Posted by Bray Fedele (via Great Grandpa Doug)
Color is something we may overlook as something worth appreciation, as the discovery of colors through laboratory processes is not a common occurrence. The color blue is found in several natural settings, including animals, eyes, and bodies of water. These blues, however, are a reflection of light and theoretically are not “natively blue”. The rarity and special presence of the color blue and nature has led it to become associated with prosperity and expense.
Today, most of our blues are formed in labs by chemists, which is not an easy ordeal. Before the accidental creation of a blue pigment in 2009 (the focus of this post), the last discovery of an inorganic blue shade was created over 200 years prior in 1802 by a French chemist Louis Jacques Thenard. YInMn Blue, then, is a momentous discovery, an unexpected one at that.
Figure One: YInMn blue pigment.
This new shade of blue was discovered by Mas Subramanian, a professor at Oregon State University while working to develop an inorganic material for use with electronic devices. After removing a sample from the furnace, Subramanian was astounded at the vibrant blue pigment, and knew immediately it was something never seen before. This was entirely unexpected and even thought to be a mistake of some kind due to the use of manganese to create the pigment, which is normally seen to produce a black or brown color as opposed to blue. The blue pigment was stable, but also slightly variable, which proved to be intriguing for those in the pigment industry.
Figure Two: The creation of YInMn blue and the different effects on pigment depending on concentration of components.
The blue pigment, YInMn, was named after the components’ symbols on the Periodic Table (Y:yttrium, In:indium, Mn:manganese). YInMn, among several other benefits, is observed to be nontoxic and even environmentally friendly, making it desirable for use in all forms. Cobalt, a similar shade of blue, is extremely toxic, making this new blue favorable. Several other blues created from plant derivatives are similarly nontoxic, but they lose their hues and durability over time, whereas YInMn blue does not. Cobalt blue and YInMn were put head to head in an experiment that analyzed their ability to keep a house cool (the roof of two houses were coated in each of these colors), and it was determined that the house with YInMn was kept 15 degrees Celsius cooler than the one with Cobalt blue.
Figure Three: Reflection comparison of YInMn blue and similar pigments of blue containing cobalt.
This blue creation is monumental in the eyes of chemists and pigment researchers, as it is the first of its kind in centuries, and is much less harmful and more durable than its predecessors. YInMn blue is on display with several fashion, chemical, and artist collaborations. Today, about a decade after the creation of YInMN, several films have adapted this vibrant blue (Dory in Finding Dory) and other commercial businesses have employed the color as well (Crayola has a crayon with the pigment). Since its creation in 2009, YInMn blue has also been used in the creation of other colors, leading to an entire series of YInMn colors.
Sources:
1. Brown, E. N. It's not every day we get a new Blue. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/style/blue-pigment-YInMn.html (accessed Oct 4, 2021).
2. Cascone, S. How the accidental discovery of YInMn blue changed one chemist's life. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/chemist-mas-subramanian-on-the-incredible-discovery-of-yin mn-blue-973700 (accessed Oct 4, 2021).
Good title and opening graphic. They effectively draw in the reader. Your introductory paragraph ("lede" in journalistic jargon) is effective but I lean towards putting the discovery in the lede. Your second and third figures are a little more complicated requiring more attention to understand, but worth including for readers who get to them. From the point of view of chemistry vegetable dyes undergo photodecomposition from long exposure to light. Prussian blue a ferric-ferrocyanide complex is also non-toxic and widely used as a blue pigment. Prussian blue is also centuries old. I expect the new pigment as a metal oxide has a number of advantages over the cyano iron complex, but they don't seem to be discussed by your source. Had the journalists writing the pieces been chemists I would think they would have asked about Prussian Blue. Actually the NYTimes piece appeared last February and was the subject of a Breaking Bad post by a CHEM 412 student at that time. This is very interesting chemistry and overall your post is concise and effective.
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