CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS
VOL. 77 , NO. 2 , 1999



NEWS OF THE WEEK

TOXIC CHEMICALS: 4
EPA wants reports on 10- and 100-lb
releases of persistent bioaccumula-
tive toxic chemicals.

TIOXIDE DEAL IS OFF: 4
Antitrust concerns nix DuPont and
NL Industries acquisition of ICI's
TiO(2)unit.

SIZING, SORTING DNA: 5
Caltech researchers fabricate device
to rapidly measure and separate single
molecules based on fluorescence.

MERCURY WASTE: 6
Formosa Plastics strongly denies the
waste it dumped in Cambodia is
harmful.

SILICONE IMPLANTS: 6
Days in court result in losses for
Dow Chemical.

ABSORBING FAT: 7
Receptor in small intestine mediates
passage of fat and cholesterol to
bloodstream.

WATER ON MARS?: 7
NASA launches probes to look for
signs of moisture in red planet's soil.

NEWS FOCUS
COVER STORY

CUBA: 8
Forty years after Fidel Castro's revo-
lution, the country looks to science
to revive its crippled economy.

BUSINESS

SUMITOMO'S KOSAI: 17
President of Japan's largest chemical
producer works to keep firm
competitive.

PLASTICS: 20
Manufacturers plan to increase prof-
its by expanding product lines.

WILLIAM MAHONEY: 21
C&EN talks with retired Witco execu-
tive, who teaches an unusual course
at University of Massachusetts.


GOVERNMENT

ERA'S LYNN GOLDMAN: 23
Former assistant administrator for pre-
vention, pesticides, and toxic chemi-
cals assesses her five-year tenure.

NUCLEAR WASTE SITE: 28
Yucca Mountain gets cautious ap-
proval from DOE scientists.

ANALYSIS FOR CONGRESS: 29
Controversial restructuring of the
Congressional Research Service splits
medical and science policy staffers.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

MUCH ADO ABOUT CARBON: 31
Nanotube ropes, fullerene pipes, and
carbon onions are being functional-
ized and studied for applications.

ACS NATIONAL AWARDS

1999 WINNERS: 36
Brintzinger, Brunner, Carpenter,
^hisholm, Du Bois, Carreira, Dervan,
Gehrke, Grasselli Brown, Dorsey,
Guare, HoUoway, Hungate, and Vacca.

THE DEPARTMENTS

2 LETTERS

3 EDITOR'S PAGE

CONCENTRATES

13 Business

22 Government

30 Science / Technology

33 SOFTWARE/ONLINEBRIEFS

42 ACS NEWS

46 PEOPLE

36 NEWSCRIPTS

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

VOL. 77, NO. 6, FEBRUARY 1999

NEWS OF THE WEEK
2000 R&D BUDGET: 8
Overall budget down 1%, but support
for basic work grows substantially.

POISON FROGS: 9
Two alkaloids in animals' skin ap-
pear to come directly from their diet
of ants.

ROHM AND HAAS BUYS AGAIN: 9
Company becomes a top specialties
player with $4.9 billion acquisition
of Morton International.

DIAGNOSTIC MASS SPEC: 10
Simple assay uses electrospray ion-
ization method to detect enzyme
deficiencies.

COMPARING SCIENTISTS: 11
NSF data provide demographics on
Ph.D. chemists, other scientists.

1999 WOLF PRIZE: 11
Sugar pioneer Raymond Lemieux
wins chemistry award.

BUSINESS
COVER STORY

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY R&D: 17
Restructuring is not enough to cre-
ate shareholder value and long-term
growth.

RESEARCH SPENDING: 21
Chemical producers' investment in
R&D has increased in the past three
years and will go up again this year.

METHANOL INDUSTRY: 23
Worldwide oversupply and low pric-
es are closing down U.S. methanoi i
plants.

GOVERNMENT

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: 27
Federal research proposal aims to make
computing faster, more powerful.

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH: 29
Program fosters research in states
identified as receiving little funding
from mainstream sources.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
MOLECULAR TREES: 33
Metal nanoclusters encapsulated in
dendrimers promise to advance ca-
-talysis and other fields.

PHOTON SPLITTING: 37
One photon of vacuum UV radiation
is converted into two visible pho-
tons using new phosphor material.

NANODUMPLINGS: 38
Hydrophilic shell/hydrophobic core
structures may be able to deliver
DNA in gene therapy applications.

WORLD OF CHEMISTRY: 38
ACS luminaries speak on chemical
literacy and the importance of chem-
istry at AAAS meeting.

CHEMICAL HINDSIGHTS: 41
Credibility of science supporting
arms control should not be
undermined.

BOOKS

"INVESTING IN INNOVATION": 42
Grab bag of observations and ideas
is a search for a research and innova-
tion policy that works.

ACS NATIONAL AWARDS
1999 WINNERS: 47
Hirschmann, Bertozzi, Ghadiri,
Hamilton, Janda, Katzenellenbogen,
Kiessling, Lansbury, Rich, Saunders,
and Stoddart.

THE DEPARTMENTS
5 EDITOR'S PAGE
7 LETTERS
CONCENTRATES
14 Business
25 Government
32 Science/Technology
64 NEWSCRIPTS

_______________________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

VOL. 77, NO. 7, FEBRUARY 1999

NEWS OF THE WEEK
CHEMICAL RISK: 9
Houston-area companies present risk
management plans to the public.

MITSUBISHI SLIMS DOWN: 9
Japanese chemical turn says it will
close plants, reduce staft, and cut pay.

HOLEY POLYMERS: 10
Spheres are template for organic
materials with ordered array of
nanometer-sized holes.

SMITHKLINE REFOCUSES: 10
Company takes loss on noncore
businesses; concentrates on pharma-
ceuticals.

DOUBT CAST ON CW CLAIM: 11
Carefully controlled study finds no
trace of chemical weapon precursor
at bombed Sudanese drug plant.

SUPERCRITICAL CO2: 12
Benign solvent has unexpected,
dramatic effect in stereocontrolled
synthesis.

BUSINESS

LICENSING FOR PROFIT: 19
Large drug companies are deriving
increasing share of revenues from
licensed products.

CHEMICAL EARNINGS: 29
Low prices and slow exports drive
down earnings for fourth-quarter
and full-year 1998.

PHARMACEUTICAL
EARNINGS: 33
Drug company sales and earnings
are up for fourth quarter and year.

GOVERNMENT
COVER STORY

FEDERAL R&D BUDGET: 37
Total funding falls 1%, but NSF and
NIH will see modest increases.


GOVERNMENT INSIGHTS: 49
Citizen activist organizations and
industry clash on information for
consumers in pesticide brochure.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
LAB DESIGN: 53
Nurturing research with buildings
that stimulate creativity and foster
interaction among scientists.

PROTEIN NMR: 65
Segmental isotope-labeling technique
opens large proteins to the power of
NMR Structural determinations.

POLYANILINE SYNTHESIS: 68
Horseradisli peroxidase provides
clean route to conducting polymer.

WHAFS THAT STUFF?: 70
The stretchy world of spandex.

THE DEPARTMENTS

5 EDITOR'S PAGE

6 LETTERS

CONCENTRATES
13 Business

36 Government

31 Science/Technology

72 SOFTWARE/ONLINE BRIEFS

94 PEOPLE

96 NEWSCRIPTS

__________________________________________

_______________________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

VOL. 77, NO. 10, MARCH 1999

NEWS OF THE WEEK
TOXICITY TESTING: 9
Sixty-two chemical companies have
volunteered to test several hundred
widely used compounds.

FIGHTING TERRORISM: 10
Energy Secretary Richardson out-
lined his plans to counter nuclear,
chemical, and biological terrorism.

NEUTRALIZING THREATS: 10
Nontoxic foam decontaminates chem-
ical and biological warfare agents.

TWO-PHOTON EXCITATION: 10
New class of molecules facilitates op-
portunity to create high-tech, 3-D de-
vices.

HEWLETT-PACKARD SPLIT: 11
Two companies will be formed, one
for computing/imaging, the other for
testing/measurement.

BIOPHARM DEAL: 11
Gilead Sciences will buy NeXstar
Pharmaceuticals, creating a $2 billion
biopharmaceutical firm.

AFFINITY MODULATION: 12
New strategy improves binding of small-
molecule ligands and their targets.

BUSINESS

OXFORD ASYMMETRY: 17
U.K. firm capitalizes on increased out-
sourcing of chemical services by life
sciences industry.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT: 23
Companies seek tangible results for
unrestricted university grants.

CHEMICAL HINDSIGHTS: 27
Monsanto grapples with concern over
its vision of enhancing the world's
food supply through biotechnology.


IN MEMORIAM

GLENNSEABORG 1912-99: 29
Legendary Nobel Laureate, who
rewrote the periodic table, dies at
age 86.

COMBINATORIAL CHEMISTRY
DRUG DISCOVERY: 33
Solid-phase synthesis, informatics,
and high-throughput screening ad-
vances help combinatorial chemistry
find leads.

MATERIALS DISCOVERY: 51
New phosphors, catalysts, and other
materials can now be found more
quickly and efficiently than ever.

PERKIN MEDALIST
ALBERT CARR: 63
Retired Hoechst Marion Roussel
chemist honored for developing non-
sedating antihistamines and a promis-
ing antipsychotic agent.

_____________________________

Volume 77, Number 11 March 15, 1999

_______________________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

VOL: 77, NO: 25, JUNE 1999

NEWS OF THE WEEK
CISPLATIN: 9
Crystal structure offers clues to mo-
lecular action of anticancer drug.

CHEMICAL RISK: 10
Access to risk management plans
is still a hot issue.

UNUSUAL REDUCTION: 10
Bulky ligands transform lanthanide
into effective reducing agent.

U.K. BIOTECH MERGER: 11
Chiro science and Celltech seek criti-
cal mass and sustainable profits.

BROMINE PRICE FIXING?: 11
Great Lakes Chemical sought govern-
ment scrutiny.

Pd TO THE RESCUE: 12
Palladium catalysts facilitate synthesis
of aminoaryl nucleosides.

BUSINESS

CORPORATE CUTS: 15
Layoffs may boost shareholder equi-
ty, but they wreak havoc with employ-
ees' lives.

WORLD CHEMICAL FORUM: 20
Business leaders share their ideas on
challenges in the new millennium.

GOVERNMENT & POLICY
ENVIRONMENT: 25
Rand study finds that industry is in-
corporating environmental concerns
into corporate planning.

NIH GRADUATE SCHOOL: 27
Advisory committee has mixed reac-
tion to graduate school plan.

GOVERNMENT INSIGHTS: 30
Attending scientific meetings in Cuba
may be easier now, but customs
agents can still mar reentry to U.S.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
COVER STORY

WEIGHING IN ON OBESITY: 35
Complex array of chemicals that regu-
late body weight provides targets for
weight-control drugs.

PROCESS CHEMISTRY: 45
Essential link between discovery re-
search and commercial production
poses continuing challenges.

BOOKS

"A GLIMPSE OF HELL": 53
Former naval officer/reporter investi-
gated events preceding, during, and
after the explosion on the USS Iowa.

218th ACS NATIONAL MEETING
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM: 59
Listing of technical symposia, educa-
tional, social, and special events for
New Orleans; registration and hous-
ing forms.

THE DEPARTMENTS

5 EDITOR'S PAGE

6 LETTERS

CONCENTRATES
13 Business
24 Government
33 Science / Technology

48 NEW PRODUCTS
112 NEWSCRIPTS

_______________________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS
Volume 77, Number 26, JUNE 1999

NEWS OF THE WEEK
SHAPING DOE'S FUTURE: 8
Senate hears influential panel say
weapons work should be split off.



CHEMICAL WEAPONS: 9
U.S. set to issue rules governing in-
dustry compliance with treaty.



MACARTHUR PRIZES: 9
Three chemists among the 32 recipi-
ents of 1999 awards.



BREAST IMPLANTS: 10
IOM panel finds no link between sili-
cone breast implants and disease.



SPLITTING WATER: 10
New class of catalysts achieves 23%
efficiency under UV light.



CHEMISTRY OLYMPIAD: 11
Two girls and two boys make up U.S.
team for the 31st competition.



ROHM AND HAAS: 11
Morton merger complete, firm will
focus on "franchise" businesses.



BUSINESS

GREAT LAKES CHEMICAL: 14
CEO Mark Bulriss plans to revitalize
firm with new products, new outlook.



EUROPEAN OUTLOOK: 17
Producers meeting in Madrid express
anxiety about future growth.



INDONESIA: 18
Elections have been held, but long-
term investment plans are uncertain.



GOVERNMENT & POLICY
SUPERFUND LAW; 20
Two major reauthorization bills are
receiving attention in Congress.



BENCHMARKING RESEARCH: 21
Workshop discusses method of as-
sessing leadership among nations.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
BIOMATERIALS FOR WOMEN: 24
New solutions aid contraception,
treatment of health problems.



P-PEPTIDES ARE ACTIVE: 27
Studies reveal that these synthetic
peptides exhibit biological activity.



SCIENCE INSIGHTS: 28
Photovoltaic technology program re-
kindles spirit of Apollo lunar missions.



SPECIAL REPORT
COVER STORY

FACTS & FIGURES: 32
Global chemical industry was in slow
motion in 1998—some increases in
output, decreases in profitability, little
growth in trade.


ACS NEWS

CHEMICAL LANDMARK: 74
Lavoisier honored by International
Historic Chemical Landmark.

THE DEPARTMENTS

EDITOR-SPACE 5

LETTERS 6


CONCENTRATES
Business 12

Government 19

Science/Technology 23

BOOKS 30

PEOPLE 76

NEWSCRIPTS 88

_______________________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS
Volume 77, Number 27, JULY 1999

NEWS OF THE WEEK
MICROFABRICATION: 4
New technique can be used to build
tiny electrode systems, other devices.



NODAVIRUS INFECTION: 5
Experiments back proposed mecha-
nism for viruses' infection method.



MORE RAIL WOES: 5
Breakup of Conrail causes service
problems for chemical producers.



WATER TREATMENT DEAL: 6
French utility Suez Lyonnaise buys
Naico Chemical for $4.1 billion.



JOC EDITOR NAMED: 6
University of Utah's Peter Stang will
be editor-in-chief of Journal uf Organic
Chemistry.



FOOD BAN IN EUROPE: 7
EU ministers support moratorium on
selling genetically modified foods.



R&D SHORTFALLS: 7
National Academies forum airs con-
cerns about U.S. R&D funding.



COVER STORY
NEWS FOCUS

BIOTERRORISM: 8
A program to combat the threat is
needed, but has enough scientific
input gone into development of the
current plan?



BUSINESS

ETHYLENE MARKET: 20
Key raw material for petrochemicals
producers is in short supply.



DEGUSSA-HOLS: 22
Smooth meshing of different corpo-
rate cultures speeds success in recent
merger.

ALLIEDSIGNAL: 24
Growth of pharmaceutical fine chemi-
cals unit depends on shift from inter-
mediates to active ingredients.



BUSINESS INSIGHTS: 25
Cutting the workweek and adding an
energy tax won't keep European in-
dustry competitive.



GOVERNMENT & POLICY
AIR POLLUTION: 27
EPA proposes new plan for reducing
emissions after setbacks in court.



PORK-BARREL BILLS: 28
Routing of federal funds to local
projects peeves Sen. John McCain.



SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
GREEN CHEMISTRY: 30
Presidential awards recognize envi-
ronmentally friendly technologies.



CATALYSIS MEETING: 33
More than 500 presentations describe
advances and accomplishments.



G-QUADRUPLEXES: 36
Small organic compounds can accel-
erate formation of structures from
single-stranded DNA.



PINCER CATALYSTS: 37
Linear a-olefins can be made by cata-
lytic dehydrogenation of n-alkanes.



MEETINGS
CALLS FOR PAPERS: 41
ACS meetings calls for papers, ACS
meetings calendar 1999-2010, and
C&EN calendar of scientific events.

THE DEPARTMENTS

LETTERS 2

EDITOR'S PAGE 3

CONCENTRATES
Business 18

Government 26

Science/Technology 29

AWARDS 39

NEWSCRIPTS 72

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

VOL. 77, NO. 30, JULY 1999

NEWS OF THE WEEK
ELF STRIKES BACK: 9
Firm counters TotalFina's offer,
would split oil, chemicals businesses.

CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS: 9
Cryptochromes are missing link in
regulation of mammalian clock.

NOVEL COMPOUNDS: 10
Composites form from interpene-
trating covalent, noncovalent 2-D
networks.

TOXICS RELEASE INVENTORY: 11
New EPA model links 10 years of
emissions data to toxicity, exposure
factors.

REP. GEORGE BROWN DIES: 11
Massive infection fells Congress'
"Mr. Science" at the age of 79.


PEERING AT PLUTO: 12
IR spectrograph from new Earth-
based telescope detects solid ethane.

BUSINESS

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: 19
Chemical companies blend econom-
ics, environment, and society into ef-
forts to measure long-term viability.


INTERNATIONAL
COVER STORY

GLOBAL TOP 50: 23
BASF remained on top in 1998, a year
that saw sales and profitability for the
chemical industry fall.

GOVERNMENT & POLICY
GENETIC TESTING: 29
Host of ethical, legal issues raised by
wealth of new genetic knowledge.

NSF COST SHARING: 33
Agency is trying to clear up who pays
for what when it splits the bill for uni-
versity research.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: 39
The power of synthesis to drive dis-
coveries is highlighted in biennial
symposium.

SCIENCE INSIGHTS: 49
Effective drugs are available for AIDS
patients, but those in African coun-
tries can't afford them.

ACS NEWS

COUNCIL AGENDA: 51
Council faces four petitions to amend
bylaws at New Orleans meeting.


BOARD REPORTS: 57
Official reports from June meeting.

218TH ACS NATIONAL MEETING
FINAL PROGRAM: 59
Listing of papers to be given in New
Orleans; description of exhibitors.

THE DEPARTMENTS

5 EDITOR'S PAGE

6 LETTERS
CONCENTRATES

15 Business

26 Goverment

37 Science/Technology

57 MEETINGS

176 NEWSCRIPTS

_______________________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

VOL. 77, NO. 31, NO. AUGUST 1999



NEWS OF THE WEEK
EPA MOVES ON MTBE: 5
EPA panel recommends reduction
in use of fuel additive, which only
worsens situation for producers.


MTBE REPERCUSSIONS: 5
Situation would go from had
to worse for producers, but new
window would open for ethanol.


CHEMICAL ENGINEERING: 6
Efficient new catalytic process
for ethylene production could re-
duce large source of industry CO2
emissions.


CHEMICAL EARNINGS: 7
Second-quarter company earnings
continued to slide downward.


ELF VERSUS TOTALFINA: 7
Fate of chemical operations is focus
of takeover fight.


CANCER BIOCHEMISTRY: 8
Researchers identify pathways
that normal human cells take to
malignancy.


BUSINESS

INORGANICS FROM CHILE: 11
Despite its small chemical industry,
Chile is a global player in lithium,
iodine, and potassium nitrate.


CUT PLANS: 16
Chemical Industry Institute of Toxi-
cology's new head aims to broaden
support base.


DUTY-FREE DRUGS: 16
Trade agreement lifts tariffs on
642 additional pharmaceutical
chemicals.


BUSINESS INSIGHTS: 17
Although economically things
looked very bad for a while, Asia
is anything but static, and the crisis
is about over.


GOVERNMENT & POLICY
CONGRESSIONAL UPDATE: 20
Tax cuts and security at national
labs are Congress' focus.


SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
THEORETICAL CHEMISTRY: 24
DNA beliavior, water's hydroplio-
bic effects, and dynamical informa-
tion in spectra are liot topics in the
field.


ROBERT WOLKE: 27
C&EN talks witli a cl^emist turned
food writer.


COVER STORY

1999 SALARY SURVEY: 28
Cliemists post second year of sol-
id salary gains, but unemployment
remains relatively high.


DEPARTMENTS

3 EDITOR'S PAGE

4 LOITERS

CONCENTRATES

9 Business

19 Government

23 Science/Technology

41 MEETINGS

45 PEOPLE

64 NEWCRIPTS

_______________________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

VOL. 77, NO. 32, AUGUST 1999

NEWS OF THE WEEK
DOW BUYS CARBIDE: 4
It took less than a month to seal
$11.6 billion deal creating world's
third largest chemical company.

O^PRODUCfNG BACTERIA: 5
Biomarkers indicate cyanobacteria
have been around for at least 2.5 bil-
lion years.

LIMITING PESTICIDES: 5
Citing risks to children, EPA places
restrictions on use of methyl parathi-
on, azinphos-methyl.

ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS: 6
NRC panel affirms adverse effects but
says more research is needed to de-
termine their extent, seriousness.


NEW JOURNAL'S LAUNCH: 6
Sweden's Ann-Christine Albertsson
is named editor of ACS journal
Biomacromolecules.

POLYMERIC ANTIBIOTIC: 7
Polymerized form of a vancomycin
proves effective against resistant
bacteria.

BUSINESS

FOCUS ON VISION 2020: 10
Department of Energy and industry
work together to develop technology
with commercial potential.

CHEMICALS IN CHINA: 13
Industry restructuring may make
firms more attractive to foreign
investment.

ENVIRONMENT

COVER STORY

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: 16
New data heighten concern that
human-induced global warming has
already arrived.

COVER: NASA's Term spacecraft with
Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer,
scheduled to be launched in October.
Computer-generated illustration courtesy
of Jet Propulsion Laboratory

CHEMICAL HINDSIGHTS
BIOTERRORISM: 26
Policymakers are struggling over
how to allocate resources to combat
the threat of bioterrorism.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
WORLD SCIENCE MEETING: 28
Delegates in Budapest tackle wide-
ranging issues and propose a frame-
work for 21st-century science.

GIANT VESICLES: 39
Fluorescence probe shows ordered
and fluid phases coexisting on the
surface of unilamellar vesicles.

BOOKS

^MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES": 40
Evolutionary biology, like other fields
of science, both stands apart from and
reflects cultural values.

THE DEPARTMENTS

2 LETUPS

3 EDITOR'S PAGE

CONCENTRATES
8 Business

14 Government

27 Science/Technology

42 ACS NEWS

48 AWARDS

50 MEETINGS

52 PEOPLE

64 NEWSCRIPTS

_______________________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

VOL. 77, NO. 33, AUGUST 1999



NEWS OF THE WEEK
IRON BATTERIES: 4
New type of battery stores more
energy than current alkaline models.


TAX CUT LEGISLATION: 5
R&D tax credit, Superfund provisions
likely to return in compromise bill.


BRAIN TUMOR CLUSTER: 5
Investigation associates ionizing
radiation, w-hexane exposure with
gliomas of BP Amoco workers.


SPHERES AND TUBES: 5
Nanoscale structures self-assemble
from calixarene building blocks.


SORTING BIOMOLECULES: 6
Fundamentally new technique contin-
uously separates membrane proteins.


E-BIOMED: 6
Research libraries give support to
NIH's free online publishing idea.


REFINING FUEL CELLS: 7
New electrode designs may enable
cells to run directly on hydrocarbons.


BUSINESS
COVER STORY

CHEMICAL EARNINGS: 15
Second-quarter earnings decline
again, but by less than in previous
quarters.


PHARMA EARNINGS: 19
Major mergers and acquisitions in
second-quarter 1999 didn't dampen
double-digit growth in first half.


DRUG COPROMOTION: 21
Popularity of joint marketing agree-
ments is increasing among pharma-
ceutical companies.


ALBANY MOLECULAR

RESEARCH: 22
Company aims for growth by provid-
ing chemical R&D services to drug,
biotech firms.

GOVERNMENT & POLICY
NEW ROLE FOR NSF: 24
Task force recommends seeking
$1 billion more over five years for
environmental research.


FOOD SAFETY SYSTEM: 26
Consumer groups, some members of
Congress, and others push for a new,
• independent monitoring agency.


GOVERNMENT INSIGHTS: 30
Congress speaks with forked tongue
about supporting scientific research
while cutting funds for it.


SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
FROM LAB TO MARKET: 35
Academics who have taken their re-
search along the winding road to mar-
ket agree the trip is worth it.


EDUCATION

CHEMISTRY FOR THE BLIND: 39
Tactile diagrams available through
the Internet are making chemistry
and otiler subjects more accessible.


THE DEPARTMENTS

2 LETTERS

3 EDITOR'S PAGE

CONCENTRATES
12 Business

23 Government

32 Science/Technology

44 ACS COMMENT

46 PEOPLE

47 MEETINGS

72 NEWSCRJPTS

_______________________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

VOL. 77, NO. 34, AUGUST 1999

NEWS OF THE WEEK
TREATING ADDICTION: 8
Epilepsy drug Vigabatrin counters
biochemical effects of several addic-
tive drugs in animals.

SALT-TOLERANT PLANTS: 9
Tweakingjust one gene produces
plant that thrives on concentrated salt
solutions.

RISK MANAGEMENT: 9
EPA has received fewer than half of
the expected plans for dealing with
chemical accidents.

GASES CONDENSATION: 10
German industrial gases firm Linde
bids $3.7 billion for Swedish rival
AGA.

CLEAN WATER: 10
EPA now focusing on individual water
bodies rather than pollutant releases.

TRACKING FREE RADICALS: 11
NMR spin-trapping technique detects
reaction pathways in living systems.

BUSINESS

AVECIA: 16
The former unit ofAstraZeneca
makes its mark in the specialty
chemicals market.

FRAYED FIBER MAKERS: 18
Profits, utilization rates, and
demand are down.

ASIA-PACIFIC
COVER STORY
JAPAN'S

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY: 21
Companies are finally doing more
than talking about restructuring,
but change is slow.

GOVERNMENT & POLICY
RANKING POLLUTION: 31
EPA CD-ROM of Toxics Release
Inventory data allows air pollution
risk to be ranked on most PCs.


SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
DNA CONDUCTANCE: 43
New mechanisms may resolve
debate over how charge migrates
through DNA.


COUPLING REACTIONS: 48
Building carbon skeletons of small
organics becomes more industrial
user-friendly.

ACS NEWS

CHEMCENTER REDESIGN: 50
New ACS web site has best of for-
mer ACSWeb and ChernCenter sites,


ACS NATIONAL AWARDS
2000 WINNERS: 53
Recipients announced.

THE DEPARTMENTS

5 EDITOR'S PAGE

6 LETTERS

CONCENTRATES

14 Business

30 Government

42 Science/Technology

41 NEW PRODUCTS

49 ACS COMMENT

55 MEETINGS

72 NEWSCRIRTS

____________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS
Volume 77, Number 37 , September 1999




NEWS OF THE WEEK
MOLECULAR MOTORS: 6
UV light, chemical energy drive rota-
tion of propeller-type units,


BACKING OFF METHANOL: 7
Low prices, overcapacity lead to
changing company strategies.

NEW ZEALAND UV: 7
Measurements correlate ozone deple-
tion, increased UV levels,

RIOTS AT NAPHTHA SITE: 8
Construction of Formosa Plastics'
new cracker in Taiwan set back.

SHAKE-UP AT DOE LAB: 8
Large cost overruns lead to overhaul
of fusion research facility.

COMBINATORIAL CHEMISTBY: 9
One'dimensional combinatorial syn-
thesis generates library on a string.

FEDERAL BUDGET: 9
Congress and the Administration are
still battling it out over R&D,

BUSINESS

AIR PRODUCTS: 12
Company anticipates becoming num-
ber two industrial gases producer
after acquiring half of BOC.

BIOMATERIALS SUPPLY: 15
New law intended to improve supply
of raw materials for medical implants
has had only a slight effect,

GOVERNMENT & POLICY
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: 18
Serious problems remain in compli-
ance with environmental laws.

ENVIRONMENT

POLLUTION PREVENTION: 22
Dow's collaboration with activists en-
ables surprising cuts in pollution.


SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
COVER STORY
SCIENCE JOURNALS: 25
Top-flight journals engage in tough
fight for contributors, readers.

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: 31
Rising stars of synthetic organic
chemistry showcased at ACS sympo-
sium.


SEMICONDUCTORS: 37
Advances in photoresist microlithog-
raphy creating smaller semiconductor
devices.

CHEMICAL HINDSIGHTS: 41
Interdisciplinarity: What does it really
mean?


ACS ELECTIONS
CANDIDATES' STATEMENTS: 42
Candidates for president-elect and
board of directors offer their views.


ACS NEWS
CHEMISTRY CELEBRATION: 56
international program and activities
continue through November


THE DEPARTMENTS

2 LETTERS

3 EDITOR'S PAGE

CONCENTRATES

10 Business

17 Government

24 Science/Technology

39 MEETING BRIEFS

58 PEOPLE

72 NEWSCRIPTS

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

VOL. 77, NO. 39, SEPTEMBER 1999


NEWS OF THE WEEK
MAKING POLYMERS: 10
New, one-step process produces very
linear, very thin polyethylene.


NATURAL DISASTER 1: 10
Hurricane-induced floods in the U.S.
swamp heavy-metal holding ponds,
close chemical plants.

NATURAL DISASTER II: 11
Taiwan earthquake killed thousands
of people, yet had little effect on in-
dustrial chemical infrastructure.


SCIENCE COMPETITION: 12
National Science Board kicks off 50th
anniversary with a science challenge
for nation's youth.


SENATE SCIENCE FORUM: 12
Session looks at ways to attract U.S.
students to science careers.


SINGING LIQUID CRYSTALS: 13
Molecules in a cavity respond to an
applied voltage by humming.


CHEMICAL TRADE: 13
For the first time in three decades,
there was no surplus in July.


BUSINESS
SKW: 17
German specialty chemicals company
beefs up its portfolio, pares down its
name for stature in global industry.


ENTREPRENEURS: 21
Shamrock Technologies plans to
build from its position as a leading
recycler of scrap PTFE.


GOVERNMENT & POLICY
GREENHOUSE GASES: 25
Companies and state officials take
steps to reduce emissions.

SUPERFUND CLEANUPS: 26
General Accounting Office says signif-
icant headway continues to be made
at hazardous waste sites.


SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
COVER STORY

COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY: 29
New nonlinear optical and electronic
materials benefit from progress in
computer modeling.


SCIENCE INSIGHTS: 42
The face of U.S. science is changing
as foreign-born scientists make great-
er contributions.


ACS NEWS

ACTIONS IN NEW ORLEANS: 43
ACS Council deals with four petitions;
board makes several decisions.

THE DEPARTMENTS

5 EDITOR'S PAGE

8 LETTERS

CONCENTRATES

15 Business

24 Government

28 Science/Technology

39 SOFTWARE/ONLINE BRIEFS

46 PEOPLE

64 NEWSCRIPTS


_______________________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS
VOL. 77, NO. 46, November 15, 1999

NEWS OF THE WEEK
NONTHERMAL MELTING: 8
Ultrafast laser induces phase change
without classical equilibria between
solid and liquid states,

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT: 9
University of Cambridge-MIT partner-
ship points to global future of higher
education,

NEW NEUROTRANSMITTER: 9
Researchers discover source of
D-serine in mammalian brains,

SCIENCE NAMES HEAD: 10
AAAS recruits Stanford University's
Donald Kennedy as editor-in-chief,

REGULATORY ACTION: 10
EPA expands possible testing require-
ments for bioaccumulative and persis-
tent new chemicals.

CHEMISTRY IN THE NEWS: 11
Sunday newspaper supplement high-
lights chemistry's contributions to
society and the world.

NANOSCALE DODECAHEDRON: 11
Self-assembly produces largest-ever
nonbiological supramolecular
complex.

BUSINESS
CHEMICAL EARNINGS: 16
Results in the third quarter are down
again for many firms,

DRUG FIRM EARNINGS: 21
Double-digit growth continues; merg-
er and acquisition activities heat up,

GOVERNMENT 6 POLICY
WEAPONS WORKERS WIN: 24
DOE will no longer fight wage, health
claims of nuclear weapons workers.

SCIENCE EDUCATION: 26
NIH is developing a life sciences cur-
riculum-supplement series for
teachers.

GOVERNMENT INSIGHTS: 27
Congress should allocate funds for
major, long-term research to solve
intractable problems,

SCIENCE/ECHNOLOGY
EXPOSING X-RAY DATA: 29
Many hands have an interest in shap-
ing policies regarding publication and
archiving ofciystallographic data,

EDUCATION
SCIENCE FOR THE DEAF: 33
Summer chemistry research prograin
helps transcend sound barrier.

SPECIAL REPORT
COVER STORY
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK: 37
Job market looks bright for 2000, with
some caveats. C&EN's annual report
on career opportunities provides ca-
reer planning advice for new gradu-
ates and seasoned professionals.

ACS NEWS
SCHOLARS PROGRAM: 76
Financial aid and mentoring lielp
high-achieving minorities in the
cliemical sciences,

THE DEPARTMENTS
3 EDITOR'S PACTE
6 I.ETTERS

CONCENTRATES
13 Business
23 Government
28 Science/Technology

32 SOFTWARE/ONUNE BRIEFS
34 BOOKS
75 ACS COMMENT
83 AWAITS
85 PEOPLE
104 NEWSCRIPTS


_______________________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

VOL. 77, NO. 48, November 29, 1999

NEWS OF THE WEEK
ALL-PURPOSE INSTRUMENT: 9
STM used to follow construction of
Fe(CO)(2) molecule by molecule.

CONGRESS WRAPS IT UP: 10
In final hours, fiscal 2000 budget is
set, R&D tax credit extended.

DOW GOES ELECTRONIC: 10
Company will purchase raw materials,
as well as office supplies, online.

PATENT LAW: 11
Congress clears modified reform bill
after four years of effort

WORKPLACE SAFETY: 11
Proposed ergonomics standard would
protect 27 million workers at annual
cost of $4.2 billion, OSHA says.

PATENT DISPUTE ENDS: 12
Genentech pays UC $200 million to
settle human growth hormone patent-
infringement case.

A MOON FARAWAY: 12
Galileo's near-IR imaging spectrome-
ter reveals new details of Jupiter's lo.

BUSINESS
COVER STORY
CK WITCO: 15
Vincent Calarco faces major challeng-
es as he melds two specialties firms
into one,

EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT: 18
Central and Eastern European nations
have made progress in reducing pol-
lution, but problems remain.

E-COMMERCE: 19
Internet-based suppliers of chemicals
continue to expand their services.

ASIA-PACIFIC
JAPANESE MANAGEMENT: 21
Mitsui's new vice chairman, Goro
Watanabe, finds change slow-going
in Japan.

GOVERNMENT & POLICY
WORLD TRADE TALKS: 24
Activists plan to converge on the
WTO meeting this week, bill the real
news is behind the scenes.

MISCONDUCT DEFINED: 28
Office of Science ^Technology Poli-
cy tries out new definition of research
misconduct in Washington.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
SCIENCE IN A VACUUM: 30
Researchers loosely linked by the use
of vacuum techniques talk shop at
annual meeting.

CLAY WARRIORS: 37
Science is brought to bear on first
Chinese emperor's terra-cotta army,
now on view in the U.S.

SCIENCE INSIGHTS: 38
How does one choose 1999's top five
achievements in chemistry?

SPECIAL REPORT
NUTRACEUTICALS: 42
With both pharmaceutical and food
properties, products touted as disease
preventing are under scrutiny,

ACS NEWS
CHEMICAL LANDMARK: 49
Polypropylene, catalytic process for
HOPE commemorated at Phillips
Petroleum.

THE DEPARTMENTS

3 EDITOR'S PAGE
6 LETTERS

CONCENTRATES
13 Business
23 Government
29 Science/Technology

48 ACS COMMENT
51 PEOPLE
64 NEWSCRIPTS


_______________________________________

CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS

VOL. 77, NO. 49, December 6, 1999

NEWS OF THE WEEK
HUMAN GENOME: 9

International effort identifies 97% of
the 34,491,000 bases that constitute
chromosome 22.

WORLD TRADE TALKS: 10
Protesters jammed Seattle streets as
Clinton called for emphasis on envi-
ronmental protection.

AGROCHEMICALS: 10
New mega player looms as Astra-
Zeneca and Novartis combine their
businesses,

PURE HYDROGEN: 11
New catalytic method produces car-
bon monoxide-free hydrogen to the
benefit of fuel cells.

DOW CORNING: 11
Judge affirms $4.5 billion bankruptcy
settlement plan, but appeals are
likely.

WARNER-LAMBERT SUES: 12
Firm charges Pfizer with breach of
contract, seeks end to drug cornarket-
ing deal.

CHEMICALS AND CHILDREN: 12
CMA suggests tiered plan for testing
chemicals that may pose risks.

BUSINESS
CELANESE: 20
Hoechst spin-off defines its core:
the acetyl chemicals chain,

CHEM SHOW: 23
Biennial exposition showcases latest
products for chemical engineers,

GOVERNMENT & POLICY
SCIENCE VERSUS SECURITY: 27
National Academies warn Energy
Department about impact of security
measures on foreign national lab
scientists.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
HEME PROTEIN BINDING: 31
Consensus is elusive on mechanism
of home proteins' selective binding of
O(2) over CO.

ROOKS
"FRAGILE DOMINION": 38
Explores commonsense principles for
human existence and ecosystem
management.

COVER STORY
MILLENNIUM
SPECIAL REPORT: 43
C&EN examines five areas
in which chemistry will help meet
challenges of the 21st century:
building a sustainable industry,
feeding the world, unlocking the
secrets ofneuroscience, ensuring
security from biological and chemical
threats, and providing clean waten
Luminaries of the chemical enterprise
provide their thoughts about the
future,