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Berkeley Lab nanoscale imaging study yields key insights into photo-electrochemical water splitting

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In the quest to realize artificial photosynthesis to convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into fuel—just as plants do—researchers need to not only identify materials to efficiently perform photoelectrochemical water splitting, but also to understand why a certain material may or may not work. —Johanna Eichhorn.

Water 236
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Researchers provide insight into OER electrocatalyst

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Researchers from Oregon State University College of Engineering, with colleagues from Cornell University and the Argonne National Laboratory, have used advanced experimental tools to provide a clearer understanding of an electrochemical catalytic process that’s cleaner and more sustainable than deriving hydrogen from natural gas.

Insight 186
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Insight into benzene formation could help development of cleaner combustion engines

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The researchers say that their findings, recently published in an open-access paper in the journal Science Advances , are key to understanding how the universe evolved with the growth of carbon compounds. That insight could also help the car industry make cleaner combustion engines. This work was supported by the DOE Office of Science.

Cleaner 243
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New photochemical diode artificial photosynthesis system doubles efficiency of solar water splitting

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Researchers in Canada have demonstrated a new photochemical diode artificial photosynthesis system that can enable efficient, unassisted overall pure water splitting without using any sacrificial reagent. overall water splitting reaction. These free charges split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. … in neutral (pH?~?7.0)

Water 186
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PNNL study uncovers role of water in forming impurity in bio-oil upgrading; insight into fundamentals of biofuel catalysis

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In working to elucidate the chemistry of hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) for the catalytic upgrading of pyrolytic bio-oil to fuel-grade products, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have discovered that water in the conversion process helps form an impurity which, in turn, slows down key chemical reactions.

Water 210
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KAUST team alters atomic composition of MoS2 to boost performance as water-splitting catalyst for H2 production

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Researchers at KAUST have developed and used a novel way of increasing the chemical reactivity of a two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide material to produce a cheap and effective catalyst for water splitting to produce hydrogen. A monolayer of molybdenum disulfide is only reactive for reducing water to hydrogen at its edge.

Water 225
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Stanford team identifies root cause of lithium intrusion into solid electrolytes

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Researchers at Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory now report that the root cause of lithium intrusion into the electrolyte is a combination of current focusing and the presence of nanoscale cracks, rather than electronic leakage or electrochemical reduction.

Li-ion 457