ScienceDaily: Latest Science News
Breaking science news and articles on global warming, extrasolar planets, stem cells, bird flu, autism, nanotechnology, dinosaurs, evolution -- the latest discoveries in astronomy, anthropology, biology, chemistry, climate and environment, computers, engineering, health and medicine, math, physics, psychology, technology, and more -- from the world's leading universities and research organizations.
Diamond catalyst shows promise in breaching age-old barrier
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/zbzxBs1Pjuc/130630144449.htm
Jun 30th 2013, 18:44
June 30, 2013 — In the world, there are a lot of small molecules people would like to get rid of, or at least convert to something useful, according to University of Wisconsin-Madison chemist Robert J. Hamers.
Think carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas most responsible for far-reaching effects on global climate. Nitrogen is another ubiquitous small-molecule gas that can be transformed into the valuable agricultural fertilizer ammonia. Plants perform the chemical reduction of atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia as a matter of course, but for humans to do that in an industrial setting, a necessity for modern agriculture, requires subjecting nitrogen to massive amounts of energy under high pressure.
"The current process for reducing nitrogen to ammonia is done under extreme conditions," explains Hamers, a UW-Madison professor of chemistry. "There is an enormous barrier you have to overcome to get your final product."
Breaching that barrier more efficiently and reducing the huge amounts of energy used to convert nitrogen to ammonia -- by some estimates 2 percent of the world's electrical output -- has been a grail for the agricultural chemical industry. Now, that goal may be on the horizon, thanks to a technique devised by Hamers and his colleagues and published June 30, 2013 in the journal Nature Methods.
Like many chemical reactions, reducing nitrogen to ammonia is a product of catalysis, where the catalytic agent used in the traditional energy-intensive reduction process is iron. The iron, combined with high temperature and high pressure, accelerates the reaction rate for converting nitrogen to ammonia by lowering the activation barrier that otherwise keeps nitrogen, one of the most ubiquitous gases on the planet, intact.
"The nitrogen molecule is one of the happiest molecules around," notes Hamers. "It is incredibly stable. It doesn't do anything."
One of the big obstacles, according to Hamers, is that nitrogen binds poorly to catalytic materials like iron.
Hamers and his team, including Di Zhu, Linghong Zhang and Rose E. Ruther, all of UW-Madison, turned to synthetic industrial diamond -- a cheap, gritty, versatile material -- as a potential new catalyst for the reduction process. Diamond, the Wisconsin team found, can facilitate the reduction of nitrogen to ammonia under ambient temperatures and pressures.
Like all chemical reactions, the reduction of nitrogen to ammonia involves moving electrons from one molecule to another. Using hydrogen-coated diamond illuminated by deep ultraviolet light, the Wisconsin team was able to induce a ready stream of electrons into water, which served as a reactant liquid that reduced nitrogen to ammonia under temperature and pressure conditions far more efficient than those required by traditional industrial methods.
"From a chemist's standpoint, nothing is more efficient than electrons in water," says Hamers, whose work is funded by the National Science Foundation. With the diamond catalyst, "the electrons are unconfined. They flow like lemmings to the sea."
While the method was demonstrated in the context of reducing nitrogen to a valuable agricultural product, the new diamond-centric approach is exciting, Hamers argues, because it can potentially fit a wide range of processes that require catalysis. "This is truly a different way of thinking about inducing reactions that may have more efficiency and applicability. We're doing this with diamond grit. It is infinitely reusable."
The technique devised by Hamers and his colleagues, he notes, still has kinks that need to be worked out to make it a viable alternative to traditional methods. The use of deep ultraviolet light, for example, is a limiting factor. Inducing reactions with visible light is a goal that would enhance the promise of the new technique for applications such as antipollution technology.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: 'You Say What You Like, Because They Like What You Say' - http://www.medialens.org/index.php/alerts/alert-archive/alerts-2013/731-you-say-what-you-like-because-they-like-what-you-say.html
You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at http://blogtrottr.com
If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe here:
http://blogtrottr.com/unsubscribe/cz0/tSbHWJ
订阅:
博文评论 (Atom)
博客归档
-
▼
2013
(16909)
-
▼
六月
(1427)
- Solidot: 调查发现中草药农药污染严重
- 网易数码频道:家电资讯: 电磁辐射危害大 儿童应远离的几类家电
- 网易数码频道:家电资讯: 创维杨东文:补贴透支效应2个月即可消化
- 网易数码频道:家电资讯: 日本家电连锁巨头亚玛达天津店今日闭店
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 苹果借iOS 7布新局 跨平台程序开发陷困境
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 微软今日将公布重组计划 或成鲍尔默最后一搏
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 传小米平板或将于下半年发布 售价999元
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 1.4GHz四核4.8英寸屏 三星I9305仅2399
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: LTE Advanced:运营商竞争的下一个战场
- 网易科技频道要闻: 冒险者游戏:比特币在华热潮蔓延 催生新产业链
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 哪款才是你的菜 六月十大PC新品回顾榜
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 6.3英寸巨无霸 16GB三星I9200售2980元
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: BB10旗舰 黑莓触控双核Z10售2899元
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 文件显示苹果去年未向英国缴纳企业所得税
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 超薄手机 谷歌原生版华为Ascend P6将登场
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 搭载骁龙600处理器 HTC Butterfly s上市
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: Safari 7增加网页消息推送功能
- 网易科技频道要闻: 评论:游戏行业需要认真对待谷歌游戏机
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 全画幅单反相机 佳能5D3豪华套机31900
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 紧凑轻巧圆润机身 尼康D800报价16999元
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 佳能首款微单 佳能EOS M双头套机4999元
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 搭配原厂大变焦镜头 佳能60D套机售7980
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 鸡肋电商价格战:商家师劳兵疲买家眼花缭乱
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 优质中画幅相机 宾得645D单机售61500
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 高性价比微单机 索尼NEX-5R单机售3690
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 入门单反好选择 佳能700D套机售4600元
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 柳传志:总有人想去更远的地方
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 联想控股去年净利润增三成
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 苹果公司App Store收费App起价提至8元
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: El Nino unusual...
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: Is that bacteri...
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: Different neuro...
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: Diamond catalys...
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: Boomerang:让机器人来为你停车
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 评论:游戏行业需要认真对待谷歌游戏机
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 信息图:苹果iPad和“13个小矮人”
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 环球数码IPO推迟 或因遭遇中概股暴跌不良时机
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 联通3G用户可通过银行卡代扣话费
- Solidot: 基督徒更快乐,无神论者想太多
- Solidot: 存档Google Reader数据
- Solidot: 优秀的开源平台即服务PaaS
- Solidot: 《明镜》称美国窃听欧盟机构
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 苹果已与台积电达成A系列芯片合作 明年供货
- Solidot: AMD/ATI 不再支持Windows XP
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 厂商澄清高铁万元U盘:售价在300至500元
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 出行必看 京城体验四款最热打车APP
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 苹果被诉操纵电子书价格 拒绝与出版社和解
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 福布斯:iOS 7设计其目的或将是打压对手抄袭
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 可穿戴计算设备能源新思路:利用体温提供电力
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 日本科学家用一滴血克隆出小老鼠
- Solidot: 中国邮局不准往国外寄“说中国不好”的书
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 郭台铭:每次都看对了趋势,但每次都未能成功
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 索尼全面复兴移动业务 能否绝地反击?
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 惠特曼强势复兴惠普:“最大未知”正在降临
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 特斯拉PK比亚迪:谁是“电动之王”?
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: Tesla火爆:非智能 不汽车
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 特斯拉:用硅谷基因改造传统汽车业
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 微软称有23%的Android用户转向WP系统
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: Android 4.3曝光:相机界面进一步优化
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 廉价iPhone 5真机曝光:绿色外壳
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 跑分过三万五支持4K摄录 骁龙800体验
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 低价版Note 2 Mega 5.8与6.3对比图赏
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: Survival of the...
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: Divorce early i...
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: Mimicking livin...
- Solidot: Google Blogger将删除所有展示广告的“成人”博客
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 选好机迎新生活 全价位大学生智能机推荐
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 选新不选旧 骁龙600四核处理器手机推荐
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 最薄仅6.18毫米 近期热门超薄手机推荐
- Solidot: 美国陆军限制访问《卫报》网站
- Solidot: 雅虎关闭古老搜索引擎AltaVista
- Solidot: DirectX 11.2只支持Windows 8.1
- Solidot: UNIX大师Evi Nemeth在大洋洲外海失踪
- Solidot: Snowden或有条件回国受审
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 探索下一代无人机侦察技术
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 微软业务重组是鲍尔默的最后一搏?
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: iOS 7 Beta 3或于7月8日发布:兼容更多设备
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 新款MacBook Air再曝新问题 运行PS时闪屏
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 兴趣是黑莓两倍 开发者更中意WP8平台
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 三张TD-LTE:经济底色上的政治选择
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 英特尔新任CEO称未来将更专注于移动芯片
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 体验智能家居SmartThings
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 传安卓5.0十月问世 为小内存机型优化
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 苹果选择台积电为芯片新供应商 降低对三星依赖
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 家电企业“骗补” 上市公司涉嫌虚增营收
- 网易科技频道IT业界新闻: 微软突围:缺位移动互联 鲍尔默开重组药方
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: Scientists view...
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: Acid reflux sur...
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: Better antibiot...
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: Climate change ...
- 网易科技频道要闻: 京东发出国内首张电子发票
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 惠普赢得美国海军部34.5亿美元合同
- Solidot: Thordarson解释为什么要当FBI线民
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: Higher genetic ...
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: New system uses...
- ScienceDaily: Latest Science News: How 'parrot din...
- 网易科技频道要闻: 周鸿祎总结自己:“不装不端有点二”
- Solidot: 开源组织非营利申请受到国税局刁难
- 科技要闻-新浪科技: 卫哲:阿里巴巴集团市值超千亿美元很合理
- Solidot: PayPal要将业务延伸到星际空间
-
▼
六月
(1427)
没有评论:
发表评论