Argonne National Laboratory (DOE)
Novel materials become multifunctional at ultimate quantum limit
September 25, 2012 9:17 am | News | CommentsA University of Arkansas physicist and his colleagues have examined the lower limits of novel materials called complex oxides and discovered that unlike conventional semiconductors the materials not only conduct electricity, but also develop unusual magnetic properties.
Experiments reveal dynamics of polymer chains on substrates
September 25, 2012 7:58 am | News | CommentsNew technologies in microelectronics and lithography typically require the presence of nanoscale polymer films in contact with a substrate. Successful engineering of these structures requires an understanding of the interplay between the dynamics of the thin film and the underlying substrate, and recent experiments at the Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source have produced new insights into these compositions.
Real-world levitation to inspire better pharmaceuticals
September 13, 2012 5:15 am | News | CommentsIt's not a magic trick and it's not sleight of hand—scientists really are using levitation to improve the drug development process, eventually yielding more effective pharmaceuticals with fewer side effects. Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have discovered a way to use sound waves to levitate individual droplets of solutions containing different pharmaceuticals.
Imaging metals within cells
September 10, 2012 5:38 am | News | CommentsA team of researchers from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Argonne National Laboratory carrying out research at the Advanced Photon Source have developed a new experimental approach that not only detects and distinguishes metals in proteins, but also characterizes the proteins that bind the metals, without removing them.
New nanoparticle to turn yard waste into biofuel
September 5, 2012 4:43 am | News | CommentsA team of researchers has recently been successful in synthesizing and characterizing monodisperse gold-core silver-shell nanoparticles utilizing a bio-template that has potential as a water soluble catalyst for converting biomass such as dead trees, branches and tree stumps, yard clippings, wood chips, and even municipal solid waste into fuels.
Strain in silver nanoparticles creates unusual 'twinning'
August 28, 2012 4:26 am | News | CommentsWhen twins are forced to share, it can put a significant strain on their relationship. While this observation is perhaps unsurprising in the behavior of children, it is less obvious when it comes to nanoparticles. After spending close to a decade examining the structure of nanowires made of pure silver, scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have discovered a set of unusual behaviors in nanocrystals with a strained, five-fold symmetry formed by "twinning" in the crystal structure.
Mobile climate observatory prepares for campaign aboard ship
August 16, 2012 9:38 am | News | CommentsFollowing a six-month land-based campaign in the Maldives to study tropical convective clouds, the U.S. Department of Energy's second Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) mobile facility, called AMF2, is being readied for its first marine-based research campaign aboard a cargo container ship in the Pacific Ocean.
An intriguing twist in the structure of a cobalt oxide catalyst
August 15, 2012 5:41 am | by David Lindley | News | CommentsHydrogen is a clean fuel, producing only water vapor when it burns. But generating hydrogen in large quantities and in a "green" fashion is not straightforward. Biological photosynthesis includes an efficient reaction step that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen with the help of catalysts that have been used as models for synthetic catalysts. Working at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, a team of scientists has determined the structure of one such catalyst, a complex cobalt oxide.
Argonne, Evigia finalize licensing agreement
July 16, 2012 10:52 am | News | CommentsEvigia Systems and Argonne National Laboratory announced that they have finalized a licensing agreement under which Argonne's patented, application-specific radio-frequency identification sensor/seal technology and its custom-developed ARG-US software suite will be further developed and marketed by Evigia as a comprehensive nuclear and hazardous material handling solution.
Graphene decoupling of organic, inorganic interfaces
June 19, 2012 6:50 am | News | CommentsCryogenic ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was employed by researchers in the Center for Nanoscale Materials Electronic & Magnetic Materials & Devices Group at Argonne National Laboratory to uncover exceptionally weak molecule-surface interactions between fullerene C 60 deposited onto epitaxially grown graphene on silicon carbide substrates.
Catching some rays: Organic solar cells make a leap forward
June 14, 2012 4:37 am | News | CommentsDrawn together by the force of nature, but pulled apart by the force of man—it sounds like the setting for a love story, but it is also a basic description of how scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have begun to make more efficient organic solar cells.
New nanomaterials method answers tough challenges
June 8, 2012 9:42 am | News | CommentsWhen searching for the technology to boost computer speeds and improve memory density, the best things come in the smallest packages. A relentless move toward smaller and more precisely defined semiconductors has prompted researchers at Argonne National Laboratory to develop a new technique that can dramatically improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of preparing different classes of semiconducting materials.
Argonne sets sights on natural gas cars, trucks
June 5, 2012 12:23 pm | News | CommentsAs the United States' natural gas reserves have sparked an interest in natural gas-powered vehicles, Argonne National Laboratory is hoping to use its automotive research facilities to lead the way in natural-gas vehicle testing.
Grid realities cancel out some of wind power's carbon savings
May 30, 2012 7:08 am | News | CommentsWind energy lowers carbon emissions, but adding turbines to the current grid system does not eliminate emissions proportionally, according to a report by researchers at Argonne National Laboratory. To test how wind energy affects carbon dioxide emissions, Argonne scientists modeled the Illinois electric grid and tested how more wind power would affect the system.
Scientists uncover a photosynthetic puzzle
May 21, 2012 12:54 pm | News | CommentsQuantum physics and plant biology seem like two branches of science that could not be more different, but surprisingly they may in fact be intimately tied. Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory and the Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame used ultrafast spectroscopy to see what happens at the subatomic level during the very first stage of photosynthesis.
Argonne, universities partner to design advanced materials
May 16, 2012 9:24 am | News | CommentsArgonne National Laboratory announced major new efforts with Northwestern University and the University of Chicago to advance the research and development of new materials to help solve the nation’s challenges in the fields of energy, health, and security.
Researchers identify potential target for anthrax drug
May 9, 2012 6:10 am | News | CommentsResearchers at the University of Michigan have identified new targets for drugs that could potentially treat anthrax, the deadly infection caused by Bacillus anthracis . The team found a new way to block the bacteria's ability to capture iron, which is vital to its survival and its disease-causing properties.
Untangling the mysteries of spider silk
May 3, 2012 3:53 am | News | CommentsSpiders weave a web even more tangled than originally thought—at least on the nanoscale level, according to a new study performed at Argonne National Laboratory. Using high-energy X-rays provided by the Advanced Photon Source, scientists peered into the structure of orb spiders' dragline silk—the chief thread that allows them to dangle precipitously off branches and window frames.
Solar system may have evolved faster than we think
May 2, 2012 6:52 am | News | CommentsOur solar system is four and a half billion years old, but its formation may have occurred over a shorter period of time than we previously thought, says an international team of researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and universities and laboratories in the U.S. and Japan.
New institute to tackle 'data tsunami' challenge
April 19, 2012 6:19 am | by Louise Lerner | News | CommentsMany simulations and experiments already generate petabytes of data—a single petabyte is 2,000 times more data than you can fit on a typical laptop—and they will soon be generating exabytes. The Department of Energy’s newly established Scalable Data Management, Analysis, and Visualization (SDAV) Institute is intended to help scientists deal with the deluge of data.
New isotope measurement could alter history of early solar system
April 2, 2012 12:44 pm | News | CommentsThe early days of our solar system might look quite different than previously thought, according to research at Argonne National Laboratory. The study used more sensitive instruments to find a different half-life for samarium, one of the isotopes used to chart the evolution of the solar system.
Copper-based materials show strange spin states
March 28, 2012 5:09 am | News | CommentsJust as water, ice, and steam are all phases of the same material that are influenced by temperature and pressure, new research from Argonne National Laboratory shows how transitions of state work in very simple lattices primarily composed of copper.
All-inorganic nanocrystals boost infrared emission
March 14, 2012 5:27 am | News | CommentsNew chemistry has been developed to integrate lead chalcogenide nanocrystals into continuous inorganic matrices of chalcogenide glasses. Inorganic capping, rather than conventional organic capping ligands, allows simple and low-temperature encapsulation of these nanocrystals into solution-cast infrared-transparent amorphous As 2 S 3 chalcogenide matrices.
Diamond brightens the performance of electronic devices
March 13, 2012 4:13 am | News | CommentsWhile diamonds may be a girl's best friend, they're also well loved by scientists working to enhance the performance of electronic devices. Two new studies performed at Argonne National Laboratory have revealed a new pathway for materials scientists to use previously unexplored properties of nanocrystalline-diamond thin films.
New picture of atomic nucleus emerges
March 1, 2012 9:12 am | News | CommentsWhen most of us think of an atom, we think of tiny electrons whizzing around a stationary, dense nucleus composed of protons and neutrons, collectively known as nucleons. A collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility has demonstrated just how different reality is from our simple picture.
