Latest Announcements

IIC Introduces Transformations

(January 2013)

The Institute for Integrated Catalysis is pleased to announce the launch of Transformations, our new bimonthly electronic newsletter. Through features, news stories, highlights of key research and a new video series, 90 Seconds of Discovery, each issue is focused on generating discussion about catalysis science, and how work in this field can help solve some of our greatest challenges. If you are not currently a Transformations subscriber, please visit our newsletter page to sign up.

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Seeing a Common Catalyst with New Eyes

(January 2013)

Using an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope, scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, including researchers in the Institute for Integrated Catalysis, and FEI Company obtained ultrahigh-resolution images and chemical data about the surface of gamma-alumina particles. By understanding the structure of these nanoparticles, scientists are taking crucial steps to optimizing catalysts to reduce refineries' energy demands and vehicle emissions.

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Batteries Lose in Game of Thorns

(January 2013)

Starting as a few atoms long, thorns forming on the electrode's surface in a specialized lithium battery cause the battery to gradually fade, according to scientists working on the Chemical Imaging Initiative at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and their collaborators at Argonne National Laboratory. The cause is a change in the composite, but how and where the transformations or phase transitions occur was under debate. By taking and analyzing atomic-resolution images of the battery's electrode before and after use, the team answered the questions.

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An Unexpected Pairing of Frustrated Molecules

(January 2013)

While their shapes frustrate traditional bonding, two unreactive molecules come together and surround themselves within a solvent cage to create a reactive environment to split hydrogen, according to two new studies by scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Splitting a hydrogen molecule into a proton and a hydride ion is vital for sustainable energy production and storage. The pair of molecules is called a frustrated Lewis pair or FLP. The research graces the cover of Dalton Transactions.

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Yuehe Lin Elected to American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering's College of Fellows

(January 2013)

Congratulations to Dr. Yuehe Lin at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory being named to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering's (AIMBE) College of Fellows, Class 2013. This honor is given to people in research, industry or education who provide leadership and significant contributions in medical or biological engineering.

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The Complexities of a Simple Molecule

(December 2012)

Crowded together on a titanium dioxide surface, carbon dioxide molecules relinquish their free-tumbling ways to form crooked lines and cling to molecules in nearby lines, according to scientists at PNNL's Institute for Integrated Catalysis. Bringing together a trio of instruments and a supercomputer, the team joined experiments and theory to understand carbon dioxide's behavior.