News Chemistry

Floating beads of water act as tiny test tubes

Superheated drops used to create nanoparticles

BUBBLE CHEMISTRY  A phenomenon called the Leidenfrost effect helped convert gold salts in a water droplet (left) into gold nanoparticles (right).

Abdelaziz et al/Nature Communications 2013

By Beth Mole

- More than 2 years ago

Droplets of water dancing over a hot skillet may be the chemical factories of the future.

On a hot surface, water droplets hover on a cushion of their own evaporation.