Catalysis
First synthetic catalyst to use iron to split hydrogen gas
February 18, 2013 9:09 am | by Mary Beckman, PNNL | News | Comments
To make fuel cells more economical, engineers want a fast and efficient iron-based molecule that splits hydrogen gas to make electricity. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have recently reported the development of such a catalyst. Made from a synthetic molecule, it is the first iron-based catalyst that converts hydrogen directly to electricity, and it might help make those fuel cells less expensive.
Platinum nanoparticles may keep fruit fresh longer
May 13, 2013 8:16 am | News | Comments
Ripening fruit, vegetables, and flowers release ethylene, which works as a plant...
Mysterious catalyst explained
May 1, 2013 9:01 am | by Julia Weiler, Ruhr University Bochum | News | Comments
Methanol to formaldehyde: This reaction is the starting point for the synthesis of...
New battery design could help solar and wind power the grid
April 24, 2013 3:58 pm | News | Comments
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator...
Scientists detect residue hindering efficiency of solar cells
May 6, 2013 7:32 am | News | CommentsA team from Argonne National Laboratory has worked for years to develop a new type of solar cell known as organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Because of their potential to reduce costs for both fabrication and materials, OPVs could be much cheaper to manufacture than conventional solar cells and have a smaller environmental impact as well. However, they aren’t as efficient as conventional solar cells due to one limitation.
Recipe for low-cost, biomass-derived catalyst for hydrogen production
April 24, 2013 8:06 am | News | CommentsIn recently published online paper, researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory describe details of a low-cost, stable, effective catalyst that could replace costly platinum in the production of hydrogen. The catalyst, made from renewable soybeans and abundant molybdenum metal, produces hydrogen in an environmentally friendly, cost-effective manner, potentially increasing the use of this clean energy source.
Black nanoparticles could play key role in clean energy photocatalysis
April 15, 2013 8:32 am | News | CommentsA unique atomic-scale engineering technique for turning low-efficiency photocatalytic “white” nanoparticles of titanium dioxide into high-efficiency “black” nanoparticles could be the key to clean energy technologies based on hydrogen. Samuel Mao leads the development of a technique for engineering disorder into the nanocrystalline structure of the semiconductor titanium dioxide.
“Artificial leaf” gains ability to self-heal damage, produce energy from dirty water
April 9, 2013 5:47 am | News | CommentsAnother innovative feature has been added to the world’s first practical “artificial leaf,” making the device even more suitable for providing people in developing countries and remote areas with electricity, scientists reported at the American Chemical Society’s National Meeting & Exposition this week. It gives the leaf the ability to self-heal damage that occurs during production of energy.
Light may recast copper as chemical industry "holy grail"
March 29, 2013 8:50 am | News | CommentsWouldn't it be convenient if you could reverse the rusting of your car by shining a bright light on it? It turns out that this concept works for undoing oxidation on copper nanoparticles, and it could lead to an environmentally friendly production process for an important industrial chemical, University of Michigan engineers have discovered.
Hybrid ribbons a gift for powerful batteries
March 25, 2013 12:21 pm | by Mike Williams, Rice University | News | CommentsAccording to recent research at Rice University, vanadium oxide and graphene may be a key new set of materials for improving lithium-ion storage. Ribbons created at Rice from these two materials are thousands of times thinner than a sheet of paper, yet have potential that far outweighs current materials for their ability to charge and discharge very quickly. Initial capacity remains at 90% or more after more than 1,000 cycles.
Catalyst in a teacup: New approach to chemical reduction
March 25, 2013 10:26 am | News | CommentsTaking their inspiration from Nature, scientists at the University of New South Wales have developed a new method for carrying out chemical reduction—an industrial process used to produce fuels and chemicals that are vital for modern society. Their catalyst-based approach has the big advantages that it uses cheap, replenishable reagents and it works well at room temperature and in air—so much so, it can even be carried out safely in a teacup.
Research shows chemical reaction in real time
March 15, 2013 7:57 am | News | CommentsThe ultrafast, ultrabright X-ray pulses of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) have enabled unprecedented views of a catalyst in action, an important step in the effort to develop cleaner and more efficient energy sources. Scientists at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory used LCLS, together with computerized simulations, to reveal surprising details of a short-lived early state in a chemical reaction occurring at the surface of a catalyst sample.
MIT researchers develop solar-to-fuel roadmap for crystalline silicon
March 5, 2013 11:12 am | by David L. Chandler, MIT News Office | News | CommentsBringing the concept of an “artificial leaf” closer to reality, a team of researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology has published a detailed analysis of all the factors that could limit the efficiency of such a system. The new analysis lays out a roadmap for a research program to improve the efficiency of these systems, and could quickly lead to the production of a practical, inexpensive and commercially viable prototype.
Analytical theory may bring improvements to lithium-ion batteries
March 5, 2013 10:58 am | by Emil Venere, Purdue University | News | CommentsA new analytical theory has been developed at Purdue University that shows how to design experiments to study ways of controlling dendrite growth on electrodes in lithium-ion batteries. Using this approach, the researchers have shown theoretically how to control or eliminate the formation of these dendrites, which cause lithium-ion batteries to fail. The advance could help improve safety and might enable the batteries to be charged within a matter of minutes instead of hours.
New Fischer-Tropsch catalyst invented in Amsterdam
March 5, 2013 9:38 am | News | CommentsThe Fischer-Tropsch process is used for producing fuels from synthesis gas, which in turn is made from natural gas, biomass, or coal. Large reserves of shale or natural gas now changing the world energy market have raised interest in this technology, but prior reactors have been too bulky. Inspired by patents from the 1960s audio cassette recording industry, University of Amsterdam chemists have recently developed a new Fischer-Tropsch catalyst that is significantly cheaper and more scalable.
Chemists build titanium dioxide nanoreactor
February 21, 2013 1:31 pm | News | CommentsTiny particles of titanium dioxide are found as key ingredients in common products such as paint and toothpaste. When reduced to the nanoscale, these particle acquire catalytic ability. A team of chemists has recently developed a synthesis to produce these nanoparticles at room temperature in a polymer network. Their analysis has revealed the crystalline structure of the nanoparticles and is a major step forward in the development of polymeric nanoreactors.
Sustainable new catalysts fueled by a single proton
February 13, 2013 1:35 pm | News | CommentsChemists at Boston College have designed a new class of catalysts triggered by the charge of a single proton, the team reports in Nature. The simple organic molecules offer a sustainable and highly efficient platform for chemical reactions that produce sets of molecules crucial to advances in medicine and the life sciences.
New study describes role of carbon nanomaterials in catalysis
February 13, 2013 12:35 pm | News | CommentsA new review published by Wiley focuses on the recent progress in the theoretical and experimental efforts to obtain a deeper understanding of the effects of carbon nanostructure and surface functional groups on proton affinity, metal/CNF interactions, and electronic properties, as well as their catalytic consequences.
Nanoscale “Goldilocks” phenomenon could improve biofuel production
January 15, 2013 4:37 pm | News | CommentsIn a case of the Goldilocks story retold at the molecular level, scientists at Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University have discovered a new path to the development of more stable and efficient catalysts. The research team sought to create "nanobowls"—nanosized bowl shapes that allow inorganic catalysts to operate selectively on particular molecules.
Nanofibers clean sulfur from fuel
December 17, 2012 12:59 pm | News | CommentsSulfur compounds in petroleum fuels have met their nanostructured match. University of Illinois researchers developed mats of metal oxide nanofibers that scrub sulfur from petroleum-based fuels much more effectively than traditional materials.
A low-cost route to ultrathin platinum films
December 13, 2012 8:14 am | News | CommentsA research group at NIST has developed a relatively simple, fast, and effective method of depositing uniform, ultrathin layers of platinum atoms on a surface. The new process exploits an unexpected feature of electrodeposition of platinum—if you drive the reaction much more strongly than usual, a new reaction steps in to shuts down the metal deposition process, allowing an unprecedented level of control of the film thickness.
A thin-skinned catalyst for chemical reactions
December 13, 2012 7:51 am | News | CommentsA chemical nanostructure developed by Boston College researchers behaves much like the pores of the skin, serving as a precise control for a typically stubborn method of catalysis that is the workhorse of industrial chemistry.
Gold nanoparticle catalyst that learns from enzyme in nature
November 15, 2012 12:25 pm | News | CommentsScientists in Japan have developed a high activity gold nanoparticle catalyst that simplifies the function of enzymes in capturing substances. This new type of catalyst mimics enzyme function on the surface of cell membranes, which capture molecules of designated lengths and shapes. The findings indicate that gold nanoparticles thus equipped could support biological activities as a catalyst in the reactions of the living body.
Study offers new insights into catalytic activity of copper
November 9, 2012 12:38 pm | News | CommentsCatalysis is an incredibly valuable tool in the field of chemistry, but it typically requires precious metals that are both expensive and potentially harmful to the environment. Researchers in Sweden say they have discovered that copper, which is not typically known for its catalytic properties, had unexpectedly been responsible for catalytic activity as part of research into iron catalysts.
Researchers make strides toward selective oxidation catalysts
November 5, 2012 11:45 am | News | CommentsOxide catalysts play an integral role in many chemical transformations. Greener, more efficient chemical processes would benefit greatly from solid oxide catalysts that are choosier about their reactants, but achieving this has prove a challenge. Now, a team of researchers have developed a straightforward and generalizable process for making reactant-selective oxide catalysts by encapsulating the particles in a sieve-like film that blocks unwanted reactants.
Researchers find potential building block for catalytic cycle
November 5, 2012 10:47 am | News | CommentsThrough spectroscopic investigations on a hydrogen-producing enzyme, researchers in Germany have found that environment of the catalytic site acts as an electron reservoir in the enzyme. This finding means that the enzyme can produce hydrogen at a highly efficient rate and could be useful as a renewable energy source.
The hunt for electron holes: A molecular glance on solar water splitting
October 30, 2012 1:18 pm | News | CommentsHydrogen production by solar water splitting in photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) has long been considered the holy grail of sustainable energy research. Iron oxide is a promising electrode material, and now an international team of researchers gained in-depth insights into the electronic structure of an iron oxide electrode, while it was in operation. This opens up new possibilities for an affordable hydrogen production from solar energy.
Building a better battery for renewable energy storage
October 29, 2012 10:49 am | by Glenn Roberts Jr., SLAC | News | CommentsSolar, wind and other renewable energy sources reduce consumption of fossil fuels but also pose challenges to the electrical grid because their power generation fluctuates. A team of researchers at Stanford and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has developed a mix of materials that shows promise as a cost-effective alternative to standard batteries—able to quickly and efficiently charge and discharge their energy over thousands of charges, with no energy loss after 1,000 charges.
Can cobalt-graphene catalyst beat platinum?
October 17, 2012 7:44 am | News | CommentsPlatinum works well as a catalyst in hydrogen fuel cells, but it has at least two drawbacks: It is expensive, and it degrades over time. Brown University chemists have engineered a cheaper and more durable catalyst using graphene, cobalt, and cobalt-oxide—the best nonplatinum catalyst yet.
