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Licence to go where no chemist has gone before
September 29, 2009Scientists at The University of Nottingham have overcome one of the significant research challenges facing electrochemists. For the first time they have found a way of probing right into the heart of an electrochemical reaction.
Their breakthrough will help scientists understand how catalysts work. If this is understood even better catalysts could be created.
Chemists and engineers, under the direction of Dr Pete Licence in the School of Chemistry, overcame significant challenges to be able to study the reaction at the point where the solution touches the surface of the metal electrode bringing in the electricity. They have done this by using spectroscopy under ultra high vacuum.
The research has been hailed as a major breakthrough by electrochemists and an important step forward in the development of new catalysts and sensors. The results will be published in the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) journal Chemical Communications and the article has also been featured in Highlights in Chemical Science which showcases news from across RSC publishing.
Because catalysts - materials used to create a chemical reaction - are dissolved in a solution it is often very hard to understand why they work so well. Normally solutions evaporate almost instantaneously under high vacuum. The team overcame this obstacle by using one of the many room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) - so-called 'designer solvents' which do not evaporate under such conditions.
Dr Licence said: "It wasn't easy and we had phenomenal problems. We could do the electrochemistry in the vacuum and we could measure the spectra of ionic liquids - but to do both at the same time has been a real uphill struggle - but now we have cracked it."
With funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Leverhulme Trust, Dr Licence and his team have successfully managed to integrate electrochemistry with UHV spectroscopy to allow the in-situ characterisation of interesting metal based compounds whilst in solution. They believe that their technique will allow them to shed light on the design of new catalysts for energy generation and efficient chemical production using ionic liquid based approaches.
Dr Licence's research, in the Nottingham Ionic Liquids Group, focuses on both the exploitation and manipulation of some of the unusual physical properties that are offered by alternative solvent systems, especially room temperature ionic liquids. His group is part of the University's DICE project, www.nottingham.ac.uk/dice which brings chemists and engineers together to solve challenging scientific problems.
Dr Licence said: "The implementation of green chemistry and sustainability are key concepts that run throughout both my research and teaching interests. The development of environmentally benign materials and products via efficient, clean chemistry is my long-term goal. As a result of this research we can design more efficient catalysts, new probes, sensors, functionalised electrodes. We really want to push this technology to see how far we can take it."
Dr Licence's work has also made him one of the stars of the University's award winning Periodic Table of Videos channel on YouTube -
http://www.periodicvideos.com/
To find out more about what makes this scientist tick go to
http://www.test-tube.org.uk/videos/pages_meet_pete_licence.htm
University of Nottingham
The research has been hailed as a major breakthrough by electrochemists and an important step forward in the development of new catalysts and sensors. The results will be published in the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) journal Chemical Communications and the article has also been featured in Highlights in Chemical Science which showcases news from across RSC publishing.
Because catalysts - materials used to create a chemical reaction - are dissolved in a solution it is often very hard to understand why they work so well. Normally solutions evaporate almost instantaneously under high vacuum. The team overcame this obstacle by using one of the many room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) - so-called 'designer solvents' which do not evaporate under such conditions.
Dr Licence said: "It wasn't easy and we had phenomenal problems. We could do the electrochemistry in the vacuum and we could measure the spectra of ionic liquids - but to do both at the same time has been a real uphill struggle - but now we have cracked it."
With funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Leverhulme Trust, Dr Licence and his team have successfully managed to integrate electrochemistry with UHV spectroscopy to allow the in-situ characterisation of interesting metal based compounds whilst in solution. They believe that their technique will allow them to shed light on the design of new catalysts for energy generation and efficient chemical production using ionic liquid based approaches.
Dr Licence's research, in the Nottingham Ionic Liquids Group, focuses on both the exploitation and manipulation of some of the unusual physical properties that are offered by alternative solvent systems, especially room temperature ionic liquids. His group is part of the University's DICE project, www.nottingham.ac.uk/dice which brings chemists and engineers together to solve challenging scientific problems.
Dr Licence said: "The implementation of green chemistry and sustainability are key concepts that run throughout both my research and teaching interests. The development of environmentally benign materials and products via efficient, clean chemistry is my long-term goal. As a result of this research we can design more efficient catalysts, new probes, sensors, functionalised electrodes. We really want to push this technology to see how far we can take it."
Dr Licence's work has also made him one of the stars of the University's award winning Periodic Table of Videos channel on YouTube -
http://www.periodicvideos.com/
To find out more about what makes this scientist tick go to
http://www.test-tube.org.uk/videos/pages_meet_pete_licence.htm
University of Nottingham
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Queen's scientists discover eco-friendly wood dissolution
Scientists at Queen's University Belfast have discovered a new eco-friendly way of dissolving wood using ionic liquids that may help its transformation into popular products such as bio fuels, textiles, clothes and paper.
Queen's scientists find new way to battle MRSA
Experts from Queen's University Belfast have developed new agents to fight MRSA and other hospital-acquired infections that are resistant to antibiotics. The fluids are a class of ionic liquids that not only kill colonies of these dangerous microbes, they also prevent their growth.
Explosives go "green"
Certain explosives may soon get a little greener and a little more precise.
Beyond batteries: Storing power in a sheet of paper
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new energy storage device that easily could be mistaken for a simple sheet of black paper.
New Web database improves access to ionic liquid data
Chemical engineers and others designing "green" industrial processes using new ionic liquid solvents now have an important new resource, an on-line database of physical properties developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Blood-compatible nanoscale materials possible using heparin
Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have engineered nanoscale materials that are blood compatible using heparin, an anticoagulant. The heparin biomaterials have potential for use as medical devices and in medical treatments such as kidney dialysis.
Rutgers findings a step toward safer chemicals in labs and industry
Safe, versatile and environmentally friendly chemicals could replace hazardous, petroleum-based solvents used in science labs and industrial plants.
Switchable solvents make chemical manufacturing more environmentally-friendly
Researchers from Queen's University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered a new environmentally-friendly way to make chemicals for pharmaceutical and other industries, such as plastics, pesticides, dyes and fragrances.
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Liqumins Maxi Multi Liquid Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement with Ionic Minerals from ConcenTrace, 32-Ounce Bottle by Trace Minerals Research Maxi Multi is a liquid dietary supplement that provides essential nutrients--in combination with full-spectrum, body-balanced trace minerals from ConcenTrace--to help maintain optimal health. |
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Ionic Liquids in Synthesis (Green Chemistry (Wiley)(2 vol. set) by Peter Wasserscheid (Editor), Thomas Welton (Editor) The second, completely revised and enlarged edition of what has become the standard reference work in this fascinating field brings together the latest developments, supplemented by numerous practical tips, providing those working in both research and industry with an indispensable source of information. New contributions have been added, to reflect the fact that industrial processes are already established, and ionic liquids are now commercially available. A must for everyone working in the field. |
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Complete Ionic Liquid Salts - 16 oz. by BioNativus Complete Ionic Liquid Salts offer the versatility of a salt seasoning, while nourishing the body with a complete blend of essential minerals. Our bodies are constantly working to stay in a state of balance. Unlike table salt which is sodium chloride, Complete Ionic Liquid Salt also contains potassium, magnesium and other trace minerals. |
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Caribsea ReefCal Ionic Calcium Solution 16oz by CaribSea Caribsea ReefCalReefCal is a 100,000 ppm ionic calcium solution. ReefCal will raise calcium levels by just over 5 ppm per capful (5 ml) per 25 gallons of water. Use a good quality test kit to moniter dissolved calcium levels in the aquarium. |
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STAYWELL Colloidal Silver 3-5 ppm by STAYWELL Our Colloidal Silver is produced by electronic generation, not with salts Micron size is .001 to .01 of 99.99% pure silver We use only High Quality Electron Energized distilled water made from the John Ellis Living Water Machine Electron 4, which makes our colloidal silver High Quality and very bio-available. Safe to take daily. Packaged in protective brown glass...never in plastic, as sliver particles tend to stick to plasic. Legal Disclaimer The products and the claims made about specific products on or through this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not approved to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. |
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Weems & Plath Classic, Stainless Steel StormGlass Weather Forecaster by Weems & Plath This mysterious weather predictor has been used since 1750. Admiral Fitzroy, the famous sailor and meteorologist, used the Stormglass aboard the HMS Beagle during his historic voyage with Darwin. After 250 years, how the Stormglass works is still a mystery, but it is believed that it has to do with the electromagnetic changes caused by weather and sun storms. The appearance of the crystals inside the glass indicates changes in the weather. The sealed glass chamber that holds the crystals is encapsulated in a beautifully crafted chrome cylinder. It can be displayed freestanding or mounted to a boat bulkhead or wall using an matching mounting bracket (sold separately). # Stainless |
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