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Category: chemistry – Page 74

Rapid lithium extraction eliminates use of acid and high heat, scientists report

Lightweight lithium metal is a heavy-hitting critical mineral, serving as the key ingredient in the rechargeable batteries that power phones, laptops, electric vehicles and more. As ubiquitous as lithium is in modern technology, extracting the metal is complex and expensive. A new method, developed by researchers at Penn State and recently granted patent rights, enables high-efficiency lithium extraction—in minutes, not hours—using low temperatures and simple water-based leaching.

“Lithium powers the technologies that define our modern lives—from smartphones to electric vehicles—and has applications in grid energy storage, ceramics, glass, lubricants, and even medical and nuclear technologies,” said Mohammad Rezaee, the Centennial Career Development Professor in Mining Engineering at Penn State, who led the team that published their approach in Chemical Engineering Journal.

“But its extraction must also be environmentally responsible. Our research shows that we can extract lithium, and other , more efficiently while drastically reducing energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and waste that’s difficult to manage or dispose of.”

Molecular engineering approach could boost hydrogen evolution reaction activity by up to 50 times in alkaline media

Electrolyzers are devices that can split water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity and via a process known as electrolysis. In the future, these devices could help to produce hydrogen gas from water, which is valuable for a wide range of applications and could also be used to power fuel cells and decarbonize energy systems.

At the core of the water electrolysis process are electrochemical reactions known as hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs). In basic (i.e., alkaline) conditions, these reactions tend to be slow, which in turn hinders the performance of electrolyzers.

In recent years, energy researchers have been trying to design new electrode-aqueous interfaces or identify that could speed up HERs and thus enhance the ability of electrolyzers to produce hydrogen. One of the HER catalysts most employed to date is platinum, yet its performance is limited by a process known as hydrogen binding. This process entails the strong adherence of hydrogen atoms to its surface, which can block reaction sites and slow down HERs.

Atomically dispersed barium hydride catalysts enable deuteration of nonactivated alkylarenes

Alkali and alkaline earth metal hydrides hold great promise for hydrogen storage and hydrogen-involved chemical transformations due to the unique properties of hydridic hydrogen (H-). However, bulk hydrides often suffer from high lattice energy and limited exposure of active sites, hindering their catalytic performance.

In a study published in Nature Communications, a research group led by Prof. Guo Jianping and Prof. Chen Ping from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, collaborating with Prof. Chang Fei from Yongjiang Laboratory and Prof. Rao Li, from Central China Normal University, developed atomically dispersed barium catalysts for the synthesis of deuterated alkylarenes.

Researchers synthesized atomically dispersed barium hydride catalysts on (BaH/MgO) using a convenient impregnation-hydrogenation method. This (sub)nanostructured hydride material acted as an efficient, transition metal-free heterogeneous catalyst for hydrogen activation and hydrogen isotope exchange reactions across a range of nonactivated alkylarene substrates.

Chemicals released by climbing shoe abrasion could lead to lung issues for climbers in indoor environments

Those who climb indoors are doing something for their health. But climbing shoes contain chemicals of concern that can enter the lungs of climbers through the abrasion of the soles.

In a recent study, researchers from the University of Vienna and EPFL Lausanne have shown for the first time that high concentrations of potentially harmful chemicals from climbing can be found in the air of bouldering gyms. In some cases they are higher than on a busy street. The results have been published in the journal ACS ES&T Air.

A climbing hall is filled with a variety of smells: sweat, chalk dust and a hint of rubber. A research group led by environmental scientist Thilo Hofmann at the University of Vienna has now discovered that rubber abrasion from climbing shoes can enter the lungs of athletes. The shoes contain rubber compounds similar to those used in car tires—including additives suspected of being harmful to humans and the environment.

ODEP-Based Robotic System for Micromanipulation and In-Flow Analysis of Primary Cells

The presence of cellular defects of multifactorial nature can be hard to characterize accurately and early due to the complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. With this study, by bridging optically-induced dielectrophoresis (ODEP), microfluidics, live-cell imaging, and machine learning, we provide the ground for devising a robotic micromanipulation and analysis system for single-cell phenotyping. Cells under the influence of nonuniform electric fields generated via ODEP can be recorded and measured. The induced responses obtained under time-variant ODEP stimulation reflect the cells’ chemical, morphological, and structural characteristics in an automated, flexible, and label-free manner.

Scientists crack decades-old puzzle in carbon dioxide-to-fuel conversion

New research has revealed the fundamental mechanisms that limit the performance of copper catalysts—critical components in artificial photosynthesis that transform carbon dioxide and water into valuable fuels and chemicals.

In a study co-led by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, researchers have used sophisticated X-ray techniques to directly observe how change during the .

By applying small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)—a technique traditionally used to study soft materials like polymers—to this catalyst system, the team gained unprecedented insights into catalyst degradation that has puzzled scientists for decades.

Engineers fortify wood with eco-friendly nano-iron

Scientists and engineers are developing from eco-friendly sources like plant waste. A key component, lignocellulose—found in and many plants—can be easily collected and chemically modified to improve its properties.

By using these kinds of chemical changes, researchers are creating and new ways to design and build sustainably. With about 181.5 billion tons of wood produced globally each year, it’s one of the largest renewable material sources.

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