A team of researchers led by organic chemist Pavel Jungwirth of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Czechia turned to alkali metals. These substances release their outer electrons very easily, which means they could induce the electron-sharing properties of highly pressurized pure water without the high pressures.

Figure 1: Scientist transformed water into metal.

Figure 1 shows that the researchers demonstrated for the first time back in 2021, it's not only high pressures that can induce this metallicity in pure water. By bringing pure water into contact with an electron-sharing alkali metal – in this case an alloy of sodium and potassium – free-moving charged particles can be added, turning water metallic. [1]

Turning water into a metal in this way would require an expected 15 million atmospheres of pressure, which is out of reach for current lab techniques, says Jungwirth. But he suspected that water could become conductive in an alternative way: by borrowing electrons from alkali metals. These reactive elements in group 1 of the periodic table, which includes sodium and potassium, tend to donate their outermost electron.

The team wanted to try the same approach with water instead of ammonia, but faced a challenge: alkali metals tend to react explosively when mixed with water. The solution was to design an experimental set-up that would dramatically slow the reaction so that it would not be explosive.

The researchers filled a syringe with sodium and potassium, a mixture that is liquid at room temperature, and placed it in a vacuum chamber. They then used the syringe to form droplets of the metal mixture and exposed them to small amounts of water vapour.

The water condensed onto each droplet and formed a layer one-tenth of a micrometre thick. Electrons from the droplet then quickly diffused into the water — together with positive metallic ions — and, within a few seconds, the water layer turned golden. [2]

This was confirmed using optical reflection spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.The two properties – the golden sheen and the conductive band – occupied two different frequency ranges, which allowed them both to be identified clearly.

In addition to giving us a better understanding of this phase transition here on Earth, the research could also allow a close study of extreme high-pressure conditions inside large planets.

"Our study not only shows that metallic water can indeed be produced on Earth, but also characterizes the spectroscopic properties associated with its beautiful golden metallic luster," Seidel said. [3]

References:

1. https://headtopics.com/us/lindsay-lohan-wishes-she-had-social-media-amid-rise-to-fame-to-control-narrative-31249204
2. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02065-w
3. https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-transformed-pure-water-into-a-metal-and-theres-footage?utm_source=pocket-newtab-intl-en

Cite this article:

Sri Vasagi K (2022) New Breaking: Scientist Transformed Water into Metal, Anatechmaz, pp. 419