At ambient pressure there are 29 elemental superconductors in the periodic table, none of which is an alkali metal. The first alkali metal to become superconducting under high pressure is Cs followed years later by Li. Alkali metals are believed to be exemplary free-electron systems. The fact that an alkali metal becomes superconducting at all is surprising and is a result of the fact that unde...

The effects of alkali oxides on the structure and on the catalytic behavior of MoOx/ZrO2 were examined for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane. X-ray diffraction, Raman and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and estimates of the MoOx surface density are consistent with the predominant presence of two-dimensional polymolybdate domains in samples with ∼4 Mo/nm2 surface density and (alkali/...

Alkali-enriched diets are recommended for humans to diminish the net acid load of their usual diet. In contrast, herbivores have to deal with a high dietary alkali impact on acid-base balance. Here we explore the role of nutritional alkali in experimentally induced chronic metabolic acidosis. Data were collected from healthy male adult rabbits kept in metabolism cages to obtain 24-h urine and a...

Cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) encapsulates adamantyl and trimethylsilyl substituents of positively charged guests in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Unlike water or deuterium oxide, addition a selection alkali alkali-earth cations...

This work is intended to provide a better understanding about the properties and roles of the reaction rim in an alkali-silica reaction. A simplified calcium-alkali-silicate system was created to simulate the multiple interactions among reactive silica, alkaline solution and portlandite near the aggregate surface during the formation and evolution of the reaction rim in an alkali-silica reactio...

The present investigation aims at studying the effectiveness of alkali-assisted ultrasonication on pretreatment of garden biomass (GB). Dry and powdered GB suspended in 1% NaOH was ultrasonicated for 15, 30 and 60 minutes at a frequency of 25 KHZ. The mode of action and effectiveness of alkali-assisted ultrasonication on GB was established through microscopic, scanning electron microscopic and ...

Concurrently to research conducted on ordinary Portland cement (PC), new types of binders were developed during the last decades. These are formed by alkali-activation of metakaolin or ground-granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and are named, respectively, geopolymers (GP) or alkali-activated slag (AAS). Four different cementitious materials were synthesised: PC, AAS, GP, and a mix GP-AAS and...