Page 6 - Basic Energy Sciences News Today

Researchers have now demonstrated that the catalytic activity of a metal palladium (Pd) surface for oxidizing carbon monoxide (CO) is enhanced by porous silica sheets less than one nanometer thick.

In line with expectations, new quantum noise experiments conducted at Rice University revealed an unusually quiet “strange metal” quantum material. The measurements of quantum charge fluctuations, or "shot noise," which were published in Science, offer the first concrete proof that electricity appears to flow through peculiar metals in a peculiar liquid-like form that defies easy explanation in terms of quantized charge packets, or quasiparticles.

An innovative method of artificial intelligence (AI) allows for the reconstruction of a huge field of data, such as total ocean temperature, from a small number of field-deployable sensors utilizing low-powered “edge” computing, with extensive applications in industry, science, and medicine.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials-materials just a few atoms thick-can have special properties due to quantum mechanics.

Plants have multiple fine-tuned systems to deal with varying day lengths, research finds. Could that help in developing new crop varieties?

Scientists reveal three unique electron states in molten salts, a crucial discovery for future salt-fueled nuclear reactors' radiation impacts. In a finding that helps elucidate how molten salts in advanced nuclear reactors might behave, scientists have shown how electrons interacting with the io

When exposed to radiation, electrons produced within molten zinc chloride, or ZnCl2, can be observed in three distinct singly occupied molecular orbital states, plus a more diffuse, delocalized state.

Biologist Himadri Pakrasi in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, who studies how cyanobacteria contribute to the chemistry of life, will lead a $5 million effort to develop technology to convert atmospheric nitrogen into fertilizer. Yinjie Tang and Yixin Chen in the McKelvey School of Engineering are co-investigators on the project.

The energy needed to expel an electron from a material is a fundamental characteristic that governs electron flow and is a crucial consideration in device design.

MIT researchers found evidence that topology can stabilize magnetic ordering, even well above the point at which magnetism normally breaks down. Their work reveals how topological structures known as Weyl nodes found in an exotic semi-metal can significantly increase the working temperature for magnetic devices.