Guest blog by Dr. Alyson Lanciki, Scientific Editor, Metrohm International

For over twenty years now, there has been continuous human occupation off our planet.

The International Space Station (ISS), launched in 1998, is a modular satellite in low orbit around the Earth, which is visible even with the naked eye.

In October, NASA launched an Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus resupply ship. This cargo ship carried an experimental system on board used to study the oxidation of ammonia under microgravity conditions to convert urine into water on the ISS. Improving this waste management system has far-reaching repercussions for longer exploratory missions where the weight of the payload must be optimized with the amount of water needed (which is heavy) to sustain life during the trip. Given the limited resources aboard a spaceship, the recovery of water from all processes is of great importance. (more…)

UPDATE: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 11th International Frumkin Symposium on Electrochemistry has been postponed until October 2021 (expectedly October 18-22).

The symposium organizing committee hopes to proceed with the symposium in its originally planned format on this later date.

The symposium website, as well as the registration and abstracts submission engine, will remain fully operational so that previously submitted materials are kept active.

Further announcements will be available on here. 

Questions? Concerns? Reach out to Mikhail Vorotyntsev via email: mivo2010@yandex.com. (more…)

Shelley Minteer

The University of Utah’s Center for Synthetic Organic Electrochemistry (CSOE) is proud to announce that they received a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund the CSOE’s Phase II development to improve the sustainability of synthetic chemistry. CSOE’s mission is to promote a safer alternative to traditional organic synthesis methods.

“If you think about industry, whether industry is making a pharmaceutical or a plastic, they’re doing a synthesis in an organic solvent and typically at high temperatures and sometimes at high pressures with possibly explosive materials. This is because most of the synthesis require oxidation or reduction reactions that typically is done chemically and not electrochemically. Those chemicals can cause safety issues when it comes to making pharmaceuticals and other value-added products,” says Shelley Minteer, professor of chemistry and CSOE director. (more…)

On June 24, 2020, Dr. Paul Kenis, 2020 winner of the Energy Technology Division Research Award, presented his talk on “Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction: Path Towards a Carbon Neutral Chemical Industry?” via a live webinar presentation.

Dr. Kenis’s talk covered a summary of the status of CO₂ electrocatalysis, the techno-economic and life-cycle analysis of CO₂ electrolysis to identify remaining hurdles, and the prospects of CO₂ electrolysis technology contributing to a future sustainable chemical industry.

View Dr. Kenis’s webinar presentation, here.

Following the talk, attendees were given the opportunity to ask Dr. Kenis questions in a Q&A session, available below. (more…)

Join Case Western Reserve University’s
Annual Workshop on Electrochemical Measurements
The Virtual Online Edition
Theory and Hands-On Experiments

(more…)

When it comes to protecting ourselves against COVID-19, innovation is at its peak! Countless YouTube videos and DIY sites have surfaced teaching viewers how to create their own homemade masks, cleaning solutions, replicas of sold-out Clorox wipes, and more, all from the safety of home.

According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, Waco firefighters have also whipped up their own original concoction of salt, water, vinegar, and a jolt of electrochemical activation for the creation of their very own safe, yet powerful, disinfectant. Their homemade formula for hypochlorous acid, paired with their homemade spray system, allows the firefighters to kill viruses on their gear and within their living quarters in just 60 seconds. (more…)

Photo from: Stanford University // Image credit: Andrew Brodhead

A new type of protective face mask

In light of COVID-19 pandemic, research scientist John Xu and mechanical engineer Friedrich “Fritz” Prinz from Stanford University came together to rethink and improve protective face masks using their background in electrochemical processes.

As most of us are now familiar with, breathing with a face mask can be uncomfortable and difficult. According to Stanford News, that’s because N95 masks filter out 95 percent or more of small particulate matter from the air, including the virus, which as a result, makes breathing harder. Its estimated oxygen intake can be reduced anywhere from 5 to 20 percent which can lead to dizziness and lightheadedness. Particularly for health care workers and others working in the front lines of the pandemic, long-term mask wear can even damage lungs. (more…)

Last November, ECS Executive Director and CEO Christopher Jannuzzi and ECS Director of Community Engagement Shannon Reed attended the Chemical Sciences Roundtable (CSR) Electrochemistry Workshop in Washington, DC, which focused on the Advances, Challenges, and Long-Term Opportunities in Electrochemistry: Addressing Societal Needs.

The event, hosted by NAS and NSF, explored how electrochemistry can transform technologies related to various applications. The focus was on the instrumentation, education, and other needs required to advance the electrochemical field. (more…)