A landmark scientific gathering that brought together over 12,000 chemists from 69 nations to advance the frontiers of chemical research
Registrants
Countries
Presentations
In December 2010, something extraordinary was happening in Honolulu. While tourists soaked up the Hawaiian sun, over 12,000 chemists from 69 nations were gathering for what many call the "Olympics of chemistry"—the International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies, better known as Pacifichem 2010. Against a backdrop of traditional Hawaiian chants and dances, this massive scientific gathering transformed Honolulu into the global epicenter of chemical innovation 1 .
The conference came at a pivotal moment in chemistry, as scientists were increasingly breaking down traditional barriers between disciplines. Materials chemists were collaborating with biologists, theoretical physicists were working with synthetic chemists, and all were recognizing that the most pressing challenges—from sustainable energy to environmental protection—required global perspectives. Pacifichem 2010 served as both a showcase for these emerging collaborations and a catalyst for new ones, with its theme "Chemistry, technology and our global environment" guiding five days of intense scientific exchange 1 2 .
The scale of Pacifichem 2010 was staggering, even by the standards of major scientific conferences. The congress spanned five full days of presentations, discussions, and collaborations across multiple venues in Honolulu, including the Hawaii Convention Center and several Waikiki hotels 2 .
| Category | Statistics |
|---|---|
| Registrants | 12,168 1 |
| Participating Countries | 69 1 |
| Sponsoring Societies | 7 2 |
| Total Presentations | 12,844 1 |
| Symposia | 230+ 1 |
| Oral Presentations | 6,923 1 |
| Poster Presentations | 5,921 1 |
The scientific program was organized around 13 major areas of chemistry, with organic chemistry attracting the most abstracts (2,340), followed by inorganic chemistry (1,654) and materials and nanotechnology (1,652) 1 . This distribution reflected both the enduring importance of traditional disciplines and the growing significance of interdisciplinary fields that blend multiple areas of expertise.
Beyond the formal presentations, the conference fostered collaboration through its Student Poster Competition, which invited pre-PhD students to present their work for judging and recognition 3 . The social program, including an opening ceremony featuring Hawaiian traditions and various island tours, provided informal networking opportunities against the scenic backdrop of Oahu 2 .
The scientific program at Pacifichem 2010 read like a roadmap to chemistry's future, highlighting both established fields and emerging interdisciplinary areas.
Analytical chemists presented breakthroughs that were pushing detection limits to new extremes. Symposia covered microfluidic and nanofluidic devices for chemical and biochemical experimentation, advanced mass spectrometry techniques for proteomics, and novel optical methods for analyzing materials and interfaces 3 .
The materials program highlighted chemistry's expanding role in creating functional substances with precisely controlled properties. Sessions covered metal-organic frameworks with their remarkable surface areas and applications in gas storage, and polymeric materials from renewable resources that offered sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics 3 .
Pacifichem 2010 featured several historic firsts, including the first international high-pressure chemistry symposium sponsored by Carnegie's Center for Advanced Radiation Sources and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 4 . This symposium brought together 47 delegates who presented 38 oral papers and 8 posters on cutting-edge research exploring how extreme pressures can transform materials' properties and create entirely new phases of matter.
December 15, 2010
Traditional Hawaiian welcome ceremony with chants and dances, setting the stage for international collaboration.
December 16-18, 2010
Over 12,000 presentations across 13 major chemistry disciplines, with special focus on interdisciplinary research.
December 17, 2010
Pre-PhD students presented their research for judging and recognition, fostering the next generation of chemists.
December 19, 2010
Reflection on the conference achievements and announcement of plans for future Pacifichem meetings.
Among the thousands of presentations at Pacifichem 2010, one particularly elegant experiment challenged conventional wisdom about one of chemistry's most familiar substances—water. Researchers from Caltech presented findings on the "Experimental acidity of the water surface" that contradicted textbook descriptions of water's chemical behavior 5 .
Conventional chemistry teaches that the acidity of an aqueous solution is uniform throughout—a beaker of water at pH 4 has the same concentration of hydrogen ions everywhere in the liquid. However, theoretical models had begun to suggest that the surface of water might be different, potentially hosting a higher concentration of H₃O⁺ ions than the bulk liquid below. Proving this experimentally had been challenging because the water surface represents such a thin layer that's difficult to probe without disturbance 5 .
The research team employed an ingenious approach using water microjets—extremely fine streams of water moving through a vacuum chamber. They introduced gaseous trimethylamine (TMA) molecules to collide with these microjets and then used online electrospray mass spectrometry to detect whether the TMA became protonated upon contact with the water surface 5 .
| Experimental Condition | Observation | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk pH varied from acidic to basic | TMAH⁺ detected below bulk pH 4, with equivalence point at pH 3.8 | H₃O⁺ ions present at water surface well below bulk pKₐ |
| Addition of Na⁺ or Li⁺ (up to 1 mM) | Enhanced TMA protonation even above pH 4 | Cations promote emergence of H₃O⁺ at interface |
| Higher salt concentrations (>1 mM) | Weak inhibition of TMA protonation | Excessive ions may disrupt surface organization |
| Solvent isotope effects | Strong kinetic isotope effects observed | Proton transfer involves multiple water molecules |
Water's surface is more acidic than its bulk
Contrary to traditional understanding, the air-water interface hosts a higher concentration of H₃O⁺ ions
Understanding groundbreaking science requires familiarity with the specialized tools and reagents that make the research possible. The water surface acidity study relied on several sophisticated techniques and materials.
| Tool/Reagent | Function in the Experiment |
|---|---|
| Water Microjets | Creates continuously renewed water surface in vacuum environment 5 |
| Trimethylamine (TMA) | Acts as a molecular probe that becomes protonated upon encountering acidic surface 5 |
| Electrospray Mass Spectrometry | Detects and measures protonated trimethylammonium (TMAH⁺) with high sensitivity 5 |
| Isotopic Labeling (D₂O) | Reveals kinetic isotope effects, providing mechanistic insights into proton transfer 5 |
| pH Control Systems | Maintains precise bulk liquid acidity while surface properties are monitored 5 |
Researchers prepared water solutions with precisely controlled pH levels using standard buffer systems, along with variations containing specific concentrations of salts like sodium chloride or lithium chloride 5 .
These solutions were forced through microscopic nozzles to create thin, fast-moving streams (microjets) that traveled through a vacuum chamber. The vacuum environment was crucial for preventing interference from ambient air molecules 5 .
Gaseous trimethylamine molecules were introduced into the vacuum chamber, where they collided with the surface of the water microjets. The dwell time of these interactions was extremely brief, ensuring that only surface chemistry was being probed 5 .
After collision with the water surface, the gaseous products were immediately analyzed by electrospray mass spectrometry, which could detect even tiny amounts of protonated trimethylamine (TMAH⁺) with high specificity 5 .
The discovery that water's surface is more acidic than its bulk has profound implications across multiple scientific domains.
This finding helps explain how certain chemical reactions occur in cloud droplets and aerosol particles that could not previously be accounted for by traditional models. The enhanced acidity at the interface may catalyze reactions important for ozone depletion or secondary aerosol formation 5 .
Water surface acidity influences how proteins fold at aqueous interfaces and how cellular membranes interact with their environment. Many biological processes occur at boundaries between water and other phases, and the unique chemical environment at these interfaces may be essential to their function 5 .
The research has technological implications for industrial processes ranging from corrosion science to semiconductor manufacturing, where water interfaces play crucial roles. Understanding the distinct chemical behavior of water surfaces could lead to improved materials and processes across these applications.
Fifteen years later, the legacy of Pacifichem 2010 continues through ongoing collaborations, shared insights, and the enduring impact of research presented there. As the chemical community looks toward future gatherings, the innovations showcased at Pacifichem 2010 serve as a powerful reminder that when curious minds come together across borders, they can unravel even the most fundamental mysteries of the natural world, one careful experiment at a time.
Discovery that water's surface is more acidic than its bulk, challenging textbook chemistry.
First international symposium on how extreme pressures transform materials.
Development of polymeric materials from renewable resources as sustainable alternatives.
Chemists from 69 countries participated, with strong representation from Pacific Rim nations including the United States, Japan, China, Australia, and Canada.