Chemistry & Catalysis
RSS Feed 
Q&A: Simon Bare Catalyzes New Chemistry Effort at SLAC
After 30 years in industry, he is leading a new focus at the lab’s SSRL X-ray light source and looking for ways to build on research strengths at SLAC and Stanford.
For Platinum Catalysts, a Tiny Squeeze Gives a Big Boost in Performance
Squeezing a platinum catalyst a fraction of a nanometer nearly doubles its catalytic activity, a finding that could lead to better fuel cells and other clean energy technologies.
‘Brighter Than A Billion Suns’: SLAC Studies Featured in TEDx Talk
Paleontologist Phil Manning describes the “Imaging Life on Earth” project at TEDxCharleston.
In Bird Feathers, Scientists Find Hints About Color of Extinct Animals
The discovery is one of the first steps towards mapping hues of fossilized species.
SLAC’s X-ray Laser Glimpses How Electrons Dance with Atomic Nuclei in Materials
Understanding how a material’s electrons interact with vibrations of its nuclear lattice could help design and control novel materials, from solar cells to high-temperature superconductors.
New Research Could Lead to Greener Methanol Production
A team led by chemists at Stanford University and SLAC has unraveled a longstanding mystery that brings them one step closer to a cleaner, more energy-efficient way to make methanol, an important industrial chemical used in products such as paints, plastics and glues.
SLAC, Stanford Team Finds a Tough New Catalyst for Use in Renewable Fuels Production
The discovery could make water splitting, a key step in a number of clean energy technologies, cheaper and more efficient.
Yijin Liu Receives 2016 Spicer Award For Substantial Research Contributions Using X-ray Microscopy
Liu acknowledged for wide-ranging work in energy materials, catalysis, carbon sequestration, material in extreme conditions and scientific big data mining.
SLAC’s High-speed ‘Electron Camera’ Films Atomic Nuclei in Vibrating Molecules
Method creates new opportunities for studies of extremely fast processes in biology, chemistry and materials science.
A Virtual Flight Through a Catalyst Particle Finds Evidence of Poisoning
Merging two powerful 3-D X-ray techniques, researchers revealed new details of a process known as metal poisoning that clogs the pores of catalyst particles used in gasoline production, causing them to lose effectiveness.
