Research Areas
Chemical Sciences
Whether looking at ions' behavior in water or catalysts' performance in exhaust systems, basic and applied chemical research is vital to understanding and controlling complex interactions that can solve energy, environmental, and security issues. For example, knowing that rhodium catalysts perform better with a rough surface led to a technology that reduces harmful nitrogen oxide emissions from lean-burn diesel engines. These engines power 2007 Dodge Ram trucks and other vehicles, allowing them to meet EPA emission standards while using fuel more efficiently.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducts research in catalysis, computational chemistry, condensed phase and interfacial chemical physics, separations, detection, and analysis. Outstanding examples of our work can be seen in the Institute for Integrated Catalysis and the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis, an Energy Frontier Research Center.
We succeed because of our teams. Our teams synthesize unique and routine sample, analyze the samples with multiple instruments, and model the results. Within the national lab, our teams form around the disciplines needed to solve the problem, regardless of where the people are in the organization structure. This allows us to bring different scientific perspectives for our clients. We also bring in collaborators from academia, other national labs, and industry.
Our experimental and theoretical analysis draws upon nuclear magnetic spectroscopy, molecular beam epitaxy, supercomputers, and other tools. When the tools do not exist, we create them. For example, we have built real-time spectroscopy probes for catalysts, single-particle laser ablation mass spectrometers for climate studies, and the nanospray desorption electrospray ionization instrument for highly sensitive analysis of minute samples. Many of these tools are available for others to use through EMSL.
The U.S. Department of Energy is our chief client. We conduct work for DOE's Office of Science and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Also, we complete work for companies, including Cummins, Johnson Matthey, and others.