Chemistry and Energy From Alternative Fuel to Blowing Sh*t up

Inorganic Chemistry and The Periodic Table

Energy on Earth Octane – C 8 H 18 Octane – C 8 H 18 2 C 8 H O 2  18 H 2 O + 16 CO 2 2 C 8 H O 2  18 H 2 O + 16 CO 2 (unstable) (unstable) (stable) (stable) (unstable) (unstable) (stable) (stable) Release of energy Release of energy Heat Heat Work (pressure-volume work) Work (pressure-volume work)

Pressure-Volume work C8H8C8H8 O 2 O 2 O 2 O 2 O 2 O 2 CO 2 H 2 O CO 2 H 2 O CO 2 H 2 O CO 2 H 2 O CO 2 H 2 O CO 2

Evidence of Pressure Volume Work –Liquid N 2 Liquid N 2 : Boiling point, 77K, C, F Liquid N 2 : Boiling point, 77K, C, F For reference, the coldest temperature ever recorded was K −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F;) at the Soviet Vostok Station in Antarctica on July 21, For reference, the coldest temperature ever recorded was K −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F;) at the Soviet Vostok Station in Antarctica on July 21, 1983.

How does it work? It takes very little energy to vaporize liquid N 2. (0.67 cal/mol, compared to water at 9.8 cal/mol). It takes very little energy to vaporize liquid N 2. (0.67 cal/mol, compared to water at 9.8 cal/mol). The heat from the tounge instantly vaporized liquid N 2, The heat from the tounge instantly vaporized liquid N 2, protective barrier of insulating gas, which does work on the liquid, lifting it away from the tounge. protective barrier of insulating gas, which does work on the liquid, lifting it away from the tounge.

Octane – an organic molecule with inorganic origins. Octane – Where did it come from? Octane – Where did it come from? Fossil Fuel – Plant matter (C 6 H 12 O 6 ) decaying away from O 2 (buried organic matter) Fossil Fuel – Plant matter (C 6 H 12 O 6 ) decaying away from O 2 (buried organic matter) Where does sugar come from? Where does sugar come from? 6 H 2 O + 6 CO 2  C 6 H 12 O O 2 (stable) (stable) (unstable) (unstable) (stable) (stable) (unstable) (unstable) The Energy comes from Light! The Energy comes from Light!

Photosystem II

Electron Transport Chain CO 2 C 6 H 12 O 6 H+H+ e-e- + + e-e- Photosystem II

Electron Transport Chain CO 2 C 6 H 12 O 6 H+H+ e-e e-e-

Photosystem II Electron Transport Chain CO 2 C 6 H 12 O 6 H+H+ e-e e-e- +

HH+H+ H+H+ Photosystem II Electron Transport Chain CO 2 C 6 H 12 O 6 H+H+ e-e e-e- ++ O O HH H e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e- H+H+ H+H+ 2 H 2 O + h  4 e - 4 H + + O 2

Photosystem II-inspired solar fuel Electron Transport Chain CO 2 C 6 H 12 O 6 H+H+ O2O2 H+H+ H2H2 2 H 2 O + h  4 e - 4 H + + O 2 4 H + + 4e -  2 H 2 2 H 2 O + h  2 H 2 + O 2

Explosives 2 H 2 + O 2  H 2 O 2 H 2 + O 2  H 2 O Effective explosive Effective explosive Solid Solid Unstable Unstable Entirely converts to a gas (N 2, CO 2, H 2 O) Entirely converts to a gas (N 2, CO 2, H 2 O) Releases heat Releases heat Low oxygen balance (self-contained oxidant) Low oxygen balance (self-contained oxidant) Examples: Examples: TNT TNT RDX RDX Octanitrocubane Octanitrocubane

O Octanitrocubane Nitro groups (oxidant) Nitro groups (oxidant) Carbon chains-fuel (like octane) Carbon chains-fuel (like octane) Zero oxygen balance: Converts entirely to N 2, CO 2 Zero oxygen balance: Converts entirely to N 2, CO 2 C 8 O 16 N 8  8 CO N 2 C 8 O 16 N 8  8 CO N 2 (unstable) (stable) (stable) (unstable) (stable) (stable) C C C C C C C C NO N N N N N N N

Inorganic explosives How do we get to the next level? How do we get to the next level? Introduce new atoms! Introduce new atoms!

Thermite reaction 2 Al + Fe 2 O 3  Al 2 O Fe 2 Al + Fe 2 O 3  Al 2 O Fe (unstable) (moderate) (stable) (moderate) (unstable) (moderate) (stable) (moderate)

The Elements by Tom Lehrer There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium, And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium, And nickel, neodymium, neptunium, germanium, And iron, americium, ruthenium, uranium, Europium, zirconium, lutetium, vanadium, And lanthanum and osmium and astatine and radium, And gold and protactinium and indium and gallium, And iodine and thorium and thulium and thallium. There's yttrium, ytterbium, actinium, rubidium, And boron, gadolinium, niobium, iridium, And strontium and silicon and silver and samarium, And bismuth, bromine, lithium, beryllium, and barium. There's holmium and helium and hafnium and erbium, And phosphorus and francium and fluorine and terbium, And manganese and mercury, molybdenum, magnesium, Dysprosium and scandium and cerium and cesium. And lead, praseodymium, and platinum, plutonium, Palladium, promethium, potassium, polonium, And tantalum, technetium, titanium, tellurium, And cadmium and calcium and chromium and curium. There's sulfur, californium, and fermium, berkelium, And also mendelevium, einsteinium, nobelium, And argon, krypton, neon, radon, xenon, zinc, and rhodium, And chlorine, carbon, cobalt, copper, tungsten, tin, and sodium.

Electrical energy from inorganics – The Battery PbO 2 + Pb + H 2 SO 4  2 Pb(SO 4 ) + 2 H 2 O PbO 2 + Pb + H 2 SO 4  2 Pb(SO 4 ) + 2 H 2 O unstable unstable (spectator) stable stable Pb 4+ + Pb 0  2 Pb 2+ Pb 4+ + Pb 0  2 Pb 2+ (stable) (stable) (unstable) (stable) (stable) (unstable) 2 e - Pb 2+

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell 2 H 2 + O 2  H 2 O 2 H 2 + O 2  H 2 O (unstable) (unstable) (stable) HH H+H+ H+H+ e-e-e-e- HH H+H+ H+H+ e-e-e-e- O O H 2 O