Valentine's Day perfume – with the essence of science!

  Mendeleevs-Dreampr
11 Feb 2011 15:36:44.867

PA 49/11

Who said there is no romance in science? Well there is, and it comes in many different chemical compounds!

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, the team behind the Periodic Table of Videos at The University of Nottingham has created a special perfume called ‘Mendeleev’s Dream’ - http://tiny.cc/dbwo8

The perfume has been named after Dmitri Mendeleev, the 19th century Russian scientist who created the Periodic Table – which has made this group of 21st century scientists into an award-winning YouTube hit.

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Created in the labs of the School of Chemistry, the perfume is laced with Vanillin for the essence of ice cream, Cinnamaldehyde with its warmth and colour of cinnamon, Hexachloroplatinic Acid for some platinum bling, Citronellol to produce the classic scent of lemons and Theobromine, an extract of cocoa - to tempt the lady in your life with the irresistible aroma of chocolate!

Professor Martyn Poliakoff is one of the ‘noses’ involved in the creation of this perfume. He said: "The video was really fun to make and a great opportunity to blend light hearted banter with some serious points about the role of chemicals in various aspects of our lives."

Because everything they make is created in a scientific research laboratory nothing they produce can be consumed or used by humans. So Mendeleev’s Dream is what it says – just a dream! Even the special birthday cake they made to celebrate their first anniversary had to be exploded – under strict safety conditions.

To find out more about the Periodic Table of Videos and how it is making science more accessible follow the scent: http://www.periodicvideos.com

Professor Poliakoff said: “Mendeleev was one of the first great science communicators. Crowds of students filled lecture halls to hear him speak and he never lost touch with the classroom. We are delighted that his Periodic Table is now enabling us to communicate with new generations of young scientists. If a little fun on Valentine’s Day teaches people something about chemistry and science then we have had some success.”

— Ends —

Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘Europe’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, a league table of the world’s most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions, which ranked Nottingham second in the world overall.

The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 40,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power. The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.
More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news

Story credits

More information is available from Professor Martyn Poliakoff on +44 (0) 115 9513520, martyn.poliakoff@nottingham.ac.uk
Lindsay Brooke

Lindsay Brooke - Media Relations Manager

Email: lindsay.brooke@nottingham.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0)115 951 5751 Location: University Park

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