Latest Announcements

Secretary Chu Visits PNNL

(August 2009)

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu talked with the IIC's Interim Director Chuck Peden about the catalysis research being conducted at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. (Photo courtesy of the Tri-City Herald)

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New Clues about a Hydrogen Fuel Catalyst

(August 2009)

To use hydrogen as a clean energy source, some engineers want to pack hydrogen into a larger molecule, rather than compressing the gas into a tank. A gas flows easily out of a tank, but getting hydrogen out of a molecule requires a catalyst. Now, researchers reveal new details about one such catalyst. The results are a step toward designing catalysts for use in hydrogen energy applications such as fuel cells. » More

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The Secret Lives of Catalysts

(July 2009)

With energy demands increasing around the globe, engineers continually look for ways to squeeze more fuel out of crude oil faster and with less waste. But optimizing energy production depends on understanding and perfecting the use of catalysts, which cause chemical reactions that break down the molecules of raw materials like oil to create fuel such as gasoline. Traditional techniques to measure a catalyst's performance can define structure, particle size, and chemical composition, but they can't tell engineers what is working and what isn't.

Now scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Institute for Interfacial Catalysis may have found a better approach. » More