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Chen X, Xia Y, Wu Y, Xu Y, Jia X, Zare RN, Wang F. Sprayed Oil-Water Microdroplets as a Hydrogen Source. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:10868-10874. [PMID: 38573037 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c01455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Liquid water provides the largest hydrogen reservoir on the earth's surface. Direct utilization of water as a source of hydrogen atoms and molecules is fundamental to the evolution of the ecosystem and industry. However, liquid water is an unfavorable electron donor for forming these hydrogen species owing to its redox inertness. We report oil-mediated electron extraction from water microdroplets, which is easily achieved by ultrasonically spraying an oil-water emulsion. Based on charge measurement and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, contact electrification between oil and a water microdroplet is demonstrated to be the origin of electron extraction from water molecules. This contact electrification results in enhanced charge separation and subsequent mutual neutralization, which enables a ∼13-fold increase of charge carriers in comparison with an ultrapure water spray, leading to a ∼16-fold increase of spray-sourced hydrogen that can hydrogenate CO2 to selectively produce CO. These findings emphasize the potential of charge separation enabled by spraying an emulsion of liquid water and a hydrophobic liquid in driving hydrogenation reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuke Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Yu Xia
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Yingfeng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, P. R. China
| | - Yunpeng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
| | - Xiuquan Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
| | - Richard N Zare
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Feng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
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Xia D, Zhang H, Ju Y, Xie HB, Su L, Ma F, Jiang J, Chen J, Francisco JS. Spontaneous Degradation of the "Forever Chemicals" Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) on Water Droplet Surfaces. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 38584396 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c00435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Because of their innate chemical stability, the ubiquitous perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been dubbed "forever chemicals" and have attracted considerable attention. However, their stability under environmental conditions has not been widely verified. Herein, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a widely used and detected PFAS, was found to be spontaneously degraded in aqueous microdroplets under room temperature and atmospheric pressure conditions. This unexpected fast degradation occurred via a unique multicycle redox reaction of PFOA with interfacial reactive species on the droplet surface. Similar degradation was observed for other PFASs. This study extends the current understanding of the environmental fate and chemistry of PFASs and provides insight into aid in the development of effective methods for removing PFASs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deming Xia
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), Dalian Key Laboratory on Chemicals Risk Control and Pollution Prevention Technology, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6316, United States
| | - Hong Zhang
- School of Marin Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Yun Ju
- School of Marin Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Hong-Bin Xie
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), Dalian Key Laboratory on Chemicals Risk Control and Pollution Prevention Technology, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Lihao Su
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), Dalian Key Laboratory on Chemicals Risk Control and Pollution Prevention Technology, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Fangfang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), Dalian Key Laboratory on Chemicals Risk Control and Pollution Prevention Technology, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Jie Jiang
- School of Marin Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Jingwen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), Dalian Key Laboratory on Chemicals Risk Control and Pollution Prevention Technology, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Joseph S Francisco
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6316, United States
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Hazra B, Mandal R, Sahu J, Das S, Prasad M, Tarafdar PK. Self-immolation Assisted Morphology Transformation of Prebiotic Lipidated-cationic Amino Acids: Electro-droplet Mediated C-C Coupling Reaction to Synthesize Macromolecules. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202303555. [PMID: 38205907 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202303555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Compartmentalization protected biomolecules from the fluctuating environments of early Earth. Although contemporary cells mostly use phospholipid-based bilayer membranes, the utility of non-bilayer compartments was not ruled out during the prebiotic and modern eras. In the present study, we demonstrated the prebiotic synthesis of lipidated cationic amino acid-based amphiphiles [lauryl ester of lysine (LysL); ornithine (OrnL); and 2,4-diamino butyric acid (DabL)] using model dry-down reaction. These amphiphiles self-assemble into micellar membranes. However, the OrnL and DabL-based micelles undergo pH-responsive transformation to lipid droplet-like morphologies, a modelcompartment in the prebiotic Earth. These cationic droplets encapsulated prebiotic molecules (isoprene) and assisted electron transfer reaction to synthesize isoprenoid derivatives at primitive Earth conditions. The self-assembly of prebiotic amphiphiles, their transformation to droplet compartments, and droplet-assisted C-C bond formation reaction might have helped the evolution to synthesize various biomolecules required for the origin of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibhas Hazra
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, 741 246, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India
| | - Raki Mandal
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, 741 246, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India
| | - Jayati Sahu
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, 741 246, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India
| | - Subrata Das
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, 741 246, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India
| | - Mahesh Prasad
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, 741 246, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India
| | - Pradip K Tarafdar
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, 741 246, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India
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