Drunk scientists pour wine on superconductors and make an incredible discovery
When they tested the resulting materials for superconductivity, they found that the ones soaked in commercial booze came out ahead. About 15 percent of the material became a superconductor for the water mixed with ethanol, and less for the pure water. By comparison, Shochu jacked up conductivity by 23 percent and red wine managed to supercharge over 62 percent of the material. The scientists were pleased, if bemused with their results.
One wonders, did they have a hangover (or regret their conductivity becoming super) the next morning?
http://arxiv.org/abs/1008.0666
Fe[Te_0.8][S_0.2], Tc = 7.8 K. A quick guess is enhanced penetration by lower surface energy ethanol and doping with charge transfer chromophores. One then wants to look at alcohol infusion of laser dyes (e.g., coumarins), bioflavonoids and, of course, riboflavin (all natural!). Supercritical CO2 or N2O as penetrant. Cf: Little’s excitonic superconductors,
W. A. Little, Phys. Rev. 134 A1416 (1964)
Add a drop of blue Dawn dishwashing liquid to the treatment bath and see how that moves things along.