Microscopy, spectroscopy, and computational studies of a promising artificial-photosynthesis material led researchers to develop a model photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell with remarkable stability and longevity as it selectively converts sunlight and carbon dioxide into two promising sources of renewable fuels—ethylene and hydrogen. Read more »
New Device Advances Commercial Viability of Solar Fuels
A Berkeley Lab research team developed a new artificial photosynthesis device component that exhibits remarkable stability and longevity as it selectively converts sunlight and carbon dioxide into two promising sources of renewable fuels—ethylene and hydrogen. Read more »
Scientists Solve a Magnesium Mystery in Rechargeable Battery Performance
Rechargeable batteries based on magnesium, rather than lithium, have the potential to pack more energy into smaller batteries. However, researchers have discovered a surprising set of chemical reactions involving magnesium that degrade battery performance even before the battery can be charged up. Read more »
Tender X-Rays Map the Double-Layer Potential
In a first-of-its-kind experiment, ALS researchers demonstrated a new, direct way to study the inner workings of a phenomenon in chemistry known as an “electrochemical double layer” that forms where liquids meet solids—where battery fluid meets an electrode, for example. Read more »
Researchers Peel Back Another Layer of Chemistry with ‘Tender’ X-Rays
Scientists can now directly probe a previously hard-to-see layer of chemistry, which forms in a narrow band where liquid meets solid, thanks to a unique x-ray toolkit developed at Berkeley Lab. Read more »
