10 New Discoveries in Chemistry - ALONTO

7/27/2019 10 New Discoveries in Chemistry - ALONTO

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10 New Discoveries in Chemistry

Mohammad Shakour Alonto Gr. 7 Titus

T. George M. Mabaquiao



1

Better Batteries

Chemist Amy Prieto and her

colleagues at Colorado StateUniversity are working on a really goodbattery.

Calculations predict this prototypebattery has a 1,000 higher powerdensity, lasts 10 times longer, can be

charged an unlimited amount of timesand is a third of the cost of currentlithium ion batteries.

The key to this battery is its highsurface area which means it willcharge faster.

The battery is made up of three mainparts: an anode-made of tiny coppernanowires, a cathode-made from arubber-like material, and an electrolyte-made of plastic that separates theanode from the cathode. Nanowiresincrease the battery’s performance andare so small that 25 million of them canfit on the surface of a penny.



2

Uncovering Hi-Tech Messages Students and professors at Harvard’s

School of Engineering and Applied Sciencehave created a chip that can test chemicalsand be used as an encryption device.

Material scientist Joanna Aizenberg saysthe synthetic opals they are creating areactually inversed in shape and full of poresso liquids can penetrate them. They’re

grown on chips and shimmer in the light.When wiped with chemical solutions (like amixture of 5% water and 95% ethanol),secret messages embedded in the chipsappear. Different concentrations can revealdifferent messages on the same chip. Thenit all disappears when dried. This is called

watermark ink or W-Ink for short. It worksbecause of chemistry and surface tension.Some liquids bead up, others flatten onsurfaces.

While experimenting with W-Ink’s wetencryption capabilities another discoverywas made. If programmed a certain way, the

invention could be used to identifyhazardous chemicals.



3

Tea Bags for Radioactive Water NC State physicist, Dr. Joel Pawlak has found

a solution to radioactive water: biodegradablefoam. It works like a gooey sponge to pullsalt, heavy metals and even radioactivematerials like potassium iodide that don’tdissolve out of water.

The foam is made from combination ofhemicellulose, a by-product of the wood pulp

industry, and chitosan that is typically found incrushed crustacean or crab shells. Thematerial can be functionalized to removecontaminants.

In a disaster, it could be as simple to use as atea bag.

“You take a cup of water, place your tea baginto the water and it’ll remove the salt fromthe water, it’ll remove the heavy metal fromthe water, and hopefully it’ll remove thatradioactivity from the water as well,” Pawlakexplained.

One liter of the foam can turn a hundred litersof contaminated water into safe drinkingwater. It’s physics and material science thatcould save lives.



4

Green Gas as Less Fuel

A biotechnology company is developing an

organic energy source made from, amongother things, human waste. At KetteringUniversity’s innovation center in Flint,Michigan, biochemists are studying alltypes of organic waste to find the highestenergy producers.

Here is how biogas production works on asmall scale. Biochemists call glass jarstheir digesters, researchers insert wasteinto them every day. Dozens of kinds ofbacteria break it down. In the absence ofair, they produce methane. In Sweden, it’sa process that’s been used for years to

power the natural gas grid and fuelspecially designed cars.

“There are compressed natural gasvehicles. Biomethane is a natural gas. Youcan produce biomethane, clean it up andput it right into vehicles,” said Jennifer

Aurandt, Ph.D., Biochemist at KetteringUniversity



5

Predicting Asthma Attacks The research team of environmental chemist

Charlene Bayer, Ph.D., principal research

scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta has developed a sensor box. Smallenough to carry in the pocket of a lightweightvest, it’s designed to continuously monitor the airaround people prone to asthma attacks. Whileinside a chamber, the system measures forseven different environmental stimuli -- all

potential asthma triggers. Combined with anelectronic peak flow meter, the system allowsresearchers to monitor what's in the air around aperson and how their lungs may be reacting to it.If she has an asthma attack, they can see whatmight have contributed to it. "What we're lookingat is a way to measure -- continuously measure --

exposure of people so that we can start linkingexposure with asthma exacerbations," Dr. Bayerexplained.

The box is so sensitive it could pick up theformaldehyde and organic compounds in a magicmarker.

Researchers say the sensor system could be

commercially available in as little as a year tohelp asthmatics monitor the air around them and



6

Odor-less paint

Benjamin Moore’s new Aurainterior paint doesn’t require aprimer, and the paint doesn’tstick, thanks to innovativechemistry: a new way to combinelatex and paint. The secret is a

new "copolymer surfactant"molecule that binds the color intoa thicker, more durable paint. Thenew paint molecules are longchains that surround pigment

molecules, much like a strip ofVelcro wrapped around a tennisball, which provides more spacefor the latex to cling to. As aresult, the paint covers any colorin a single coat, leaves awashable finish, and dries in



7

Soothing Sensitive Teeth BACKGROUND: A new toothpaste ingredient has

been developed by scientists at the University ofMaryland’s College of Dentistry. NovaMin is a materialdesigned to relieve sensitive teeth, because blocks theholes that open in the teeth as the ceramic wearsdown, causing the sensitivity. It helps teeth absorbminerals to make them stronger and more resistant tocavities. Additional research indicates that NovaMin

could help prevent cavities, too. HOW IT WORKS: It is a compound made from

elements naturally critical for bone and toothmineralization: calcium, phosphorus, silica andsodium. In their common forms, these elements havevery limited value in tooth healthy. But in their rareionic form, they can renew teeth. Each microscopic

NovaMin particle serves as a delivery system for theseionized bioactive particles. When the particle isexposed to water – whether it be saliva or tap water – it instantly reacts, releasing billions of mineral ions thataugment the natural remineralization process thatalready occurs in the mouth. These ions combine withnaturally occurring ones in the saliva to formhydroxyapatite crystals. No other manmade material isknown to directly lead to the formation of thesecrystals in the body.



8

Healthy Pizza BACKGROUND: A team of food chemists at the

University of Maryland has discovered how toboost the antioxidant content of pizza dough byoptimizing baking and fermentation methods.Diets rich in antioxidants are thought to reduce therisk of cancer and heart disease. Making popularfoods healthier using the tools of chemistry couldhave a significant impact on public health.

ABOUT THE STUDY: The Maryland study is partof an ongoing effort to discover and develop newtechnologies that enhance the levels of naturalantioxidants in grain-based food ingredients suchas whole wheat flour.

WHAT THEY DID: The researchers exposedwhole grain pizza dough from two different

varieties of wheat to different bakingtemperatures, ranging from 400 to 500 degrees,and also to different baking times: from 7 to 14minutes. A number of tests were used to measurechanges in the crusts' antioxidant properties. Theyfound that longer baking times or highertemperatures generally corresponded to higher

levels of antioxidants.



9

Fire Stopper Fire science researchers have been trying to find

a way to put out fires faster, with less damage toproperty. Now, they’ve come up with a new kindof fire suppression system -- no water needed!

Fire engineers say Sapphire is a cleaneralternative to old fire suppression chemicals likehalon that were banned because they depletethe ozone layer and contribute to serious

environmental issues. ABOUT SAPPHIRE: The SAPPHIRE

Suppression System consists of sensors thatdetect hot particles before they are able to ignitea large fire. It deploys a chemical agent to stopthe combustion. The system is stored in tanksand deployed through a ceiling mounted system

that looks like an ordinary office sprinkler. Thefluid dispensed through them is colorless,odorless, and when released into the air, itvaporizes. The vapors suffocate burgeoning firesby keeping oxygen away from the flames,removing a necessary component from blazebefore damage can be done. Because the

system contains no water, it does not causewater damage, making it attractive to museumsand other archives



10

Weight Loss Weapon A new discovery could help you people shed

those dangerous pounds and live a healthierlife.

BACKGROUND: Scientists at the Universityof California, Los Angeles, examines theeffect of white kidney bean extract (calledPhase 2) on food and Glycemic Index (GI)levels. The research has resulted in the

development of many new products forpeople on special GI diets, including a newpasta. It could especially benefit patients withdiabetes, who need to closely monitor andcontrol blood sugar levels, as well as seriousathletes and overweight people.

ABOUT THE STUDY: Previous clinical trials

found that one gram of the Phase 2 kidneybean extract affects blood glucose levels,while the new study shows that two grams tothree grams affect GI levels. White kidneybean extract neutralizes the digestive enzymenecessary for starch to turn into glucose. Itslows the digestion of starches and sugars,

which can cause a rapid rise in blood sugarafter eating. A previous UCLA study foundthat Phase 2 reduced starch absor tion b 66



Source

Discoveries and Breakthroughs Inside Science<http://www.ivanhoe.com/science/>

Chemistry section:

http://www.ivanhoe.com/science/by_subject/chemistr

y.html

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10 New Discoveries in Chemistry - ALONTO