Liquified natural gas, energy transition friend or foe?

 Liquified natural gas, energy transition friend or foe?

Storage tanks and gas-chilling units are seen at Freeport LNG, the second largest exporter of  U.S. liquified natural gas, near Freeport, Texas, U.S., February 11, 2023. Reuters/Arathy Somasekhar/File Photo

    Since the 1920's natural gas has been used by humans for energy generation. The components of natural gas are >90% methane (CH4), and the remainder being other light hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, and butane. It's popularity took off after world war 2 with advancements in technology specifically liquefaction and turbines. Recently natural gas, specifically liquefied natural gas or, LNG, has been put in the spotlight due to the war in Ukraine and the global green energy transition. Natural gas is a cleaner alternative to coal with the by products of combustion of its hydrocarbons being CO2 and H2O. However many environmentalist still oppose the use of natural gas since it still emits CO2. In January 2025 the United States un-paused the permits for several LNG export plants. This was seen as controversial due to the aforementioned CO2 emissions coming from the burning of natural gas. One of the big issues with LNG is that it takes ~10% of the energy contained by a kilogram of natural gas to liquefy it. Unfortunately the media in their coverage of the LNG export terminals has not focused on this. However, thankfully industry physical chemists have been hard at work to make LNG even cleaner and closer to green. The import terminals of LNG in the receiving country can actually recoup up to ~50% of this energy in models, currently ~25-30% is recovered. What a great deal for the buyer they can potentially get 5% more energy! This is where the chemistry comes in. How can this energy be recovered at the import terminals and why can it not be done at the export terminals?

    This energy is stored in the LNG as thermal energy since it is cooled to -162C. The energy is then extracted when it is re-gassed to flow into the gas mains at the terminal, try using liquid gas in your stove or heater. Through a thermodynamic processes called the Rankine cycle. This technology utilizes a heat exchanger with saltwater as the working fluid, meaning it receives the cold. In fact so cold that it crystallizes and the impurities are able to be separated and you are left with clean potable water. This is how the energy is recovered. There are other ways to recover the energy as well like making dry ice or liquefying air gasses. Media coverage should focus more on making the import terminals in Europe and the rest of the world more efficient and highlight the breakthroughs of scientists trying to improve life for all of us.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-lng-projects-boosted-by-trumps-export-permit-restart-2025-01-21/

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fenergyeducation.ca%2Fencyclopedia%2FRankine_cycle&psig=AOvVaw0GH5loswpG1Oeq1WCkdHtm&ust=1740700182194000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBcQjhxqFwoTCOCmydHD4osDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

How microscopes can stop lithium fires

 Scanning electron micrographs showing impurities in lithium

As we push towards renewable energy, we need more and more batteries to hold onto excess energy for when the wind stops blowing into windmills and the sun sets on solar panels. The most popular, but also infamous type of battery are lithium ion batteries, which are known for holding a lot of energy for their size, and charging quickly. But they are also infamous for overheating, catching fire, and even exploding. But as it turns out, the main reason for this danger is manufacturing defects, including chemical impurities in the lithium inside the battery. But thanks to scanning electron microscopy and special software, the process of purifying the lithium used in lithium ion batteries, which not only speeds up the process, making them cheaper, but also improving the quality of the lithium, making them safer.

The article relates to chemistry by explaining why Lithium batteries ignite by looking at the chemical flaws, and how this advancement works to rectify that. It acknowledges the controversy of lithium batteries, and eases the worries a little bit as it explains how this technology works to solve that problem. I think it actually fights chemophobia by explaining how chemists are using a technology to perfect these batteries.

https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/materials-science/learning-center/particle-analysis/battery-quality.html?cid=MSD_MS_aplind_BAT_SWA_2035694_GL_Pso_gaw_QJTE94&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADxi_GR6CpBWoU0OacC8hS-GJe4s_&gclid=CjwKCAiAzvC9BhADEiwAEhtlN-hvDTU30q-oqyPeqjIP1dv-DQgxD1BXrQNjPWnUKZeIGFHxvAFF0BoCHSQQAvD_BwE

 https://assets.thermofisher.com/TFS-Assets/MSD/Methods-&-Protocols/battery-perception.pdf

Personal Care Products, Household Cleaners and Indoor Pollution

 A very recent article that was written by Kayla Albert at Purdue University writes about the
exposing effects of typical scents in people’s homes. This includes air fresheners, candles, even
floor cleaners. The nanoparticles that are being produced from the fragrances are causing homes

to become polluted. Engineers, Nusrat Jung and Brandon Boor, talk about how people should

really not be breathing in these volatile chemicals due to the fact that the scents are chemically

manufactured. They conduct an experiment with a tiny house that has built-in monitors to look at

the air quality and detect unhealthy particles in the air. With this system they were able to see the

magnitude of harm different household products emit from their fragrance. For example, wax

melts emit terpenes which is the chemical that reacts with ozone which forms nanoparticles. This

goes with any product that is used to make your home smell a certain way. Even if these products

claim they are “nontoxic” they still contribute greatly to indoor pollution. The article mentions

multiple comparisons that help people look at the situation from a different perspective. Such as

that cooking fuel emits ten quadrillion particles that are smaller than three nanometers, leading to

people inhaling ten to one hundred times more of these particles from cooking than car exhaust.

Or the fact that scented products, candles, do even more damage than cooking and car exhaust.

In order to move the experiment forward the two engineers tested a particle size magnifier which

is an instrument that can detect the size of a single nanometer indoors and outdoors. This led to

Jung and Boor to compare the environments and bring light to indoor air pollution. This machine

also helped them determine that specifically cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes are also floating in

the air due to hair products. This type of research is important because it can damage the

condition of our respiratory system and spread to other organs. Overall, this tiny house lab they

have created has been able to create awareness and discover toxic chemicals in our houses that

most, if not all, were aware of.

https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/2025/Q1/air-inside-your-home-may-be-more-polluted-than-o

utside-due-to-everyday-chemical-products/

Posted by Stephanie Park

How Venomous Caterpillars can be helpful.

 

    In an article recently written by the BBC, a new research study is emerging regarding some venoms that certain types of caterpillars can produce. This study is designed to look into the compounds that make up the venom. When combined they are strong enough to cause severe pain or even death. Some of the compounds that make up the venom could have a positive impact on health and medicine. Currently catepiller venom is researched a lot less than the venom from snakes or scorpions.

    The goal of studying different types of venoms and the compounds they contain to develop anti-venom and medicines. Since these venoms have been in nature for millions of years the compounds that are found in these venoms are specifically ment to target biological functions and processes. The venom that is being researched is the Lonomia venom, this poses a public health risk in certain parts of the world and an anti-venom currently dosent exist.

    The BBC reports that since the research into caterpillar venoms are still limited no new drugs have been developed so far. However research on other venoms have resulted in positive therapies and medicines. Other examples include the medicine Ozempic which comes from the Gila monster. 

Resources

Holmes, Bob. “How Venomous Caterpillars Could Help Humans Design Life-Saving Drugs.” Bbc.com, BBC, 20 Jan. 2025, www.bbc.com/future/article/20250117-how-venomous-caterpillars-could-help-humans-design-life-saving-drugs.

Is Frankenstein deserving of its subtitle?

 The Prometheus story is about the titular Prometheus stealing fire from the gods, and teaching humanity how to create fire and civilization. For this, Zeus punished him, even though Prometheus’s intentions were benevolent. With that said, is it similar enough to Mary Shelley’s novel for Frankenstein’s subtitle to reference it? And are there similarities to Serizawa’s story in Godzilla? In Frankenstein, Victor was motivated to create the monster by pure ambition, wanting to make the discovery without thinking about the potential consequences, and ultimately, his actions directly backfire on him as his neglect of his creation due to its unsettling appearance lead it to kill his brother, his fiancée/adopted sister, and because of Victor chasing after him in the arctic, Victor himself, followed by the monster burning himself alive to eliminate his remains so nobody like Victor can try and recreate the experiment with zero foresight. The similarities between Victor and Prometheus are limited to going against God and being punished for it, but while Prometheus wanted the best for humanity, but Victor wasn’t thinking about the outcome, he only thought about himself, and ran from consequences. Prometheus’s story is actually more like Serizawa’s. Serizawa created the oxygen destroyer, but he knew that humanity wasn’t ready for it yet, so he worked on it in secret, so that one day, when humanity isn’t itching to destroy itself, he can reveal it, and use it to generate energy to power the world, but when he was forced to reveal it to stop Godzilla, he knew the world would force him to make weapons out of the oxygen destroyer, so he destroyed his research and died with the king of the monsters. He created something that could benefit humanity, but circumstances lead to his punishment for his knowledge. Much more analogous to Prometheus in my opinion.

"Radical" Solutions: A New Development in Cancer Treatment

    One of the most important areas of scientific research is cancer treatment and therapies. Despite significant advancements, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, primarily due to its complex nature and the unique challenges it presents in medicine. The article "Breast cancer treatment advances with light-activated ‘smart bomb’" from ScienceDaily highlights a promising development in cancer treatment. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a method that uses light-sensitive chemicals to target cancer cells. These chemicals, when exposed to light, generate reactive oxygen molecules (including oxygen radicals) that destroy the cancer cells. Light-sensitive chemicals are substances that undergo chemical changes, such as alterations in their molecular structure, when exposed to light. However, traditional PDT has limitations, including extended light sensitivity, limited ability to penetrate tissues, and unintended toxicity, which can hinder full tumor removal and raise the likelihood of recurrence. 

Image showing the stages of PDT

     To address these challenges, researchers from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) and Michigan State University (MSU) developed a new approach using cyanine-carborane salts. These salts, when introduced into the body, are absorbed preferentially by cancer cells. The treatment involves shining light on the patient, which activates the chemicals and triggers the production of reactive oxygen species to destroy the cancer cells, leaving healthy tissue unaffected. Unlike traditional PDT agents, the cyanine-carborane salts specifically target cancer cells by targeting the overexpression of OATPs (Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptides), proteins that are found at higher levels in the membranes of cancer cells compared to healthy cells. Traditional PDT is also limited by the fact that current FDA-approved chemicals tend to stay in the body for extended periods. As a result, patients must stay in the dark for several months, as even minimal light exposure can cause blistering and burns. The cyanine-carborane salts help address this issue by being cleared from the body more rapidly, resulting in a quicker recovery time. Recent tests in mice have shown that this approach led to the complete eradication of metastatic breast cancer tumors. The researchers are excited to continue expanding their studies, with hopes to apply this method to treat other types of cancer. 

 Citations 

 University of California - Riverside. "Breast cancer treatment advances with light-activated 'smart bomb'." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 February 2025. 

 A. Roshanzadeh, H. C. D. Medeiros, C. K. Herrera, C. Malhado, A. W. Tomich, S. P. Fisher, S. O. Lovera, M. Bates, V. Lavallo, R. R. Lunt, S. Y. Lunt, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, e202419759.

https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202419759 https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/photodynamic-therapy

Carbon Removal in the Oceans: A Climate Solution at What Cost?

Robert Izett prepared to gather water column samples from the ocean floor in Halifax Harbour.

    A recent article by the New York Times poses an interesting solution to global warming called alkalinity enhancement. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere warms the earth through the greenhouse effect. In the presence of water, carbon dioxide can dissolve forming stable bicarbonate and removing its contribution to atmospheric heating. It is through this process that one-third of the 1.7 trillion tons of carbon dioxide that humans have pumped into the atmosphere since the industrial age has been naturally removed by the oceans. Alkalinity enhancement involves adding limestone, magnesium oxide or other alkaline substances to rivers, oceans, or other bodies of water to enhance the water’s ability to “soak up” CO2. Could alkalinity enhancement be the solution to the global warming crisis?

    Alkalinity enhancement has already been used for purposes other than carbon capture and with definitive success. Acid rain resulting from industrial pollution in the 1970s and ‘80s poisoned lakes and streams around the world, severely harming fish populations. Some of the hardest hit countries such as Norway, Sweden and Canada began adding limestone to their waterways to restore the pH balance. The project worked and enabled fish populations to recover. 

    Proving the effectiveness of alkalinity enhancement on a larger scale does however present significant challenges. While studies have shown that alkalinity enhancement does work in relatively small bodies of water, it is much harder to prove the same techniques work in the vast oceans where the added alkalinity becomes quickly diluted and/or forever lost in the watery depths. Oceanographer, Jaime Palter at the University of Rhode Island states that “the biggest barrier to ocean alkalinity enhancement is proving that it works.” Despite the massive hurdle, researchers like Dr. Atamanchuk from Dalhousie University remain optimistic. 

    Beyond questions of effectiveness, many experts and environmental groups raise serious concerns about the potential ecological impacts of alkalinity enhancement on marine life. Marine ecologist Lisa Levin cautions that certain types of ocean geoengineering, if tried at scale, are bound to affect deep-sea life. Others share concern over the type of chemicals and their concentrations when being released into the oceans. Sodium hydroxide, for example, is caustic at high concentrations but common soaps and cleaners at lower concentrations. Dr. Subhas, researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, proposes to use lye or 100% sodium hydroxide, but dilute it in freshwater before unloading into the ocean to limit ecological consequences. Marine biologist James Kerry disagrees with the use of sodium hydroxide, comparing the release of 50% sodium hydroxide into the ocean to a “chemical spillage”. 

Sources

Plumer, Brad, and Raymond Zhong. “They’ve Got a Plan to Fight Global Warming. It Could Alter the Oceans.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Sept. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/09/23/climate/oceans-rivers-carbon-removal.html.