There are hurdles to overcome. The current version of the superbowl molecule lacks solubility in water, which could compromise its potential medical applications, the researcher says. Superbowl molecules also have the potential to be toxic. But Sherburn and his associates are confident these potential problems can be solved with further testing and some clever chemical engineering.

Funding for this study was provided by The Australian National University. In addition to Sherburn, study authors include Elizabeth S. Barrett and Alison J. Edwards, also with Australian National University; and Jacob L. Irwin, of the University of Sydney.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization, chartered by the U.S. Congress, with a multidisciplinary membership of more than 159,000 chemists and chemical engineers. It publishes numerous scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences and provides educational, science policy and career programs in chemistry. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

Mark T. Sampson

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Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society
31-Jan-2005