‘Coulombic Ordering’ in Tight Spaces Disrupts Normal Particle Behavior in Ions (Phys.org)

Thanks to a reader for sending a link to a new article on the Phys.org website that talks about researchers at Drexel University in Pennsylvania have discovered that ions behave differently when confined in small spaces. The article is titled “Just squeeze in—researchers discover when spaces are tight, nature loosens its laws.” It’s possible this has relevance to LENR where it appears that very unexpected results can occur in nanomaterials when particles are subject to high temperatures and pressures.

It turns out that when they’re in a hurry and space is limited, ions, like people, will find a way to cram in—even if that means defying nature’s norms. Recently published research from an international team of scientists, including Drexel University’s Yury Gogotsi, PhD, shows that the charged particles will actually forgo their “opposites attract” behavior, called Coulombic ordering, when confined in the tiny pores of a nanomaterial. This discovery could be a pivotal development for energy storage, water treatment and alternative energy production technologies, which all involve ions packing into nanoporous materials.