Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark have found discovered a crystal with a particularly high affinity for oxygen. According to them, an excess of the crystal inside a closed room would be able to absorb 99% of the oxygen inside the closed room. The crystal is able to hold an oxygen concentration 160 times larger than that of the air we breath; the air we breath has an oxygen concentration of 21 percent. The crystal not only has the ability to pull oxygen out of air, but also from water. The fact that the crystal has the ability to release the oxygen it absorbs expands its applicable uses immensely. Under certain conditions (heat/pressure), the crystal can release the oxygen it's absorbed oxygen- comparable to hemoglobin, which utilizes iron to carry oxygen in the blood stream. This crystal is different from hemoglobin because it doesn't use iron, but rather cobalt to absorb oxygen. Its properties are very promising. The newly discovered crystal has applications ranging from the hospital to scuba diving. It could replace the heavy oxygen tanks in hospitals, therefore reducing the burden lung patients have from lugging the tank around. Or it could be used for scuba diving, which would lighten the load for prospective scuba divers. The crystal would not only be very light but would also very enduring, it has the ability to absorb oxygen from water. Some see it's use in new fuel cells; with the amount of oxygen it is able to carry, there is no surprise how useful it would be in increasing the reaction rates of many combustion reaction where oxygen is the limiting reagent. While the crystal has a well of potential for future applications, it still needs further research. Scientists hope that a viable product could be created in the near future, possibly within the next five years. The chemical formula for the crystal is:
[{(bpbp)Co2II(NO3)}2(NH2bdc)](NO3)2 * 2H2O
bpbp = 2,6-bis(N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-aminomethyl)-4-tert-butylphenolato
NH2bdc = 2-amino-1,4-benzenedicarboxylato
Source: https://findresearcher.sdu.dk:8443/ws/files/102792831/c4sc01636j.pdf
This is really interesting. It has the potential to be a really useful carrier of oxygen, which can be applied in many different situations, like you said. Is there a particular reason why it absorbs so much oxygen?
ReplyDeleteYou stated how efficient the crystal is but can you explain any drawbacks with the way the crystal functions?
ReplyDeleteI think that possible drawbacks for this crystal may include its cost and accessibility. I doubt any regular person may be able to buy this, but then again this could be utilized to the point at which is becomes affordable.
DeleteGuillherme: It absorbs a very large amount of oxygen because the cobalt in the crystal forms coordination complexes with oxygen. This crystal functions the same way as hemoglobin, the iron in hemoglobin binds or coordinates with oxygen; except, this crystal uses cobalt. As a result, the it is able to form more coordination bonds with oxygen, thus giving it the ability to absorb more oxygen. There are a lot of other facts involved, many of which are both difficult to explain and not within my scope of knowledge. For more information on coordination complexes, please visit:
ReplyDeletehttp://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/ch12/complex.php
Andres: Although the crystal has potential for high development, there are some drawbacks. The health hazard of the crystal is still unclear. Research has to be done on the toxicity of the material. If the new discovery is found to be toxic, then lower level consumer applications may not be biologically viable. But, the crystal still has potential in fuel cell applications where human contact is limited. The crystal has another disadvantage. After absorbing oxygen, the crystal can only release the absorbed oxygen under certain conditions. High heat and low pressure can cause the coordination bonds between the metal (cobalt) and oxygen to break, which can be problematic for applications in STP. If you happen to come across anymore downsides, please let comment below.
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