Bane and boon of oxygen mediating the performance of nickel catalysts in dry reforming of methane

Fundamental insights into the processes occurring at the catalyst surface

22-Jan-2024 - Catalysis is one of the key technologies in the chemical industry and has a wide-reaching impact on various aspects of our daily lives, including plastics manufacturing, drug synthesis, and production of both fertilizers and fuels. It is estimated that over 90% of chemical products are nowadays ...

In search of the 'holy grail': researchers observe lithium ions in real time

Tracking lithiation with transmission electron microscopy: A decisive step in research on battery materials

22-Mar-2023 - Li ion imaging by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is the “holy grail” in the study of Li ion battery (LIB) materials. Tracking lithiation process in TEM could provide more profound understanding on the electrode degradation mechanism during battery cycling, which accelerates material ...

Graphene scientists capture first images of atoms ‘swimming’ in liquid

02-Aug-2022 - Graphene scientists from The University of Manchester have created a novel ‘nano-petri dish’ using two-dimensional (2D) materials to create a new method of observing how atoms move in liquid Publishing in the journal, Nature,the team led by researchers based at the National Graphene Institute ...

Visualizing the invisible

A new model to aid interpretation of atomic resolution molecular images

31-Mar-2022 - There are multiple ways to create two- and three-dimensional models of atoms and molecules. With the advent of cutting-edge apparatus that can image samples at the atomic scale, scientists found that traditional molecular models did not fit the images they saw. Researchers have devised a better ...

Crystal structures in super slow motion

Researchers first to succeed in filming a phase transition with extremely high spatial and temporal resolution

26-Jan-2021 - Laser beams can be used to change the properties of materials in an extremely precise way. This principle is already widely used in technologies such as rewritable DVDs. However, the underlying processes generally take place at such unimaginably fast speeds and at such a small scale that they ...

Catalyst deposition on fragile chips

17-Feb-2020 - Electrocatalysts can help to obtain chemicals from renewable raw materials or to use alternative energy sources. But testing new catalysts brings challenges. Researchers at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) and the University of Duisburg-Essen have developed a new method of depositing catalyst ...

First view of hydrogen at the metal-to-metal hydride interface

05-Feb-2020 - University of Groningen physicists have visualized hydrogen at the titanium/titanium hydride interface using a transmission electron microscope. Using a new technique, they succeeded in visualizing both the metal and the hydrogen atoms in a single image, allowing them to test different ...

Monitoring the corrosion of bioresorbable magnesium

Better prediction of degradation rate of magnesium implants

28-Oct-2019 - ETH researchers have recently been able to monitor the corrosion of bioresorbable magnesium alloys at the nanoscale over a time scale of a few seconds to many hours. This is an important step towards accurately predicting how fast implants are resorbed by the body to enable the development of ...

Researchers examine 'living' nanomaterials for first time

New technology gives insight into how nanomaterials form and grow

01-Jul-2019 - A new form of electron microscopy allows researchers to examine nanoscale tubular materials while they are "alive" and forming liquids -- a first in the field. Developed by a multidisciplinary team at Northwestern University and the University of Tennessee, the new technique, called variable ...

Monitoring the lifecycle of tiny catalyst nanoparticles

06-May-2019 - Since they are so tiny, it is difficult to investigate single nanoparticles. However, this is exactly what researchers are aiming for in order to tailor their properties. A novel approach: particle at the stick. Nanoparticles can be used in many ways as catalysts. To be able to tailor them in ...