World�s 1st Porous Liquid Invented
It can trap carbon dioxide
Scientists at Queens University Belfast in Ireland have recently made a major breakthrough by developing the worlds first porous liquid.
The new kind of liquid is believed to have many technical applications, with carbon capture being one of the main characteristics.
What can the porous liquid do? Mainly, it can easily dissolve large amounts of gas by absorbing them through the liquids holes.
The new material was invented by researchers from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University. The researchers were also helped by colleagues from the University of Liverpool.
However, the scientists do not have an exact name for the porous liquid yet.
Professor Stuart James of the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering said in a press release:
Materials which contain permanent holes, or pores, are technologically important. They are used for manufacturing a range of products from plastic bottles to petrol. However, until recently, these porous materials have been solids. What we have done is to design a special liquid from the bottom-up we designed the shapes of the molecules which make up the liquid so that the liquid could not fill up all the space. Because of the empty holes we then had in the liquid, we found that it was able to dissolve unusually large amounts of gas. These first experiments are what is needed to understand this new type of material, and the results point to interesting long-term applications which rely on dissolution of gases.
Examples of porous solids include fabric, sponges, cardboard, rough wood and paper.
Prof James added that the research needed would require time and that it could take a few more years. Once applications for the porous liquid can be developed, James said that it could lead to improved chemical processes used in many industries.
One of the most useful uses the porous liquid would be capturing carbon dioxide emitted by fossil-fuel power plants and prevent if from reaching the atmosphere. This way, air pollution can be significantly reduced.
The porous liquid has cage molecules that are effective in enclosing empty space, according to Gizmodo Australia. Porous liquids have more empty space compared to the traditional fluids found today.
The study Liquids with permanent porosity was recently published in the Nature online journal.
