PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Trapping gases better with boron nitride "nanopores"

Scientists demonstrate high-performance gas molecule confinement with "nanoporous" boron nitride, promising to replace standard porous carbon in future

Trapping gases better with boron nitride
2021-02-05
(Press-News.org) What is common between a technology for storing energy in a solar cell and that for water purification? They both rely on the use of porous materials, or more specifically, "nanoporous" materials that can trap gas molecules within narrow spaces on their surface, called "pores", which are only nanometers (one-billionth of a meter) in size! In chemistry parlance, the phenomenon is known as "adsorption" and has played an important role in the synthesis of porous materials of different compositions, pore sizes, and even pore geometries.

Traditionally, activated carbon (AC, or a porous form of carbon) has been a popular adsorbent for practical applications owing to its higher capacity of adsorption than that of other porous materials. Lately, however, porous boron nitride (p-BN) has emerged as a promising alternative because of its impressive performance, as highlighted by a recent study claiming that p-BN can adsorb a relatively large amount of carbon dioxide at room temperature.

Now, a group of scientists from Okayama University and Nagasaki University, Japan, has put this claim to the test in their latest study, where they examined the adsorbing characteristics of p-BN in detail. "A BN unit and two carbon atoms (i.e., CC) both have the same number of electrons and similar structures, but their interaction with gas molecules are different due to the atomically heterogeneous nature of BN. Despite this, there has been very little research on BN materials. In our study, we wanted to see if BN has specific adsorption properties that cannot be observed in carbon materials," explains Dr. Takahiro Ohkubo from Okayama University, who led this study published in the journal RSC Advances.

To begin with, the scientists synthesized p-BN samples at high temperature conditions under presence of nitrogen and investigated their structure using X-ray diffraction, infrared (IR) spectra analysis, and high-resolution electron microscopy. The samples only differed from one another with respect to the temperatures at which they were synthesized. While X-ray diffraction data and IR revealed an "amorphous" phase (lacking well-defined structure) BN comprising "hexagonal phase" BN (h-BN) microcrystals for all samples, the one treated at 1673 K (1400°C), called p-BN-1673, showed the most ordered structure. After examining it under the electron microscope, the scientists found that this sample was composed of stacked layers of curved sheets with nanometer-size pores formed in between.

The scientists next looked at thermogravimetric curves of the samples to estimate their stability against oxidation and discovered that it was directly linked to the synthesis temperature, with higher temperatures entailing higher stability. Moreover, some additional species of carbon and oxygen were introduced into the h-BN crystal framework especially in p-BN-1473, giving rise to chemically active sites for nitrogen adsorption. While these species ordinarily reduce oxidation stability, the crystallinity of h-BN helped preserve it up to 973 K under normal conditions--a property not present in carbon-based adsorbents!

Finally, upon comparing the gas adsorption ability of p-BN and AC with nitrogen and argon as adsorbates, scientists observed that p-BN pores adsorbed nitrogen more strongly than argon and in relatively much larger amount (~ 150%-200%) than did AC. They attributed this observation to an additional physical interaction between nitrogen and p-BN pores that was absent for argon, and the creation of adsorption sites in p-BN by the impregnated carbon and oxygen species.

With these results, the Dr. Ohkubo and team are confident about the emergence of p-BN as a next-generation adsorbent material. "Given its superior oxidation stability and nature of adsorption, we are looking forward to the applications of porous BN as a novel adsorbent and catalyst support material, especially in cases where the use of carbon adsorbents is not feasible," comments Dr. Ohkubo.

Looks like carbon is about to go out of fashion on yet another front!

INFORMATION:


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Trapping gases better with boron nitride

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Anticancer drug may improve outcome for severe COVID-19 patients

Anticancer drug may improve outcome for severe COVID-19 patients
2021-02-05
Treating severe COVID-19 patients with the anticancer drug bevacizumab may reduce mortality and speed up recovery, according to a small clinical study in Italy and China that was led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden between February and April 2020. On average, blood oxygen levels, body temperature and inflammatory markers significantly improved in patients treated with a single dose of bevacizumab in addition to standard care. The research is published in Nature Communications. "To reduce COVID-19 mortality, we aim to develop an effective therapeutic paradigm for treating patients with severe COVID-19," says corresponding author Yihai ...

Non-teleost ray-finned fishes exhibit mosaic genomic features of lobe- and ray-finned fishes

2021-02-05
A research team led by Prof. HE Shunping from the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered through genome sequencing that the non-teleost ray-finned fishes--bichir, paddlefish, bowfin and alligator gar--exhibit mosaic genomic features of lobe- and ray-finned fishes. The study was published in Cell. The water-to-land transition during the Devonian is one of the most prominent events in vertebrate evolution. During this transition, various organs underwent adaptive changes, particularly those related to locomotion and respiration systems. Rich fossil evidence suggests that many traits and functions related to this terrestrial evolution were present long before the ancestor of lobe- and ray-finned fishes ...

Packing more juice in lithium-ion batteries through silicon anodes and polymeric coatings

Packing more juice in lithium-ion batteries through silicon anodes and polymeric coatings
2021-02-05
Although silicon anodes could greatly boost the capacity of Li-ion batteries, their performance rapidly degrades with use. Polymeric coatings can help solve this problem, but very few studies have explored the underlying mechanisms. In a recent study, scientists from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology investigate how a poly(borosiloxane) coating greatly stabilizes the capacity of silicon anodes, paving the way for better and more durable Li-ion batteries for electric cars and renewable energy harvesting. Since their conception, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been constantly improved and adapted so that they can become suitable for vastly different applications, from mobile devices ...

Novel immunotherapy approach to treat cat allergy

Novel immunotherapy approach to treat cat allergy
2021-02-05
Researchers from the Department of Infection and Immunity of the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) brought forward the potential of high doses of a specific adjuvant molecule, namely CpG oligonucleotide, in successfully modulating the immune system's allergic response to the main cat allergen Fel d 1, thereby inducing a tolerance-promoting reaction and reverting the main hallmarks of cat allergy. The researchers analysed the molecular mechanisms underlying this tolerance and proposed a pre-clinical allergen-specific immunotherapy approach to improve the treatment and control of this common type of allergy. The full study results ...

Raised mortality from cardiac arrest in people with COVID-19

Raised mortality from cardiac arrest in people with COVID-19
2021-02-05
Sudden cardiac arrest is more often fatal in people with COVID-19, a new study shows. Those responsible for the research see the results as a wake-up call for the public and care providers alike. The survey now published in the European Heart Journal is a register-based observation study. It covers all 3,026 cases of sudden cardiac arrest that were reported to the Swedish Registry for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in the period from 1 January to 20 July 2020 -- that is, both before and during the pandemic. The Registry's statistics show that, in Sweden, there are 6,000 cases of sudden cardiac ...

Sensor and detoxifier in one

2021-02-05
Ozone is a problematic air pollutant that causes serious health problems. A newly developed material not only quickly and selectively indicates the presence of ozone, but also simultaneously renders the gas harmless. As reported by Chinese researchers in Angewandte Chemie, the porous "2-in-one systems" also function reliably in very humid air. Ozone (O(3)) can cause health problems, such as difficulty breathing, lung damage, and asthma attacks. Relevant occupational safety regulations therefore limit the concentrations of ozone allowable in the workplace. Previous methods for the detection of ozone, such as those based on semiconductors, have a variety ...

Energy harvesting: Printed thermoelectric generators for power generation

Energy harvesting: Printed thermoelectric generators for power generation
2021-02-05
Thermoelectric generators, TEGs for short, convert ambient heat into electrical power. They enable maintenance-free, environmentally friendly, and autonomous power supply of the continuously growing number of sensors and devices for the Internet of Things (IoT) and recovery of waste heat. Scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have now developed three-dimensional component architectures based on novel, printable thermoelectric materials. This might be a milestone on the way towards use of inexpensive TEGs. The results are reported in npj Flexible Electronics (DOI: 10.1038/s41528-020-00098-1) and ACS Energy Letters (DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.0c02159). "Thermoelectric generators directly convert thermal into electrical energy. This technology enables ...

Ural Federal University scientists developed a new way of synthesis of high-purity zircon

Ural Federal University scientists developed a new way of synthesis of high-purity zircon
2021-02-05
The scientific novelty of the work of scientists from Ural Federal University, Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Geology and Geochemistry of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences lies in the fact that for the first time scientists solved the task of creating zircon with certain spectral properties. To this end, they have worked out the so-called sol-gel method. It is distinguished by its technological simplicity, controllability of processes and allows synthesizing a larger volume of products with high purity than with other ...

Computer can determine whether you'll die from COVID

2021-02-05
Using patient data, artificial intelligence can make a 90 percent accurate assessment of whether a person will die from COVID-19 or not, according to new research at the University of Copenhagen. Body mass index (BMI), gender and high blood pressure are among the most heavily weighted factors. The research can be used to predict the number of patients in hospitals, who will need a respirator and determine who ought to be first in line for a vaccination. Artificial intelligence is able to predict who is most likely to die from the coronavirus. In doing so, it can also help decide who should be at the front of the line for the precious vaccines now being administered across Denmark. The result is from a newly published study by researchers at the University of Copenhagen's Department ...

'Runway Roadkill' rapidly increasing at airports across the world, UCC study finds

Runway Roadkill rapidly increasing at airports across the world, UCC study finds
2021-02-05
- World's wildlife, from giraffes to voles, kangaroos to coyotes being hit by aircraft. - Study identifies incidences at airports in 47 countries across the globe. - 'Runway Roadkill' increasing by up to 68% annually and has caused damage that has cost in excess of $103 million in the United States alone over a 30 year period. - It is hoped study could pave way for international efforts to protect wildlife and reduce costly aircraft damage. From giraffes to the world's smallest mammals, the world's wildlife is being increasingly struck by aircraft, a global study finds. Airports from Sydney to London and the USA to Germany were examined by researchers who ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

“Quantum squeezing” a nanoscale particle for the first time

El Niño spurs extreme daily rain events despite drier monsoons in India

Two studies explore the genomic diversity of deadly mosquito vectors

Zebra finches categorize their vocal calls by meaning

Analysis challenges conventional wisdom about partisan support for US science funding

New model can accurately predict a forest’s future

‘Like talking on the telephone’: Quantum computing engineers get atoms chatting long distance

Genomic evolution of major malaria-transmitting mosquito species uncovered

Overcoming the barriers of hydrogen storage with a low-temperature hydrogen battery

Tuberculosis vulnerability of people with HIV: a viral protein implicated

Partnership with Kenya's Turkana community helps scientists discover genes involved in adaptation to desert living

Decoding the selfish gene, from evolutionary cheaters to disease control

Major review highlights latest evidence on real-time test for blood – clotting in childbirth emergencies

Inspired by bacteria’s defense strategies

Research spotlight: Combination therapy shows promise for overcoming treatment resistance in glioblastoma

University of Houston co-leads $25 million NIH-funded grant to study the delay of nearsightedness in children

NRG Oncology PREDICT-RT study completes patient accrual, tests individualized concurrent therapy and radiation for high-risk prostate cancer

Taking aim at nearsightedness in kids before it’s diagnosed

With no prior training, dogs can infer how similar types of toys work, even when they don’t look alike

Three deadliest risk factors of a common liver disease identified in new study

Dogs can extend word meanings to new objects based on function, not appearance

Palaeontology: South American amber deposit ‘abuzz’ with ancient insects

Oral microbes linked to increased risk of pancreatic cancer

Soccer heading does most damage to brain area critical for cognition

US faces rising death toll from wildfire smoke, study finds

Scenario projections of COVID-19 burden in the US, 2024-2025

Disparities by race and ethnicity in percutaneous coronary intervention

Glioblastoma cells “unstick” from their neighbors to become more deadly

Oral bacterial and fungal microbiome and subsequent risk for pancreatic cancer

New light on toxicity of Bluefin tuna

[Press-News.org] Trapping gases better with boron nitride "nanopores"
Scientists demonstrate high-performance gas molecule confinement with "nanoporous" boron nitride, promising to replace standard porous carbon in future