Excellent video, I find this fascinating as a Chemistry teacher, one of the best you've produced. Steve explains this complicated synthesis really well, more of this type please!
Best Periodic Video so far! For me, I'd love to know more about the molecules and how they are made and why they behave as they do and how it's all done, very interesting!!
This was actually one of the best explanations of a chemical reaction I've ever seen. Wish my chemistry teachers had been this capable of explaining a reaction.
I'm a BS Chemist with an Associate Degree in Radiation Protection Technology. The AS Degree led to my fist real job in an environmental lab as a radiochemist looking for trace amounts of radionuclides in drinking water , etc. Must admit I was a bit skeptical of Dr Liddle in the beginning of this video series. Now I stand in awe! If I were only quite a few years younger and money was no object? I would be honored to be his grad student. Awesome job Dr. Liddle!
Congrats for the achievement. Dave looks so young for a PhD student! Also, Steve talks about why they wanted so much to achieve this particular molecular arrangement on the extra footage (description).
It would be awesome if you could link to what ever article you mention in the video, normally they are not hard to find, but sometimes you have to look for a bit.
I don't know if an answer to this question might be too technical, but maybe it'd make an interesting full interview video for Nottingham Science: How do you "manipulate" the atoms and molecules to make this final molecule. Each grain in that powder at 7:16 may contain quadrillions of atmos, so how do you control the process of forming all those bonds between the atoms, how many may have that desired configuration, etc...
So, better understanding how Uranium bonds to other elements might one day help us with waste and better nuclear reactors? Fantastic. Keep up the good work.
With the negative charge buried in the "shrubbery" I'm wondering if can be an ionic liquid if the Na+ is replaced by an appropriate positively charged organic?
for what I understand so far this is an amazing achievement in chemistry, but not one with an inmediate practical application. nonetheless, you can't deny that the technique of capturing the sodium molecule with a trap of two molecule "crowns" kick asses and should be really useful in the future. It's amazing how specific and detailed you can get in modern chemistry.
A little search on google for "uranium nitride" got me to an article, called "Elusive terminal uranium nitride found", about another such molecule in which the nitrogen atom inserted itself into a neighboring C-H bond of one of the two pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ligands to form a C-N(H)-U bond. I am wondering though why this doesn't happen here. Is it to do with the aromatic ring to which the methyl was connected there, or just an issue of steric crowding preventing such a bond here?
If you check the extra video linked in the description he explains why they did it which I just thought would have been better served up more in front than tucked away as extra. As for the priceless I'd guess that was because it was the fruit of their labor and their brain child if you will. But it is important in examining and verifying suspected properties of the bond which could help in Uranium clean up.
Shouldn't the glovebox with the radioactive uranium in, be negatively pressurized? I recall one of the earlier vids at the nuclear facility pointed that out...
That hasn't been decided yet. Don't make the mistake of combining research with development. There may not be a use for this particular product, but having a good understanding of how Nitrogen bonds with Uranium could easily lead to further discoveries that could help clean up the megatronic barkloads of nuclear waste that exists in the world. Hell, if they could pull that off, it might get Dr. Liddle not only a Nobel in Chemistry, but a Nobel Peace Prize and the undying worship of generations.
Well he did list a bunch of techniques used. When they make this they also know exactly what they put in and have many formulas to know how it is going to turn out to a certain extent. So what you put in is what you get out and they can analyze it to be sure it bonded in the way the expect, etc.
How about do a video on small nuclear reactor that powers Mars Curiosity Rover. As far as I remember it's plutonium-based reactor with thermocouples generating electricity from heat.
It's amazing how complicated things get down to the molecular level and even more amazing that theres still structures out there waiting to be discovered.
Very interesting, although I didn't understand much... What practical applications could this make possible? In other words: Is it of any use? And if so, what?
In this instance they're more concerned about the immense reactivity of the compounds than the radioactivity. It's not particularly radioactive anyway, just some α particle radiators. He said it turned into ammonia when air is added, so it's a matter of solid+liquid->gas which is the essential mechanism of any explosion.
Depending on the properties of the Uranium compound created, it seems like it would be a pretty good way to isolate it from the other stuff thats created in a nuclear reaction. This allow unspent fuel to be recovered from the byproducts of the reaction, thus making the energy generated cheaper, and reducing the waste generated. There are bound to be other useful things in nuclear waste, so figuring out what chemistry will work best to isolate them is definitely beneficial.
It's a TREN based ligand actually. Not that I knew what TETA was before I searched it on the googles, and I only knew that the ligand is called TREN^TIPS because I've searched for the study itself yesterday. On a related note, it is "isomeric" with TETA.
what we can do with it is understand how bulky molecules can stabilize atoms in reactive states, this has to be extremely important when it come to designing reactants for chemical syntesis of complicated products
I didn't know it was possible to make actual 'molecules' with metal atoms in. I thought they only formed in linked structures. So is this new molecule a proper molecule or an ionically bonded structure?
It's a RTG (Radioisotopic Thermoelectric Generator). It uses the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238. It's not really a "reactor" per-say, because there it a self-sustaining chain reaction.
How you can you discuss a structure in such an absolute sense without the use of single-crystal X-ray diffraction? XAS spectroscopy would also be a viable technique for determining this information as well.
To learn how Uranium bonds with different elements which has quite a few use's such as being able to produce new methods of extraction from ores or spent nuclear fuel.
Yeah I heard that I just wanted to know how they know that for example, sodium wasn't in that place it would be up above it and that a sodium atom was bigger etc. Thanks
It seems to me that part of the value of the bond is based on the likelihood of the Nitrogen to react before the Uranium. If this is true, and if the molecule is, in all probability, to be used in nuclear plants as suggested by filbles101, then Nitrogen's intended role (within the bond) is likely to be used as either an absorber of excess energies that normally cause unsafe reactions in Uranium alone, or a more easily/early detectable type of radiation that will allow for easier prevention of meltdowns. This is just based on speculation, so if you really want to know about the molecule's properties look at the released paper.
isolating radioactive substances is key to making things safe in the future... sure it looks a little dull now but the techniques used may be vital for holding onto fast decaying radioactive particles... could even be a future of power?
They aren't covalent bonds, they're more of ionic bonds because of the high electronegativity of the oxygen atoms and the postive charge of the sodium ion so it's all good. Just think about it like how you dissolve table salt (NaCl) in water.. the oxygen surrounds the Na+, the hydrogen surrounds the Cl-.That's how I'd think of it, so I may be wrong.
I appreciate that this compond is highly air and moisture sensitive, but isn't it possible to conduct X-ray crystalography on it?.....this would prove the structure 100% and give measurements of all the relevant bond lenghts and angles.
Good to see someone so excited by their own work and discoveries.
Excellent video, I find this fascinating as a Chemistry teacher, one of the best you've produced. Steve explains this complicated synthesis really well, more of this type please!
It's worth a PhD in Chemistry :D
Best Periodic Video so far!
For me, I'd love to know more about the molecules and how they are made and why they behave as they do and how it's all done, very interesting!!
Congratulations man good work
so the PhD student figured it out? i think someone has thier doctoral thesis done...
The actual paper- www.sciencemag.org/content/337/6095/717.full
Congratulations to the team who synthesized the compound! This is a great video, thank you Brady.
This shrubbery is what the Knights Who Say Ni really wanted Arthur to bring them.
This was actually one of the best explanations of a chemical reaction I've ever seen. Wish my chemistry teachers had been this capable of explaining a reaction.
Love love love this! Great work guys. Can't wait to show my new class. They're a huge fan of Molymod so thanks Steve for the awesome model.
I'm a BS Chemist with an Associate Degree in Radiation Protection Technology. The AS Degree led to my fist real job in an environmental lab as a radiochemist looking for trace amounts of radionuclides in drinking water , etc. Must admit I was a bit skeptical of Dr Liddle in the beginning of this video series. Now I stand in awe! If I were only quite a few years younger and money was no object? I would be honored to be his grad student. Awesome job Dr. Liddle!
Research needn't be concerned by practicalities of what is discovered. Merely that new knowledge is gained.
I think a massive congratulations is in order for David M. King the PhD student that made the molecule, as a student, after decades of research.
Great video Brady! Really outdid yourself on this one, loved it.
Congrats for the achievement. Dave looks so young for a PhD student!
Also, Steve talks about why they wanted so much to achieve this particular molecular arrangement on the extra footage (description).
Do you know if their synthesis can be scaled easily? Or is there much more work to be done before it can be used viably in this application?
It would be awesome if you could link to what ever article you mention in the video, normally they are not hard to find, but sometimes you have to look for a bit.
You got published in Science? Congratulations, man. That's something to celebrate, for sure.
I don't know if an answer to this question might be too technical, but maybe it'd make an interesting full interview video for Nottingham Science: How do you "manipulate" the atoms and molecules to make this final molecule. Each grain in that powder at 7:16 may contain quadrillions of atmos, so how do you control the process of forming all those bonds between the atoms, how many may have that desired configuration, etc...
Brady.. thank you so much for all of your videos!
Lots of love; a dedicated fan.
So, better understanding how Uranium bonds to other elements might one day help us with waste and better nuclear reactors?
Fantastic.
Keep up the good work.
Dave must be some sort of genius, I'd love his autograph, a true great of the chemistry world.
With the negative charge buried in the "shrubbery" I'm wondering if can be an ionic liquid if the Na+ is replaced by an appropriate positively charged organic?
for what I understand so far this is an amazing achievement in chemistry, but not one with an inmediate practical application. nonetheless, you can't deny that the technique of capturing the sodium molecule with a trap of two molecule "crowns" kick asses and should be really useful in the future. It's amazing how specific and detailed you can get in modern chemistry.
A little search on google for "uranium nitride" got me to an article, called "Elusive terminal uranium nitride found", about another such molecule in which the nitrogen atom inserted itself into a neighboring C-H bond of one of the two pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ligands to form a C-N(H)-U bond. I am wondering though why this doesn't happen here. Is it to do with the aromatic ring to which the methyl was connected there, or just an issue of steric crowding preventing such a bond here?
brady uploads so many vids at a time. he is one hardworking guy !
Uranium has got to be one of the most amazing elements.
If you check the extra video linked in the description he explains why they did it which I just thought would have been better served up more in front than tucked away as extra. As for the priceless I'd guess that was because it was the fruit of their labor and their brain child if you will. But it is important in examining and verifying suspected properties of the bond which could help in Uranium clean up.
Shouldn't the glovebox with the radioactive uranium in, be negatively pressurized? I recall one of the earlier vids at the nuclear facility pointed that out...
That hasn't been decided yet. Don't make the mistake of combining research with development. There may not be a use for this particular product, but having a good understanding of how Nitrogen bonds with Uranium could easily lead to further discoveries that could help clean up the megatronic barkloads of nuclear waste that exists in the world. Hell, if they could pull that off, it might get Dr. Liddle not only a Nobel in Chemistry, but a Nobel Peace Prize and the undying worship of generations.
But does this particular compound have a specific use that they were trying to make it for or is it just a proof of concept kind of thing?
indeed amazing, molecular mechanics on heavy elements. This is chemistry on another level.
Fantastic bit of science! Congratulations on the find!
Great video, Dr Liddle is a great explainer
but
What happens to these powders and toxic chemicals when they're finished with?
So what can you do with it? Does this compound has or may have any applications or is it just an "ars gratia artis"?
That student is really cool, and lucky to be the one to finally do the thing that scientists have been trying to do for years!
Well he did list a bunch of techniques used. When they make this they also know exactly what they put in and have many formulas to know how it is going to turn out to a certain extent. So what you put in is what you get out and they can analyze it to be sure it bonded in the way the expect, etc.
Tetra-dentate ligand structures very cool, Is that some modified form of TETA? Love this stuff.
Hurrah for new science and uranium elements!! Always fun to see my favorite element in the spotlight. :)
Can't we use the crown method on titanium oxide? Or is the titanium not big enough?
Is there a possibility to read this paper?
is it possible to recieve the full paper? i really would appreciate it...
Shrubbery! Surround my Uranium with shrubbery!
@jevicci I think it has some computer appliances, in nano bits (one atom is one bit, compared to the current couple of million atoms per bit).
How about do a video on small nuclear reactor that powers Mars Curiosity Rover. As far as I remember it's plutonium-based reactor with thermocouples generating electricity from heat.
1:39 Where Did You Get Those Molymod Colors?
It's amazing how complicated things get down to the molecular level and even more amazing that theres still structures out there waiting to be discovered.
That student looks kind of like James McAvoy.
Post a link to the paper!
Very interesting, although I didn't understand much... What practical applications could this make possible? In other words: Is it of any use? And if so, what?
In this instance they're more concerned about the immense reactivity of the compounds than the radioactivity. It's not particularly radioactive anyway, just some α particle radiators. He said it turned into ammonia when air is added, so it's a matter of solid+liquid->gas which is the essential mechanism of any explosion.
Depending on the properties of the Uranium compound created, it seems like it would be a pretty good way to isolate it from the other stuff thats created in a nuclear reaction. This allow unspent fuel to be recovered from the byproducts of the reaction, thus making the energy generated cheaper, and reducing the waste generated. There are bound to be other useful things in nuclear waste, so figuring out what chemistry will work best to isolate them is definitely beneficial.
Congratulations, Dr. Liddle and colleagues!
What will it be used for?
It's a TREN based ligand actually. Not that I knew what TETA was before I searched it on the googles, and I only knew that the ligand is called TREN^TIPS because I've searched for the study itself yesterday. On a related note, it is "isomeric" with TETA.
what we can do with it is understand how bulky molecules can stabilize atoms in reactive states, this has to be extremely important when it come to designing reactants for chemical syntesis of complicated products
loved this video - so interesting!
What can the compound. Be used for??
I didn't know it was possible to make actual 'molecules' with metal atoms in. I thought they only formed in linked structures. So is this new molecule a proper molecule or an ionically bonded structure?
thank yout brady
and now what?
why is it importent to do it? what can you make with it?
great, but what can you use it for?
congratulation on new paper!
I love this channel! Human beings are amazing!
what are the uses of this molecule? you said uv been trying to make it for decades. well there has to be a reason for trying that hard
It's a RTG (Radioisotopic Thermoelectric Generator). It uses the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238. It's not really a "reactor" per-say, because there it a self-sustaining chain reaction.
Well that's very superb interesting video. Just make it, don't stop 🛑.
Are bonds just attractions to other atoms? How are you able to tell that the compound is shaped like that and what each one of the atoms is?
He explains it in the extra footage video (in the description/video response) :)
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
What it be used for ??
Wow. Science is a really good journal. Really interesting discovery!
congrats on your molecule ! and your phd of course
A link to skip the chemistry bits on a chemistry video on a chemistry channel for people interested in chemistry? Why?
How you can you discuss a structure in such an absolute sense without the use of single-crystal X-ray diffraction? XAS spectroscopy would also be a viable technique for determining this information as well.
I think it helps them understand Uranium better, which might lead to important discoverries/practical uses in the future.
what is this used for?
To learn how Uranium bonds with different elements which has quite a few use's such as being able to produce new methods of extraction from ores or spent nuclear fuel.
I wish there were more videos about the current research going on, but as a fellow researcher I know its tough to do because of publishing issues...
just asking but, what are the orange, black, dark blue, and white balls supposed to represent.
Yeah I heard that I just wanted to know how they know that for example, sodium wasn't in that place it would be up above it and that a sodium atom was bigger etc. Thanks
I read about this in TCE, was wondering when there'd be a video :)
No Xray structure?
That structure on paper wasn't boring at all. Inorganic Chemistry is fascinating.
Finally, a real answer! Thanks ;)
It seems to me that part of the value of the bond is based on the likelihood of the Nitrogen to react before the Uranium. If this is true, and if the molecule is, in all probability, to be used in nuclear plants as suggested by filbles101, then Nitrogen's intended role (within the bond) is likely to be used as either an absorber of excess energies that normally cause unsafe reactions in Uranium alone, or a more easily/early detectable type of radiation that will allow for easier prevention of meltdowns. This is just based on speculation, so if you really want to know about the molecule's properties look at the released paper.
Well done amazing work :)
im assuming that nitrogen allows more stuff to be bonded/reacted to it.
Got a name for the molecule? Does it have a practical use?
isolating radioactive substances is key to making things safe in the future... sure it looks a little dull now but the techniques used may be vital for holding onto fast decaying radioactive particles... could even be a future of power?
if you read the paper, it describes that U Nitrides have potential applications in catalysis and ceramic nuclear fuels :)
So wht real-world application does it have?
They aren't covalent bonds, they're more of ionic bonds because of the high electronegativity of the oxygen atoms and the postive charge of the sodium ion so it's all good. Just think about it like how you dissolve table salt (NaCl) in water.. the oxygen surrounds the Na+, the hydrogen surrounds the Cl-.That's how I'd think of it, so I may be wrong.
what can you do with it?
Application?
Hmm so what exactly is the formula for this compound?
I appreciate that this compond is highly air and moisture sensitive, but isn't it possible to conduct X-ray crystalography on it?.....this would prove the structure 100% and give measurements of all the relevant bond lenghts and angles.
Nice work!
congrats on the Science paper!
you guys should make videos explaining the different spectroscopy techniques :D