“Cobalt gives the new material precisely the
molecular and electronic structure that enables it to absorb oxygen from its
surroundings. This mechanism is well known from all breathing
creatures on earth: Humans and many other species
use iron, while other animals, like crabs and spiders, use copper. Small
amounts of metals are essential for the absorption of oxygen, so actually it is
not entirely surprising to see this effect in our new material”
Professor
Christine McKenzie from the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy at
the University of Southern Denmark
Crystals have some amazing properties, such as being
used to develop a long-term Data Storage format as explained in my blog article
entitled “University
of Southampton and Eindhoven's University write and read Data to Quartz Crystal
- Eternal Storage borrowed from Superman Man of Steel”.
However, some Crystals can store more than just
Data.
Researchers from the
University of Southern Denmark have developed a Crystal
based on Cobalt (Co) that can store Oxygen (O2) in very high
concentrations and release it when needed as reported in the article “One
spoonful of this stuff could turn you into Aquaman”, published October 3,
2014 by Michael Franco, CNET News.
The research was done by
Professor Christine McKenzie along with Post Doctoral Student
Jonas Sundberg in the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy at the
University of
Southern Denmark. Together they'd synthesized an
organo-metallic Cobalt (Co) compound that absorbs Oxygen (O2) so
well that 10 Liters of it can remove all the oxygen in a room as reported in
the article “New material steals oxygen from air”,
published September 30, 2014, ScienceDaily.
She’s also quite quotable, offering little in the
way of the composition of the Cobalt (Co) compound, which in a way reminds me
of the silica gel packs that are often placed inside of boxes to absorb
moisture.
So what are the properties of this wondrous compound
that possibly can suffocate you if enough of it is in an enclosed room with
you?
University
of Southern Denmark Oxygen-phillic Organo-Cobalt compound - Apply Energy to
extract Oxygen
The Crystalline material is actually an organic
molecular complex with Cobalt (Co) as a permanent part of it molecular
structure. It can store Oxygen (O2)
within its crystalline structure at concentration one hundred and sixty (160)
time the concentration of air in the atmosphere, which is 21% Oxygen (O2).
The compound binds reversibly with Oxygen (O2),
almost like Hemoglobin in mammalian blood to quote Professor Christine
McKenzie: “An important aspect of this new material is that it does not react
irreversibly with oxygen even though it absorbs oxygen in a socalled
selective chemisorptive process. The material is both a sensor, and a container
for oxygen we can use it to bind, store and transport oxygen like a solid
artificial hemoglobin”.
To release the oxygen requires the Crystals being
placed in a low pressure environment or the application of gentle heat, with
the research team looking into modifying the Crystal releasing
Oxygen (O2) when exposed to certain
spectrum of light, to quote Professor Christine McKenzie: “We see release of
oxygen when we heat up the material, and we have also seen it when we apply
vacuum. We are now wondering if light can also be used as a trigger for the
material to release oxygen this has prospects in the growing field of
artificial photosynthesis”.
Possibly because of the presence of the Cobalt (Co),
which is a Transition Element in the Periodic Table between Iron (Fe), found in
hemoglobin in mammalian blood and Nickel (Ni), the rate of absorption of Oxygen
(O2) from a room depends on the Oxygen (O2) content,
pressure, temperature and humidity level of the room to quote Professor
Christine McKenzie: “Cobalt gives the new material precisely the molecular and
electronic structure that enables it to absorb oxygen from its surroundings.
This mechanism is well known from all breathing creatures on earth: Humans and
many other species use iron, while other animals, like crabs and spiders, use copper.
Small amounts of metals are essential for the absorption of oxygen, so actually
it is not entirely surprising to see this effect in our new material”.
Applications
of Organo-Crystalline Cobalt - Conquest of Outer Space and Under the Sea is
Possible
The team can also change the composition of the
compound so that it absorbs oxygen at different rates, making it suitable for
specialized applications. Professor Christine McKenzie hints at a
possible use, that being a replacement for bulk
Scuba Diver's Oxygen (O2) tanks, as it can hold three (3) times as
much oxygen, quote: “When the material is saturated with oxygen, it can be
compared to an oxygen tank containing pure oxygen under pressure the
difference is that this material can hold three times as much oxygen”.
According to Professor Christine McKenzie, it can
even be the basis of a rebreather system to absorb oxygen from the surrounding
water or air, making even the need to carry Oxygen (O2) in a deep
sea submersible somewhat unnecessary, quote: “This could be valuable for lung
patients who today must carry heavy oxygen tanks with them. But also divers may
one day be able to leave the oxygen tanks at home and instead get oxygen from
this material as it "filters" and concentrates oxygen from surrounding
air or water. A few grains contain enough oxygen for one breath, and as the
material can absorb oxygen from the water around the diver and supply the diver
with it, the diver will not need to bring more than these few grains”.
One thing is for sure, this is yet another way of
extracting Oxygen (O2) from the atmosphere aside from the
decomposition of Oxygen (O2) using UV Laser Vacuum pyrolysis as
demonstrated by the University of California as explained in my blog article
entitled “University
of California Team decompose Carbon Dioxide to Oxygen using a UV Laser - How
Gas Pyrolysis can create lighter Spacesuits and Life on other Planets”.
Combined the synthesis of these oxygen-absorbing Cobalt
(Co) salts from the University of Southern Denmark with the Vacuum pyrolysis of
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) to get Oxygen (O2), the conquest of
Outer space and under the sea is now realistically possible.
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