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 »
Tuning Semimetallicity Using Thin Films and Interfaces
With support from ALS data, scientists gained new insight into a semimetal’s unusual electronic behavior. The work lays out a basic strategy for engineering the band structures of semimetallic compounds using dimensional confinement and reveals a new way of creating two-dimensional electron/hole gases by exploiting interfacial bonding. Read more »
Designing Selective Membranes for Batteries Using a Drug Discovery Toolbox
Researchers designed a polymer membrane with molecular cages built into its pores that hold positively charged ions from a lithium salt. These “solvation cages” increased lithium-ion flow by an order of magnitude and could allow high-voltage battery cells to operate at higher power and more efficiently, important for both electric vehicles and aircraft. Read more »
Tuning of One Atomic Layer Unlocks Catalytic Pathway
An atomically precise surface probe helped researchers discover that a catalyst can be activated by tuning the composition of just one atomic surface layer. The work sharpens our understanding of how surface changes can improve the production of hydrogen fuel from water using efficient catalysts made of inexpensive materials. Read more »
A 1-Atom-Deep Look at a Water-Splitting Catalyst
X-ray experiments revealed an unexpected transformation in a single atomic layer of a material that contributed to a doubling in the speed of a chemical reaction—the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. This process is a first step in producing hydrogen fuel for applications such as electric vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Read more »
2D Electronics Get an Atomic Tuneup
Researchers demonstrated a promising avenue for controlling atomic ordering in semiconductor alloys by engineering frustrated interactions in a 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD). The work could lead to improved semiconductor performance for next-generation electronics such as optoelectronics, thermoelectrics, and sensors. Read more »
How Water Promotes Catalysis of Methane to Methanol
Researchers unraveled how water helps catalyze the conversion of methane, the main component of natural gas, into methanol, a liquid fuel. The work supports the efficient production of methanol and other useful chemicals and could help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released by the flaring and venting of methane. Read more »
Water Improves Material’s Ability to Capture CO2
With the help of the ALS, researchers from UC Berkeley and ExxonMobil fine-tuned a material to capture CO2 in the presence of water. The parties have applied for a patent on the material, which was developed for use on the relatively humid flue gases emitted by certain natural gas power plants, a cleaner-burning alternative to coal. Read more » 
The Beauty of Imperfections: Linking Atomic Defects to 2D Materials’ Electronic Properties
Two studies reveal surprising details on how some atomic defects emerge in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and how those defects shape the material’s electronic properties. The findings could provide a more platform for designing 2D materials for quantum information science and smaller, more powerful optoelectronics. Read more »
