Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Copper and sulfur are known for their reactivity, and in fact, it’s this reactivity that supports the development of prized flavor and aroma profiles in whisky. Motivated by this tried-and-true chemistry, researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland created copper-capped microswimmers that move through fluid environments containing “whisky-inspired” sulfurous compounds.
Read the paper: doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6c00489
(Corresponding author: Juliane Simmchen, Ph.D.)
If you were intrigued by the Brownian motion footage at 1:07 and 1:23, watch this Reactions Short for a deeper dive into a scientific beef that spanned millennia: youtube.com/shorts/aWfNxZDCg_Y.
Video credits:
Written, produced, and edited by Vangie Koonce
Narrated and hosted by Emily Schneider
Emily filmed by Darren Weaver
Series produced by Vangie Koonce, Anne Hylden, Andrew Sobey, Janali Thompson, Darren Weaver, Elaine Seward, and Jefferson Beck
Executive produced by Matthew Radcliff
Research videos from Khalifa Mohamed, Ph.D., and Juliane Simmchen, Ph.D.
Additional video: Getty Images and Shutterstock
Image of Janus bust: Marie-Lan Nguyen (2009)
Sound effects: Soundsnap
Produced by the American Chemical Society (ACS), one of the world’s largest scientific societies. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals, and scientific conferences.
Join the #AmericanChemicalSociety! bit.ly/Join_ACS
#chemistry #whisky #whiskey #copper #scotland
Copper and sulfur are known for their reactivity, and in fact, it’s this reactivity that supports the development of prized flavor and aroma profiles in whisky. Motivated by this tried-and-true chemistry, researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland created copper-capped microswimmers that move through fluid environments containing “whisky-inspired” sulfurous compounds.
Read the paper: doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6c00489
(Corresponding author: Juliane Simmchen, Ph.D.)
If you were intrigued by the Brownian motion footage at 1:07 and 1:23, watch this Reactions Short for a deeper dive into a scientific beef that spanned millennia: youtube.com/shorts/aWfNxZDCg_Y.
Video credits:
Written, produced, and edited by Vangie Koonce
Narrated and hosted by Emily Schneider
Emily filmed by Darren Weaver
Series produced by Vangie Koonce, Anne Hylden, Andrew Sobey, Janali Thompson, Darren Weaver, Elaine Seward, and Jefferson Beck
Executive produced by Matthew Radcliff
Research videos from Khalifa Mohamed, Ph.D., and Juliane Simmchen, Ph.D.
Additional video: Getty Images and Shutterstock
Image of Janus bust: Marie-Lan Nguyen (2009)
Sound effects: Soundsnap
Produced by the American Chemical Society (ACS), one of the world’s largest scientific societies. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals, and scientific conferences.
Join the #AmericanChemicalSociety! bit.ly/Join_ACS
#chemistry #whisky #whiskey #copper #scotland
