Milestone: A methane-metal marriage. UA
scientists have inserted metal atoms into methane gas
molecules - a potential advancement for industrial
hydrocarbon chemistry and our understanding of how nature
uses metals in the molecules of living organisms.
[Image
credit: JACS, DOI 10.1021/ja106121v]
Fluoride Ion Sensing
Researcher develops accurate method for detecting dangerous fluoride. Sourav Saha's molecular sensor could protect people from a potential carcinogen.
Chemistry for Greenhouse Gases
It sounds a bit like spinning straw into gold, but novel metal catalysts may be able to turn greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide into liquid fuels without producing more carbon waste in the process.
|
Physics - Fundamental
Research
Magnetically Driven Superconductivity
Study probes link between magnetism, superconductivity. US-European team revisits 30-year-old breakthrough with new methods, understanding.
Ginseng Just Got Better - Not as Bitter
University of Illinois scientists have learned to mask the bitterness of ginseng, a common ingredient of energy drinks.
Anaesthetic Gases and Climate Change
Inhalation anaesthetics heats climate as much as 1 million cars. New study by atmosphere chemists reveals that gasses for anaesthesia cause global warming.
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More News (open access):
New method for making large quantities of
deuterium-depleted drinking water
Scientists in
China are reporting development of a less expensive, more
eco-friendly method for making deuterium-depleted drinking
water, citing studies suggesting that it may be a more
healthful form of water. Their report appears in ACS'
bi-weekly journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry
Research.
Changgong Meng and Feng Huang note that
natural water, widely known as H2O, actually is a
mixture of H2O and tiny amounts of D2O
- about 150 parts per million (ppm),
or a few drops of D2O in every quart of water.
Deuterium-depleted water usually contains about 125 ppm. The
"D" is deuterium, an isotope or variant form of hydrogen
often termed "heavy hydrogen." They cite accumulating
evidence that water with high levels of deuterium may have
adverse health effects on animals and plants, while
deuterium-depleted water may be useful in treatment of
certain diseases. Existing ways of removing deuterium from
water tend to be expensive, inefficient, or environmentally
harmful.
They describe a new method that helps
overcome these problems, and could be the basis for the
first industrial-scale production of deuterium-depleted
water. It involves a platinum catalyst that quickly and
efficiently removes deuterium from water using a combination
of cold and hot temperatures. In laboratory-scale tests, the
new technique reduced the amount of deuterium in water from
about 145 parts per million to 125 parts per million. The
resulting water is suitable for drinking, the scientists
say, and could be produced in large quantities at economical
cost.
Organic onions, carrots and potatoes do not have higher
levels of healthful antioxidants
With the demand for organically produced
food increasing, scientists are reporting new evidence that
organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally do
not have higher levels of healthful antioxidants and related
substances than vegetables grown with traditional
fertilizers and pesticides. Their study appears in ACS'
bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
In the study, Pia Knuthsen and colleagues
point out that there are many reasons to pay a premium for
organic food products. The most important reasons for the
popularity of organic food products include improved animal
welfare, environmental protection, better taste, and
possible health benefits. However, the health benefits of
organic food consumption are still controversial and not
considered scientifically well documented.
The scientists describe experiments in
which they analyzed antioxidants termed "polyphenols" from
onions, carrots and potatoes grown using conventional and
organic methods. They found no differences in polyphenol
content for organic vs. traditional methods of growth. "On
the basis of the present study carried out under well
controlled conditions, it cannot be concluded that
organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally
have higher contents of health-promoting secondary
metabolites in comparison with the conventionally cultivated
ones," the report states.
How studded winter tires may damage public health, as
well as pavement
Scientists are reporting new evidence on
how studded tires - wintertime
fixtures in some areas but banned in others for causing
damage to pavement - may also damage
the health of motorists and people living near highways.
Studded tires have small metal protrusions from the rubber
tread that improve traction on icy or snow-covered roads.
Their study appears in ACS' Chemical Research in Toxicology,
a monthly journal.
Anders Ljungman and colleagues note that
studded tires grind away at the road surface, generating the
kind of dust particles believed to contribute to heart and
respiratory disease when inhaled into the lungs. Studded
tires are winter mainstays in Finland, Norway, Sweden and
other northern countries, but have been banned or restricted
in others and in some states because they damage pavement.
The scientists' past research found that road dust from
studded tires causes biological changes in cells related to
inflammation, a process underlying heart and respiratory
diseases.
In the new research, the scientists
pinpointed specific changes in proteins in cells related to
the road dust exposure. Dust exposure resulted in
significant increases in three proteins associated with
increased inflammation and decreased levels of seven
proteins, including some involved in fighting inflammation
and maintaining normal metabolism. The results reveal
important chemical markers in the body that could help
scientists better understand the link between pavement dust
and heart disease, the scientists suggest.
'Smart grid' would save energy, cut costs for US
consumers
Momentum is building for a new energy
"smart grid" that would overhaul the U.S.'s 100-year-old
electrical power network. The impact would be huge ? from
installation of a new web of electrical transmission lines
to smart meters to control home appliances. The meters would
offer consumers discounted rates if they use electricity at
off-peak hours. A key objective of the $1.5 trillion dollar
plan is "time of use" electricity pricing that would
increase the cost to consumers of energy at peak mid-day
hours and lower it at others, according to an article in the
current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS'
weekly newsmagazine.
C&EN Senior Correspondent Jeff Johnson
reports that the smart grid revolution is getting underway
right now in various degrees at U.S. utilities. The federal
government also is involved. The U.S. Department of Energy
allocated $4.5 billion in American Recovery & Reinvestment
Act of 2009 funds for smart grid R&D. It includes
installation of smart-grid sensors, monitors, and other
equipment, including millions of smart meters for customers.
One part of the plan involves
installation of home energy management systems that enable
appliances to directly communicate with the grid about
energy needs through the smart meter. Last month, GE rolled
out what it described as the first complete home management
system, linking hot water heaters, refrigerators,
thermostats, and other appliances through a home computer
and wireless connection to the smart meter and grid. The
system will give consumers the opportunity to control energy
use and use electricity when it is cheap and plentiful, and
helping electric utility companies make better use of
current power generating capacity and avoid building new
power plants.
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