Kusanduka kwamakemikalu kulachitika koonse koonse koonse koonse—kulibonya antangalala kuti wayeeya, asi ino mbanji buti besu bachita oobo notutalisya moota, notubila iji, naakuti notubikka manyowa abwaanda bwesu?
Syaazibwene mukupanga misamu Richard Kong walikuyeeya aatala akusanduka kwamakemikalu. Mumulimo wakwe mbuli "sikubamba zintu," mbuli mbwaamba, tayandi buyo nsandulo ziboola zilikke, pesi alubo mukuziba nsandulo zipya.
Mbuli Klarman Fellow mu Chemistry a Chemical Biology ku College of Arts and Sciences, Kong ubelekela kupanga zintu zipa kuti kube kusanduka kwamakemikalu kusikila kuzintu ziyandika, akupanga zintu zikwabilidwe alimwi zijisi mpindu, kubikkilizya azyeezyo zikonzya kugwasya muntu. bulondozi. Bwatatu.
"Mweelwe mupati wazyintu zicitika kakunyina kugwasyigwa," Kong wakaamba, kaamba zyakuzwa kwa carbon dioxide eelyo myootokala noitenta mafuta aakaindi. "Pesi zintu zikatazya kumvwisisisya zyamakemikalu tazichitiki biyo pe. Aawa mpaakonzya kubelesegwa ma chemical catalysis."
Kong ababelesinyina bakapanga zintu zikonzya kugwasya kusololela nzyobakali kuyanda kuti zichitike. Mbuli chitondeezyo, muya uutegwa carbon dioxide ulakonzya kusanduka kuba asidi, methanol, naa formaldehyde kwiinda mukusala chintu chili kabotu akusola nzila zyakusanduka.
Kweelana a Kyle Lancaster, Mufundisi wa Chemistry a Chemical Biology (A&S) alimwi mweendelezi wa Kong, nzila ya Kong yeendelana kabotu anzila ya "kujana zintu" ya laboratory ya Lancaster. "Richard wakaba amuzeezo wakubelesya tini kuti ayungizye busongo bwakwe, oobo butakwe nobwakali mubbuku lyangu," Lancaster wakaamba. "Ulijisi chintu chikonzya kusandula muya uutegwa carbon dioxide, ooyo uubandikwa kapati mumiteende, kuti ube chintu chiyandikana loko."
Kong ababelesinyina bakwe lino-lino bakajana nzila eeyo, mubukkale bumwi, iikonzya kusandula muya uutegwa carbon dioxide kuba asidi yafoomu.
"Nokuba kuti tatunasika aawo mpotukonzya kuvwiila, nzila yesu ilakonzya kuchinchululwa," Kong wakaamba. "Munzila eyi, tulakonzya kutalika kumvwisisisya loko kaambo zimwi zibelesyo zibeleka chakufwambaana kwiinda zimwi, nkamboonzi zimwi zibelesyo nzibotu. Tulakonzya kuchincha zyeelelo zyazibelesyo eezyo akusola kumvwisisisya kuti nchinzi chipa kuti zintu eezyi zibeleke chakufwambaana, nkaambo mbozibeleka chakufwambaana, mbozibeleka kabotu, mpawo ulakonzya kupanga ma molecule."
Mbuli Klarman Fellow, Kong awalo uli mukubeleka kugwisya ma nitrates, manyolo aadumide aanjila mumigwagwa yamaanzi, kuzwa mubusena mpawo akusandula kuba zintu zitakwe ntenda, wakaamba.
Kong wakasola kubelesya nsimbi zijanika anyika, zilimbuli aluminiyamu atini, mbuli zintu zigwasya. Izibulo taziduli pe, tazikwe toxic alimwi zilivwulide munyika, aboobo kuzibelesya takukonzyi kuleta mapenzi aakukwabilila, wakaamba.
"Tuli mukubeleka aawo mbutukonzya kupanga zintu zipa kuti zintu zyobile zibelekela antoomwe," Kong wakaamba. "Kwiinda mukubelesya nsimbi zyobile muchikozyano chomwe, nzintu nzi zikonzya kuchitika anzila zyamakemikalu zikondelezya nzyotukonzya kujana kuzwa kunzila zya nsimbi zyobile?"
Misyokwe mbusena bwamakemikalu bujatilide nsimbi eezyi – zilayandika kapati mukujalula nguzu zya nsimbi eezyi kuti zicite mulimo wazyo, mbweenya mbuli mbomuyandika zisani zyeelede zyakubelesya muchiindi cheelede, Kong wakaamba.
Muminyaka iili makumi musanu atutatu yainda, chiyanza chakali chakubelesya busena bomwe bwakubelesya nsimbi kuti kube kusanduka kwamakemikalu, asi muminyaka iili kkumi yainda, basyaazibwene mumulimo ooyu bakatalika kuyanduulisisya kujatana kwa nsimbi zyobile, nikuba munzila yamakemikalu naakuti zili afwaafwi. Chakusanguna, Kong waamba, "Chilakupa lwaanguluko lunji."
Aaya ma bimetallic catalysts apa basikupanga misamu nguzu zyakuswaanganya ma catalysts aabutale kweendelanya anguzu zyawo akubula nguzu kwazyo, Kong wakaamba. Mbuli chitondeezyo, ntalisyo yabutale iijatikizyidwe kabotu kuzintu zili ansi pesi ilatyola kabotu ilakonzya kubeleka amwi ntalisyo yabutale iikonzya kutyola zijatisyo zitali kabotu pesi ijatana kabotu kuzintu zili ansi. Kubako kwa nsimbi yabili akwalo kulajatikizya bube bwa nsimbi yakusaanguna.
"Ulakonzya kutalika kujana nchotwaamba kuti nkuswaangana aakati kamasena obile aabutale," Kong wakaamba. "Mulimo wa bimetallic catalysis watalika kale kutondezya nzila imwi iilibedelede alimwi iigambya."
Kong wakati kuchili zintu zyiingi zitazibinkene aatala akuti insimbi zilaswaangana biyeni muma molecule. Wakakkomana abubotu bwa chemistry mbubonya mbuli mbwaakakkomana azintu zyakazwa. Kong wakaletwa ku Lancaster Laboratories nkaambo kaluzibo lwabo lwa X-ray spectroscopy.
"Nkuyanzana," Lancaster wakaamba. "I X-ray spectroscopy yakagwasya Richard kumvwisisisya zyakali kuchitika kusule lyazintu zyakachitika akuti nchinzi chipa kuti tini ibe aanguzu zyakuchita zintu. Twakagwasigwa aluzibo lwakwe lupati lwa chemistry ya nkamu mpati, eeyo yakajalula mulyango wa nkamu kuya kubusena bupya."
Zyoonse zizwa ku chemistry yakusaanguna akuvwuntauzya, mbwaamba Kong, mpawo nzila eeyi ilakonzeka alugwasyo lwa Open Klarman.
"Mubuzuba buli boonse, ndilakonzya kuchita zintu mu laboratory naakuti kukkala aakkompiyuta kweezyanisya ma molecule," wakaamba. "Tuli mukusola kujana mufanikisyo uuzulide wamilimo yamakemikalu mbuli mbotukonzya."