http://science.energy.gov/universities/highlights/The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, providing more than 40 percent of total funding for this vital area of national importance. It oversees - and is the principal federal funding agency of - the Nation's research programs in high-energy physics, nuclear physics, and fusion energy sciences.en{4DABE467-3780-4FDA-88D2-7B004B0ECE96}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2013/bes-2013-02-a/<img src='/~/media/C7B16C93B72C4DA895FFCD6323806573.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Exploiting the self-organizing nature of atoms to block heat transfer and improve thermal-to-electrical energy conversion.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:13:34 -0400<p>Like a coach in sports, making the right substitution can make the difference between winning and losing. Using a combination of theory and simulations, the researchers at the University of Michigan EFRC predicted that replacing some of the antimony (Sb) atoms in the skutterudite mineral, cobalt antimonide (CoSb₃), would disrupt the atomic vibrations that play a crucial role in transferring heat through the material &ndash; but only if the replacement atoms took up specific atomic locations in the crystal structure. Quantum mechanical calculations were used to predict that entire 4-member rings of Sb atoms (Sb4) would be replaced by cross-diagonal rings of Ge₂Te₂ due to the natural, atomic ordering tendencies of alloying elements. The consequences of this substitution order on the atomic vibrations responsible for heat transfer was verified by molecular dynamic simulations and then experimentally demonstrated by measuring the reduction in the thermal conductivity for the substituted material CoSb_3(1-x)Ge_1.5xTe_1.5x. This approach and resulting insights can be extended to other families of thermoelectric materials to reduce the thermal conductivity of these materials and increase the efficiency of heat-to-electricity conversion for thermoelectric devices.</p>{C0AB145B-3B67-4B29-987A-C745A176A198}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2013/bes-2013-02-b/<img src='/~/media/DCE164BCA2684EA89EDA0C6A53141472.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Nano-porous metal oxide coatings on carbon fiber dramatically enhance the electrical storage capacity for supercapacitors.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:13:35 -0400<p>Pseudocapacitors are supercapacitors that store electrical charge both like a capacitor (with the normal electrostatic double layer of charges at the electrode-electrolyte interface) and like a battery (with multiple chemical reaction mechanisms involving charge transport across the electrode-electrolyte interface).&nbsp; Metal oxides such as cobalt or manganese oxide (C_o3O4 or MnO₂) store pseudocapacitive charge via metal ions which change oxidation state (e.g., Mn⁺³ <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: symbol; color: #363636; font-size: 10pt;">&Ucirc;</span> Mn⁺⁴) as a result of the charge transfer.&nbsp;Researchers at the Energy Frontier Research Center on Heterogeneous Functional Materials, the &ldquo;HeteroFoaM Center,&rdquo; have discovered how the relative sizes, shapes, atomic arrangements and interfaces of the materials in psuedocapacitors control the amount of charge that can be stored and even the mechanisms of charge storage.&nbsp;In fact, the electrochemical storage properties are not limited by the properties of the materials and can be radically different if the &ldquo;heterogeneity&rdquo; of the composite material is understood and optimized. For example, as-deposited MnO₂ on conductive carbon fiber showed high specific capacitance (333 F/g) due to psuedocapacitance of the manganese ions, but conversion of the material through heat treatment to a different heterogeneous arrangement &ndash; a mixed-valence, nano-porous MnOx coating &ndash; dramatically enhanced storage capacity, achieving very high specific capacitance (~2,500 F/g) while maintaining excellent power density (~98 kW/kg at ~122.7 A/g).</p>{C6029213-9182-4952-B478-6CF336036F65}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2013/bes-2013-02-d/<img src='/~/media/8E64780517404923909574AF5FA3CDB3.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>First observation of key intermediate state in the conversion of one photon to two electrons.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:13:36 -0400<p>Multiple exciton generation (MEG) refers to the creation of two or more pairs of charge carriers (electron-hole pairs known as excitons) from the absorption of one photon. Although MEG holds great promise for improving the efficiency of organic solar cells, it has proven challenging to implement.&nbsp;Using a model system based on either pentacene or tetracene molecules deposited upon carbon fullerene bilayers, EFRC scientists have used femtosecond electron spectroscopy to directly observe a new multiexciton (ME) state ensuing from the absorption of a single photon in the molecular layer.&nbsp;Data for both systems indicate that the ME state can decay into two separate excitons and that one electron can be transferred into the fullerene layer from each exciton.&nbsp;For pentacene, two electrons can be directly transferred from the ME state to an adjacent fullerene layer on a sub-picosecond time scale, which is much faster than electron transfer from either of the two separate excitons from ME decay. In this mechanism, losses in photovoltaic efficiency due to unproductive decay or recombination of individual excitons can be avoided by directly extracting multiple electrons from the ME state at the fullerene surface.&nbsp;Investigation of these processes has generated a new set of design principles for harvesting energy through multiple exciton generation in molecular systems.</p>{05856B6A-AE72-474E-953F-A3832973C074}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2013/bes-2013-02-e/<img src='/~/media/330C7EBF533F46ACA50A13DC4DBE1D72.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Observation of wavelike heat conduction reveals new possibilities for tailoring thermal transport through wave effects.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:13:36 -0400<p>In many materials, thermal energy is transported by vibrations of the atomic lattice known as phonons. Similar to photons of light, these lattice vibrations can be treated as waves, but in most materials the phases of the phonon waves quickly randomize after interacting among themselves, with any imperfection or with any interface between two materials. This phase randomization means that the transport of heat becomes incoherent and difficult to predict or control. In this study, heat transport through superlattices (SL) made up of periodic stacks of semiconductor thin films was studied both experimentally and theoretically with a surprising result.&nbsp;A novel experimental approach indicated that the wave properties of some heat-carrying phonons &ndash; and their coherence &ndash; could be maintained even with the presence of several material interfaces. Theoretical studies supported the experimental conclusions that the low frequency phonons traveled through the SL stack in coherent fashion as if the layered structure was a homogeneous material. This scientific discovery and modeling capability opens new pathways for controlling heat transfer through materials by tailoring the lattice waves at the nanostructure scale.</p>{F2744DB8-8FA0-490B-A031-44FEEA748952}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2013/bes-2013-01-a/<img src='/~/media/1F6D9519A1064CCAA7E18958908C5C00.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>New computational technique creates high resolution maps of subsurface CO₂ after geologic sequestration.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:13:34 -0400<p>A powerful new &ldquo;seismic inversion&rdquo; technique&nbsp;&nbsp;uses time-lapse seismic data to make high resolution images useful for evaluating subsurface migration of CO₂ following geologic sequestration. Migration of CO₂ alters the mechanical properties of porous rocks which can be monitored from high frequency rock property variations embedded in the seismic amplitude data. The technique utilizes a dictionary of seismic &ldquo;wavelets&rdquo;, information derived from seismic data before CO₂ injection, and an optimization algorithm to identify the set of common wavelets that best describe the variations in seismic amplitudes observed pre- and post- CO₂ injection. The University of Texas-Austin team applied it to investigate the migration pathways of the CO₂ plume at the Cranfield, Mississippi field demonstration site where such time-lapse surface seismic surveys are available. The raw seismic data showed only a weak signature of CO₂ injection. However, &ldquo;seismic inversion&rdquo; of the data enhanced the information content, showing that the injected CO₂ migrated mostly along the top of the layer of rock into which it was injected, but there was no leakage through the reservoir seals. This technique affords an effective way to monitor potential leakage of CO₂ plumes at various reservoirs.</p>{4F6D157B-62D3-4F1D-9FE8-CDF05730AE81}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-12-b/<img src='/~/media/5A9D9A8DF1DF45FE8F45A41AC6B245E6.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>A simple, robust catalyst is capable of both water oxidation and carbon dioxide splitting, two difficult yet key reactions for solar energy conversion.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:36 -0400<p>In the field of artificial photosynthesis, solar fuels, generated by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen or reducing carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, methanol, or hydrocarbons, have great potential as alternative energy sources.&nbsp; Such fuels could further solve an energy storage problem by allowing solar energy collected during the day to be stored and used at night.&nbsp; A key challenge for solar fuel production is finding enough energy from sunlight to drive the complex water splitting oxidation and carbon dioxide reduction reactions. Researchers at the Solar Fuels EFRC at the University of North Carolina &ndash; Chapel Hill made an important discovery &ndash; a metal complex catalyst, a polypyridyl complex of ruthenium, catalyzed both water oxidation and carbon dioxide reduction. Using this catalyst, an electrochemical cell was developed that split carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and oxygen.&nbsp; As ruthenium is rare and expensive, a cheaper, more widely available alternative was needed; EFRC researchers discovered simple salts of copper (II), under the right conditions, react as robust electrocatalysts for oxidizing water. These results are an important step in developing a simple, highly effective approach for solar fuel production.</p>{14FF3A14-5038-402A-B3D7-320BA7EEA712}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-12-a/<img src='/~/media/bes/images/highlights/2012/12/lee-mit-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>This observation paves the way for a deeper understanding of high-temperature superconductivity and future applications for quantum computing.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:16:52 -0400 <p>Confirming earlier theoretical predictions, a hallmark signature of a new kind of magnetic behavior, called the &quot;quantum spin liquid&quot; (QSL), has been observed. Unlike normal magnets wherein the electron spins freeze into an ordered state below a threshold temperature, in a QSL the electron spins associated with the material's magnetism continue to have motion even at absolute zero temperature. Through characterization by inelastic neutron scattering on large high-quality, single-crystal samples of the mineral ZnCu3(OD)6Cl2, the team, led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, discovered that the scattered neutrons have a broad spread of energies, a fundamental signature predicted by theory for a QSL. In normal magnets the scattered neutrons will have similar energy and produce “spots” rather than the diffuse intensity. The QSL can be thought of as the third fundamental state of magnetism; the first two states being the ferromagnet (all spins aligned parallel, as in a compass needle) and antiferromagnet (adjacent spins point in opposite directions, as in hard drive read heads). Research on QSL systems can lead to a deeper understanding of high temperature superconductivity and to potential applications in quantum information for future computers.</p> {093F52C4-AC9E-4AA7-9E08-68A03F1080C1}http://science.energy.gov/np/highlights/2012/np-2012-10-a/<img src='/~/media/np/images/highlights/2012/10/hall-b-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Discovery could provide a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the three quarks enslaved inside the nucleon.Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:45:58 -0500 <p>Modern experiments using electron beams at TJNAF and the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) detector address a precise question: how do the fundamental constituent particles of the Standard Model (quarks, antiquarks and gluons) assemble to form the composite “strongly interacting” particles observed in nature? Experimenters at TJNAF recently discovered five strongly-interacting unstable particles of a type known as “N* baryon resonances.” These composite particles, which are dominantly composed of three quarks, were predicted to exist in supercomputer studies of the theory of quarks and gluons, “Quantum Chromodynamics,” as well as by the original quark model of baryons. Since these predicted “missing resonances” had long eluded discovery, a conjecture arose that the presence of diquarks - a hypothetical strong pairing of two of the three quarks inside a baryon - might actually preclude their existence. The advanced experimental capability provided by the CLAS detector resolved the issue by finding some of these previously missing N* resonances; the crucial breakthrough was to search for the missing N*s in unusual decays that produced strange quarks. Since the previously “missing” N*s evidently do exist, this discovery eliminated the diquark conjecture regarding why these particular strongly-interacting composite particles were absent. The new particles discovered by CLAS have now been included in the Particle Data Group’s definitive 2012 Review of Particle Properties.</p> {D995B4A4-86BD-41FD-A5FE-1ED7261B7B33}http://science.energy.gov/np/highlights/2012/np-2012-10-b/<img src='/~/media/np/images/highlights/2012/10/lu-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Precision analytical techniques developed for fundamental experiments in nuclear physics now enable routine measurements of ultra-low concentrations of Krypton radioisotopes in samples of water, ice, and gas.Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:45:59 -0500 <p>A state-of-the-art Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA) instrument has been developed by a team of physicists working at Argonne National Laboratory working in collaboration with Earth scientists and other supporting agencies in the U.S. and worldwide. The ages of groundwater, ranging from 200,000 to 1,000,000 years old, in the Nubian Aquifer underneath the Eastern Sahara Desert, the Great Artesian Basin of Australia, and the Guarani Aquifer of South America have been measured. These results reveal hydrologic behavior of huge aquifers, with important implications for climate history and water resource management. Application of rare isotope ^81,85Kr-, ³⁹Ar-dating using ATTA in other areas of Earth sciences now appears feasible.  The radioisotope 85Kr is routinely measured as a residence-time tracer for young (&lt;60 years) shallow groundwaters that are most susceptible to contamination. When combined with other tracers, ⁸⁵Kr measurements will improve the quality and reliability of groundwater flow and vulnerability assessments. A systematic survey of ³⁹Ar throughout the oceans could fill major gaps in our knowledge of deep ocean circulation and mixing, and allow better predictions of oceanic sequestration of atmospheric CO2.  Polar ice cores have been used to reconstruct Earth’s past climate and atmospheric composition as far back as 800,000 years in time. ⁸¹Kr could potentially be used for dating of old ice with ages ranging from 100,000 – 1,500,000 years.  In volcanic and geothermal systems, the analysis of crustal fluid samples for noble radionuclides ³⁹Ar, ⁸¹Kr, and ⁸⁵Kr could provide information on the origin, evolution, and migration of crustal fluids.</p> {4AFCFAE0-6729-491C-ACAA-C36D4D7C5E75}http://science.energy.gov/hep/highlights/2012/hep-2012-10-b/<img src='/~/media/hep/images/highlights/2012/10/higgs-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Particle may help explain the origins of mass.Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:45:03 -0400<p>The Standard Model of Particle Physics predicts that the Higgs boson, once made, will decay in a number of ways. Some of these decay modes are easier to observe at the LHC than others, in particular the mode in which the Higgs decays to two photons and the mode in which it decays two pairs of electrons or muons or one pair of each. These decay modes are most easily observed because their backgrounds&mdash;events that may look like they came from the decay of a Higgs but don&rsquo;t&mdash;are very well understood. (Other modes were investigated as well.) Any events above the number of background events then may be statistically significant and a signature for a new particle. The accompanying figure shows CMS data for the di-photon decay mode. One can easily observe the excess of events around 125-126 GeV. Both ATLAS and CMS have similar plots for other decay modes as well.&nbsp;If the new particle proves to be the Higgs boson then this implies the existence of the Higgs field as the mechanism by which gauge bosons, such as the W and Z bosons, and quarks and charged leptons gain rest mass.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Higgs field has been likened to a giant vat of molasses spread throughout the universe through which particles wade. If a specific elementary particle is heavier than another, then it is more strongly coupled to the Higgs field. The strength of this interaction decides the particles mass. If the new particle is not the Higgs, then some other explanation for electroweak symmetry breaking must be found. </p>{1DEB4A1B-A989-4458-A291-F76301B4A096}http://science.energy.gov/hep/highlights/2012/hep-2012-10-c/<img src='/~/media/hep/images/highlights/2012/10/nobel_saul_perlmutter-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Astrophysicist Saul Perlmutter wins Nobel “for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe through observations of distant supernovae.”Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:33:09 -0400 <p>Because Type 1a supernovae form in the same way and explode with the same mass, their absolute light output is the same regardless of where and when they explode. That makes them “standard candles” – useful reference points in the night sky.  By measuring their apparent luminosity here on Earth, and comparing that with what we know to be their absolute luminosity, scientists can calculate how far away these supernovae are. And the farther away they are, the older they are because it takes light a longer time to arrive here if emitted from an object farther away than another. By comparing the redshifts of older supernovae with younger ones, scientists were able to determine conclusively that the rate of expansion of the universe is speeding up. This finding was contrary to the conventional wisdom, which held that the rate of expansion of the universe would slow down due to universal gravitational attraction.  Instead, physicists were forced to contemplate a radically different view of the universe. Physicists speak of the total matter-energy of the universe. The world that we see and touch, the world that we are made of, physicists now believe is only about 5% of the total matter-energy of the universe. Twenty percent is thought to be dark matter, which leaves approximately 75% of the universe’s matter-energy to be dark energy.</p> {7470F555-55F6-45D3-817C-95F69468597C}http://science.energy.gov/hep/highlights/2012/hep-2012-10-d/<img src='/~/media/hep/images/highlights/2012/10/rd100-lapd-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Argonne National Lab wins prestigious 2012 R&D 100 award for development of Large Area Microchannel Plate DetectorsMon, 18 Mar 2013 10:33:09 -0400 <p>Many modern physics experiments require very large detectors to “see” either very rare processes or particles that, although abundant, are difficult to detect. Large detectors increase the probability of catching these particles and improving experimental results. But with size comes cost. A large detector often means a large volume filled with, for example, tons of water or liquid argon. Around this must be an array of hundreds and often thousands of individual photomultiplier tubes (PMT) pointed inward, each hoping to detect a glimmer of light. These PMTs are costly, bulky, and require lots of cabling to operate.  Argonne National Lab, however, has developed coatings for a new MCP substrate made of cheaper borosilicate glass with the appropriate capillary structure for secondary electron emission. These are supplied by InCom. These substrates are then coated via atomic layer deposition (ALD) with two thin coats, a resistive coating and an emissive coating, in order to optimize secondary electron emission. This is done at Berkeley Space Science Laboratory. The composition of these coatings can vary depending on the application.  This new technology provides an opportunity to significantly reduce the cost of large-scale experiments. But because large-area detectors are needed in other areas as well, they should find homes in national security and medical imaging as well.</p> {12E64D86-5C57-454E-B385-EF2BA662E69D}http://science.energy.gov/fes/highlights/2012/fes-2012-10-b/<img src='/~/media/fes/images/highlights/2012/10/paw-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>New findings indicate that ionized plasmas like those in neon lights and plasma TVs can be used to sterilize water, making it antimicrobial for as long as a week after treatment.Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:45:48 -0500 <p>When water is exposed to air adjacent to dielectric-barrier-discharge generated plasma, various chemical compounds including hydrogen peroxides and nitrites arise in the water that have the ability to kill bacteria.  This water is known as Plasma-Activated Water (PAW). Work at the University of California at Berkeley partially funded by the Office of Science Fusion Energy Sciences program through its Center for Predictive Control of Plasma Kinetics has shown that the PAW can stay antibacterial for up to seven days. Suspensions of <em>E. coli</em> were exposed to PAW for various durations over a 7-day period; samples exposed for longer times showed a significant decrease in the E. coli population.  Because of its anti-bacterial capacity, PAW has the potential for a multitude of applications such as sterilization of medical equipment and the treatment of wounds. While further research remains before PAW can be used in clinical settings, these early results are promising.</p> {FC3C9C4D-D4FC-41CD-9F44-360EFACC023E}http://science.energy.gov/fes/highlights/2012/fes-2012-10-c/<img src='/~/media/fes/images/highlights/2012/10/betti-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Ultra high intensity magnetic fields open new opportunities in high energy density plasma science.Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:05:03 -0500 <p>The Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) has supported basic research at the University of Rochester to explore and control the properties of high energy density plasmas. Given the ultra high pressures of tens of gigabars of such plasmas, controlling their properties has always been an outstanding challenge. Using magnetic field compression as a tool to generate ultra high magnetic fields, the Rochester group has successfully produced a hotter core of a laser-driven capsule by magnetizing the central plasma heated by an imploding shell.  An initial seed magnetic field is embedded in a tiny spherical shell imploded by a high energy laser. The magnetic flux is frozen in the ionized gas inside the shell and then self-amplified as the target implodes.  In this way, a magnetic field of 20 megagauss is achieved from a 50 kilogauss seed field. The compressed field magnetizes the electrons and reduces the heat losses thus increasing the temperature and fusion reactivity of the compressed core.  The ability to control the properties of these plasmas with a magnetic field opens the way to many exciting studies with applications to astrophysics and fusion energy. The experimental platform developed by the Rochester scientists is available to outside users for future science experiments.</p> {2A7E95C8-2BC0-4AB9-8F15-47AEA312D29D}http://science.energy.gov/fes/highlights/2012/fes-2012-10-e/<img src='/~/media/fes/images/highlights/2012/10/beam-views-updated-nov-2012-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>A new type of stellarator could be a promising candidate for future fusion reactors.Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:18:55 -0500 <p>The Helically Symmetric Experiment (HSX) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a so-called quasi-symmetric stellarator and is the only one in the world so far to be built and operated. Quasisymmetric stellarators are good candidates as a fusion reactor because they do not need to have large currents flowing within the plasma at risk of going unstable and adversely impacting the walls of the confining vessel. HSX is unique in that it has a set of complex, three-dimensional coils that were computer-designed to produce a relatively simple magnetic field, which is used to fool the ions and electrons that make up the plasma into behaving as if they were confined in a straight, twisted tube rather than the doughnut shape that actually defines the configuration. In doing so, the magnetic field is roughly constant in a helical direction, which improves the confinement and allows the plasma to flow freely. This free plasma flow is crucial to quenching turbulence in the plasma that can degrade confinement.  A recent study used charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy to observe plasma flows as large at 20 km/s in the direction of symmetry, without any external input of momentum. These flows have been modeled by a new code which, for the first time, provides a tool that can be applied to any toroidal system, from ideal tokamaks, to quasisymmetric devices, to fully 3D systems.</p> {CB72E74E-BDD2-4760-A131-59B125B51199}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-10-g/<img src='/~/media/6B32687020B641409FBF1A56CEF64097.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Adding an oxide sieve, a layer containing nanocavities, to a catalyst surface makes the catalyst selective for specific reactions and increases efficiencies for chemical processes.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:35 -0400<p>Catalysts are compounds that enhance the speed of chemical reactions in a wide range of industrial chemistry applications. The Institute for Atom-Efficient Chemical Transformation (IACT), a DOE-supported Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC), is developing new reactions and new catalytic materials for bioenergy production by combining advanced characterization, computer simulations, and materials synthesis.&nbsp;IACT researchers at Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory developed a new technique to modify existing oxide catalysts with a surface film that enhances the selectivity of the catalyst. These films contain &lt;2 nm diameter &ldquo;nanocavities&rdquo; made by adding a template during the atomic layer deposition process that is used to synthesize atom-precise films of oxides, metals, and other materials. Removal of the template after synthesis results in the nanocavities in the surface that provides a sieving effect, allowing separation of the reactant molecules and limiting reactions to a single particle. Because the thickness of the sieving layer is comparable in size to the reactant molecules, diffusional limitations that plague other materials are not present here. Ultimately, adding selectivity to intrinsically non-selective oxide catalysts is expected to decrease the cost for biofuels and bio-derived chemicals by decreasing the need for challenging and costly separations and increasing the product yields.</p> <p>The research utilized the Advanced Photon Source for characterization of the structures.</p>{150695B0-A7B5-4840-BCCD-9EE487B34F8E}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-10-c/<img src='/~/media/bes/images/highlights/2012/10/nitrogen-distribution-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>The first real-time images of two atoms vibrating in a molecule have been captured using a technique called laser-induced electron diffraction.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:16:55 -0400 <p>Developments in theory and ultrafast lasers are rapidly advancing our ability to observe and control the motions of atoms and electrons within molecules undergoing chemical transformations.  BES-supported scientists at Ohio State University and Kansas State University recently reported the first freeze-frame images of atoms in vibrating oxygen and nitrogen molecules by using the molecule’s own electrons to report the positions of its atoms with exquisite spatial (0.1 Å) and femtosecond (10^-15 sec) temporal resolution.  The technique, called laser-induced electron diffraction (LIED), uses the oscillating electromagnetic field of an intense, ultra-fast laser pulse to pull an electron from the molecule in a process known as photo-ionization and then hurl that same electron back to interact with and diffract from the molecular ion. The diffraction pattern from the re-scattered electron provides a snapshot of the molecular structure at the instant when it interacts with the atoms in the molecule.  The LIED technique offers a novel method for capturing the ultrafast motion of atoms within a molecule through the manipulation of one of its own electrons.</p> {58B28D5A-2CEB-42AC-ACEB-21738879AB51}http://science.energy.gov/ascr/highlights/2012/ascr-2012-10-c/<img src='/~/media/ascr/images/highlights/2012/10/baudry-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Researchers use Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility to accelerate drug discovery.Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:37:58 -0400 <p>Jerome Baudry, an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee (UT) and member of the Center for Molecular Biophysics at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and his team of computational biophysicists use supercomputers much like other scientists use microscopes. After making alterations to publicly licensed software from the Scripps Research Institute, they were able to create 3D biological simulations of compounds docking with receptors in the body and run it on one of the world’s fastest computers to screen millions of candidates in a few days. The simulations the team created are based upon the process by which molecular compounds function within the body. Pharmaceuticals work because they bind specifically to certain cellular receptors that play roles in health and disease; similar to the way a key fits a lock. When that key opens too many locks, however, side effects occur. Baudry and his collaborators want to be able to predict the specific binding of a drug to a receptor to avoid cross-reactivity. Knowing this behavior will help researchers generate drug candidates likely to survive clinical trials. Thanks to the efficient and massive computations possible using the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, Baudry and his collaborators can screen drug candidates against multiple receptors and the dynamic structural variations of those receptors. The ability to run simulations greatly reduces the sample size as poor drug candidates get eliminated and ultimately produces a more specifically binding, and therefore more efficient, drug.</p> {E48A0243-AEC7-4CD4-9759-C171D5B7FF9A}http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2012/ber-2012-09-a/<img src='/~/media/ber/images/highlights/2012/09/chang-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Understanding factors influencing a cyclone’s path and intensity improves our ability to forecast and mitigate impacts.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:27:17 -0400 <p>A barrier layer in ocean environments, or Mixed Layer Depth, is defined as the depth where the density increases from the surface value due to a prescribed temperature decrease of some value (e.g., 0.2&deg;C) from the surface value while maintaining constant surface salinity value. Using a combination of observations and model simulations, the team demonstrated that barrier layers, formed through high fresh water input reducing the salinity in the upper tropical oceans, significantly increase the intensity of tropical cyclones. When tropical cyclones pass over these regions, the increased stratification and stability within the layer reduce storm-induced vertical mixing and sea surface temperature cooling. Their findings underscore the importance of observing salinity structure in deep tropical barrier layer regions.  As the hydrological cycle responds to global warming, any associated changes in the barrier layer distribution must be considered in projecting future tropical cyclone activity.</p> {67BFD15D-1E11-4E8E-BD17-650AA2EDEDA6}http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2012/ber-2012-09-b/<img src='/~/media/ber/images/highlights/2012/09/poplar-trees-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Knowing how Poplar trees make wood enables us to optimize their use for bioenergy production.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:27:16 -0400 <p>Poplar is a promising bioenergy feedstock due to its rapid growth, large biomass and because sugars extracted from the lignocellulosic biomass (wood) of these native trees can be fermented to form renewable biofuels. These sugars are embedded within lignin, a complex, rigid structure that is critical to the overall health of the plant but that also impeded extraction of the sugars. New DOE research is providing insight into how the lignocellulosic material forms in poplar. The process involves the expression of a cascade of genes whose regulation is poorly understood. The researchers at North Carolina State University report their discovery of a single protein (“controller” protein) that regulates this cascade on multiple levels to ensure normal growth, doing so in a way never before seen in plants. The controller protein was found outside the cell nucleus. In the presence of one of four other related proteins, it is carried into the nucleus where the two proteins bind. The newly-formed molecule then suppresses expression of the regulatory gene cascade. </p> {EB315AB0-A12A-4678-9886-4F1FD5465001}http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2012/ber-2012-09-d/<img src='/~/media/ber/images/highlights/2012/09/graber-meeks-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Discovering how a microbe makes complex structures to perform complex functions.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:27:15 -0400 <p>In comparison to multicellular plants and animals, bacteria are relatively simple, typically existing as single cells. However, some bacteria cooperate to form surprisingly sophisticated  structures. The photosynthetic microbe <em>Nostoc punctiforme</em> forms long filaments of connected cells. At regular spacing along these filaments, individual cells differentiate to form heterocysts, non-photosynthetic cells that convert nitrogen gas into biologically useful nitrogen compounds. This patterning allows these microbes to separately perform both photosynthesis (which produces O₂ as byproduct) and “fix” nitrogen using enzymes that are poisoned by oxygen, cooperatively exchanging the resulting nutrients between the cell types. In a new study, DOE researchers at the University of California, Davis describe genetic mechanisms responsible for the establishment and maintenance of this distinctive pattern in growing filaments. When the expression of a series of regulatory genes (the “pat system”) was experimentally manipulated, filaments formed with abnormal distributions of heterocysts. By analyzing these patterns and tracking the distribution of related proteins in dividing cells, the investigators were able to develop a new model describing the regulatory interactions resulting in the pattern that allows optimal photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation in the filaments.</p> {7291F942-6029-42E7-A4ED-65057C685672}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-09-a/<img src='/~/media/FFCEEF8DB53E47E9847517FCB8BE469D.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>A step closer to an artificial system using sunlight to produce hydrogen from waterFri, 10 May 2013 11:21:34 -0400<p>In natural photosynthesis, multiprotein complexes termed photosystems capture solar energy and convert it to chemical energy.&nbsp; Sunlight is absorbed by a pigment in the photosynthetic reaction center of the photosystem, causing electrons to increase in energy.&nbsp; These high-energy electrons are then transported through a series of components to the water splitting/oxygen evolving complex in the photosystem where via the energy from the electrons, water molecules are split into oxygen and hydrogen ions. Using natural photosynthesis as a model, The Center for Bio-Inspired Solar Fuel Production EFRC at Arizona State University designed a completely artificial photosynthetic fuel production system.&nbsp; Researchers constructed synthetic versions of each of the key parts of electron absorption and electron transfer found in a natural photosystem.&nbsp; Ultrafast laser studies verified that the synthetic version functioned in a manner similar to the natural version. The water splitting/oxygen evolving component was added through collaboration with Pennsylvania State University.&nbsp; When illuminated, the final completed solar water splitting device produces oxygen and hydrogen gas from water.&nbsp; While this artificial system is inefficient and currently operated only on the laboratory scale, it is a step forward in finding a way to a viable solar fuel technology.</p>{D3D0CED3-F4E4-45D4-BC40-4B017CFC1F6E}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-09-b/<img src='/~/media/F1C03600DBEB4CA2853A1A63AD3D4EFA.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Rapid creation of carbon-fluorine bonds may lead to improved production of drugs, agrochemicals and positron emission tomography (PET) tracers.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:35 -0400<p>Catalysts for low-temperature and selective substitution of bonds in hydrocarbons to produce specific functionality are central to the development of advanced technologies that can provide dramatic improvements in the utilization of energy. The Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalization (CCHF), a DOE funded Energy Frontier Research Center, is developing efficient catalysts for conversion of hydrocarbons into higher value materials. CCHF researchers at Princeton University and the California Institute of Technology discovered a manganese porphyrin catalyst (lower left molecule in figure) that selectively fluorinates carbon-hydrogen bonds under mild conditions using simple fluorides.&nbsp;The new fluorination system can be applied to a variety of alkanes, terpenoids and steroids&mdash;industrial molecules that are used in agriculture, pharmaceutical production, and medical positron emission tomography (PET) scan tracers.&nbsp;The yields of the reaction are sufficiently high and the techniques are sufficiently simple that the reaction can be performed without specialized apparatus.&nbsp; Given that the source of F in this one-step, one-pot protocol is fluoride ion, applications to incorporate isotopically-labeled F into a wide variety of biomolecules and synthetic building blocks can be expected. </p> <p>A patent application has been filed on the methodologies and resulting catalysts.</p>{69410B29-B4B8-422B-9909-BD007580F9D5}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-08-a/<img src='/~/media/A7C71133E9E44C73BDB4C360EDFEF132.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Squeezing creates new class of material built from clusters of carbon atoms.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:34 -0400<p>How do you dent diamond, one of the Earth&rsquo;s hardest materials? Researchers supported by the Energy Frontier Research in Extreme Environments EFRC&nbsp;created a new substance that can do just that. To make the new material, the researchers started with &lsquo;buckyballs,&rsquo; soccer-ball shaped cages composed of sixty carbons, and mixed them in a liquid solvent called xylene.&nbsp; The molecules of xylene served to &ldquo;link&rdquo; the buckyballs together in a regular, crystalline pattern like beads on a string. Finally, they squeezed the mixture in a diamond anvil cell in-situ in the synchrotron beam of the Advanced Photon Source. &nbsp; Something extraordinary happened around 320,000 times atmospheric pressure; the buckyballs collapsed and formed disordered, amorphous clusters but the xylene molecules held fast and still tethered the amorphous pieces together in a pattern like before. The resulting, never-before-seen structure was surprisingly hard; strong enough to dent the diamond anvil. The material stayed in the same structure even after the pressure had been released, which makes it potentially useful for a variety of different devices, especially future electronics. (<a href="/news/in-focus/2012/08-27-12/">Excerpt from DOE-SC's "In&nbsp;Focus"</a>)</p>{C85B942E-043A-4E98-9C4B-B09786ECD2D4}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-07-b/<img src='/~/media/34DCFCF74E5649CDA7424992D2865AA9.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Nanoscale features in rocks enable more carbon dioxide to be trapped as a solid carbonate material underground.Fri, 10 May 2013 16:30:03 -0400<p>Advanced experiments and computations have shown that underground carbonate mineral nucleation and growth is strongly dependent on nanoscale features such as the pore structure and surface topography of permeable rocks and the interfacial energies between rock surfaces and solid carbonates. This research at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory&rsquo;s Center for Nanoscale Control of Geologic CO₂, Washington University in St. Louis, and Oregon State University provides the quantitative parameters necessary to develop advanced models that describe how nucleation and growth of carbonate occur in porous media that contain multiple minerals with different surface properties and micro- to nanoscale pores. In carbon capture and storage, CO₂ is captured from power plant exhaust and other sources and injected underground into porous rock formations where it mixes with ambient salt water and may remain for 1000&rsquo;s of years. Although it is expected that CO₂ can be transformed to carbonate minerals, it is unknown how fast this will occur and how the addition of new carbonate mineral in the rock formations will affect the short and long-term behavior of the system. This research will enable more realistic modeling of mineral formation from the injected CO₂ and thus increase the pace of deployment of this critical energy technology.</p>{01387CA8-3D86-4340-999D-8A58F6777792}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-07-a/<img src='/~/media/bes/images/highlights/2012/07/rogers-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>High-efficiency compound semiconductor solar cells can now be printed on flexible, plastics.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:16:57 -0400 <p>BES-supported research at the University of Illinois has resulted in an extensive intellectual property portfolio related to printable, high performance flexible and stretchable electronics and photovoltaics.  This fundamental research answers basic questions related to growth and manufacturing use of single crystalline semiconductors, dielectrics, metals, and devices formed from them.  This process also includes the use of a micro-transfer printing process that enables integration of pre-formed circuit elements to almost any substrate, including flexible types of plastic that can be integrated with optical over-layers for directing and focusing the light.  This research has directly led to a development program on concentrator photovoltaic modules, in partnership with Semprius Corporation, under the DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s <a href="http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/sunshot/incubator.html">SunShot Initiative Program </a>with the goal of establishing new materials strategies and manufacturing methods for low cost, high performance photovoltaic modules.  Semprius Corp and MC10, another startup company focused on stretchable electronics for biomedical applications, have licenses for applications in photovoltaics, flexible electronics and large area displays.  In 2012, Semprius set a new world record for photovoltaic module efficiency, reaching 33.9 percent.</p> {E51F3176-915C-41B1-A404-1AEB2F94CF2E}http://science.energy.gov/np/highlights/2012/np-2012-06-a/<img src='/~/media/np/images/highlights/2012/06/fig1-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>New calculations have quantified the boundaries and uncertainties of the ‘chart of the nuclides’—the extended periodic table of all matter.Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:45:56 -0500 <p>There are 288 stable or nearly stable nuclei that occur in nature, comprising 99.9 percent of the matter in the visible world around us. Some 3,000 more have been synthesized in laboratories. These nuclear species have been mapped onto a chart of nuclides—the periodic table of the nuclear physics world. Until recently, the boundaries marking the edge of where nuclei can exist in this nuclear landscape—where the addition of one more proton or one more neutron will cause the nucleus to fall apart—has been highly uncertain, especially for heavier elements. Research using a technique known as nuclear density functional theory carried out at the University of Tennessee and ORNL using one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers now predicts that the number of bound nuclides with atomic numbers between 2 and 120 is around 7,000. These findings represent a major advance in our understanding of nuclear stability, and where the ultimate limits of nuclear existence occur. Understanding the stability of nuclides is important to many applications and to natural phenomena such as the stellar processes that create the matter around us.</p> {5D57B763-F10F-455A-A9DA-9F8F5304AD9B}http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2012/ber-2012-06-a/<img src='/~/media/ber/images/highlights/2012/06/ad-2009-sep-20-amanita-muscaria-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Insights into the origin of ligninases can help develop processes to convert biomass into bioenergy.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:27:19 -0400 <p>Much of the world’s coal was generated 300–360 million years ago during the Carboniferous period. Wood (a major pool of organic carbon that is highly resistant to decay largely due to its lignin content) was deposited, transformed to peat, and eventually transformed to coal. But coal formation may also have declined from an unlikely source - fungi. These fungi had enzymes (ligninases) capable of degrading lignin, a category of enzyme important for the Department of Energy’s bioenergy mission, since lignin in plant biomass hinders biomass conversion to biofuels. By comparing the genomic sequences of 31 fungi, including 12 sequenced for this study, the researchers showed that genes able to degrade lignin first appeared at the end of this period. Instead of becoming coal, the plant biomass decayed and the carbon was released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.</p> {CC675AE6-9F6E-43AD-A1F4-0F1A13A02B43}http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2012/ber-2012-06-b/<img src='/~/media/ber/images/highlights/2012/06/journal-pone-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>A microbe not known for cellulose degradation has 15 cellulases that may improve biofuel production.Fri, 10 May 2013 16:38:17 -0400 <p>The biotechnology and biofuels industries are particularly interested in cellulases, enzymes that break down cellulose, the most abundant organic compound on Earth and the component that makes up 33 percent of all plant matter. Cellulases from a group of aerobic bacteria called <em>Actinobacteria</em> are of special interest as sources of enzymes useful for biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass. They have distinct features and cellular organization when contrasted to those in anaerobic bacteria (such as the <em>Clostridia</em>). The DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) has sequenced the genomes of eleven diverse strains of these bacteria. Comparative analysis using the JGI’s Integrated Microbial Genomes system followed by experimental verification identified eight cellulolytic Actinobacterial species that were not previously known to degrade cellulose. Of seven organisms tested, six showed activity in assays for cellulases. This work, conducted under the umbrella of the JGI’s Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA) project, broadens the repertoire of useful enzymes beyond those previously recognized.</p> {B048B78A-D799-4A76-A7CF-E14F3637AC64}http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2012/ber-2012-06-c/<img src='/~/media/ber/images/highlights/2012/06/lintner-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Impacts of anthropogenic warming on tropical land region rainfall.Fri, 10 May 2013 16:38:22 -0400 <p>Quantifying how global warming impacts the spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation represents a key scientific challenge with profound implications for human systems.  In particular, tropics-wide precipitation frequencies for 25-year periods over the late 21st and 20th centuries show increased late-21st-century occurrence of both extremes in the model ensemble and across individual models.  Similar diagnostics are calculated for two 15-year subperiods from 1979-2008 to assess whether the signature of late-21st-century warming has already emerged in response to recent warming.  While both the observations and CMIP3 ensemble-mean hint at similar amplification in the warmer (1994-2008) subinterval, the changes are not robust, as substantial differences are evident among the observational products and the intraensemble spread is large.  Comparing results from the warmest and coolest years of the observational period further demonstrates effects of internal variability, notably the El Niño/Southern Oscillation, which appear to oppose the impact of quasi-uniform anthropogenic warming on the wet tail of the monthly precipitation distribution.</p> {9F31DFD5-71FD-4EB0-9ACC-7B6A2E1E5E79}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-06-a/<img src='/~/media/bes/images/highlights/2012/06/ccei-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>House-of-Cards structure leads to improved zeolite catalyst.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:16:57 -0400 <p>Increasing demand for energy and materials has led to an accelerated research effort in the development of renewable chemicals for a sustainable economy. Efforts within the Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI), a DOE-funded Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC), are aimed at realizing novel catalytic processes for production of chemicals and fuels from biomass-derived feedstocks by bridging catalyst design, reaction engineering and fundamental understanding of reaction mechanism. The researchers used a novel and simple synthesis technique, called repetitive branching, to stack the thin zeolite sheets at right angles generating a "house-of-cards" shaped crystal. By creating zeolite crystals with large-pore "highways," which are about 10 times bigger than the zeolite pores, chemicals and molecules can pass rapidly through the channels to reach the smaller, reactive pores within the crystal. This results in faster, more selective, and more stable catalysts, produced at the same cost as traditional zeolite catalysts. Research was performed at the University of Minnesota and has been licensed to Argilex.</p> {A76E7315-2A24-46AA-8610-56925C2E5A25}http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2012/ber-2012-05-a/<img src='/~/media/ber/images/highlights/2012/05/drell-blanc-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>A polar alga with lipid metabolism enzymes may prove useful harnessing algae for biodiesel production.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:27:20 -0400 <p>Algae are of major interest to researchers who are developing alternative energy sources. For example, lipids making up algal membranes can be transformed into biodiesel. One photosynthetic alga, <em>Coccomyxa subellipsoidea</em> C-169, was recently isolated in Antarctica and now is the first alga from a polar region to have its genome sequenced. Surprisingly, the alga thrives at temperatures close to 20ºC, though it is tolerant of the cold temperatures in the Antarctic.<em> C. subellipsoidea</em> was sequenced by the DOE Joint Genome Institute and its predicted protein families were compared with those from several other sequenced green algae. This greater versatility of lipid metabolism is thought to have contributed to its adaptation to cold.</p> {A8181AFC-8ECE-4D62-9E2D-9B5876F86778}http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2012/ber-2012-05-b/<img src='/~/media/ber/images/highlights/2012/05/koch-gao-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Regional Climate Models predict greater drought resistance in southwest U.S. than General Circulation Models (GCMs).Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:27:20 -0400 <p>Getting an accurate projection of water cycle changes for the southwestern United States (SW) is becoming increasingly more urgent in light of regional drought trends and changes in the Colorado River flow. A research team, including a DOE scientist from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, analyzed the future climate from four pairs of regional and global climate models (RCMs and GCMs). The water cycle of the region is dominated by winter storms that maintain a positive annual net precipitation (precipitation minus evapotranspiration). The analysis shows that compared to GCMs, RCMs simulate enhanced transient moisture convergence in the SW, although both robustly simulate large-scale drying due to enhanced moisture divergence by the divergent mean flow in a warmer climate.</p> {D6D61DA6-9190-46CE-9E6C-09E22308F05E}http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2012/ber-2012-05-c/<img src='/~/media/ber/images/highlights/2012/05/liu-mam-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Complex aerosol processes accurately captured in climate models with a new, minimal aerosol module.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:27:20 -0400 <p>Accurately simulating climate change requires inclusion of full interactions between tiny aerosol particles, clouds and climate. This in turn requires that aerosol size and mixing conditions be resolved and that multiple species be carried in the climate model. A new aerosol scheme that includes these features is now available for the Community Earth System Model (CESM1). DOE researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory led the development of a Modal Aerosol Module (MAM) for the Community Atmospheric Model version 5 (CAM5), the atmospheric component of CESM1. MAM can simulate the aerosol size distribution and mixing states between different aerosol components, and can treat numerous aerosol physical and chemical processes. Two versions of MAM were developed: a complete version with 7 aerosol modes serving as the benchmark and used for detailed aerosol studies, and a simplified version with 3 aerosol modes used for decade to century climate simulations. MAM does a good job of simulating the temporal and spatial distributions of aerosol mass, number and size distribution, and aerosol optical depth compared to observations, although some biases, such as underestimation of black carbon in the Arctic and underestimation of aerosol loading near source regions, will require further development. MAM is being used in CESM1 for the International Panel on Climate Change 5th Assessment Report. MAM has also been adopted by other major global and regional models (e.g., NASA GEOS-5 and the Weather Research Forecast Model).  The complexities of aerosol properties and processes, and limitations of computer resources have made it a challenge for global climate models (GCMs) to realistically represent aerosols.</p> {5C548C32-C0EB-4655-8D37-EE34E68CEA69}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-05-a/<img src='/~/media/938DFCA0F40548D0A12A91F3E7F75E67.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Novel, liquid-less design promises to improve long-term stability and durability of dye-sensitized solar cells while hitting high efficiency marks.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:32 -0400<p>Current solar cell technologies are largely constrained by high production costs, low operating efficiency, and limited durability.&nbsp;A low-cost alternative to current silicon-based solar cell devices are thin film solar cells, such as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). DSSCs are made up of inexpensive, environmentally-benign titanium dioxide nanoparticles coated with light-absorbing dye molecules, and a liquid electrolyte.&nbsp; Research by the Argonne Northwestern Solar Energy Research (ANSER) EFRC at Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University has solved long-standing corrosion and durability problems associated with the liquid electrolyte. The corrosive, volatile liquid was replaced with a novel semiconducting inorganic solid, resulting in a solar cell that has competitive conversion efficiencies (10%) while withstanding high temperatures, high levels of humidity, and accelerated aging tests.&nbsp;The solid semiconductor consisting of cesium tin iodide (CsSnI₃) can be processed in solution, an appealing characteristic for keeping manufacturing costs low.&nbsp;The semiconductor also enhances light absorption of the DSSC in the red region of the solar spectrum, thereby outperforming conventional DSSCs. This discovery could lead to new solar cells that are both longer-lasting and highly efficient, while costing less to manufacture.&nbsp;A patent has been filed for this development.</p>{55E59475-DA49-4A22-8B96-502CFFED2AAB}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-05-b/<img src='/~/media/ADEC60372B184F41957E860AF1A0A46C.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Visualization of electron pair binding confirms predictions about how high temperature superconductivity works.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:33 -0400<p>By measuring how strongly electrons are bound together, forming &ldquo;Cooper pairs&rdquo;, in an iron-based superconductor, scientists at the Center for the Emergent Superconductivity Energy Frontier Research Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cornell University, and St. Andrews University, with materials developers at AIST in Japan, provide direct evidence that magnetism holds the key to this material&rsquo;s ability to carry current with no resistance. Several groups of theorists had hypothesized that if the electrons in a superconductor have their magnetic moments pointing in opposite directions, they could overcome their mutual repulsion to join forces in so-called Cooper pairs &mdash; thus carrying current with no loss. According to the theory, the strength of the &lsquo;glue&rsquo; holding electron pairs together would be different for specific electrons and depend on the direction that the electrons are traveling &mdash; with the pairing usually being stronger in a given direction than at 45&deg; to that direction.&nbsp;The researchers figured out how to measure the predicted direction dependence (anisotropy) in the energy necessary to unbind a pair by using a specially developed application of scanning tunneling microscopy. Their novel method, known as &ldquo;multi-band Bogoliubov quasiparticle scattering interference,&rdquo; discovered the anisotropic pairing &ldquo;signature&rdquo; predicted for three electronic bands of a model superconductor, lithium iron arsenide.</p>{6FF27E78-51A2-4D7A-AB5A-B3F57FD6CE24}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-05-c/<img src='/~/media/CE7DE7FE393341C3A794087E1FBBCA97.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>New scalable, high power energy storage possible with carbon-electrolyte slurries.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:33 -0400<p>Scientists at Drexel University studying the properties of carbon slurries have discovered that the electrochemical and physical flow characteristics of such slurries are favorable for a new grid-scale storage concept called the electrochemical flow capacitor (EFC). In work supported by the Fluid Interface Reactions, Structures, and Transport (FIRST) Center, a DOE Energy Frontier Research Center, researchers have discovered that, just like supercapacitors, energy is stored in the electric double layer of charged carbon particles in an electrolyte slurry.&nbsp;A flowable carbon-electrolyte slurry could serve as the active material for an EFC, in which the charged slurry is handled in a similar fashion to flow or semi-solid battery fluids (<em>i.e.</em>, for charging/discharging, the slurry is pumped into an electrochemical cell; for energy storage, the charged slurry is pumped into reservoirs).&nbsp;This new concept shares the major advantages of supercapacitors and flow batteries, providing rapid charging/discharging and excellent cyclability, while enabling the decoupling of the power and energy ratings. The study reported promising initial EFC performance data for carbon slurries obtained under static and intermittent flow operations. This approach may reduce the use of polymer separators, metal current collectors and packaging materials; these passive elements increase the cost and weight in current devices without contributing to the charge storage.</p>{95EE58C7-FF86-4361-AA38-2322621F2E0A}http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2012/ber-2012-04-a/<img src='/~/media/ber/images/highlights/2012/04/binary-cultivation-in-photobioreactors-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>New insights into the effect of light quality on bacterial metabolism and respiration.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:27:21 -0400 <p>Cyanobacteria are prime candidates for the biological production of biofuels, especially hydrogen. They photosynthesize in sunlight, have relatively fast growth rates, are tolerant to extreme environments, and can accumulate high amounts of intracellular compounds and produce large quantities of H₂. The model and experiments provide new insights into the effect of light quality on metabolism and the bacteria’s mechanisms for balancing reductant and electron flows. The model differs from similar models of other cyanobacteria in its detailed treatment of the photosynthesis and respiratory systems. The photobioreactor features dual sources of monochromatic light that can vary photon flux with wavelengths that are tuned to the two bacterial photosynthesis systems.</p> {529E0482-D5C8-4C16-B717-D41C8841134B}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-04-a/<img src='/~/media/4D01B398CDBB4AE990B70F0A936F03A4.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Researchers have created an environmentally-friendly plastic coating that converts a wide range of electrical conductors into air-stable components for flexible, less expensive electronics.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:31 -0400<p>Organic-based thin-film optoelectronics, such as solar cells, hold great potential as affordable consumer electronics. However, most printed optoelectronics require at least one electrode be a metal having a work function (the amount of energy needed to remove an electron) that is low enough to inject electrons into, or collect, electrons from an organic semiconductor. Unfortunately such metals are very reactive and easily oxidized, which reduces performance of the electrode.&nbsp;To avoid this problem, a controlled fabrication environment and protective barrier are needed to prevent water and/or oxygen exposure, increasing manufacturing complexity and cost. Researchers at Georgia Tech, part of the Center for Interface Science: Solar Electric Materials (CISSEM) EFRC, discovered a universal approach, <em>i.e.,</em> applicable to many materials, for producing a low work function electrode that is stable in air. By &ldquo;sticking&rdquo; (through physisorption) an ultrathin layer (1 to 10 nanometers) of a commercially available, environmentally-friendly polymer with amine-containing aliphatic chains to a wide range of conductor surfaces, an air-stable, high performance electrode was created.&nbsp; To illustrate this approach&rsquo;s promise, the researchers demonstrated, for the first time, a completely plastic organic solar cell on a flexible substrate, an approach that would lower manufacturing costs for solar cells and other electronics.</p>{EEAE22D1-6218-4B8B-A9D3-814187B558E5}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-04-b/<img src='/~/media/BACC4E8B33E147C8A05600BC20173A58.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>New catalyst structures for fuel cells in vehicles improve activity and stability compared to commercial platinum counterparts.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:32 -0400<p>A key technical challenge for improved performance of the polymer electrolyte fuel cells used in transportation is increasing both activity and stability of the cathode catalyst. The current industry standard for the cathode catalyst is platinum (Pt) nanoparticles on a high-surface area carbon (C). In this study, researchers at the Center on Nanostructuring for Efficient Energy Conversion EFRC at Stanford University developed a high surface area, meso-structured Pt thin film catalyst that exhibits higher specific activity for oxygen reduction than the commercial catalyst.&nbsp;Oxygen reduction to form water is a critical component of the chemical activity in the fuel cell. An accelerated stability test demonstrated that the meso-structured Pt thin film also is significantly more stable than the commercial catalyst. &nbsp;Research reveals that the high turnover frequency and excellent durability is due to the meso-structure. Specifically, the morphology of the structure results in fewer under-coordinated Pt sites than Pt/C nanoparticles, a key difference that improves the specific activity and surface chemistry. The improved catalyst activity and stability resulting from this structure could enable development of high-performance gas diffusion electrodes resistant to corrosion even under the harsh conditions of start-up, shut-down, and/or hydrogen starvation.</p>{A5BC3BF9-BFDA-4030-81B9-C06A32DC58E7}http://science.energy.gov/ascr/highlights/2012/ascr-2012-04-a/<img src='/~/media/ascr/images/highlights/2012/04/desal-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>NERSC helps researchers design new desalination technology.Fri, 10 May 2013 16:35:31 -0400 <p>Guided by advanced molecular modeling at the National Energy Research Supercomputing Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists are investigating how to turn atom-thick carbon layers into membranes for a new and improved desalination method in places with inadequate fresh water. “Without any actual experimental demonstration, what our calculations tell us is that the performance of the graphene membrane for water desalination would be very high,” says Jeffrey Grossman, a materials scientist who is MIT’s Carl Richard Soderberg, associate professor of power engineering and leader of the investigation. Graphene, first described in 1962 and the focus of a 2010 Nobel Prize in physics, is a chicken-wire mesh of carbon atoms that provide the underpinnings for graphite, charcoal, carbon nanotubes and buckyballs. What has sparked Grossman’s group’s interest is graphene’s phenomenal structural strength and chemical attributes that might make it ideal for filtering salt from seawater. The goal is to drill just-the-right-width, billionth-of-a-meter nanopores into graphene’s normally impenetrable surface so pressurized water alone could get through without damaging the ultrathin structure. That might make it more efficient than the reverse osmosis process that now offers the best performance of all seawater desalination options. The problem is reverse osmosis has comparatively high costs and energy use. Those faults mean that although seawater is widely available, “dramatically new technologies” are needed to make desalination “a sustainable water supply option,” Grossman and graduate student David Cohen-Tanugi reported earlier this year in the journal Nano Letters. Computer modeling is increasingly essential to modern-day chemistry and materials science because, according to Grossman “it sits in between theory and experiment,” so that “we can do actually what an experiment would have a hard time doing, which is to peel away the levels of complexity one by one.”</p> {B63CFAA5-2A5D-4CCA-BE2E-7F9EF16C33E6}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-03-b/<img src='/~/media/C8B21ECAE7AC41DDB54ECFA38B7EDB78.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>New nanostructured electrodes have 10 times the charging speed and higher battery power.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:31 -0400<p>Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles&ndash;based EFRC, Molecularly Engineered Energy Materials, have developed a novel approach to synthesize nanostructured high performance electrodes useful for the next generation lithium ion batteries. By directly coating active nanocrystals onto pre-formed three-dimensional conducting carbon nanotube (CNT) scaffolds, the need for the binders for structural stability at the nanostructured interfaces was eliminated &ndash; an important advance since binders can decrease the overall battery performance. Use of nanometer-sized particles in electrodes drastically reduces the charging times of batteries and supercapacitors because their high surface area offers ample sites for rapid movement of lithium ions, the material that carries the electrical charge. This conformal coating method provides critical features for high-performance electrodes, including effective pathways for electronic transport, high active-material loading, structural robustness and mechanical flexibility due to the excellent intrinsic properties of the CNT scaffold and the high surface area and shortened lithium-diffusion length of the nanocrystals. Electrodes based on titanium dioxide nanocrystals charged to 80% of full capacity in 5 minutes and showed negligible energy loss after a few hundred cycles.</p>{6968F56D-89D8-4BAF-A693-DB49B02A7299}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-03-c/<img src='/~/media/75A69C29A3F547008DE5E36A43B2E1BE.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Experts look at past nuclear accidents and potential scenarios to identify gaps in understanding nuclear fuel behavior.Fri, 10 May 2013 16:24:16 -0400<p>When the editors of Science wanted to highlight to their worldwide audience the gaps in our current understanding of nuclear fuel, recently brought to the fore by the accident at Japan&rsquo;s Fukushima reactors following the earthquake and resulting tsunami, they turned to three members of the Materials Science of Actinides EFRC (representing Notre Dame, University of Michigan, and University of California-Davis) to provide that expertise.&nbsp;The primary issue these experts point out is that the materials science and chemistry interactions of fuels in an accident scenario (heating, introduction of seawater, etc.) are very complex and not well known.&nbsp;During the Fukushima shutdown and subsequent flooding, this lack of scientific understanding resulted in a number of uncertainties in emergency response decisions.&nbsp;Unknown factors included the corrosion of the fuel, the chemical complexes formed, the rate of gas generation, and other degradation processes.&nbsp;One problem is that existing studies cannot be extrapolated to the conditions of a core-melt incident. Studies of simulated core-melt events and actual damaged fuel are needed to understand the complicated reactions involving radionuclides and the role of nano-scale actinide materials in promoting the breakdown of fuels. An understanding of the factors that determine the release of radionuclides from damaged fuel elements is central to minimizing impacts on the environment and human health.</p>{C6F56625-C338-4900-9454-C5CF34C50A47}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-03-a/<img src='/~/media/bes/images/highlights/2012/03/cgs-smit-hydrocarbon-separation-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Novel material for purifying gases could significantly lower industrial energy costs.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:16:58 -0400 <p>Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley–based EFRC, the Center for Gas Separation Relevant to Clean Energy Technologies, have experimentally confirmed the theoretical predictions that a novel metal-organic framework (MOF) material could purify several industrially important gases at nearly ambient conditions. MOFs are crystalline compounds consisting of metal clusters attached to organic molecules to form porous structures. Neutron diffraction of the MOF reveals a large surface area and exposed iron cation sites, which can preferentially adsorb unsaturated hydrocarbon molecules. It exhibits excellent performance for the purification of hydrocarbon gases, such as methane, ethylene, and propylene, useful for fuels and plastics, from gas mixtures at conditions much milder than those currently used for the separation of these gases. This patented discovery could result in cost savings for the oil and chemical industries and lower their environmental impacts by replacing existing large-scale energy-intensive gas separation processes. Current production involves cracking longer chain hydrocarbons at high temperatures (up to 500-600 °C) and separating the resulting products at high pressures and cryogenic temperatures (-100 °C). This material may also be capable of purifying natural gas streams containing a number of impurity gases.</p> {3E3C967A-612F-4580-937F-FA496AAC1850}http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2012/ber-2012-02-a/<img src='/~/media/ber/images/highlights/2012/02/ivanova-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Does polar ice erosion come from atmospheric heating or from oceanic advection of warm waters?Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:27:23 -0400 <p>The model passes an important test of sea-ice distribution changes: when the model is driven by the observed-reanalysis winds of the 1990’s, it successfully simulates the observed dipole pattern of ice concentration changes characteristic of the changes associated with North Atlantic Oscillation pressure and circulation changes.  The model successfully simulates the first mode of sea ice concentration variability, which is characterized by a dipole pattern of ice concentration anomalies, coherent with the atmospheric North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) pressure pattern. The model ocean-ice system was forced with NCEP/NCAR atmospheric reanalysis and then run for the two NAO periods during the 1990s.  The upper ocean mixed layer heat budgets were analyzed in the Barents, Nordic, and Irminger Seas to determine the winter-to-winter changes in the ocean heat advection and mixed layer net fluxes and these were then related to the ice changes. The ocean advection anomalies were also closely related to anomalous bottom ice melt rates. However although the oceanic temperature advection is of the same order of magnitude as the net atmospheric heat fluxes, the latter are always larger. Entrainment of heat from the deeper ocean may also play a key role in the upper ocean heat balance and this may be strongly influenced by ocean heat advection. Future research will consider the role of the deeper ocean upwelling, and will continue to investigate the relative importance of atmospheric and oceanic processes in eroding polar sea-ice.</p> {AE569D8A-E975-4A6E-B37D-101194379C74}http://science.energy.gov/ber/highlights/2012/ber-2012-02-b/<img src='/~/media/ber/images/highlights/2012/02/1754-6834-5-5-thumb.jpg' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Researchers develop new assay for ease of converting plant biomass to ethanol.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:27:22 -0400 <p>The conversion of plant biomass to liquid transportation fuel using consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) technology is a promising, cost-efficient strategy to develop energy from renewable sources.  CBP takes advantage of the ability of certain microbes to convert sugars contained within the plant cell wall to high-energy chemicals such as ethanol or butanol, but the efficiency can be hampered by the recalcitrance of certain plant materials to deconstruction. While plant cell wall composition and corresponding resistance to breakdown varies considerably within plant species, this genetic diversity can potentially be exploited if plant material is efficiently screened for such properties. The anaerobic bacterium <em>Clostridium phytofermentans</em>, is capable of directly converting a wide array of fermentable biomass components to ethanol without the addition of costly, exogenous, deconstruction enzymes. The assay, which measures ethanol production under the influence of different variables, was tested on both herbaceous grasses and woody plants. Significant differences in ethanol production within individual plant species were found, indicating detection of subtle genetic differences.</p> {C96ABF32-A742-4480-AA6E-DBD9DACF8858}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-02-a/<img src='/~/media/282736F172E64753A6B6F6F65320E625.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>“One pot” catalyst converts up to 20% of dry biomass to a critical chemical used in biofuel production.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:28 -0400<p>Furfural is a useful chemical that can be obtained from plant biomass. In addition to being a component in synthesis of industrial and household products, furfural has increasing potential as a non-petroleum-based, renewable building block for liquid transportation fuels.&nbsp;Strong acids have typically been used to make furfural by converting sugars such as xylose from hemicellulosic polysaccharides, a major component of plant biomass. However, this can result in breakdown of furfural to unwanted products, reducing overall yield. Research in the C3Bio Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) demonstrated that use of maleic acid, a weak acid, provides a more efficient method to obtain furfural.&nbsp;The researchers at Purdue University used kinetic studies to determine optimal temperatures and times for the two-step process using maleic acid first to extract xylose from untreated biomass, either maize, switchgrass, pine or poplar, and then to convert the xylose to furfural. Because maleic acid can accomplish both conversion steps, this &ldquo;one-pot&rdquo; strategy produced furfural at higher yields and resulted in less degradation of both xylose and furfural than use of strong acids.&nbsp;Further, this process may be less expensive and more environmentally friendly than other available technologies.</p>{284C89CB-6EE5-4F98-8AFF-C931A52408E3}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-02-b/<img src='/~/media/4AE2943B0D1A40E29166D9D2EB53D1C5.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>A scalable catalytic process improves the yield of biofuels by 40%.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:29 -0400<p>Catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) is a promising technology for the production of renewable aromatic compounds, including commercially important chemicals such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes, directly from solid biomass.&nbsp;In this single-step process, biomass, including wood, agricultural wastes and fast-growing energy crops, is fed into a fluidized-bed reactor where the biomass thermally decomposes to form pyrolysis vapors, the gases released from the processing. These pyrolysis vapors then enter the zeolite catalysts, which are also in the fluidized-bed reactor, and are converted into the desired aromatic compounds and olefins, types of hydrocarbon, along with carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water, and coke, a high-carbon fuel.&nbsp;The spent catalyst and coke are sent to a regenerator where they are burned. The advantages of the new process are: 1) all the desired chemistry occurs in one single reactor, 2) the process uses an inexpensive silica&ndash;alumina catalyst, and 3) aromatics and olefins are produced that fit easily into existing infrastructures.&nbsp; Research was performed at the University of Massachusetts as a part of the Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation EFRC, and has been licensed to Annelotech.</p>{22A68D8F-2D69-47B5-8B56-8D5155A0AF70}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-02-c/<img src='/~/media/805EA3C9556C490FA8D33F9F4677B432.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>Biomechanical studies challenge current depictions of plant primary cell wall architecture.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:29 -0400<p>Growing plant cells are surrounded by a primary cell wall consisting predominantly of polymers of sugars (cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin).&nbsp;Xyloglucan, typically referred to as hemicellulose, is widely believed to act as a tether between cellulose fibers, limiting cell enlargement and regulating cell wall mechanical properties. To test this model, Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation EFRC researchers at Pennsylvania State University assessed the biomechanical properties of the cell wall.&nbsp;Experiments examined the ability of primary cell walls to undergo creep &mdash; irreversible increases in the length of the walls due to loosening of the connections between cell wall components &mdash; in response to three types of enzymes, termed endoglucanases, that causes breakdown(hydrolysis) of either xyloglucan, cellulose, or both. &nbsp;The xyloglucan-specific and cellulose-specific endoglucanases, either by themselves or in combination, failed to induce creep; endoglucanases that hydrolyze both xyloglucan and cellulose induced a high creep rate and were able to break down the cell wall. These results suggest xyloglucan does not act as a load-bearing tether between cellulose microfibrils. Rather, a minor xyloglucan component may be located in the limited regions of tight contact between cellulose fibers, playing an important role in wall mechanics.</p>{919B9B1C-E837-4B31-99B7-7C46FEC0B565}http://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2012/bes-2012-02-d/<img src='/~/media/A8B670E8FCE14632BBB8A00367828038.ashx' align='left' style='height:75px;width:135px;margin-right:10px;margin-bottom:10px;'/>A single reversible catalyst enables energy to be both stored and released on demand.Fri, 10 May 2013 11:21:29 -0400<p>Alternative energy sources like wind and solar produce intermittent power that must be stored for later use when the wind stops blowing or the sun sets.&nbsp;One storage mechanism is to transform electrical energy from solar and wind into chemical energy like hydrogen, but this can be complex and costly.&nbsp;To produce hydrogen efficiently, Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis (CME) researchers are designing a hydrogen splitting catalyst based on the hydrogenase enzyme found in nature. Hydrogenase cleaves two linked hydrogen atoms (dihydrogen) into electrical energy, and it can reverse the reaction to form dihydrogen.&nbsp;This enzyme also has features CME researchers want &ndash; a single catalyst that works at ambient temperature and pressure, and an active site that uses abundant metals such as iron or nickel.&nbsp;To build the synthetic catalyst, molecular strands called ligands were attached to a nickel active site.&nbsp;Using theory and experiments, researchers varied size, shape, and electronic properties of the ligands to &ldquo;tune&rdquo; catalytic activity.&nbsp;One nickel complex displayed reversible dihydrogen production and cleavage with high efficiency &ndash; the first example of a molecular complex to catalyze these reversible reactions.&nbsp;While the catalyst is slow, it wastes little energy and marks an important first step towards improving capabilities for energy storage.</p>