Stories of Discovery & Innovation

Heating Up While Staying Cool?

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Exotic effects at the nanoscale could help shape the future of electronics.

Microbes, Mercury, and Risk

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Oak Ridge researchers unlock a genetic key to mercury contamination of the food chain.

Out of Thin Air

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Nanoscience helps pave the way toward next generation “lithium-air” batteries.

Follow the Atoms

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Innovative computational approach accurately maps biochemical reactions at the atomic level.

Preventing Laptop Fires and “Thermal Runaway”

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Researchers point to “self-healing” materials as a potential means of improving lithium ion battery safety.

Profiting from Waste?

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Researchers fashion a record-breaking material to recycle waste heat into electricity.

Just One Word—Plastics

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400

A “universal” plastic coating could lead to lower cost, more flexible electronic devices.

Could Cheaper Gasoline be "in the Cards"?

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

EFRC researchers develop ingenious house-of-card structures to improve catalyst performance.

Scientists Uncover a Photosynthetic Puzzle

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Quantum effects are discovered at earliest stage of photosynthesis.

A Nanoscale “Tune-Up” for Fuel Cells

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Using sophisticated techniques, EFRC researchers are observing, at the molecular level, how hydrogen fuel cells degrade.

Mimicking Nature Backwards and Forwards

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Using biology as their blueprint, EFRC researchers devise a reversible reaction for hydrogen energy storage.

"Nano-Tweezers" Made of Light

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Researchers devise a powerful new method for manipulating nanoscale objects.

Softening Switchgrass

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

How a "juvenile" maize gene can help turn prairie grass into fuel.

Enhancing the Energy Harvest

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

EFRC researchers fashion solar cells with greater than 100% "Quantum Efficiency."

A Step Toward Artificial Photosynthesis

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

EFRC researchers construct an artificial version of a bacterium's light-absorbing "antenna."

The Strange Future of Electronics

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

New materials called "topological insulators" may help us chart a path beyond Moore's Law.

Brewing Renewable Diesel

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Researchers at a DOE Bioenergy Research Center use microbes to synthesize a drop-in replacement for standard diesel transportation fuel.

Beyond the Transistor

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

EFRC researchers fabricate a novel device for channeling light.

More Heat than Light?

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Breakthrough solar cell harvests electricity from the sun's thermal energy.

Peering into a Quantum Well

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Supercomputer simulation illuminates mysterious "droop" in solid-state lighting.

Beating Nature at her Own Game?

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

New catalyst speeds conversion of electricity to hydrogen fuel.

Trapping the Light Fantastic

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

New solar cell design uses advanced optics and nanotechnology to maximize performance and minimize cost. Discovery moves from lab bench to initial commercial scale-up inside a year.

GE Uses DOE Advanced Light Sources to Develop Revolutionary Battery Technology

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Company is constructing a new battery factory in Upstate New York that is expected to create 300+ jobs.

Superfast Search Engine Speeds Past the Competition

Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Software developed for analyzing physics data finds powerful commercial applications.

Scientists Create World’s Smallest Battery

Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Effort yields insights that could improve battery performance.

Using DNA to Build Nanomaterials

Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Scientists use complementary strands of synthetic DNA to build functional materials from the bottom up. Future applications include biosensors, optical nano-devices, and new kinds of solar cells.

Beyond Silicon: Cutting the Costs of Solar Power

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

New method of fabricating semiconductors from gallium arsenide promises more affordable solar power, improved semiconductor devices.

Getting the Lead Out

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Discarded electronics no longer pose an environmental hazard from lead solder thanks to a lead-free alternative developed at the Ames Laboratory.

Thin Sheet of Diamond Has Worlds of Uses

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

A new technique from Argonne National Laboratory creates thin diamond films that are helping industry save energy and could even be used in heart and eye implants.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines