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"It is probably true that the individual genius contributed most to the advancement of scientific knowledge through the nineteenth century, but the rapid advance in this century has been to the collective efforts of individually free scientists..."

—William P. Allis
Professor of Physics

How to look for a few good catalysts

posted July 30, 2015 at 8:00 pm

Materials that have good wetting properties, as illustrated on the left, where droplets spread out flat, tend to have hydroxyl groups attached to the surface, which inhibits catalytic activity. Materials that repel water, as shown at right, where droplets form sharp, steep boundaries, are more conducive to catalytic activity, as shown by the reactions among small orange molecules. Illustration: Xiao Renshaw Wang

New research shows non-wetting surfaces promote chemical reaction rates. « more »

Related Links:

How to look for a few good catalysts (MIT News)

Reactivity of Perovskites with Water: Role of Hydroxylation in Wetting and Implications for Oxygen Electrocatalysis (Physical Chemistry)

Professor Yang Shao-Horn