Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/F025505/1
Title:	Microwave-Induced Nanoscale Convection, Polarisation, and Thermal Effects Leading to Innovative Analytical Technology
Principal Investigator:	Compton, Professor R
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Oxford Chemistry
Organisation:	University of Oxford
Scheme:	Standard Research
Starts:	16 July 2008	Ends:	15 January 2012	Value (£):	88,957
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Analytical Science Electrochemical Science & Eng. Instrumentation Eng. & Dev.
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Chemicals
Related Grants:	EP/F025726/1
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 22 Aug 2007 Chemistry Prioritisation Panel (Science) Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Our project hypothesis is that extremely energetic microwave-driven convection and heating are possible for both inlaid-disk nanoelectrodes and nanoparticles immersed in solution and that massive improvements in electroanalytical processes can be achieved with these microwave effects. These phenomena (temperature, mass transport) can be directly measured and quantified in electrochemical experiments employing nanoelectrodes. At very small electrodes turbulence can be suppressed and unusually fast convective flow can be achieved (driven by microwave induced thermal gradients) giving high currents and beneficial effects e.g. kinetic resolution in analytical applications (sulphide, thiol, arsenite, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc.). More importantly, the adsorption of microwaves into the double layer of interfaces with sufficiently fast RC time constant (e.g. at nanoelectrodes) has never been reported and may again lead to novel chemical phenomena (e.g. for processes involving H2, CO2, or CO adsorbates on Pt, Pd, or Au). These kinds of processes (which occur only at nanoelectrodes or nanoparticles) could be important for sensor and fuel cell processes.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.ox.ac.uk