Hydrogen Bonds Directly Detected For The First Time

A method to engineer crystals with a large fraction of reactive facets

Versatile superstructures composed of nanoparticles have recently been prepared using various disassembly methods. However, little information is known on how the structural disassembly influences the catalytic performance of the materials. Scientia Professor Rose Amal, Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellow Hamid Arandiyan and a group from the Particles and Catalysis Research Group from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) School of Chemical Engineering have had their research address this issue published in Nature Communications.

The research team led by Dr Jason Scott and Prof Sean Smith in collaboration with Curtin University and Beijing University of Technology has developed a method that allows them to engineer crystals with a large fraction of reactive facets. An ordered mesostructured La0.6Sr0.4MnO3 (LSMO) perovskite catalyst was disassembled using a unique fragmentation strategy, whereby the newly-exposed (001) reactive faces at each fracture were more reactive towards methane oxidation than the regular (i.e. before disassembly)

It is of significant interest to use methane as an alternative fuel to coal and oil due to its high hydrogen to carbon ratio which provides comparatively lower greenhouse gas emissions. Commercial catalysts for methane combustion contain precious metals (e.g. Pt and Pd) which are of high cost and poor thermal stability (caused by agglomeration of the metal deposits). Using perovskite-type catalysts to replace noble metal supported catalysts for methane oxidation has attracted recent attention due to their excellent thermal stability. In their recently published article, the research team describes a simple fragmentation method to synthesise a novel three-dimensional hexapod mesostructured LSMO perovskite.

Read more.

Why Some Images Trigger Seizures

The key, they propose, is a particular repetitive pattern of neural activity in the brain known as gamma oscillations that occurs when people view certain images, such as black and white bar patterns, and not others. In fact, the researchers say, it’s possible that those kinds of images are responsible for other problems, such as migraine headaches, particularly in people who are generally sensitive to light.

The research is in Current Biology. (full open access)

Spinbox by Dave Whyte | Tumblr

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Is dark energy an illusion?

Variations in universe’s density can explain away dark energy, theorists claim from Latest News from Science Magazine http://ift.tt/2nx2XYs via IFTTT

Water is one of those strange materials that expands when it freezes, which raises an interesting question: what happens to a water drop that freezes from the inside out? A freezing water droplet quickly forms an ice shell (top image) that expands inward, squeezing the water inside. As the pressure rises, the droplet develops a spicule – a lance-like projection that helps relieve some of the pressure. 

Eventually the spicule stops growing and pressure rises inside the freezing drop. Cracks split the shell, and, as they pull open, the cracks cause a sudden drop in pressure for the water inside (middle image). If the droplet is large enough, the pressure drop is enough for cavitation bubbles to form. You can see them in the middle image just as the cracks appear. 

After an extended cycle of cracking and healing, the elastic energy released from a crack can finally overcome surface energy’s ability to hold the drop together and it will explode spectacularly (bottom image). This only happens for drops larger than a millimeter, though. Smaller drops – like those found in clouds – won’t explode thanks to the added effects of surface tension. (Image credit: S. Wildeman et al., source)

CGG POP-UP SHOW | May 13th 2015 | art space tetra | Fukuoka Japan

The Contemporary Guerilla Gallery Berlin is a project by a group of Berlin-based artists. The experimental project explores new ways of dealing with the contemporary art market. Part of the concept of CGG Berlin is independent art selling on eBay, another part is making pop-up exhibitions without external curatorial influence.

At art space tetra we show video works of five of the CGG artists. The video works have a documentary character and thematize the process of art production.

At the opening Hannah Reber and Gert-Jan Akerboom will be present and give a brief introduction of the project and answer questions after the screening.

The CGG Berlin pop-up at art space tetra shows works by:

Hannah Reber (www.hannahreber.de)

Gert-Jan Akerboom (www.gertjanakerboom.com)

Ortrun Stanzel (www.ortrunstanzel.de)

Ties Ten Bosch (www.tiestenbosch.com)

Inken Reinert (inken-reinert.de)

art space tetra

2-15 Susakimachi, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture 812-0028, Japan

http://www.as-tetra.info/archives/2015/150513065136.html#

I’m standing at the base of a Martian dune… Parts of it are two stories tall.