IIT Madras Researchers Discover Mineral Breakdown by Water Droplets; Check Details Here

New Delhi: The researchers at IIT Madras have discovered that common minerals can be broken by water microdroplets, to create corresponding nanoparticles. This is the first research paper from IIT Madras to be featured in the esteemed 'Science' journal.

Atmospheric water droplets like clouds and fog can be charged due to the presence of ionic species within them and through contact electrification. The breakdown of minerals generates fresh surfaces, where various forms of catalysis can take place, leading to the formation of new molecules. These processes hold significance in understanding the origins of life.

The researchers suggest that microdroplets containing particles and molecules, falling on Earth, could play a big role in the chemical and biological evolution of the planet. 

About the IIT Madras Research:

Science is the peer-reviewed academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which is the oldest and largest science organization globally. Since its establishment in 1880, supported by inventor Thomas Edison's initial funding, it has been a centre for significant scientific breakthroughs. It's widely regarded as one of the best academic journals globally, with articles that are often among the most referenced worldwide.

Professor Thalappil Pradeep, a Padma Shri awardee and Institute Professor in the Chemistry Department at IIT Madras, led the research. The first author of the paper is B K Spoorthi, who recently completed her PhD at IIT Madras.

The computational work was done by Koyendrila Debnath, under the guidance of Professor Umesh V. Waghmare from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, and the President of the Indian Academy of Sciences. These findings were published in the Science Journal issue dated May 31, 2024 (DOI: 10.1126/science.adl3364).

Highlighting the significance of this research, Professor Thalappil Pradeep, Institute Professor, Chemistry Department, IIT Madras, said that the Microdroplets are known to enhance chemical reactions, resulting in the formation of new chemical bonds. It might be possible to break chemical bonds as well in microdroplets. That thought led to this discovery, he added. 

Applications Of Research 

Speaking about the important implications of this research, B K Spoorthi, the First Author of the Research Paper who recently obtained her PhD from IIT Madras, stated that this discovery introduces a revolutionary approach to soil formation, rapidly expediting natural weathering processes from centuries to mere moments. 

Apart from its environmental advantages, this technique propels advancements in nanotechnology and materials science, facilitating the sustainable and efficient production of nanoparticles with wide-ranging industrial applications.

In their experiment, they found that pieces of minerals like river sand, ruby, and alumina, incorporated in small charged water droplets, spontaneously break down to form nanoparticles within milliseconds.

They collected the produced nanoparticles and analyzed them using Advanced techniques. Computational simulations suggest that the occurrence might be due to a process termed 'proton-induced slip,' where atomic layers within the minerals slide over each other, assisted by protons. In small water droplets, protons and other reactive species are known to be present.

Elaborating the mechanism, Professor Umesh V. Waghmare added that the phenomenon involves intricate processes intrinsic to microdroplets of water, and understanding its mechanism will stimulate numerous fundamental scientific studies.

This rapid weathering process could be important for soil formation, given the prevalence of charged aerosols in the atmosphere. Soil develops through the weathering of rocks, a multifaceted process that typically takes 200–400 years to produce one centimeter of soil, typically comprising various particle sizes. Nanoparticles of minerals like silica play a vital role in the cultivation of crops such as rice and wheat. 

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