Exploring Unique Periodic Tables: Beyond the Basics
Searching the Internet to bring you the latest Chemistry News!
Here are 10 recent discoveries:
1. Exploring Unique Periodic Tables: Beyond the Basics
The Periodic Table of Elements, a familiar sight in classrooms and labs, has over 1,000 variations due to its inability to represent all element relationships accurately.
It organizes elements based on recurring patterns.
Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev's 1869 creation is the standard table, ordered by the number of protons, which provides a glimpse of elements' similar electron configurations.
Alternative tables offer diverse perspectives:
Charles Janet's "left-step" table groups elements by orbital filling rather than valence.
The ADOMAH table by Valery Tsimmerman categorizes elements by their principal quantum number.
The Physicist's Periodic Table by Timothy Stowe provides 3D-vertical and 2D-horizontal layouts, merging ideas from other tables.
Some tables, like Anthony Grainger's, visualize periodicity in three dimensions, showcasing elements along orthogonal planes.
Franklin J. Hyde's design presents elements linearly, emphasizing silicon.
Linus Pauling's flowchart organizes elements by energy levels, while Gooch & Walker's Spiral opts for a figure-8 approach.
The Periodic Snail by Theodor Benfey incorporates atomic numbers and a space for hypothetical superactinides.
These tables reflect the creativity of researchers and offer distinct ways to tell the periodic table's story.
As chemistry evolves, new forms of representing elements continue to emerge, exciting chemistry enthusiasts and data visualizers alike.
Source - 12 Different Ways to Organize the Periodic Table of Elements
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/different-periodic-table-visualizations/
2. Energy Vault's Innovative Gravity System for Grid-Scale Energy Storage
Swiss startup Energy Vault has developed a unique energy storage system using massive concrete blocks suspended in the air.
They recently commissioned their first grid-scale facility outside Shanghai, China, with a capacity of 100 megawatt hours (MWh) and the ability to continuously discharge 25 megawatts for up to 4 hours.
In this energy storage system, heavy concrete blocks are lifted by mechanical cranes powered by excess grid energy.
The blocks are suspended until energy demand rises, and then they're lowered to generate electricity by spinning turbines with their weight.
The system is controlled by proprietary software to automate operations and balance motion.
Energy Vault's system has an 80% round-trip efficiency, comparable to utility-scale batteries and pumped hydro.
It offers consistent storage capacity over time, unlike degrading batteries, making it suitable for long-term energy storage, which is crucial for solar and wind power.
Energy Vault is planning to build larger gravity storage facilities at the gigawatt-hour scale for 12 hours of operation.
Despite some setbacks, they continue to expand, with projects in China, California, and Nevada.
Energy Vault's innovative gravity-based system shows promise as a solution for reliable, long-term energy storage in the transition to renewables.
Source - Energy Vault’s First Grid-Scale Gravity Energy Storage System Is Near Complete
https://singularityhub.com/2023/08/09/energy-vaults-first-grid-scale-gravity-energy-storage-system-is-near-complete/
3. Efficient Hydrogen Production from Sunlight: The Promise of Perovskite Photoanodes
Hydrogen, a clean and versatile energy source, holds potential for transforming various industries, but sustainable production is a challenge.
Most hydrogen comes from natural gas, which is unsustainable due to carbon emissions and limited supply.
Scientists explore Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, using solar energy to produce hydrogen without emissions.
Efficient PEC relies on efficient photoanodes for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), a key step.
Organometal halide perovskites (OHPs) show promise as photoanodes, but they face efficiency hurdles.
Researchers improved OHP-based photoanodes by preventing particle loss and enhancing reaction kinetics.
Their innovation achieved an impressive 12.79% efficiency, potentially revolutionizing hydrogen production.
This advancement could promote sustainable energy solutions and advance the hydrogen economy.
Source - New study enhances hydrogen production efficiency from water
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/new-study-enhances-hydrogen-production-efficiency-from-water
4. Hope for Tooth Regrowth: Clinical Trials Set for 2024
Teeth don't naturally regrow in adults, but clinical trials for a potential tooth regrowth treatment are set to start in July 2024, with therapeutic drugs possibly available by 2030.
Researchers at Kitano Hospital in Japan are leading the trials, targeting people with anodontia, a genetic condition preventing normal tooth growth.
The treatment focuses on blocking the USAG-1 gene, a key factor in tooth growth inhibition, which was successful in mice and ferrets.
The next step is to test if this can work in humans, potentially enabling a third generation of teeth after baby and adult teeth.
The approach relies on natural bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling, avoiding complex stem cell engineering.
Advanced scanning technology may help identify suitable candidates for the treatment.
If successful, this research could revolutionize dental care, offering hope for regenerating teeth in a natural way.
Source - A Drug For Regrowing Teeth Could Be Available Within The Next Decade
https://www.sciencealert.com/a-drug-for-regrowing-teeth-could-be-available-within-the-next-decade
5. Graphite Twist Reveals New Physics and Electronic Control Potential
Scientists at The University of Manchester's National Graphene Institute uncovered new physics in graphite using twistronics, showing a 2.5-dimensional mixing of surface and bulk states, offering electronic control possibilities in 2D and 3D materials.
Graphite, composed of carbon layers in a honeycomb pattern, has varying stacking orders, affecting its properties.
Researchers led by Prof. Artem Mishchenko employed twistronics to manipulate the surface states of graphite, similar to a kaleidoscope, unveiling new physics.
They extended twistronics to three-dimensional graphite, finding that moiré patterns affect the entire bulk of the crystal.
The study observed a 2.5-dimensional mixing of surface and bulk states in graphite, leading to a new type of fractal quantum Hall effect.
This research expands electronic property control through twistronics in both 2D and 3D materials.
The team is further exploring graphite to unlock its intriguing potential.
Source - Ancient Graphite Reveals a Quantum Surprise: Scientists Discover Hofstadter’s Butterfly
https://scitechdaily.com/ancient-graphite-reveals-a-quantum-surprise-scientists-discover-hofstadters-butterfly/
6. Innovative Techniques Convert Methane into Clean Energy and High-Performance Materials
Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed groundbreaking methods to harness energy and create advanced materials from methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Methane is a highly effective greenhouse gas, and its impact on the environment surpasses that of carbon dioxide.
Major sources include energy, agriculture, and landfills.
Researchers Laurene Tetard and Richard Blair have devised methods to convert methane into green energy and high-quality materials for various applications.
One innovation uses visible light and defect-engineered boron-rich photocatalysts to produce hydrogen from methane without carbon emissions.
It yields contaminant-free hydrogen suitable for energy production.
Another technology creates controlled carbon nanoscale and microscale structures from methane using light and defect-engineered photocatalysts.
These structures have potential applications in medical devices, sensors, and nanoelectronics.
A related process produces carbon and hydrogen from methane at low temperatures without greenhouse gas emissions, offering a sustainable industrial-scale solution.
Tetard and Blair's collaboration resulted in serendipitous discoveries, opening doors to cleaner energy production and advanced materials development.
These innovations have the potential to mitigate methane emissions and contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.
Source - Researchers develop new technology to recycle greenhouse gas into energy, materials
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-technology-recycle-greenhouse-gas-energy.html
7. Maize Root Chemicals Boost Wheat Yields in Sustainable Agriculture
Researchers at the University of Bern have discovered that chemicals secreted by maize roots can increase wheat yields by over 4% when planted subsequently in the same soil.
These chemicals, called benzoxazinoids, affect soil quality and microbial composition, positively influencing the growth of subsequent crops like wheat.
This research demonstrates the potential of using specialized plant compounds to improve crop productivity in sustainable agriculture without the need for additional fertilizers or pesticides.
The study conducted two-year field experiments with two lines of maize, one releasing benzoxazinoids into the soil.
Three varieties of winter wheat were then grown in these differently conditioned soils, showing that benzoxazinoids improved germination, growth, and crop yield.
Additionally, lower pest infestations were observed, making the approach even more appealing for sustainable farming.
The researchers also found that soil properties significantly influence the impact of benzoxazinoids on wheat growth and resistance.
Understanding these effects is crucial for future sustainable agricultural practices.
While a 4% increase in yield may seem modest, it holds promise for sustainable agriculture, especially as global challenges demand enhanced crop yields without additional inputs.
Source - Chemicals from maize roots influence wheat yield
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-chemicals-maize-roots-wheat-yield.html
8. AI Chatbot Eases Materials Research in Chemistry
Chemists are exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI), specifically the ChatGPT model, to streamline the process of searching scientific literature and predicting experimental results.
Traditional methods of finding relevant information in scientific papers can be labor-intensive.
In this study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers used ChatGPT to extract data from scientific papers related to the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of materials with applications in clean energy.
The process involved giving ChatGPT prompts to guide it in identifying and summarizing experimental information in the manuscripts.
The AI system successfully extracted over 26,000 relevant factors for creating approximately 800 MOF compounds from 228 papers.
Using this data, the researchers trained another AI model to predict the crystalline state of MOFs based on experimental conditions.
What makes this approach unique is its accessibility and flexibility.
It doesn't require coding expertise, and scientists can adjust the prompts to change the AI's focus.
The resulting system, known as the "ChatGPT Chemistry Assistant," has the potential to revolutionize materials research and could be applied to other areas of chemistry as well.
Source - Turning ChatGPT into a 'chemistry assistant'
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-chatgpt-chemistry.html
9. The Future of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and the Role of AI
In the past 28 years, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have become a major field in chemistry, enabling the design and creation of a wide range of structures and materials.
Researchers foresee three key directions for the future of MOFs:
1. Multivariable MOFs:
Understanding MOFs from a chemical perspective will continue to be crucial.
Researchers are exploring the heterogeneous environment inside MOFs and how it affects chemical reactions.
This multivariable nature offers opportunities for new chemistry applications, including drug release, selective separations, and catalysis.
2. The Emerging MOF Innovation Cycle:
Integrating MOFs into practical devices requires a deep understanding of both molecular design and real-world performance.
Researchers can optimize MOF-device interactions, such as water harvesting, by designing MOFs with specific properties.
This innovation cycle links molecular design and performance, leading to more relevant and current education for researchers.
3. Digital Reticular Chemistry:
Computational chemistry, particularly the use of AI, plays a vital role in MOF research.
Combining theory, experiments, and data science enhances the discovery and development of MOF materials with tailored properties.
AI models like GPT-4 can be employed to mine information, predict new MOFs, and correlate structures with properties and applications.
Embracing a culture of reproducibility and sharing data and algorithms will be crucial in this AI-driven era of computational chemistry.
These directions highlight the potential of MOFs and AI to revolutionize chemistry, making it more accessible and impactful on society.
Reticular chemistry, with its modularity and definition, is well-suited to showcase the power of AI in automating the MOF innovation cycle, ultimately driving sustainable and transformative advancements in the field.
Source - Three Future Directions for Metal–Organic Frameworks
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c01706
10. Mussel-Inspired Nanocellulose Coating Offers Eco-Friendly Rare Earth Element Recovery
Rare earth elements (REEs) are crucial for clean energy technologies but are environmentally challenging to extract.
Penn State researchers developed a mussel-inspired nanocellulose coating (MINC) that efficiently recovers REEs, such as neodymium, from secondary sources like industrial wastewater.
Mussels' natural adhesion inspired MINC, composed of tiny hairy cellulose nanocrystals.
The MINC adheres to various surfaces using a dopamine-mediated ad-layer formation technique.
It mirrors the adhesive properties of mussel proteins, making it eco-friendly and sustainable.
The focus was on extracting neodymium, a critical REE for clean energy technologies. Current extraction methods are energy-intensive and use toxic chemicals.
MINC efficiently and selectively recovers neodymium, even at low concentrations, avoiding the retrieval of unwanted elements like sodium and calcium.
MINC's development contributes to the availability of critical REEs for clean energy and electronic devices.
The researchers plan to explore its potential for extracting other REEs, offering an eco-friendly alternative to conventional methods and addressing supply shortages.
Source - Mussels inspire an eco-friendly way to extract critical rare earth elements
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-mussels-eco-friendly-critical-rare-earth.html
Back to other Chemistry News.
Found this Chemistry video useful?
Please LIKE this video and SHARE it with your friends!
Join my 10,000+ subscribers on my YouTube Channel for new Chemistry videos every week.
Check out other A Level Chemistry Video Lessons here!
Need an experienced tutor to make Chemistry simpler for you?
Do consider signing up for my JC Chemistry Tuition classes at Bishan, weekly LIVE webinars or on-demand video lessons!
