Daily Current Affairs : 3-August-2023
In a recent paper, a team of South Korean scientists has made an extraordinary breakthrough by creating a revolutionary new material known as LK-99, which exhibits superconductivity at room temperature and ambient pressure. This new compound, named after its two discoverers, Lee and Kim, along with the year of its inception, 1999, is a copper-doped lead apatite.
Understanding LK-99
- Apatites and their Structure: Apatites are a group of phosphate minerals with a unique structure comprising a phosphate scaffold with a tetrahedral or pyramidal motif. This structure involves one phosphorus atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms, leaving spaces between these pyramids where other atoms can reside.
- Copper Substitution Process: The South Korean team’s work involves filling the spaces between the phosphate pyramids with lead and oxygen ions. Subsequently, they partially replace some of the lead atoms with copper atoms through a process called substitution.
- Emergence of LK-99: When the copper substitution reaches 10%, the material transforms into LK-99, also known as copper-substituted lead apatite. This wonder material displays remarkable properties related to superconductivity.
The Quest for Superconductors
- Electricity Losses in Transmission: Ordinary metal wires conducting electric current experience losses due to their electrical resistance. A considerable amount of electricity generated in power plants is lost during transmission due to this resistance.
- The Superconductivity Solution: Scientists have known for over a century that certain materials can become superconductors, meaning they exhibit zero electrical resistance, at extremely low temperatures. Elemental mercury, for example, becomes a superconductor at a frigid temperature of -268 degrees Celsius.
- Significance of Room-Temperature Superconductors: The recent discovery of room-temperature superconductors is of utmost importance as it opens up possibilities for practical applications without the need for extreme cooling.
Way Ahead for LK-99
- Controversy and Scrutiny: The pursuit of a room-temperature superconductor has been met with skepticism due to some recent claims of superconductivity in hydride materials that failed to withstand scrutiny.
- Elusive Prize: Developing a material that exhibits superconductivity under ambient conditions has remained an elusive and highly coveted goal in the scientific community.
- Potential Groundbreaking Impact: If the South Korean group’s claim about LK-99’s room-temperature superconductivity holds true, it will mark a groundbreaking achievement in the field of materials science and open up a new realm of possibilities for electrical applications.
Important Points:
- The South Korean team has created a groundbreaking material called LK-99, a room-temperature superconductor working at ambient pressure.
- LK-99 is a copper-doped lead apatite, named after its two discoverers and the year of its discovery.
- Apatites are phosphate minerals with a unique structure, and LK-99 is formed by filling spaces between phosphate pyramids with lead and oxygen ions and substituting some lead atoms with copper.
- At 10% copper substitution, LK-99 becomes a superconductor with essentially zero electrical resistance.
- Superconductors are materials that offer no resistance to the flow of electric current, and their discovery has been a long-standing quest to reduce electricity losses during transmission.
- Ordinary metals become superconductors at extremely low temperatures, but room-temperature superconductors have recently become an exciting area of research.
- The recent claim of room-temperature superconductivity has faced skepticism and scrutiny, as other similar claims in hydride materials failed to hold up.
- The discovery of a room-temperature superconductor like LK-99 could have a profound impact on power transmission and electrical applications, making it a highly coveted achievement in materials science.
Why In News
In a revolutionary leap forward, the South Korean team’s creation, LK-99, represents a major milestone in the realm of material science. This room-temperature superconductor, operable under ambient pressure, promises to reshape various industries and unlock unprecedented possibilities in energy transmission and storage technologies.
MCQs about Revolutionary Material LK-99
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What is LK-99?
A. A copper-doped lead apatite
B. A revolutionary power plant
C. A new type of superconductor discovered in 1999
D. A room-temperature refrigerator
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What is the significance of a room-temperature superconductor?
A. It can work at extreme cold temperatures
B. It exhibits zero resistance to electric current
C. It is resistant to changes in atmospheric pressure
D. It requires no cooling system
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Why have recent claims of superconductivity faced scrutiny?
A. They were discovered in hydride materials
B. They require extreme cooling to work
C. They are named after famous scientists
D. They have zero electrical resistance
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What is the main quest for scientists regarding superconductors?
A. To create materials that can work at room temperature
B. To develop superconductors that resist extreme cold
C. To find ways to increase electrical resistance
D. To substitute lead atoms with copper atoms
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