Chemistry & Catalysis
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Untangling a strange phenomenon that both helps and hurts lithium-ion battery performance
New research offers the first complete picture of why a promising approach of stuffing more lithium into battery cathodes leads to their failure. A better understanding of this phenomenon could be the key to smaller phone batteries and electric cars that drive farther between charges.
Study shows single atoms can make more efficient catalysts
Detailed observations of iridium atoms at work could help make catalysts that drive chemical reactions smaller, cheaper and more efficient
To curb maternal deaths in developing countries, researchers use X-rays to map a lifesaving drug in action
New research will help in the quest to design low-cost drugs that can tackle postpartum bleeding and other conditions without severe side effects.
X-rays show how periods of stress changed an ice age hyena to the bone
Researchers mapped trace elements within Pleistocene fossils to learn about the life of a long-extinct subspecies of spotted hyena.
Researchers create most complete high-res atomic movie of photosynthesis to date
In a major step forward, SLAC’s X-ray laser captures all four stable states of the process that produces the oxygen we breathe, as well as fleeting steps in between. The work opens doors to understanding the past and creating a greener future.
Dancing atoms in perovskite materials provide insight into how solar cells work
A new study is a step forward in understanding why perovskite materials work so well in energy devices and potentially leads the way toward a theorized “hot” technology that would significantly improve the efficiency of today’s solar cells.
Students affected by Hurricane Maria bring their research to SLAC
This summer, five graduate students from the University of Puerto Rico had the opportunity to use SLAC’s world-class facilities to keep their studies on track.
In a first, scientists precisely measure how synthetic diamonds grow
A SLAC-Stanford study reveals exactly what it takes for diamond to crystallize around a “seed” cluster of atoms. The results apply to industrial processes and to what happens in clouds overhead.
Department of Energy Announces $30 Million for “Ultrafast” Science
Tony Heinz and Z-X Shen will receive funding for research focused on catalysis and novel states of matter.
SLAC’s Ultra-High-Speed ‘Electron Camera’ Catches Molecules at a Crossroads
To break, or not to break: An unprecedented atomic movie captures the moment when molecules decide how to respond to light.
