Green Chemistry breakthrough named one of top discoveries of 2010

A new nanotech catalyst that offers industry an environmentally benign way to reduce toxic heavy metals from the chemical process through simple magnetic nanoparticles has earned McGill University researchers Chao-Jun Li, Audrey Moores and their colleagues a spot on Quebec Science's list of the Top 10 discoveries of 2010. The magazine, which published the list in its February issue, invites readers to vote by February 25 for the top discovery of 2010 at www.cybersciences.com. Catalysts are substances used to facilitate and drive chemical reactions. Although chemists have long been aware of the ecological and economic effects of traditional chemical catalysts and do attempt to reuse their materials, it is generally difficult to separate the catalyzing chemicals from the finished product. The team's discovery does away with this chemical process altogether. Li, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Canada Research Chair in Organic/Green Chemistry, neatly describes the new catalyst as a way to 'use a magnet and pull them out!? The technology is known as nanomagnetics and involves nanoparticles of a simple iron magnet. Nanoparticles are sized between 1 and 100 nanometres (a strand of hair is about 80,000 nanometres wide).