Why do we need a Division of Space Chemistry?
That one giant step for mankind took just a few minutes, but it was years of research based on chemistry which made it possible. If we want to really go to places where no one ever went before, we really have to enable even more developments combining various scientific research based on chemistry. Chemistry already is the key to characterizing our moon, the sun, and the other planets, or smaller objects in the solar system. Future exploration of space will require a deep understanding of chemical composition and reactivity of places to be visited, as any manned space mission must be carefully planned to accommodate the unique chemical conditions of the planet or moon, including atmosphere, if any, and composition of the surface and interior areas to be visited.
What is the goal of the Division of Space Chemistry?
In cooperation with other ACS Units, to play through symposia and discussions with appropriate organizations a leading role in
• Identifying new solutions furthering long duration space flight and exploration.
• The creation of technologies, processes, and standards towards performing chemistry in primarily microgravity environments.
• Enabling new chemistry-based inventions that contribute to the economy.
• Educating and communicating with public policy makers and the general public about the importance of chemical research to further developments through space research.
• Identifying new solutions furthering long duration space flight and exploration.
• The creation of technologies, processes, and standards towards performing chemistry in primarily microgravity environments.
• Enabling new chemistry-based inventions that contribute to the economy.
• Educating and communicating with public policy makers and the general public about the importance of chemical research to further developments through space research.
Cooperation with Divisions
The success of addressing and solving space related problems requires close cooperation with various ACS Division. The following examples give some insight BUT NOT THE FULL LIST for the needed and planned cooperation
ENFL, FLUO, I&EC, INOR, PHYS, POLY, PMSE, RUBB for developing more powerful space vehicle, and rugged materials for them, space stations and colonies.
AGFD, AGRO, BIOL, CHAS, GEOC, TOXY, ENVR, MEDI for life conditions in space and colonies.
ANYL, BIOT, CATL, COLL, ORGN for chemical synthesis in space and colonies.
BMGT, CHAL, SCHB for the business and economic aspects of life in space and colonies.
ENFL, FLUO, I&EC, INOR, PHYS, POLY, PMSE, RUBB for developing more powerful space vehicle, and rugged materials for them, space stations and colonies.
AGFD, AGRO, BIOL, CHAS, GEOC, TOXY, ENVR, MEDI for life conditions in space and colonies.
ANYL, BIOT, CATL, COLL, ORGN for chemical synthesis in space and colonies.
BMGT, CHAL, SCHB for the business and economic aspects of life in space and colonies.
What has chemistry done so far?
• Through astronomy using spectroscopy chemical composition of various heavenly bodies was determined.
• Chemistry made possible the determination of soil on the Moon and Mars.
• Special structural materials were created for space probes.
• Rocket fuels and compatible oxidizers were developed.
• Chemistry made possible the determination of soil on the Moon and Mars.
• Special structural materials were created for space probes.
• Rocket fuels and compatible oxidizers were developed.
Exceptional opportunities waiting for realization
• Exploiting unique conditions of space for chemistry
• Studies into ow the unique conditions of space (microgravity environment, vacuum, low temperature as examples) affect chemistry reactions and reaction mechanism.
• Exploration of chemistry to be performed using the extremities of space.
• Chemical synthesis in space
• Combining and adapting reactor, analytical, and purification systems towards performing chemistry safely in space.
• Automated remote conducting of experiments
• The ability to conduct experiments in space remotely from Earth.
• Standardization of space chemistry
• The standardization of technology, IT, and processes for operation in space.
• Studies into ow the unique conditions of space (microgravity environment, vacuum, low temperature as examples) affect chemistry reactions and reaction mechanism.
• Exploration of chemistry to be performed using the extremities of space.
• Chemical synthesis in space
• Combining and adapting reactor, analytical, and purification systems towards performing chemistry safely in space.
• Automated remote conducting of experiments
• The ability to conduct experiments in space remotely from Earth.
• Standardization of space chemistry
• The standardization of technology, IT, and processes for operation in space.
Research and Technology Interest
The research and technology interests of the Space Chemistry Division are wholly centered on extending the boundaries of chemistry to enable new discoveries that meet the needs of industry and benefit humankind. The Space Chemistry Division is an interdisciplinary community, uniting engineers from different fields, scientists investigating both the micro-scale (biochemists), and macro-scale (space scientists). The harmonized work of the above mentioned experts will result in outstanding achievements that are likely to have a global impact and interest.
Research and technology interest within the Division
• Active use of the unique conditions of space (microgravity environment, high intensity UV, vacuum, low temperature as examples) for chemical reactions.
• Profiting from the unique discoveries of other fields related to space sciences.
• Combining and adapting reactors, analytical, and purification systems towards performing chemistry safely in space.
• To develop the ability to conduct experiments in space locally or remotely from Earth.
• To standardize all aspects of a chemistry laboratory for operation in space.
• Research into prolonging manned space missions through chemical conversion of waste products to useful and essential materials.
• Generation of on-demand pharmaceuticals and other chemicals in space.
• Utilization of natural resources on alien planets towards colonization.
• Profiting from the unique discoveries of other fields related to space sciences.
• Combining and adapting reactors, analytical, and purification systems towards performing chemistry safely in space.
• To develop the ability to conduct experiments in space locally or remotely from Earth.
• To standardize all aspects of a chemistry laboratory for operation in space.
• Research into prolonging manned space missions through chemical conversion of waste products to useful and essential materials.
• Generation of on-demand pharmaceuticals and other chemicals in space.
• Utilization of natural resources on alien planets towards colonization.
International support
As the composition of the group requesting the formation of the Division shows, the interest is not limited to the United States. The signatures were quickly obtained from leading scientists from other countries. We already have over 100 ACS members who indicated to join the Division as soon as the probationary status will be approved and many more members will join within a short time. With the help of President Nelson plans are started to have a symposium at the 2017 Spring ACS Meeting in San Francisco. The Younger chemists Committee and the Committee of Public Relations and Communication are sponsoring the symposium since the Division is not approved yet. We have secured already both domestic and foreign speakers.
Supporting scientists
As the composition of the group requesting the formation of the Division shows, the interest is not limited to the United States. The signatures were quickly obtained from leading scientists from other countries. We are certain that when a probationary Division will be approved many more members will join within a short time. Plans are started to have the first symposium at the 2017 Spring ACS Meeting in San Francisco.
Global network of prominent chemists interested in performing chemistry in space:
USA (in alphabetical order):
•Dr. Andrea Adamo, Zaiput
•Prof. Rigoberto Advincula, Case Western Univ.
•Prof. Aaron Beeler, Boston Univ.
•Dr. Stevan Djuric, AbbVie
•Prof. Frank Gupton, VCU
•Prof. András Guttman, Scripps Institute
•Prof. Klavs Jensen, MIT
•Dr. Daryl Sauer, Wisconsin Univ.
Europe (in alphabetical order by countries):
•Belgium: Prof. Christian Stevens, Ghent Univ.,
•France: Prof. Claude de Bellefon, Lyon Univ.
•Germany: Dr. Stefan Loebbecke, ICT Fraunhofer Institute, Prof. Holger Löwe, Mainz Univ.
•Hungary: Dr. Richard Jones, ThalesNano, Dr. Csaba Janáky, Szeged Univ.
•the Netherlands: Prof. Volker Hessel, Dr. Timothy Noel, Technical Univ., Eindhoven
•Switzerland: Dr. Ferenc Darvas, Flow Chemistry Society
•United Kingdom: Prof. Steve Ley, Dr. Claudio Battilocchio, Cambridge Univ., Prof. Thomas Wirth, Cardiff Univ., Dr. Mimi Hii, Imperial College
Africa:
•South Africa: Prof. Paul Watts, Nelson Mandela Univ.
Asia:
•Japan: Prof. Takehiko Kitamori, Prof. Shu Kobayashi, Tokyo Univ., Prof. Jun-ichi Yoshida, Kyoto Univ.
Australia:
•Prof. Michael Oelgemöller, James Cook Univ.
Global network of prominent chemists interested in performing chemistry in space:
USA (in alphabetical order):
•Dr. Andrea Adamo, Zaiput
•Prof. Rigoberto Advincula, Case Western Univ.
•Prof. Aaron Beeler, Boston Univ.
•Dr. Stevan Djuric, AbbVie
•Prof. Frank Gupton, VCU
•Prof. András Guttman, Scripps Institute
•Prof. Klavs Jensen, MIT
•Dr. Daryl Sauer, Wisconsin Univ.
Europe (in alphabetical order by countries):
•Belgium: Prof. Christian Stevens, Ghent Univ.,
•France: Prof. Claude de Bellefon, Lyon Univ.
•Germany: Dr. Stefan Loebbecke, ICT Fraunhofer Institute, Prof. Holger Löwe, Mainz Univ.
•Hungary: Dr. Richard Jones, ThalesNano, Dr. Csaba Janáky, Szeged Univ.
•the Netherlands: Prof. Volker Hessel, Dr. Timothy Noel, Technical Univ., Eindhoven
•Switzerland: Dr. Ferenc Darvas, Flow Chemistry Society
•United Kingdom: Prof. Steve Ley, Dr. Claudio Battilocchio, Cambridge Univ., Prof. Thomas Wirth, Cardiff Univ., Dr. Mimi Hii, Imperial College
Africa:
•South Africa: Prof. Paul Watts, Nelson Mandela Univ.
Asia:
•Japan: Prof. Takehiko Kitamori, Prof. Shu Kobayashi, Tokyo Univ., Prof. Jun-ichi Yoshida, Kyoto Univ.
Australia:
•Prof. Michael Oelgemöller, James Cook Univ.
Current and future plans
• Flow Chemistry Congress, November 2016, Miami, US
• Flow Chemistry Europe, February 2017, Cambridge, UK
• Symposium on using space chemistry for drug discovery, March 2017, Miami, US
• 253rd ACS Annual Meeting, April 2017, San Francisco, US
• FROST6, October 2017, Budapest, HU
• Flow Chemistry Europe, February 2017, Cambridge, UK
• Symposium on using space chemistry for drug discovery, March 2017, Miami, US
• 253rd ACS Annual Meeting, April 2017, San Francisco, US
• FROST6, October 2017, Budapest, HU
Considered topics on conferences and symposia
• Exploration of chemistry to be performed using the extremities of space.
• Drug on demand synthesis in a microgravity environment.
• Methods for conversion of CO2 to useful materials for long term space travel and colonization.
• Development of technologies for synthesis, purification, and analysis of chemicals in a microgravity environment.
• Drug on demand synthesis in a microgravity environment.
• Methods for conversion of CO2 to useful materials for long term space travel and colonization.
• Development of technologies for synthesis, purification, and analysis of chemicals in a microgravity environment.
Conclusion
The formation of the ACS Division of Space Chemistry will be invaluable in showing the global chemistry community that chemistry is not limited to solely Earthly pursuits. The Division will help inspire innovative and unique chemistry research areas for the benefit of mankind both here on Earth as well as in space.