Whisky chemistry could help power small machines
Whisky chemistry could help power small machines, say scientists who made tiny particles move through liquid using chemicals connected to the making of Scotland’s whisky.
The researchers looked at the chemistry behind whisky’s taste and smell, which come from sulfur compounds created during fermentation and changed during distilling and aging.
They used reactions between these sulfur compounds and copper to create tiny particles that can move on their own.
These particles are really small—so small that many of them could fit across the width of a single human hair.
The study, published in the ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Journal, may lead to new ways to design tiny self-moving systems based on common industrial and natural processes.
Dr Juliane Simmchen from the University of Strathclyde‘s Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry said the research was inspired by the reaction between copper and sulfur that slowly wears down whisky stills and needs to be replaced often.
She explained that some of the water-soluble sulfur compounds linked to whisky were able to power the particles, with some moving at speeds up to 30 micrometres per second.
The researchers also studied how the particles moved in mixtures of water and ethanol, the alcohol in whisky.
Their findings showed that changing the liquid environment affects how the particles move, giving new ideas on how to control microscopic movement systems.
Source: University of Strathclyde
