Advanced gas hydrate studies at ambient conditions using suspended droplets

摘要

We report the spontaneous formation of a clathrate hydrate in a suspended droplet at ambient conditions. A novel method for producing and stabilizing clathrates for analytical studies is described. Gas hydrates are clathrate compounds consisting of a water framework with noble gases or short chained hydrocarbons as guest molecules. These compounds became important in the middle of the last century when their potential to block gas pipelines was discovered.