Hydrogen gas could someday replace fossil fuels as a “clean” energy source, producing only water and energy. However, handling large quantities of gaseous hydrogen is cumbersome, and converting it to a liquid requires vessels that can withstand extremely high pressures. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have developed a method to store and release highly pure hydrogen with salts in the presence of amino acids.
The reversible storage of hydrogen in solid salts has emerged as one potential way to make the fuel easier to transport and handle, but the reactions to do this require precious metals as catalysts and may produce carbon dioxide as an unwanted byproduct. So, Henrik Junge, Matthias Beller and colleagues developed effective storage-release systems with both bicarbonate and carbonate salts, as well as manganese, which is a more widely available metal catalyst. The researchers found that converting bicarbonate and hydrogen into formate, and vice versa, was most effective with potassium salts, a manganese-based catalyst and lysine — an amino acid that acted as an additional promoter and reacted with carbon dioxide to capture it — at reaction temperatures below 200 F. After five storage-release cycles, the reaction system produced hydrogen with a high yield (80%) and purity (99%). The team also showed that carbonate salts and glutamic acid can be part of the reusable storage-release system with hydrogen yields up to 94%. This technique paves the way for large-scale hydrogen storage in solids, the researchers say.
Crab shells could help power the next generation of rechargeable batteries
Anybody who has ever enjoyed fresh crab legs or lobster tails can attest to how difficult it is to get through their tough shells. But instead of just throwing them away, researchers are “upcycling” these shells into porous, carbon-filled materials with a wide variety of uses. Now, a team r ... more
New starchy bioplastic could make soggy paper straws a thing of the past
In the fight against pollution, several regions in the U.S. have banned the use of plastic straws. Alternative materials exist, but most options are either too expensive to scale up, go limp in drinks or taste bad. But now, a team reporting in ACS Omega has developed a new type of bioplasti ... more
Toilet paper is an unexpected source of PFAS in wastewater
Wastewater can provide clues about a community’s infectious disease status, and even its prescription and illicit drug use. But looking at sewage also provides information on persistent and potentially harmful compounds, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), that get released ... more
Reactions is looking at sports science today. Sports balls owe their reliability to an unusual polymer. Learn about the chemistry of rubber the all-star’s best friend! more
Whether you sop it up with bread or use it to boost your cooking, olive oil is awesome. But a lot of chemistry goes on in that bottle that can make or break a product. Take the “extra virgin” standard: Chemistry tells us that a higher free-fatty-acid content leads to a lower grade, less tas ... more
Detecting nerve agents with the touch of a finger
There’s a reason why farmers wear protective gear when applying organophosphate pesticides. The substances are nerve agents that are very effective at getting rid of unwanted bugs, but they can also make humans sick. Even more potent, related compounds -- organophophate nerve agents -- are ... more
American Chemical Society (ACS)
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journal ... more
PlasCO₂ project: Greenhouse gas transformed into a raw material
Evonik has launched the PlasCO2 project together with three partners. The aim is to use carbon dioxide (CO2) as a raw material in the production of C4 chemicals. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the project with more than €1.8 million. PlasCO2 stands for 'Pla ... more
What people ingest is broken down biochemically by the organism in the metabolism: valuable substances are digested, less essential ones are discarded and excreted. In the case of drugs, this degradation sometimes begins before they can fully develop their healing effect. Chemists try to pr ... more
Evonik and LIKAT Discover New Variant of Hydroformylation
A team of researchers from Evonik and the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT) has once again achieved a breakthrough in the field of hydroformylation. Hydroformylation is one of the most important reactions in industrial organic chemistry. Unsaturated compounds are converted with synthe ... more
