No.26 Seminar ： Mystery of Water’s Interface
- Shinichi ENAMI（The Hakubi Center）
- 2011/09/20 4:00pm
- The Hakubi Center (iCeMS West Wing 2F, Seminar Room)
- English
Summary
The gas/liquid interface is a unique media that should be distinguished from the gas or liquid phases. For example, OH- is more abundant than H3O+ at the air/water interface of neat water (pH = 7), indicating water’s surface is effectively alkaline. This phenomenon, which was first recognized more than 100 years ago, remains as a big mystery. In our body, there are also important interfaces. Our lungs are protected by a 0.1 – 0.5 μm thickness epithelium lining fluid (ELF), which contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as the main antioxidant. It has been assumed antioxidants prevent harmful ozone from entering cells. However, why and how inflammation occurs in our body when we inhale ozone has been a mystery for long. Such mechanisms at the gas/liquid interface, which play various and essential roles in atmosphere and living system, will be revealed by developing a new experimental method. In this Hakubi seminar, I summarize the recent progress in this field and present my strategy for solving remained issues.