One of the study’s most exciting revelations is its explanation for the spontaneous formation of hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide at the surface of pure water microdroplets.
An Israel-Swedish study released on Tuesday is changing science’s understanding of a basic chemical reaction in water, which has significant implications for pollution control strategies, developing better water treatment technologies, and even impacting studies of interstellar chemistry.
Led by Professor Daniel Strasser from the Hebrew University’s Institute of Chemistry, the research challenges long-standing assumptions about how acid-base reactions occur.
“The electron-transfer mechanisms we’ve uncovered suggest several pathways for spontaneous OH formation at low temperature conditions, without a catalyst or an external energy source,” said Strasser.