tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2183546347905965742011-07-28T12:25:57.641-07:00Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.comBlogger201100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-64390343621326763582010-09-02T00:25:00.000-07:002010-09-02T00:26:05.714-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, life has gotten very busy with the beginning of my first year of grad school. Hopefully I'll be able to post more often in the coming weeks.

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-75786467593570116922010-07-29T11:54:00.000-07:002010-07-29T12:09:40.856-07:00

In lieu of a real post, some fun chemistry out in the world: lots of big-name papers have come out in the JACS ASAPs in the last few days. -From Greg Fu, on asymmetric Suzukis on racemic alpha-chloroamides;-From Sam Danishefsky, about using cyclobutenone as a DA dienophile, then using it to ring-expand in fun ways-From MCW, elaborating on her allylic C-H oxidation chemistry [1]; -From Scott

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-14745665963130419182010-07-28T09:48:00.000-07:002010-07-28T09:54:07.968-07:00

Seriously, guys? Check out the first page of the .pdf version of the paper. I warn you all now, if papers start reading back-to-front, I'm changing fields.

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-8948103781254275742010-07-27T14:44:00.000-07:002010-07-27T15:28:33.352-07:00

Many of us will end up using preps from ancient or esoteric sources, to put it kindly. In addition, citing journals using the full journal name tends to make you look silly, similarly to those who always use someone's full name to speak to them. For those of us who can never remember if its Tet Let or Tet Lett, there's this wonderful resource from UBC to find those abbreviations and their full

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-55036272183511053792010-07-26T20:20:00.000-07:002010-07-27T14:42:33.421-07:00

There are a few things that most chemists end up needing--one of these is a series of tabulated NMR solvent shifts. If you're a theoretical or physical chemist, you can probably ignore these, but anyone who has to synthesize and therefore characterize compounds needs to know what else besides their desired compounds resides in their samples. The original reference that I was given for this was

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-53683413695307318632010-07-26T00:01:00.000-07:002010-07-26T00:30:11.959-07:00

So you're pushing through yet another column, or waiting for a mildly-emulsified extraction to separate, or monitoring the progress of a vacuum distillation. In fact, there's very little in chemistry that doesn't require a good degree of waiting. While the best of us can do five things at once, I seem to fail if I try to do more than two or three things at once, especially when one of them is

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-36979038084330516042010-07-22T15:53:00.000-07:002010-07-22T17:03:13.544-07:00

An article over at Threat Level, a Wired News blog devoted to privacy issues in technology, presents the business model of one Righthaven: buy copyrights to news articles and sue the daylights out of everyone who re-posts those articles or otherwise infringes on their copyrights. Those who know me know that I am a big fan of civil rights and of minimal government intervention. I believe that

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-36151167952735383582010-07-22T08:27:00.000-07:002010-07-22T08:31:40.691-07:00

This "letter" has been circulating around my current group, and I had to share (NSFW language). I'm really thinking about making a BSDU tee to wear around the department.

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-54769217529286767032010-07-21T20:30:00.000-07:002010-07-21T22:22:32.246-07:00

As promised, posting will increase around here. Also as promised, I'm planning on dishing on the graduate school selection process. This post: the visit weekendsSo, you've applied for grad school, and you've gotten in a few places. If you're like me, you got into most of the places you applied, though some still turned you down, for reasons that may or may not be obvious. Who cares about them

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-64751168661793656732010-07-21T09:53:00.000-07:002010-07-21T20:16:04.759-07:00

So, yet another paper has come out showing that a first-row transition metal complex can do that for which noble metals are usually used. Like most of my organiker brethren, especially those in process development, I would like nothing more if I could use a complex derived from a $35/kg metal [1] instead of one that costs $16/g [2]. In fact, there are several reactions with iron that inherently

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-79508042150176996332010-06-19T14:18:00.000-07:002010-06-19T14:26:19.440-07:00

Hi all.Yes, I realize that "all" applies to a single reader right now, and that reader probably has forgotten about me here because I haven't posted in nearly a year. I have a really good excuse though.I'm now out of the job market and in grad school. A thousand miles away from where I was ten months ago. Yikes.Maybe in some future posts, I'll tackle my decision-making processes that both led

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-56371931930925593242009-08-19T14:51:00.000-07:002009-08-19T15:16:05.557-07:00

I'm a bigtime chem nerd. There's no doubt; at this point, I'm beyond saving by even the most charismatic anti-science evangelist. One of the very nerdy things that I most enjoy is reading the latest journal articles. When I was working, it was a nice way to fill the downtime between setup and workup. Nanoparticles and total syntheses, DNA switches and intramolecular Hecks; I'm all about the

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-45999254035055501492009-08-18T23:49:00.000-07:002009-08-18T23:50:31.971-07:00

All that my education has served to do is improve the quality of my ignorance.

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-18193130964271896012009-08-18T19:12:00.001-07:002009-08-18T23:53:56.155-07:00

Hi all,Long time no post. Working on getting a full-time job still; market appears to be improving, but only slightly. Dunno what happened with early interviews, but redoubling efforts on all fronts. Any leads, let me know!

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-91362049857754949252009-05-12T23:40:00.000-07:002009-05-13T00:28:28.961-07:00

So I finally graduated a bit ago, summa cum laude with a BS/MS in chemistry.  YAY ME!I've since moved home to my parents' house, applied for and now interviewed for several research positions in the Boston and northern MA area.  The process has certainly been an interesting one.The way that Pharma typically does interviews is similar to that of the way engineering companies do, but otherwise is

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-51722882286794981602009-04-21T14:04:00.001-07:002009-04-21T14:05:29.753-07:00

I just submitted my thesis for publishing.Therefore, I am goofing off a little.MY FUTURE HOME.

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-14262258807571099152009-04-20T03:26:00.000-07:002009-04-20T03:34:43.843-07:00

Let me say to all those out there, I love to teach.  I never quite feel as alive as when I'm in front of a class of students; I'm on the tips of my toes keeping on top of everything I tell them.  I love that look in their eyes when they finally get it, and I still enjoy working with those who can't seem to do so.  However, as much as I enjoy this deeply personal experience, I really, really

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-11527483872850801962009-04-19T14:26:00.001-07:002010-07-26T00:31:03.825-07:00

And for all of you who claim to be serious and intellectual, here's the Internet's middle finger in your direction.  It's a very amusing middle finger.

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-75285988120391914162009-04-17T07:51:00.001-07:002009-04-20T03:35:13.363-07:00

THESIS APPROVAL RECORD ALL SIGNED!!!*SQUEE*

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218354634790596574.post-64220412075218286672009-04-16T20:23:00.000-07:002009-04-20T03:36:08.099-07:00

Hello blogosphere![spherespheresphere]Wow, it's a little lonely out here.I'm a chemist, just finishing up my MS thesis at a university in Boston (and if you assume BU, I will have to hit you), trying to graduate, and hoping to get a job.  I'm going to use this for rambling, especially about chemistry topics, but also about life, especially in this economic depression.  For those who have written

Big Bad Chem Daddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05822256370270464358noreply@blogger.com0