Remote-controlled experiments with cloud chemistry

Developing cleaner chemical processes often involves sophisticated flow-chemistry equipment that is not available in many economically developing countries. For reactions where it is the data that are important rather than the physical product, the networking of chemists across the internet to allow remote experimentation offers a viable solution to this problem

A synthetic-dynamic method for water solubility measurements in high pressure CO2 using ATR–FTIR spectroscopy

A new synthetic method for studying phase behaviour is described using Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) spectroscopy. The method has been developed to provide relevant information on the solubility of water in CO2. The dew point of water has been determined at three different pressures, viz. (4.05, 5.05 and 6.03) MPa with mole fractions of water between 0.01 and 0.04. The data obtained fill the gap in the literature in these regions of pressures and temperatures and could be of high importance in the context of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. Indeed, the presence of water in the captured CO2 could damage the pipeline used for CO2 transport. Hence, it is very important to have a fully understanding of the behaviour of the (CO2 + H2O) mixtures in wide range of temperature relevant for CCS

Detecting phase transitions in supercritical mixtures:an enabling tool for greener chemical reactions

Detecting phase transitions in high-pressure CO(2) and supercritical fluids was first attempted in the nineteenth century. By contrast, Green Chemistry, the design and implementation of cleaner methods of manufacturing and processing chemicals, is barely 20 years old. Now, the use of CO(2) as an environmentally more acceptable replacement for traditional solvents for greener chemical reactions is creating the need for new, more rapid methods for elucidating high-pressure phase behaviour. This paper describes the advantages and limitations of a number of approaches, developed in Nottingham, to meet this need, including acoustic measurements, shear-mode quartz sensors, the fibre-optic reflectometer, the use of holey fibres, attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy and pressure drop measurements