Liquid metals could be the long-awaited solution to “greening” the chemical industry, according to researchers who tested a new technique they hope can replace energy-intensive chemical engineering processes harking back to the early 20th century.
Findings published in Nature Nanotechnology offer a much-needed innovation that moves away from old, energy-intensive catalysts made from solid materials. The research is led by Professor Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh, Head of the University of Sydney’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Dr. Junma Tang, who works jointly at the University of Sydney and UNSW.
A catalyst is a substance that makes chemical reactions occur faster and more easily without participating in the reaction. Solid catalysts, typically solid metals or solid compounds of metals, are commonly used in the chemical industry to make plastics, fertilizers, fuels and feedstock.
However, chemical production using solid processes is energy intensive, requiring temperatures of up to a thousand degrees centigrade.
The new process instead uses liquid metals, in this case dissolving tin and nickel which gives them unique mobility, enabling them to migrate to the surface of liquid metals and react with input molecules such as canola oil. This results in the rotation, fragmentation, and reassembly of canola oil molecules into smaller organic chains, including propylene, a high-energy fuel crucial for many industries.
“Our method offers an unparalleled possibility to the chemical industry for reducing energy consumption and greening chemical reactions,” said Professor Kalantar-Zadeh.
“It’s expected that the chemical sector will account for more than 20% of emissions by 2050,” said Professor Kalantar-Zadeh. “But chemical manufacturing is much less visible than other sectors—a paradigm shift is vital.”
How the process works
Atoms in liquid metals are more randomly arranged and have greater freedom of movement than solids. This allows them to easily come into contact with, and participate in, chemical reactions. “Theoretically, they can catalyze chemicals at much lower temperatures—meaning they require far less energy,” Professor Kalantar-Zadeh said.
In their research, the authors dissolved high melting point nickel and tin in a gallium based liquid metal with a melting point of only 30° centigrade.
“By dissolving nickel in liquid gallium, we gained access to liquid nickel at very low temperatures—acting as a ‘super’ catalyst. In comparison solid nickel’s melting point is 1,455° centigrade. The same effect, to a lesser degree, is also experienced for tin metal in liquid gallium,” Dr. Tang said.
The metals were dispersed in liquid metal solvents at the atomic level. “So we have access to single atom catalysts. Single atom is the highest surface area accessibility for catalysis which offer a remarkable advantage to the chemical industry,” said Dr. Arifur Rahim, senior author and DECRA Fellow at the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
The researchers said their formula could also be used for other chemical reactions by mixing metals using the low temperature processes.
“It requires such low temperature to catalyze that we could even theoretically do it in the kitchen with the gas cooktop—but don’t try that at home,” Dr. Tang said.
More information: Dynamic configurations of metallic atoms in the liquid state for selective propylene synthesis, Nature Nanotechnology (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01540-x
Journal information: Nature Nanotechnology

News
Tiny robots made from human cells heal damaged tissue
The ‘anthrobots’ were able to repair a scratch in a layer of neurons in the lab. Scientists have developed tiny robots made of human cells that are able to repair damaged neural tissue1. The [...]
Antimicrobial Resistance – A Global Concern
Key facts Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global public health and development threats. It is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to [...]
Advancing Pancreatic Cancer Treatment with Nanoparticle-Based Chemotherapy
Pancreatic cancer, a particularly lethal form of cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the western world, often remains undiagnosed until its advanced stages due to a lack of early symptoms. [...]
The ‘jigglings and wigglings of atoms’ reveal key aspects of COVID-19 virulence evolution
Richard Feynman famously stated, "Everything that living things do can be understood in terms of the jigglings and wigglings of atoms." This week, Nature Nanotechnology features a study that sheds new light on the evolution of the coronavirus [...]
AI system self-organizes to develop features of brains of complex organisms
Cambridge scientists have shown that placing physical constraints on an artificially-intelligent system—in much the same way that the human brain has to develop and operate within physical and biological constraints—allows it to develop features [...]
How Blind People Recognize Faces via Sound
Summary: A new study reveals that people who are blind can recognize faces using auditory patterns processed by the fusiform face area, a brain region crucial for face processing in sighted individuals. The study employed [...]
Treating tumors with engineered dendritic cells
Cancer biologists at EPFL, UNIGE, and the German Cancer Research Center (Heidelberg) have developed a novel immunotherapy that does not require knowledge of a tumor's antigenic makeup. The new results may pave the way [...]
Networking nano-biosensors for wireless communication in the blood
Biological computing machines, such as micro and nano-implants that can collect important information inside the human body, are transforming medicine. Yet, networking them for communication has proven challenging. Now, a global team, including EPFL [...]
Popular Hospital Disinfectant Ineffective Against Common Superbug
Research conducted during World Antimicrobial Awareness Week examines the effects of employing suggested chlorine-based chemicals to combat Clostridioides difficile, the leading cause of antibiotic-related illness in healthcare environments worldwide. A recent study reveals that a [...]
Subjectivity and the Evolution of AI Philosophy
An Historical Overview of the Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence by Anton Vokrug Many famous people in the philosophy of technology have tried to comprehend the essence of technology and link it to society and human [...]
How Lockdowns Shaped the Virus: AI Uncovers COVID-19’s Evolutionary Secrets
A new research study shows that human behavior, like lockdowns, influences the evolution of COVID-19, leading to strains that are more transmissible earlier in their lifecycle. Using artificial intelligence technology and mathematical modeling, a research [...]
Groundbreaking therapy approved: chances of cure for 7000 diseases:
Hereditary diseases are usually not curable. Now, however, an epochal turning point is taking place in medicine: For the first time ever, a therapy with the CRISPR/Cas9 gene scissors has received approval. According to [...]
Uncovering the Genetic Mystery: Why Some Never Show COVID-19 Symptoms
New study shows that common genetic variation among people is responsible for mediating SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic infection. Have you ever wondered why some people never became sick from COVID-19? A study published recently in the journal Nature shows that common [...]
AI maps tumor geography for tailored treatments
Researchers have integrated AI approaches from satellite mapping and community ecology to develop a tool to interpret data obtained from tumor tissue imaging, with the aim of implementing a more individualized approach to cancer care. [...]
Lung cancer cells’ ‘memories’ suggest new strategy for improving treatment
A new understanding of lung cancer cells' "memories" suggests a new strategy for improving treatment, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) researchers have found. Research from the lab of cancer biologist Tuomas Tammela, MD, Ph.D. [...]
Artificial sensor similar to a human fingerprint can recognize fine fabric textures
An artificial sensory system that is able to recognize fine textures—such as twill, corduroy and wool—with a high resolution, similar to a human finger, is reported in a Nature Communications paper. The findings may help improve the subtle [...]