Every Molecule Matters

Author:   Simon Cotton (University of Birmingham, UK)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
ISBN:  

9781041110620


Pages:   296
Publication Date:   10 September 2025
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
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Every Molecule Matters


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Overview

Every Molecule Matters is a successor to the author’s earlier Every Molecule Tells a Story and tells the story of a wide range of molecules. These range from the familiar odours that enhance the pleasure of eating (and the spices that add piquancy) to the vitamins vital to our survival, as well as the ways in which insects and plants use chemicals to protect themselves. There’s controversy surrounding the compounds of chlorine, which encompass life‑supporting anaesthetics and natural antibiotics, as well as insecticides like DDT, which saved innumerable lives but became an environmental cause célèbre. Through the addictive power of nicotine, smoking tobacco transformed from a curiosity imported from the Americas into a megapound industry that has caused significant human illness and death. And how safe is vaping? Discover the painkillers that have become drugs of abuse, and smile at the smelly sulfur compounds that serve as unpleasant human odorants (and defence molecules for skunks), control natural cycles in the environment or act as flavourings in wine. You will discover them all here. This book showcases the structures of hundreds of compounds used by humans, animals and plants. Some are beneficial; some are not. Find out here why you should be better informed about them. • This collection of molecules includes human issues, such as the chemistry of vaping, and drugs of abuse, including ‘spice’, nitazenes and fentanyl. • ‘Chemistry of Everyday’ includes vitamins and the molecules that give foods their aromas and appetizing appeal. • The chemistry of nature ‑ how plants and insects use chemicals to defend themselves against potential predators, whether humans, birds, animals or other insects. • Organohalogen compounds, encompassing the atmosphere-damaging CFCs and their replacements, and the chlorine compounds that are important medicines (e.g. vancomycin). • Using isotopes, from archaeologists faced by mysteries of ancient Rome and silver from Spanish conquistadors, to tracking down the origin of South American cocaine and solving the ‘Scissor Sister’ murder case.

Full Product Details

Author:   Simon Cotton (University of Birmingham, UK)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   CRC Press
ISBN:  

9781041110620


ISBN 10:   1041110626
Pages:   296
Publication Date:   10 September 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

Preface The Author Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Food [Abstract, Keywords] Introduction Carbohydrates Polysaccharides Amino acids and Proteins Aminoacids Polypeptides and proteins Lipids Taste Sensations Meat Cheese Blue cheeses Lactose and Camembert Cheddar Bread Baking Potato Raw potatoes Boiled potatoes Baked potatoes Potato chips Mushrooms Puffball mushrooms Onions Fresh onions Cooked onions Tomatoes Strawberries Wild strawberries Oranges and lemons Orange juice and limonene isomer smells Chapter 2 Vitamins [Abstract, Keywords] Introduction Vitamin A Vitamin B1, Thiamin Vitamin B2, Riboflavin Vitamin B3, Niacin Vitamin B5, Pantothenic acid Vitamin B6, Pyridoxine Vitamin B7, Biotin Vitamin B9, Folic acid Vitamin B12, Cobalamin Vitamin C, L-Ascorbic acid Vitamin D, Calciferol Vitamin E Vitamin K Chapter 3 Hot and Cold [Abstract, Keywords] Introduction Spices and ‘hot’ Capsaicin The TRPV1 receptor Black pepper Ginger Clove Nutmeg Cinnamon Szechuan peppers Cool and menthol How menthol works Carvone A new minty molecule Mustard Chapter 4 Abused Painkillers and Other Drugs of Abuse [Abstract, Keywords] Opium Morphine Heroin Fentanyl Carfentanil and other powerful fentanyls Oxycodone and Oxycontin Krokodil Spice Nitazenes Chapter 5 Nasty Smells [Abstract, Keywords] Introduction Hydrogen sulphide Dimethylsulfide Dimethyldisulfide and the titan arum Thiols Skunks Personal hygiene – and wines Trimethylamine The Smell of the Living and the Dead The scent of death Molecules and Mosquitoes Euglossine bees Chapter 6 War and Peace [Abstract, Keywords] Introduction Cut grass and green aroma Plant defence Weaponised insects Out of detective novels Blister beetles Plants attracting insects Insect repellents Chapter 7 Organochlorine Compounds [Abstract, Keywords] Introduction Organic chlorine compounds Chloromethane Pesticides and DDT Dieldrin and Aldrin Chlorinated medicines Chlorinated phenols Natural germ-killers from the earth Teicoplanin Chloramphenicol Halogenated Compounds from Marine Fungi Another killer Chapter 8 Organofluorine Compounds [Abstract, Keywords] Introduction CFCs, serendipity and a serious problem Other organofluorine compounds Other problematic organofluorine compounds A natural problem Fluorinated pharmaceuticals Anaesthetics Blood substitutes Perfluorocubane Chapter 9 Smoking and Vaping [Abstract, Keywords] Smoking Nicotine Health effects of smoking Toxic chemicals in tobacco Vaping Metal heating elements and metal pieces Solvents Flavourings Diacetyl Benzaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde and vanillin Vitamin E acetate Nicotine analogues Student vaping Conclusions and summary Chapter 10 Isotopes [Abstract, Keywords] Isotopes What’s the difference between H2O and D2O? Lead isotopes Coinage and Isotopes Uranium isotopes and their separation Carbon isotopes Detecting food fraud Radiocarbon Fraudulent white truffles Isoscapes Carbon in foods Strontium isotopes Isotopes and drugs King Richard III Isotopes in solving crimes The Welsh case The ‘Scissor Sisters’ case An unsolved crime .... five thousand years ago. Chapter 11 Methane [Abstract, Keywords] Introduction and historical background Wood, coal and coal gas Coal, the environment and smogs Natural gas and methane. Methane, a greenhouse gas Bibliography

Reviews

Overview This compilation is an essential reference work for every chemist – particularly organic chemists. It is a handbook of up-to-date knowledge on many of the chemical compounds in our chemical world, and their contexts. Not only is each chapter full of fascinating facts, but each chapter examines the molecules from a different perspective. Here, this reviewer provides commentaries on each of the chapters. Chapter 1: Food What differentiates this book from others that cover the topic of food is that, upfront Dr. Cotton discusses the taste of foods: “So the core of this chapter is to consider molecules responsible for flavour sensations in a range of foods, both cooked and uncooked “. This topic is especially relevant to those who, through chemotherapy, or though viral infections, lose their ability to experience the food sensations. According to Dr. Cotton, roast beef has been the most studied, the delightful smell (to most carnivores) coming primarily from: methional, 2-acetylthiazole, and 2- acetylthiazolidine, 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine, and 2,3-diethyl-5- methylpyrazine. While fried chicken exudes a completely different array of complex molecules. Eye-opener for this reviewer! The diversity of odiferous molecules from different cheeses was also fascinating, as were those from the baking process. Vegetarians and vegans need not despair as there are many, many, pages on odours from raw and cooked vegetables and fruit. Chapter 2: Vitamins As Dr. Cotton notes in the introduction, vitamins are “are an untidy collection of complex organic nutrients.” This chapter is built around the discovery of vitamins, particularly through the diseases they prevented. In the descriptions, exceptional care has been taken to accord the correct attributions of discovery and the discovery process. Then follows a detailed discussion of every vitamin and its chemistry. Chapter 3: Spices, ‘Hot’ and ‘Cold’ After the usual outstanding historical background to the discovery and spread of spices around the world, Dr. Cotton focusses upon their mode of action. This includes very useful facts, including: “Much of a capsaicinoid molecule is hydrophobic and so not water-soluble, which is why reaching for the water jug or a beer is not the answer to a curry that is too hot for you; it is thought that milk is the best option, as it contains the lipophilic casein, which is better at removing the lipid-like capsaicins”. Chapter 4: Abused Painkillers and other Drugs of Abuse This chapter commences with a lengthy – and fascinating – discourse on the history of opium [“a mixture that involves over 20 different alkaloid molecules”] and its wide acceptance: “As an over-the-counter cure-all, it was the equivalent of aspirin a century later for many people - but better. It was a painkiller, a sedative and a specific treatment for diarrhoea”. Dr. Cotton has a superlative coverage of fentanyl and its many derivatives. He describes the incredible toxicity of the fentanyl family requiring the wearing of hazmat suits when handling even the smallest dose. He also describes its probable use to break the 2002 siege by Chichen terrorists of 900 people in the Dubrovka Theatre in Moscow, by pumping an aerial suspension into the ventilation system of the Theatre and then treating as many as possible of the hostages with fentanyl antagonists. It is such unusual fact and applications which makes this compilation so interesting. There is also a lengthy coverage of oxycodone and its relatives, including “Krokodil”, and many other addictive drugs. Chapter 5: Nasty Smelling Molecules What an unusual – but very appropriate – chapter title for an academic book! It is, of course, a focus upon molecules with high vapour pressure containing nitrogen and/or sulfur atoms. Again, Dr. Cotton surprises the reader by a lengthy – and absorbing – discourse on truffles: “The black truffle produces some 80 volatile molecules, including a lot of aldehydes, ketones and esters”. Then, a digression on :”the smelliest plant in the world, the titan arum Amorphophallus titanum. It flowers irregularly, every few years, and then just for two or three days. … The [rotten-flesh] smell helps it to attract the kind of insects, which like to feed on decaying flesh - flies and carrion beetles – whilst its deep red inflorescence looks like meat. The titan arum and several others that produce the rotting flesh smell owe their odour to mixtures of dimethyl disulphide and dimethyl trisulphide.” Chapter 6: War and Peace in Nature And what curiosities does the reader find in this chapter? Surely the section on plant defences is the most fascinating. As Dr. Cotton remarks: “Plants are at the bottom of the food chain. Though it sounds like confused biology to use the expression, they seem like sitting ducks. Vulnerable, yes, but they have a range of tricks up their sleeves to defend themselves against predators” – many of which Dr. Cotton describes.. Of course, insects with their mobility, have an amazing array of defensive and offensive options. One of the many amazing examples is: “Soldier termites of the Australian species Nasutitermes exitiosus do something even more complicated; they have been described by the authors of the book ‘Secret Weapons’ as ‘mobile artillery units’. They fire their weapon from a gland on their heads, not their abdomens, but again it can be directed, ahead; to the sides; and even behind them.” Chapter 7: Organochlorine Compounds Dr. Cotton ends this chapter with what might be more appropriate as an opening statement: “The world contains an amazing variety of organochlorine compounds – some are ‘natural’, some wholly synthetic. Some of these compounds are toxic or harmful in other ways, but others are not just useful substances but quite safe into the bargain. Molecules are ‘morally neutral’; they do not display their good or bad sides until they come into contact with people”. This chapter opens with a lengthy and detailed coverage of the history of DDT’s ‘rise and fall.’ Then amongst other compounds, he describes the large number of the fungal-derived chloro-antibiotics, where they were found and their amazing complex structures. Chapter 8: Organofluorine Compounds To begin this chapter, Dr. Cotton discusses in depth how, though fluorine and chlorine are in the same Periodic Table Group, difference in bond energies and electronegativities lead to some very different behaviour and properties in analogous compounds. About half the chapter is consumed by an in-context discussion of chlorofluorocarbons. Then PFOS and its family are covered, followed by fluoro-anesthetics, and fluoro-pharmaceuticals. Chapter 9: Smoking and Vaping Opening this chapter is a fascinating detailed of the history of smoking tobacco around the world. As usual, the account is sprinkled with asides that make this book such a fascinating read: “But the practice of cigarette smoking did not catch on at once [in Britain], until the American invention (Virginia, again) of the cigarette making machine in 1880, which chopped cigarettes from a tube of paper-wrapped tobacco, and which could make up to 212 cigarettes per minute”. Dr. Cotton then enters the incredibly complex world of vaping, which he tells us at the beginning: “A Chinese pharmacist named Hon Lik is often given the credit for inventing the precursor of the modern devices in 2003, as an aid to stopping smoking, after his father died of lung cancer (Spoiler: Hon Lik still smokes)”. Chapter 10: Isotopes at Work Commencing with a review of the history of isotope coverage, Dr. Cotton then reviews some of the isotope relevance of hydrogen, lead, uranium, and others. Of course, we can rely on Dr. Cotton to find some fascinating information which few would know. In this case, the selling of synthetic vanilla as expensive “natural vanilla.” He explains: Plants make vanillin via a biochemical pathway that results in a higher 13C/12C ratio than that found in synthetic vanillin, … . But the counterfeiters got round this by putting vanillin molecules with extra 13C into their fraudulent ‘vanilla extract’, so that their vanillin samples matched the “natural” ratio.” Nevertheless, the fake vanilla extract can still be identified, as Dr. Cotton explains: “Carbons outside the aromatic ring are easier to introduce; because of this chemical inequivalence between the carbon atoms in the aromatic ring and those carbon atoms that are substituent groups, the distribution of the 13C atoms in ‘faked’ vanillin is non-uniform, with greater numbers in the aldehyde and methoxy substituent positions.” In summary This book represents a life-time of accumulated knowledge by Dr. Cotton of chemistry in the real world. This includes many more anecdotes and asides than are selected here. Sprinkled through the chapters are the chemicals structures and many reaction mechanisms. For an organic chemist, these provide a greater depth of comprehension. Should the reader not be so inclined, the text alone is worth the cost of this book. The reader cannot claim to be truly knowledgeable about the chemistry of the world we live in, unless they have read this book and retained it as an ever-ready reference source. Geoff Rayner-Canham, F.R.S.C., F.C.I.C. Grenfell Campus, Memorial University Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada In a continuation of Simon Cotton’s 2012 “Every Molecule Tells a Story,” his new book, “Every Molecule Matters”, covers in great detail the story of Food, Vitamins, Hot and Cold, Abused Pain Killers and Other Drugs of Abuse, Nasty Smells, War and Peace, Organochlorine Compounds, Organofluorine Compounds, Smoking and Vaping, Isotopes, and Methane. Each chapter is replete with extensive historical facts, chemical structures and origins, and present day situations. Each chapter has a detailed bibliography at the end of the volume. The chapter, Spices, ‘Hot’ and ‘Cold,’ explains in fascinating detail the chemistry and biology of Capsaicin (“Hot”) and Menthol (“Cold”), and the evolution of these chemicals from antiquity to modern times. Also covered are the lesser known “Spice Chemicals” Nutmeg, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Szechuan Peppers, and more. Nasty Smelling Molecules is a fascinating exploration of the chemicals with which every human and animal species is familiar! In addition to the ubiquitous Indole and Hydrogen Sulfide, Cotton presents a myriad of other sulfur compounds from a variety of sources and discusses in detail the origin of the ‘Scent of Death’ heterocyclic amines. Abused Painkillers and Other Drugs of Abuse reveals the evolution of the widely abused Heroin, Fentanyl, and Oxycontin, and presents the lesser known Spice and Nitazenes. The extraordinary toxicity of Fentanyl analogues, such as Sufentanil and Carfentanil, is outlined in alarming detail. The Nitazenes came to prominence in 2019 as new analgesics, more potent then morphine, but now recognized to have fatal toxicities comparable to fentanyl. Vitamins is a marvelous presentation of the myriad vitamins that humans ingest daily. From the connection of scurvy to the lack of Vitamin C, to rickets to the lack of Vitamin D, and pellagra to the absence of Vitamin B3 (niacin), this chapter is a marvelous presentation of the history, sources, and function of all 18 vitamins. Food is a wonderful summary of food types, from their constituents (protein, lipids, carbohydrates) to both fresh and cooked foods, fruits and vegetables, cheeses, and their myriad aromas. All of this is combined with enough organic chemistry to satisfy the professional (e.g., aroma structures, thermal reactions, oxidation and enzymatic chemistry). War and Peace in Nature concisely summarizes the extraordinary chemistry utilized by plants and insects in chemical defense against potential predators (man, birds, animals, other insects). These repellent “allomones,” “alarm pheromones,” and natural insecticides comprise an array of volatile organic compounds, some of which are well known (benzoquinone, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, hydrogen cyanide, volatile aldehydes, phenols) and others such as piperidines, pyrethrins, and the “blister beetle” cantharidin are new to science. Interestingly, one of these piperidines is a close analogue to the poison hemlock alkaloid that killed Socrates. The well-known plant alkaloids caffeine, cocaine, morphine, and nicotine are toxic to insects. Organic chemistry is limited to the structures of these compounds and some of the fascinating routes to their formation. Organochlorine Compounds is a chapter dear to me! I’ve been following and documenting organochlorine compounds found in nature for the past 45 years. Dr. Cotton concisely presents an account of both man-made and natural organochlorine compounds. From the Civil War anesthetic chloroform and the life-saving vancomycin to the pesticides DDT and Dieldrin, this short chapter succinctly covers this enormous field. A highlight is the sex pheromone 2,6-dichlorophenol produced by species of female ticks. Interestingly, this isomer is essentially impossible to prepare in the laboratory because chlorination of phenol gives the 2,4-isomer! Other relevant examples are the chemical defensive secretion epibatidine, which is a rare chloropyridine, and the soil antibiotic chlorotetracycline. The presentation of organic structures is minimal and appropriate. Organofluorine Compounds is arguably the most important chapter in the book. It deals with the two current “hot” topics of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and PFAS (polyfluorinated alkyl substances) — the former in great detail with respect to the ozone layer and the latter fleetingly. Coverage of CFCs (historical, evolution, chemistry, consequences) is the most detailed and comprehensive that I have ever seen! The rare natural organofluorine and highly toxic compound, fluoroacetic acid, and some fluorinated pharmaceuticals are covered briefly. Smoking and Vaping. Following an Introduction to the use of tobacco dating back to perhaps 18,000 years ago and certainly used by people in the Andes during 3000-5000 BC, the chapter focusses on the adverse health effects of smoking tobacco. These include formation of the ubiquitous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and N-nitrosoamines. The section on the relatively new addiction of Vaping (via e-cigarettes) includes the fascinating chemical formation of various toxic compounds (acrolein, other aldehydes) and other compounds from the flavoring additives such as diacetyl (“popcorn aroma”). Presented also is the surprising generation of higher reactive (and presumed toxic) ketene from Vitamin E acetate. The virtually unknown effects of metals and alcohols, which are present in e-cigarettes, are disclosed. The chapter closes with an illuminating “Conclusions and Summary.” Isotopes At Work. In what is an enormous area comprising hundreds of isotopes, Dr. Cotton concentrates this chapter on a few of the most relevant isotopes. Beginning with definitions and familiar examples (“heavy water,” radioactive vs. non-radioactive, uranium and carbon isotopes), a major attraction of this chapter is the use of isotopes in food fraud, carbon dating, criminology, and forensic science, one case of which analyzed the skeleton of King Richard III. Also presented are “Isoscapes,” the new study of lighter isotopes. Methane. The simplest organic molecule is methane (one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms). In this concise chapter Dr. Cotton presents the astonishing natural occurrences of methane in our universe, and its role in the “Greenhouse Effect” leading to global warming. No chemistry is explicitly depicted. Bibliography Dr. Cotton has assembled a Bibliography of nearly 60 pages that covers each book chapter. From book references to primary literature citations, this is a wealth of information for the reader. References include both classic reviews and modern journal citations. Several references to the 2024 literature are listed. For example, the Food chapter lists nearly 170 references. This document alone is worth the price of the book! Gordon W. Gribble, Professor of Chemistry Emeritus, Department of Chemistry, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.


Author Information

Simon Cotton earned his BSc and PhD in chemistry from Imperial College London, followed by research and teaching appointments at Queen Mary College, London, and the University of East Anglia. He subsequently taught chemistry in both state and independent schools for over 30 years. In 2011, he became an honorary senior lecturer in chemistry at the University of Birmingham, where he taught inorganic and organic chemistry for 5 years. He has published research on the chemistry of iron, cobalt, scandium, yttrium and the lanthanide elements. His ‘Soundbite Molecules’ feature ran as a regular column in the magazine Education in Chemistry from 1996 to 2012, reaching every secondary school in the UK. He has written over 100 ‘Molecules of the Month’ articles, which are featured online at http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/motm.htm and recognised globally. Additionally, he has delivered over 40 ‘Chemistry in Its Element’ podcasts for the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Chemistry World website at http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/. In 2005, he shared the Royal Society of Chemistry Schools Education Award, and in 2014, he was awarded the British Empire Medal for his work in chemistry and education. He was the editor of ‘Lanthanide and Actinide Compounds’ for the Dictionary of Organometallic Compounds and the Dictionary of Inorganic Compounds between 1984 and 1997. He wrote the section on lanthanide coordination chemistry for the second edition of Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry and the sections on lanthanide inorganic and coordination chemistry for the first and second editions of the Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry. This is his ninth book. His previous books are given as follows: D. J. Cardin, S. A. Cotton, M. Green, and J. A. Labinger, Organometallic Compounds of the Lanthanides, Actinides and Early Transition Metals, Chapman and Hall, 1985 S. A. Cotton, Building the Late Mediaeval Suffolk Parish Church, SIAH, 2019 S. A. Cotton, Chemistry of Precious Metals, London, Blackie, 1997 S. A. Cotton, Every Molecule Tells a Story, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2012 S. A. Cotton, Lanthanide and Actinide Chemistry, John Wiley, 2006 S. A. Cotton, Lanthanides and Actinides, Macmillan, 1991 S. A. Cotton and F. A. Hart, The Heavy Transition Elements, Macmillan, 1975 P. May and S. A. Cotton, Molecules That Amaze Us, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2015

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