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The Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering supports a
broad-based research program to provide a fundamental understanding of
the atomistic basis of materials properties and behavior, which is
necessary to make materials perform better through innovative materials
design, synthesis, and processing. The program fulfills DOE missions by
the development of materials that improve the efficiency, economy,
environmental acceptability, and safety in energy generation,
conversion, transmission, and utilization.
Research activities in condensed matter and materials physics focus on
the control of materials properties and the discovery of new properties
through the exploration of co-operative and correlation effects which
can lead to the formation of new particles, new phases of matter and
unexpected phenomena The materials discovery, design, and synthesis area
supports fundamental research in the design, synthesis and discovery of
novel materials and material constructs, and the development of
innovative materials synthesis and processing methods. Research
activities in scattering and instrumentation sciences encompass research
in materials characterization using electron, neutron, and x-ray
scattering capabilities. Research includes experiment and theory that
seeks to achieve a fundamental understanding of the atomic, electronic,
and magnetic structures and excitations of materials as well as the
relationship of these structures and excitations to the physical
properties of materials.
The BES scientific user facilities, which include light sources, neutron
sources, and nanoscience centers, serve researchers from universities,
national laboratories, and industry, providing specialized
instrumentation and expertise that enables scientific users to carry out
experiments or develop theories that could not be done by individual
investigators at their home institutions.
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The Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division supports
experimental and theoretical research to provide fundamental
understanding of chemical transformations and energy flow in systems
relevant to the missions of the Department of Energy. This knowledge
serves as a basis for the development of new processes for the
generation, storage, and use of energy and for mitigation of the
environmental impacts of energy use.
Research activities in atomic, molecular,
and optical sciences; gas-phase chemical physics; and condensed phase
and interfacial molecular science emphasize structural and dynamical
studies of atoms, molecules, and nanostructures and the descriptions of
their interactions with external stimuli at full quantum detail.
Research activities in solar photochemistry; photosynthetic systems; and
physical biosciences emphasize the molecular mechanisms involved in the
capture of light energy and its conversion into chemical and electrical
energy through biological and chemical pathways. Research activities in
catalysis science; separations and analysis; heavy element chemistry;
and geosciences emphasize the characterization, control, and
optimization of chemical transformations. |
