Editing 2648: Chemicals

While many expensive chemicals are composed of inexpensive and easily available elements, "assembling" those elements into specific molecules is rarely as simple as Megan implies. That work is the primary purpose of the global chemical industry. In-house {{w|chemical synthesis}} is usually not cost effective, because end users have limited time and are generally unable to leverage the {{w|economies of scale}} inherent in bulk manufacturing by specialist industrial firms.[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2880393/] They are also not able to benefit from synergies by simultaneous synthesizing different compounds. However, we don't know whether Megan and Cueball work in a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIHxPc7EpP8 laboratory,] factory, or some other industrial setting. If they need chemicals in bulk, or only very small quantities, synthesizing them might be cost effective. In any case, producing chemicals from their constituent elements, or — as is far more common — {{w|Precursor (chemistry)|precursor compound}}s, is difficult and time-consuming, usually requires expensive equipment, and is often fraught with peril.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QwW2owNWgc] It's conceivable that this could change as biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology develop, but it is a far fetch given the relative ease of synthesizing chemicals from other chemicals. {{w|Nitrobenzene}}, one of the C₆H₅NO₂ compounds, is an excellent example because it is explosive and extremely toxic, and its synthesis is highly exothermic, making it one of the most dangerous syntheses in the chemical industry.[https://www.icheme.org/media/10339/xiii-paper-36.pdf] Such issues answer Cueball's question as to why more places don't manufacture their own compounds from atoms. Megan seems to be imagining synthesis as a much simpler process without reactivity, energy release, or hazardous intermediate substances. The characters' naivety also gives rise to the humor of the comic.

While many expensive chemicals are composed of inexpensive and easily available elements, "assembling" those elements into specific molecules is rarely as simple as Megan implies. That work is the primary purpose of the global chemical industry. In-house {{w|chemical synthesis}} is usually not cost effective, because end users have limited time and are generally unable to leverage the {{w|economies of scale}} inherent in bulk manufacturing by specialist industrial firms.[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2880393/] They are also not able to benefit from synergies by simultaneous synthesizing different compounds. However, we don't know whether Megan and Cueball work in a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIHxPc7EpP8 laboratory,] factory, or some other industrial setting. If they need chemicals in bulk, or only very small quantities, synthesizing them might be cost effective. In any case, producing chemicals from their constituent elements, or — as is far more common — {{w|Precursor (chemistry)|precursor compound}}s, is difficult and time-consuming, usually requires expensive equipment, and is often fraught with peril.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QwW2owNWgc] It's conceivable that this could change as biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology develop, but it is a far fetch given the relative ease of synthesizing chemicals from other chemicals. {{w|Nitrobenzene}}, one of the C₆H₅NO₂ compounds, is an excellent example because it is explosive and extremely toxic, and its synthesis is highly exothermic, making it one of the most dangerous syntheses in the chemical industry.[https://www.icheme.org/media/10339/xiii-paper-36.pdf] Such issues answer Cueball's question as to why more places don't manufacture their own compounds from atoms. Megan seems to be imagining synthesis as a much simpler process without reactivity, energy release, or hazardous intermediate substances. The characters' naivety also gives rise to the humor of the comic.

Megan is holding a note listing how many of the four types of atoms she needs to build one molecule of the compound she wants to assemble. The paper seems to list prices for buying 6 carbon, 5 hydrogen, 1 nitrogen and 2 oxygen atoms, although the units aren't specified and the very small prices are illegible. At the bottom is a sum showing she needs 14 total, again with an illegible price. She is suggesting buying atoms in bulk, which should be even cheaper than buying them individually. However, this is another layer of humor, as you can neither buy individual atoms or get a price for them, showing her lack of understanding of chemistry. An actual {{w|bill of materials}} for a chemical compound synthesis from constituent elements alone would list the elements converting their number of atoms to {{w|Mole (unit)|mole}}s, then [https://www.omnicalculator.com/chemistry/mole to mass] for solids and some fluids or to volume at the available pressure and temperature for other fluids, and then to the purchase price, which would usually need to be rounded up to match the next largest size available from suppliers. Also {{w|reagent}}s are usually necessary for syntheses, e.g., {{w|reactant}}s, {{w|solvent}}s, {{w|Buffer solution|buffers}} and {{w|catalyst}}s such as {{w|enzyme}}s. These can cost more than the compounds' constituents but are sometimes recoverable for reuse, though that may require using additional reagents. In many cases, the cost of the elements would be more than the cost of the compound.  For example, purchasing hydrogen and oxygen from which to make water would cost more than water costs.

Megan is holding a note listing how many of the four types of atoms she needs to build one molecule of the compound she wants to assemble. The paper seems to list prices for buying 6 carbon, 5 hydrogen, 1 nitrogen and 2 oxygen atoms, although the units aren't specified and the very small prices are illegible. At the bottom is a sum showing she needs 14 total, again with an illegible price. She is suggesting buying atoms in bulk, which should be even cheaper than buying them individually. However, this is another layer of humor, as you can neither buy individual atoms or get a price for them, showing her lack of understanding of chemistry. An actual {{w|bill of materials}} for a chemical compound synthesis from constituent elements alone would list the elements converting their number of atoms to {{w|Mole (unit)|mole}}s, then [https://www.omnicalculator.com/chemistry/mole to mass] for solids and some fluids or to volume at the available pressure and temperature for other fluids, and then to the purchase price, which would usually need to be rounded up to match the next largest size available from suppliers. Also {{w|reagent}}s are usually necessary for syntheses, e.g., {{w|reactant}}s, {{w|solvent}}s, {{w|Buffer solution|buffers}} and {{w|catalyst}}s such as {{w|enzyme}}s. These can cost more than the compounds' constituents but are sometimes recoverable for reuse, though that may require using additional reagents. In many cases, the cost of the elements would be more than the cost of the compound.  For example, purchasing hydrogen and oxygen from which to make water would cost more than water costs.