H Matsuura, T Tanikawa, H Takaba, Y Fujiwara

Fixing atmospheric nitrogen in alcohol during plasma-induced alcohol polymerization

Journal of Physical Chemistry B 108 (2004) 17748-17750

In this paper, we demonstrate plasma-induced fixing of atmospheric nitrogen during 1-butanol polymerization. Electrons emitted from the atomic force microscope (AFM) tip dissociate not only the C-H bonds in 1-butanol but also nitrogen and oxygen molecules in air. Those dissociated molecules become unstable ions or radicals (forming a plasma). The positive ions approach the more intense negative AFM tip in the unsymmetrical electric potential and compose 1-butanol polymer containing nitrogen on the tip during electrical neutralization. In the plasma-induced process, 13-47 wt % of nitrogen molecules were fixed to 1-butanol polymer. The reaction was quickly started and stopped at room temperature. This method could be applied to fix gases into a liquid at the molecular level to other sets of liquids and gases.

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