Archive for July, 2014

Tracking complex reactions in space and time

Scientists in Taiwan have put together a system that uses a computer screen and digital camera to obtain spatial, temporal and spectral information on reaction samples, with a set-up cost of just £400.

Pawel Urban who led the research at National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan, points out that ‘chemical processes occur in space and time, but few analytical methods provide both spatial and temporal information’. Most chemical reaction mixtures are also not homogeneous, but traditional spectral techniques for monitoring them assume homogeneity. Pawel believes it is important to look into the intrinsic non-uniformities which can affect the progress of chemical reactions


Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in RSC Advances – it’s free to access until 10th September:
Spectral imaging of chemical reactions using a computer display and a digital camera
Kai-Ta Hsieh and Pawel L. Urban  
RSC Adv., 2014, 4, 31094-31100, DOI: 10.1039/C4RA04207G

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8th International Conference on Environmental Catalysis – ICEC 2014

The 8th International Conference on Environmental Catalysis (ICEC 2014) will be held in Asheville, North Carolina, USA between the 24-27 August 2014.

The conference aims to discuss technological challenges in environmental catalysis and the scientific programme will be based around the following main topics:

Sustainable and clean energy production
– Bio-fuel catalysis
– Fuel cells, electrolysis and solar fuels
– Fuel reforming
– Catalytic oxidation
– Photocatalysis
– Hydrotreatment of fuels
Emission control
– Mobile and stationary source emissions
– TWC, Lean de-NOx, and diesel emissions
Indoor air cleaning
– Catalytic processes to clean indoor air (VOCs, PAH)

Water treatment
– Non-biodegradable organic oxidation
– Nitrates reduction
– Sludge removal
Green Chemistry
– Biomass to chemicals
– Catalytic conversion of CO2
– Environmentally friendly catalytic processes
– Photocatalysis

The conference programme will also include three Plenary lectures by:

  • Professor Masakazu Anpo (Osaka Prefecture University)
  • Dr Klaus Harth (BASF)
  • Professor Enrique Iglesia (UC Berkeley)

Advanced registration ends the 31st July 2014 – click here to register today.

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A real red alert for explosives

Scientists in Spain have developed a new material that changes colour around air- or waterborne TNT. The chemical, which could be used to make intelligent clothing, alerts users to the presence of the explosive. It may prove lifesaving in former war zones, and invaluable in anti-terrorism investigations.


Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in RSC Advances – it’s free to access until 1st August:
Involuntary graphene intake with food and medicine
Manav Saxena and Sabyasachi Sarkar  
RSC Adv., 2014, Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1039/C4RA04022H, Paper

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