(Press-News.org) University of Sydney researchers are proposing a new way to curb industrial emissions, by tapping into the “atomic intelligence” of liquid metals to deliver greener and more sustainable chemical reactions.
Despite global efforts towards renewable energy and electrification, chemical production accounts for approximately 10-15 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. More than 10 percent of the world’s total energy is used in chemical factories, with these numbers rising.
This is due to the large amounts of energy required to cause chemical reactions used to make different products. Published today in Science, researchers have developed a road map which demonstrates how chemical processing can be transformed by changing the nature in which reactions occur.
Head of School of Chemical Engineering Professor Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh, who led the research said: “People often forget that chemical reactions are at the heart of all we have and use; almost all modern products are created using some sort of chemical reaction. From high-grade plastics for medical implements through to ammonia for agriculture, the current process in which they are created requires significant amounts of energy leading to growing greenhouse gas emissions.
Numerous chemical reactions, including those for green hydrogen production, the synthesis of chemicals with specific structures such as polymers used to make household products, and the decomposition of various materials like microplastics and persistent substances including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are all potential targets for improvement using liquid metals.
"Using liquid metals for chemical reactions is still a very new concept; most chemical reactions still rely on decades old processes. Tapping into the ‘atomic intelligence’ of metals in liquid form to drive reactions remains largely unexplored but holds huge potential for transforming the future of chemical industries,” said Professor Kalantar-Zadeh.
His team last year tested a technique using liquid metals they hope will replace energy-intensive chemical engineering processes that use solid catalysts – solid metals or compounds that cause chemical reactions – to create a range of products including plastics, fertilisers, fuels and feedstock. His team recently demonstrated the possibility of using liquid metal alloys derived from numerous metals for hydrogen production.
The team’s approach means chemical reactions can be incited at lower temperatures, unlike current techniques which require metals to be heated to up to several thousand degrees centigrade. Liquid metals instead dissolve catalytic metals – metals that cause reactions – like tin, copper, silver and nickel at low temperatures, creating alloys that promote chemical reactions at low energy.
DECLARATION:
The authors declare no competing interests.
END
Tackling industrial emissions begins at the chemical reaction
Researchers propose way to curb rising industrial emissions to help create everyday products more sustainably
2024-07-25
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Rainfall patterns have become more erratic over the past century: Solid evidence of human impact
2024-07-25
Rainfall fluctuates more vigorously. Why? Scientists say it's because of us.
Many people around the world have noticed that rainfall is becoming increasingly erratic. Intense downpours are occurring more frequently, while dry periods seem to last longer and become more severe. These changes have raised concerns and prompted scientists to investigate the links between climate change and these unpredictable rainfall patterns.
A new study provides the first systematic observational evidence that human-induced climate change is making rainfall patterns more volatile globally.
Published in the journal Science on July 26, a joint study by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics ...
Special Issue, “Clearing the air,” explores air pollution monitoring, health impacts, and more
2024-07-25
In this Special Issue of Science, four Reviews and a Policy Forum explore the intersections of science, health, and policy related to the air we breathe, tackling topics including how air pollution is monitored, what impacts it has on human health, how those impacts are felt most by populations with fewer resources, and what changes we can make to the built environment to secure clean air.
In one Review, Wei Huang and colleagues discuss the new air quality guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and related challenges ...
Human-induced warming has driven increasing precipitation variability
2024-07-25
Anthropogenic climate warming has led to increased precipitation variability over much of the globe, according to a new study, which points to several hotspots for this trend. This effect is particularly prominent over Europe, Australia, and eastern North America, say the study’s authors, and is largely driven by increasing atmospheric moistening and decadal-scale changes in atmospheric circulation. As the climate warms, the atmosphere becomes more capable of holding moisture, leading to greater fluctuations between extreme precipitation events and wider swings between wet and dry episodes. Such amplified ...
Revealed: Neurons that help create infant-mother bonds in young mice
2024-07-25
Specific neurons in the brain’s zona incerta (ZI) play a crucial role in the early social interactions of an infant and its mother, building their bond and reducing stress, according to a new study in mice. Activation of the same neurons in adult mice increased anxiety- and fear-like responses, the study showed. In humans, as in other mammals, infants have an inborn tendency to form an attachment bond with their mothers or caregivers – a bond that plays a crucial role in the infant’s development. This bond helps newborns feel secure and serves as a safety net from which to explore their surroundings, learn, and develop crucial skills and behaviors. However, the neural mechanisms ...
Can a computer tell patients how their multiple sclerosis will progress?
2024-07-25
Machine learning models can reliably inform clinicians about the disability progression of multiple sclerosis, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS Digital Health by Edward De Brouwer of KU Leuven, Belgium, and colleagues.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic progressive autoimmune disease that leads to severe disability over time through a complex pattern of progression, recovery, and relapse. Its global prevalence has increased by more than 30% over the last decade. ...
Novel human lung organoids can form lifelike models for tuberculosis infection, and might be used to test efficacy of anti-TB drugs
2024-07-25
Novel human lung organoids can form lifelike models for tuberculosis infection, and might be used to test efficacy of anti-TB drugs.
####
Article URL: http://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal. ppat.1012295
Article Title: Advances in an In Vitro Tuberculosis Infection Model Using Human Lung Organoids for Host-Directed Therapies
Author Countries: Republic of Korea
Funding: This research was supported by the Korea National Institutes of Health (NIH) (No. 2021-ER2001-00) awarded to E.M.K., the Korea Institute of Toxicology, Republic of Korea (No. 1711195891) awarded to E.M.K., the Korea Environment Industry & Technology ...
Spin qubits go trampolining
2024-07-25
Researchers at QuTech developed somersaulting spin qubits for universal quantum logic. This achievement may enable efficient control of large semiconductor qubit arrays. The research group published their demonstration of hopping spins in Nature Communications and their work on somersaulting spins in Science.
In 1998, Loss and DiVincenzo published the seminal work ‘quantum computation with quantum dots’. In their original work, hopping of spins was proposed as a basis for qubit logic, but an experimental implementation has remained lacking. After more than 20 years, experiments have caught up with theory. Researchers ...
Seven steps to achieving the right to clean indoor air post-pandemic
2024-07-25
Professor Morawska, director of THRIVE, from QUT’s School of School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences said the rapid global spread of Covid-19 had soon made it clear the world was unprepared to respond appropriately.
“In the early days of the pandemic the World Health Organisation and many national health authorities claimed the virus was ‘not in the air’ but rather present in large quantities on surfaces. This led to a misconception about how the virus was transmitted,” ...
Scientists study how to bring you ‘climate-smart coffee’
2024-07-25
Crave that cup of coffee in the morning? Globally, consumers drink more than 2.2 billion cups daily. Someone grows all that joe: More than 100 million farmers worldwide produce coffee.
Coffee beans consumed across the globe come from two species: Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora, also known as Robusta (or Conilon) coffee. Historically, coffee drinkers prefer Arabica beans for their specific flavor and aroma, said Felipe Ferrao, a University of Florida research assistant scientist in horticultural sciences.
But by 2050, about 80% of Arabica production is predicted to decrease because of climate change. So, Ferrao and colleagues from France (RD2 Vision) and Brazil (Incaper ...
New study shows at-home colon cancer screening test reduces risk of colorectal cancer death, as effective as screening colonoscopy
2024-07-25
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A noninvasive colorectal cancer screening test that can be done at home could reduce the risk of colorectal cancer death by 33%, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. This is the first study to evaluate this tool’s effectiveness in specific racial groups.
For this study, researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and the Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James), and Kaiser Permanente evaluated data from nearly 11,000 patients who underwent at-home FIT (fecal immunochemical testing) among ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Insulin resistance is linked to over 30 diseases – and to early death in women, study of people in the UK finds
Innovative semaglutide hydrogel could reduce diabetes shots to once a month
Weight loss could reduce the risk of severe infections in people with diabetes, UK research suggests
Long-term exposure to air pollution and a lack of green space increases the risk of hospitalization for respiratory conditions
Better cardiovascular health in early pregnancy may offset high genetic risk
Artificial intelligence method transforms gene mutation prediction in lung cancer: DeepGEM data releases at IASLC 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer
Antibody–drug conjugate I-DXd shows clinically meaningful response in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
IASLC Global Survey on biomarker testing reveals progress and persistent barriers in lung cancer biomarker testing
Research shows pathway to developing predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors
Just how dangerous is Great Salt Lake dust? New research looks for clues
Maroulas appointed Associate Vice Chancellor, Director of AI Tennessee
New chickadee research finds cognitive skills impact lifespan
Cognitive behavioral therapy enhances brain circuits to relieve depression
Terasaki Institute awarded $2.3 Million grant from NIH for organ transplantation research using organs-on-a-chip technology
Atoms on the edge
Postdoc takes multipronged approach to muon detection
Mathematical proof: Five satellites needed for precise navigation
Scalable, multi-functional device lays groundwork for advanced quantum applications
Falling for financial scams? It may signal early Alzheimer’s disease
Integrating MRI and OCT for new insights into brain microstructure
Designing a normative neuroimaging library to support diagnosis of traumatic brain injury
Department of Energy announces $68 million in funding for artificial intelligence for scientific research
DOE, ORNL announce opportunity to define future of high-performance computing
Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough
Low-impact yoga and exercise found to help older women manage urinary incontinence
Genetic studies reveal new insights into cognitive impairment in schizophrenia
Researcher develops technology to provide cleaner energy and cleaner water
Expect the unexpected: nanoscale silver unveils intrinsic self-healing abilities
nTIDE September 2024 Jobs Report: Gains in employment for people with disabilities appear to level off after reducing gaps with non-disabled workers
Wiley enhances NMR Spectral Library Collection with extensive new databases
[Press-News.org] Tackling industrial emissions begins at the chemical reactionResearchers propose way to curb rising industrial emissions to help create everyday products more sustainably