New compound might be able to trap and dissolve greenhouse gas.
An interdisciplinary team of scientists have created a new compound that is able to capture large amounts of gases from our atmosphere. Scientists devise a porous liquid capable of absorbing large quantity of greenhouse gases.
The team of researchers gather at the University of Belfast is comprised of distinguished member from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Argentina. According to their initial reports, it would seem that the new substance can have numerous applications in all fields of study.
The so-called porous liquid has a massive potential because it is capable of capturing a large amount of gases from the atmosphere. Furthermore, the liquid can also be used in order to ensure successful gas separation. And it would even prove to be a perk to industrial chemical plants, because porous liquids are capable of moving more easily through pipes than porous solids.
Usually, porous solids are used in industrial plants capable of producing plastics or refining petrol. These types of material are characterized by having molecular holes or voids inside them. These holes or voids, as the scientists call them, can come together in order to form a cage-like structure.
As the scientists explained, these microscopical cages are capable of dissolving in any material out there. Furthermore, the cages do not affect any of the material’s chemical bonds. In order to test out their outstanding achievement, the scientist decided to put a little strain on the porous liquid. They went ahead and tried to dissolve the cage-like molecules in a very special type of fluid that contained crown ethers.
Let’s talk ether for a while. A crown ether, or rather crown ethers are a couple of chemical compounds which have a crown or a ring formed by conglomerating many groups of ethers. The most known crown ether are ethylene oxide. This compound has many industrial applications, most of them being used in the textile industry.
No one among the researchers knows what to call the new compound. Thing is, as one of the scientists pointed out, the project needs more research and more documentation before it can put to use. But, according to the data gathered so far from extensive experiments, it would seem that the new compound is doing great.
Results are so encouraging that the scientists are considering new application for this porous liquid. Among their favorite application seems to be the one using porous liquid in order to trap and to dissolve greenhouse gas from our atmosphere.
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