
Directions to Oberlin
Take the extension of I 480 west onto US 10, which turns into US 20. About one mile before the dual
highway ends, take OH 511 west into Oberlin (two miles). Beyond the large open square in the middle of
town, go one block west on OH 511 to Woodland St. and turn north. A parking lot is to the left a half
block north. To find unrestricted parking, drive into the parking lot and turn north in front of the tennis
courts. An entrance to the Science Center is on Woodland St. opposite the entrance to the parking lot.
Page 8
Isotopics February 2011
American Chemical Society Cleveland Section
February Historical Events in Chemistry
By Leopold May
The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC
Feb. 3, 1900
Crompton & Knowles, Inc., was incorporated on this date.
Feb. 8, 1777
Two hundred years ago, Bernard Courtois, who discovered iodine (I, 53) in the liquor
from the lixiviation of kelp, was born on this date.
Feb. 17, 1838
Friedrich K. Beilstein, who published what is now known as the standard reference work
on organic chemistry and has been updated ever since 1880, was born on this date. It can
now be accessed on line.
Feb. 19, 1764
Two hundred years ago in 1811, Gottlieb Siqismund Kirchhof applied the first controlled
catalytic reaction to produce glucose from starch. He developed a method for refining
vegetable oil and established a factory in St. Petersburg capable of producing two tons
per day. Also, he experimented with brewing and fermentation and was born on this date.
Feb. 23, 1886
One hundred and twenty-five years ago on this date, Charles M. Hall was the first to
produce electrolytic aluminum in his woodshed laboratory at his family’s home.
ISOTOPICS STAFF
Editor:
Daniel Tyson
Day-Glo Color Corporation
Phone: 216-391-7384
daniel_s_tyson@yahoo.com
Business and Advertising:
Alice McFarland
mcfarlands1@earthlink.net
Associate Editor
Dwight Chasar
dwight.chasar@yahoo.com
Associate Editor
Richard L. Middaugh
Phone: 440-785-0293
rlmiddaugh@ameritech.net
Associate Editor
Dr. Lily Ng
Cleveland State University
Phone: 216-687-2467
l.ng@csuohio.edu
Associate Editor
Daniel Scheiman
QSC/NASA GRC
Phone: 216-433-3223
daniel.a.scheiman@nasa.gov
Associate Editor
Meenakshi Hardi
Phone: 440-941-6467
minaxie@gmail.com
Isotopics is looking to highlight local chemistry professionals, companies, teachers, research groups, students,
events, and more. If you have an idea for an Isotopics article, please contact the editor. Isotopics is also looking
for local members to join our staff. Time commitments for staff members are minimal (a few hours a year!) and
your contributions will be invaluable to our local section. If you are interested in joining Isotopics, please
contact the editor.