US scientists observe chemical reaction for the first time
4 Oct 2016 by Evoluted New Media
Scientists have used a specific type of X-ray to study a never-seen-before chemical reaction.
Scientists have used a specific type of X-ray to study a never-seen-before chemical reaction.
With the use of a synchrotron, researchers from Berkeley National Laboratory, used ‘tender’ X-rays — radiation with an energy range between high (hard) and low (soft) X rays. This allowed them to observe the electrochemical double layer, a reaction that occurs when a liquid meets a solid.
Ethan Crumlin, from Berkeley, who led the research said: “To be able to directly probe any attribute of the double layer is a significant advancement. Essentially, we now have a direct map, showing how potential within the double layer change based on adjustments to the electrode charge and electrolyte concentration. We can directly see this — it's literally a picture of the system at that time.”
Scientists studied a gold electrode and a water-containing electrolyte containing a neutrally charged molecule called pyrazine. The tender X-rays were then used to measure the potential distribution of water and pyrazine molecules across the solid/liquid interface.
Hubert Gasteiger, from the Technical University of Munich, although not involved in the research, said: “No one has been able to look into this roughly 10-nanometer-thin region of the electrochemical double layer in this way before. Using this tool to validate double-layer models I think would give us insight into many electrochemical systems that are of industrial relevance.”
This new analysis method could provide scientists with greater information about battery performance and corrosion, with potential uses for biological reactions that occur similarly.
The research was published in Nature Communications.
