. 24/7 Space News .
TECH SPACE
Levitating droplets allow scientists to perform 'touchless' chemical reactions
by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX) Jun 26, 2020

Levitating droplets of acidic and basic solutions (left) merge into a larger droplet (right), in which carbon dioxide bubbles form as a product of the reaction.

Levitation has long been a staple of magic tricks and movies. But in the lab, it's no trick. Scientists can levitate droplets of liquid, though mixing them and observing the reactions has been challenging. The pay-off, however, could be big as it would allow researchers to conduct contact-free experiments without containers or handling that might affect the outcome. Now, a team reporting in ACS' Analytical Chemistry has developed a method to do just that.

Scientists have made devices to levitate small objects, but most methods require the object to have certain physical properties, such as electric charge or magnetism. In contrast, acoustic levitation, which uses sound waves to suspend an object in a gas, doesn't rely on such properties.

Yet existing devices for acoustic levitation and mixing of single particles or droplets are complex, and it is difficult to obtain measurements from them as a chemical reaction is happening. Stephen Brotton and Ralf Kaiser wanted to develop a versatile technique for the contactless control of two chemically distinct droplets, with a set of probes to follow the reaction as the droplets merge.

The team made an acoustic levitator and suspended two droplets in it, one above the other. Then, they made the upper droplet oscillate by varying the amplitude of the sound wave. The oscillating upper droplet merged with the lower droplet, and the resulting chemical reaction was monitored with infrared, Raman and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopies.

The researchers tested the technique by combining different droplets. In one experiment, for example, they merged an ionic liquid with nitric acid, causing a tiny explosion. The new levitation method could help scientists study many different types of chemical reactions in areas such as material sciences, medicinal chemistry and planetary science, the researchers say.

Research paper


Related Links
American Chemical Society
Space Technology News - Applications and Research


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


TECH SPACE
Synthetic materials mimic living creatures
Evanston IL (SPX) Jun 23, 2020
Northwestern University researchers have developed a family of soft materials that imitates living creatures. When hit with light, the film-thin materials come alive - bending, rotating and even crawling on surfaces. Called "robotic soft matter by the Northwestern team," the materials move without complex hardware, hydraulics or electricity. The researchers believe the lifelike materials could carry out many tasks, with potential applications in energy, environmental remediation and advanced ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

TECH SPACE
Trump visa freeze delivers blow to US tech sector

NASA Reveals What Could Be Source of 'Elevated Benzene Level' on ISS

More Hands Make Light Work: Crew Dragon Duo Increases Science Tempo on Space Station

Amyloid formation in the International Space Station

TECH SPACE
NASA Prepares to Complete Artemis SLS Rocket Structural Testing

Researchers design a system to reduce the noise of space rockets in the launch phase

Australian professor wants local town to become hub for commercial space travel

Spacecrafts get a boost in 'aerogravity assisted' interactions

TECH SPACE
NASA's new Mars mission will take at least a decade to confirm life

The Launch Is Approaching for NASA's Next Mars Rover, Perseverance

Martian rover motors ahead

Airbus wins next study contract for Martian Sample Fetch Rover

TECH SPACE
Satellite launch center Wenchang eyes boosting homestay, catering sectors

Private investment fuels China commercial space sector growth

More details of China's space station unveiled

China space program targets July launch for Mars mission

TECH SPACE
GomSpace enters agreement tp cancel spin-out project Aerial and Maritime

SES selects 2 US companies to build 4 satellites as part of Accelerated C-Band Clearing Plan

NanoAvionics to build first 2 satellite buses for Omnispace Constellation

Maxar to Build Four 1300-class Geostationary Communications Satellites for Intelsat

TECH SPACE
Microsoft ends game streaming, teams up with Facebook

Synthetic materials mimic living creatures

Hughes Joins with 4-H to Champion Online STEM Education amid Increased Demand for Virtual Learning

Fish armor both tough and flexible

TECH SPACE
New study to search universe for signs of technological civilizations

Are Planets with Oceans Common in the Galaxy? It's Likely, NASA Scientists Find

As many as six billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy, according to new estimates

Research sheds new light on intelligent life existing across the galaxy

TECH SPACE
Proposed NASA Mission Would Visit Neptune's Curious Moon Triton

SOFIA finds clues hidden in Pluto's haze

New evidence of watery plumes on Jupiter's moon Europa

Telescopes and spacecraft join forces to probe deep into Jupiter's atmosphere









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.