IIT-M Team Made Mineral Nanoparticles with Water Droplets

Context: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) have unveiled a method to break down common minerals into nanoparticles using water microdroplets.

Microdroplets and Its Significance

• Microdroplets are tiny water droplets, a thousandth the size of a raindrop.
• Unlike bulk water, microdroplets facilitate faster and more exotic chemical reactions due to their confined space.

Chemical Reactions in Microdroplets

• Microdroplets engage in chemical reactions more readily and can carry electric charges efficiently.
• When a larger droplet shrinks due to evaporation, remaining water molecules form weak hydrogen bonds, leading to the creation of negatively charged hydroxyl ions (OH-) and free protons (H+).
• This process makes the surface of microdroplets more acidic, fostering chemical reactions.

Experiment Insights

• The study used an electrospray technique to generate microdroplets containing minerals like silica and alumina.
• By applying a few thousand volts to mineral microparticles suspended in water, the suspension elongated and formed a mist of microdroplets.
• Within 10 milliseconds, the microparticles broke down into nanoparticles.

Possible mechanisms for this breakdown include

• Free protons might have infiltrated crystal layers, causing the minerals to break apart.
• Electric fields generated by the charged surface of microdroplets may have provided the necessary energy for this process.
  • Surface tension and the repulsion of like charges on the droplet surface could have created shockwaves, leading to particle breakup.

Significance of the Finding

• Origin of life: Microdroplets could mimic proto-cells, acting as compartments for early life’s chemical reactions.
• Agriculture: Supplying soil with silica nanoparticles (a component of sand) can benefit plant growth, potentially revitalising unproductive land.

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