Scientists at the University of Liverpool report that they have created dry water. That is, a mostly normal drop of wet water is surrounded by a coating of sandy silica, creating, basically, powdered water. Don’t expect to be able to pour yourself a nice tall glass of dry water, though. The proposed uses for this new form of water mostly deal with absorbing greenhouse gases. The research shows that dry water is three times better at absorbing carbon dioxide than the normal wet water is.
Other potential uses include acting as a catalyst “to speed up reactions between hydrogen and maleic acid” to create succinic acid, a key component in making drugs, food ingredients, and consumer products. The possibility of “dry emulsions” to blend unblendable liquids is also a possibility.