Chemistry-Killers-Soap

What did I do tonight you ask, I hunted for a common factor between serial killers and chemistry. I have recently been captivated by the NBC television show called Hannibal, which is based on Tom Harris's novel The Red Dragon.  The show got me thinking about all the insane thoughts that can creep into a persons mind, and some of the ways they pull off their deeds. The most fascinating serial killers were not the ones who shed the most blood - no, they were the ones who did it so nonchalantly and undercover that it took a while to catch them. These sly killers, I found out had backgrounds in chemistry and used compounds as their agent of chaos.

Many of these sick people would poisons such as arsenic, cyanide, and anthrax to off their companions. All of these chemicals are detrimental to the body and their functions. The appeal of these poisons was that they can mostly go undetected and are extremely deadly. Cyanide for example could easily be snuck into a wine glass or coffee, and BAM, a murder had been committed.

I also discovered the harm that can be found in household cleaners. Dishwashing soap and laundry detergent when ingested wreak havoc on the body. A few killers used these household items as their murder devices. Instead of the maid with the gun in the bedroom, the murder mystery was a father with a cup of detergent and a hint of fertilizer with a family dinner in the kitchen. All because he understood the harm the chemicals that clean our clothes can have on the fragile system within us.


Now what do killers and chemistry have in common? Lets take a look at the soap industry and a eco-friendly solution.

Large soap companies are harming the world and people just like a serial killer harms a city. These big companies produce synthetic perfumes and harmful chemicals to make their soaps smell nice and become bubbly. These chemicals can cause major harm, like cancer and birth defects. The big industries are producing soap that makes our skin and hair shine but will only dull our lives the longer we use it. These big industries also expel a massive amount of pollutants into the nearby stream systems, a nono in the heart of a Green Chemist. The chemicals destroy the homes of local microinvertebrets and fish species, these chemicals that we spread over our skin are killing our stream friends with every wash.  We have to ask ourselves is the cost of overly priced conditioner worth the economy of our wildlife?

The solution? Hand made environmentally safe soap that steers clear of the harsh chemicals that can harm our ecosystems.You can do your own very basic Green Chem experiment that explores a few of the twelve principals of Green Chemistry in your own home. Hand made soap tackles the principle of limiting waste, and it just so happens hand making soap is a very efficient process, leaving hardly any waste. The action of making soap also has an almost perfect Atom Economy. And lastly, you can reuse anything that is left over, like extra oils and fats for future soap production.

Hand producing soap is a great way to see effective, green chemistry in action.

Green Chemistry

Green organic chemistry is a term that refers to the study of finding alternative pathways in chemical reactions to make them more safe on the environment and on the humans in lab. There are many different definitions for Green Chemistry, some referring to decreasing the environmental impact of chemical reactions and others referring to decreasing the about of harmful solvents in the lab to protect workers. Both definitions have a common trait- decreasing the amount of harmful waste from chemical reactions.

 Green chemistry is built on Twelve Principals-

1.)It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste 

after it is formed. 

2) Synthetic methods should be designed to maximize the 

incorporation of all materials used in the process into the 

final product. 

3) Wherever practicable, synthetic methodologies should be 

designed to use and    generate substances that posses little or 

no toxicity to human health and the environment.  

4) Chemical products should be designed to preserve efficacy of 

function while reducing toxicity.  

5) The use of auxiliary substances (e.g. solvents, separation 

agents etc.) should be made unnecessary wherever possible 

and, innocuous when used.  

6) Energy requirements should be recognized for their 

environmental and economic impacts and should be 

minimized. Synthetic methods should be conducted at 

ambient temperature and pressure 

7) A raw material feedstock should be renewable rather than 

depleting whenever technically and economically practical. 

8) Unnecessary derivatization (blocking group, 

protection/deprotection, temporary modification of 

physical/chemical processes) should be avoided whenever 

possible. 

9) Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to 

stoichiometric reagents. 

10) Chemical products should be designed so that at the end of 

their function they do not persist in the environment and 

break down into innocuous degradation products. 

11) Analytical methodologies need to be further developed to 

allow for real-time in-process monitoring and control prior to 

the formation of hazardous substances.  

12) Substances and the forms of the substance used in chemical 

reaction should be chosen so as to minimize the potential of 

chemical accidents,  including releases, explosions, and fires. 

(Twelve principles taken from-------P. Anastas and J. C. Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice; 

Oxford Science Publications, Oxford, 1998 ---- in a Monograph of Green Chemistry-----> http://www.dst.gov.in/green-chem.pdf)

  

One of the aproaches to Green Organic Chemistry is to lower the waste and to find a way to recycle the solvent. This approach is one that I plan to explore further.
Here, take a look-

This handy reference image was found on http://www.organic-chemistry.org/topics/green-chemistry.shtm

Chemistry: Introduction

Chemistry can be divided into five different branches. There is analytical chemistry, which is centered around chemical composition and the development of methods to examine compounds. There is physical chemistry, which is when physics meet chemistry and is centered around the use of physics in chemical reactions (think thermodynamics) . Biochemistry is a massive beast that happens when chemistry goes hand and hand with living organisms.

But, lastly there are the two branches of chemistry that are most important for green chemistry: Organic and Inorganic. As already touched on Organic is with compounds containing carbon, and inorganic is the study of compounds that lack hydrocarbons (carbon). 

Here is a helpful chart!

Now lets talk about Organic Chemistry-

When we think of organic what normally comes to mind? Probably something that involves gardening or food: "organic home grown tomatoes" or "organic free range eggs". The food industry took the term organic from chemists; in chemistry organic takes on a whole different meaning.

A compound gains the title of being organic if it contains carbon. In the past organic compounds were identified as a compound that came from nature, but this definition proved faulty when chemists began to create compounds like urea, in the lab.

Below is the structure for urea, an organic compound. Now when you look at this compound what is the dead give away that is is organic?

^

|

|

OBVIOUSLY THE BEAUTIFUL CARBON RIGHT THERE.

Carbon by itself is a monumentally important element. Why? Because carbon has four electrons that are just dying to form bonds and help carbon gain an Octet (eight electrons). 

Take a look at the lewis structure of this carbon-

This is a lewis structure, the dots represent the lone electrons that are ready to bond

Since carbon can form four bonds, a double bond, or even a triple bond and a single bond, this gives carbon an important role and makes it the perfect element to bond with. Our own planet is covered with carbon based life forms, humans, trees, and animals all have carbon as one of the elements that allows us to be here. Carbon also makes up our fossil fuels such as coal and oil, two things that we as humans need to function in our current society. Carbon also makes up graphite and diamond, we are a race built on the twelfth element.

My Mission:
Over the summer teachers always tell their students to spend their free time wisely; this summer I decided to do something that may actually help my future. I chose to take on an independent study with a Chemistry Professor at a University near home. Now you may ask yourself, "Why Chemistry?", the answer is quite simple. The environment has always had a special place in my heart and every year humans keep destroying the world we call home. In school I instantly took a liking to chemistry with its reactions and elements, my father being a chemist also having a massive influence. This summer my project seemed simple, find a way to mash together the environment and chemistry. While brainstorming and hunting I came across a gold mine of information. Green Organic Chemistry was my solution to my problem.
So my mission? To find out everything possible about Green Chemistry and how the reactions take place. Then to compose a plan to actually conduct a Green Reaction in the lab. The final step is to eventually help my mentor get the program started in her own labs, creating safe environmentally friendly reactions.
Now, a little about me-
I am a senior in high-school, the time where college hunting and passion finding are extremely important. I am hunting for a way to make a change in the world, and this little Chemistry blog of mine is the first step.

NOTE: All information posted on this blog will be from college documents, articles, and scientific journals. Citations will be included and credit will be given were credit is due.