School of Chemistry

Chemistry@Leicester

The Science Kitchen also leads a range of food-related projects designed to showcase the cutting-edge instruments and facilities at the University of Leicester. These demonstrations introduce and explain what specialised equipment - such as spectrometers, electron microscopes, or chromatography systems - can be used for. We then show how this equipment is used to analyse everyday food items, providing a compelling segue into discussing how the same tools are utilised in cutting-edge research projects at the University of Leicester. This approach not only highlights the world-leading breadth of our research, but also helps demystify complex scientific techniques for a wider audience.

Dr Josh was able to carry out a particularly exciting experiment using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in the Advanced Imaging Facility at the University of Leicester. A scanning electron microscope uses a focussed beam of electrons to produce highly detailed 'photographs' of materials. Scanning electron microscopes are capable of seeing features as small as 1 billionth of a metre! Using an SEM in Leicester, Dr Josh was able to discover how the bubbles in a meringue change in size depending on how perfectly the meringue has been prepared.

Meringue studied using advanced imaging methods at the University of Leicester. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images of perfectly whipped, overwhipped, and acid-treated meringues. The images show how bubble size (pore size in scientific language) changes with the preparation method of the meringue.

The image above show three meringues - perfectly whipped, overwhipped, and treated with acid. The scanning electron microscope results show how the bubbles in the meringues change. Smaller bubbles are produced as the meringue is overwhipped (bottom left), compared to a perfect meringue (top right). Adding acid to a perfectly whipped meringue changes the bubble structure (bottom right). The size and shape of bubbles in meringue has an effect on the texture of the finished product. The same is true for a lot of important materials that are used in our everyday lives. Catalysts are commonly used to speed up chemical changes, for example during the production of medicines or in the treatment of car exhaust gases. The shape, size, and roughness of a catalyst surface can have a huge impact on performance.

Back to top
MENU