Ibihe bya shimi bibaho hirya no hino—birumvikana iyo ubitekerejeho, ariko ni bangahe muri twe babikora iyo dutangiye imodoka, duteka igi, cyangwa dufumbira ubwatsi bwacu?
Impuguke mu gukamura ibintu mu buryo bwa chimique, Richard Kong, yagiye atekereza ku bijyanye n'imikorere y'ibinyabutabire. Mu kazi ke nk'"umuhanga mu by'amajwi", nk'uko ubwe abivuga, ntashishikajwe gusa n'imikorere igaragara muri we, ahubwo anashishikajwe no gukangura ibintu bishya.
Nk'umunyeshuri wa Klarman mu bijyanye n'ubutabire n'ibinyabuzima by'ubutabire muri Koleji y'Ubugeni n'Ubumenyi, Kong akora ku guteza imbere ibintu bitera imbaraga mu gukora ibinyabutabire bigamije kugera ku musaruro wifuza, bigatuma habaho ibicuruzwa bitekanye kandi bifite agaciro, harimo n'ibishobora kugira ingaruka nziza ku buzima bw'umuntu. Ku wa gatatu.
Kong yagize ati: “Ibikorwa byinshi bya shimi bibaho nta bufasha,” yerekeza ku kurekurwa kwa dioxyde de carbone iyo imodoka zitwika ibikomoka kuri peteroli. “Ariko ingaruka zikomeye kandi zikomeye za shimi ntizibaho ku buryo bwikora. Aha niho hagaragara ikibazo cya shimi.”
Kong na bagenzi be bakoze catalyst yo kuyobora reaction bifuzaga, kandi byaragenze. Urugero, dioxyde de carbone ishobora guhindurwamo aside formic, methanol, cyangwa formaldehyde binyuze mu guhitamo catalyst ikwiye no kugerageza imiterere y’reaction.
Kyle Lancaster, umwarimu wa chimie na biology (A&S) akaba n'umwarimu wa Kong, yagize ati: “Uburyo bwa Kong bujyanye neza n'uburyo bwa Lancaster bwo “gukoresha uburyo bwo kuvumbura”. “Richard yagize igitekerezo cyo gukoresha tin kugira ngo anonosore chemistry ye, ibyo bitari byarigeze biba mu nyandiko yanjye.” Lancaster yagize ati: “Ni imbarutso y'ihinduka rya dioxyde de carbone mo ikintu cy'agaciro kurushaho, kandi dioxyde de carbone irushaho kuba mbi.”
Kong n'abo bakorana baherutse kuvumbura uburyo, mu bihe bimwe na bimwe, bushobora guhindura dioxyde de carbone mo aside formique.
Kong yagize ati: “Nubwo ubu tutari hafi y’uburyo bugezweho bwo gukora ibintu, sisitemu yacu irasobanutse neza. Bityo rero dushobora gutangira gusobanukirwa neza impamvu zimwe na zimwe zikora vuba kurusha izindi, impamvu zimwe na zimwe zikora neza kurusha izindi. Dushobora guhindura ibipimo bya za catalysts no kugerageza gusobanukirwa icyatuma ibi bintu bikora vuba, kuko uko bikora vuba, ni ko urushaho gukora neza – ushobora gukora molekile vuba.”
Nk’umunyeshuri wa Klarman, Kong arimo gukora cyane kugira ngo ahindure nitrati, uburozi busanzwe bwinjira mu mazi, buva mu bidukikije buhinduke ikintu kitagize ingaruka mbi, nk’uko abivuga.
Kong yagerageje ibyuma bisanzwe nk'aluminium na tin nk'ibintu bitera imbaraga. Ibi byuma birahendutse, ntabwo ari uburozi kandi ni byinshi mu butaka, bityo kubikoresha ntibizateza ibibazo byo kubungabunga ibidukikije, nk'uko yabitangaje.
Kong yagize ati: “Turimo gushaka uburyo bwo gukora catalysts aho ebyiri muri izi metal zigirana. Dukoresheje ibyuma bibiri muri urwo rwego, ni ubuhe bwoko bw'ibyiyumviro n'ibibazo bishimishije dushobora kubona muri sisitemu za bimetallic?” “ibyiyumviro bya shimi?”
Nk’uko Kong abivuga, urwego rw’ibikoresho ni ahantu hakorerwa ubutabire bw’ibinyabutabire aho ibi byuma biba.
Mu myaka 70 ishize, byari bisanzwe ko hakoreshwa ikigo kimwe cy’icyuma kugira ngo habeho impinduka mu by’imiti, ariko mu myaka icumi ishize, abahanga mu by’imiti muri urwo rwego batangiye gusuzuma imikoranire hagati y’ibyuma bibiri bifatanye cyangwa bifitanye isano. Kong yagize ati: “Biguha ubwisanzure bwinshi.”
Kong avuga ko izi katalyst zikoresha ibyuma bibiri ziha abahanga mu bya shimi ubushobozi bwo guhuza katalyst z'ibyuma bitewe n'imbaraga n'intege nke zazo. Urugero, ikigo cy'icyuma gifata nabi ku gice cy'icyuma ariko kigaca imigozi neza gishobora gukorana n'ikindi kigo cy'icyuma gica imigozi nabi ariko kigaca neza ku gice cy'icyuma. Kuba hari icyuma cya kabiri bigira ingaruka ku miterere y'icyuma cya mbere.
Kong yagize ati: “Ushobora gutangira kubona icyo twita ingaruka zo guhuza hagati y’ibice bibiri by’icyuma. Hari ibintu bidasanzwe kandi bitangaje bitangiye kugaragara mu rwego rwo gusesengura ibice bibiri by’icyuma.”
Kong yavuze ko hakiri byinshi bitarasobanuka neza uburyo ibyuma bifatana mu buryo bwa molekile. Yashimishijwe cyane n'ubwiza bw'ubutabire ubwabwo nk'uko yashimishijwe n'ibyavuye mu bushakashatsi. Kong yazanywe muri laboratwari ya Lancaster kubera ubuhanga bwe mu gupima X-ray.
Lancaster yagize ati: “Ni ubufatanye. Gupima X-ray byafashije Richard gusobanukirwa ibiri munsi y’ijipo n’icyatumye tin ikora neza cyane kandi ikagira ubushobozi bwo gukora iyi reaction ya shimi. Twungukira ku bumenyi bwe bwinshi mu bijyanye na shimi y’amatsinda akomeye, bwatangiye mu ishami rishya.”
Kong yavuze ko byose bishingiye ku buhanga bw'ibanze mu bya chimie n'ubushakashatsi, uburyo bwashobotse kubera Open Klarman Fellowship.
Yagize ati: “Ubusanzwe nshobora gukoresha uburyo bwo gukora ubushakashatsi muri laboratwari cyangwa kwicara kuri mudasobwa nkigana molekile.” “Turimo kugerageza kubona ishusho yuzuye y’imikorere ya shimi uko bishoboka kose.”