Chemistry & Catalysis
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Q&A: Bruce Gates on the Molecules That Can Drive Chemical Reactions
The professor at University of California, Davis, describes his innovative work at SLAC’s synchrotron to search for simple, selective catalysts.
First Nanoscale Look at How Lithium Ions Navigate a Molecular Maze to Reach Battery Electrode
Streamlining their journey through the electrolyte could help lithium-ion batteries charge faster.
In a First, Tiny Diamond Anvils Trigger Chemical Reactions by Squeezing
Experiments with 'molecular anvils' mark an important advance for mechanochemistry, which has the potential to make chemistry greener and more precise.
Research Zooms in on Enzyme That Repairs DNA Damage from UV Rays
Biochemical 'action shots' with SLAC’s X-ray laser could help scientists develop synthetic enzymes for medicine and answer fundamental questions about how enzymes change during chemical reactions.
SLAC-led Study Shows Potential for Efficiently Controlling 2-D Materials With Light
In experiments with the lab’s ultrafast "electron camera," laser light hitting a material is almost completely converted into nuclear vibrations, which are key to switching a material’s properties on and off for future electronics and other applications.
A Battery Based on Sodium May Offer More Cost-Effective Storage Than Lithium
Lithium ion batteries may remain tops for sheer performance, but when cost-per-storage is factored in, a design based on sodium ions offers promise; research was conducted in part at SSRL.
A Potential New and Easy Way to Make Attosecond Laser Pulses: Focus a Laser on Ordinary Glass
This novel method could shrink the equipment needed to make laser pulses billionths of a billionth of a second long for studying ultra-speedy electron movements in solids, chemical reactions and future electronics.
Kasper Kjaer Wins First LCLS Young Investigator Award
The early career award from SLAC’s X-ray laser recognizes Kjaer’s work in ultrafast X-ray science.
Researchers Develop a Way to Better Predict Corrosion from Crude Oil
The X-ray studies performed at SLAC will help the oil industry improve guidelines for corrosion from sulfur in crude oil.
High-Speed Movie Aids Scientists Who Design Glowing Molecules
With SLAC’s X-ray laser, a research team captured ultrafast changes in fluorescent proteins between “dark” and “light” states. The insights allowed the scientists to design improved markers for biological imaging.
