pHun time

Welcome to this month’s crossword, constructed by George Barany, a professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and Irene Cesa, a retired chemist from Wheaton, Illinois. They thank Nancy Kneib-Cordonier for inspiration, Mark Cesa and Dave Cesa for test solving, and Marcia Lysakowski Brott and Michael Hanko for editorial suggestions. C&EN hopes that this puzzle will tickle its solvers’ “pHunny” bones.