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Illustration of the optimized zeolite catalyst, or NbAlS-1, which enables a highly efficient chemical reaction to create butene, a renewable source of energy, without expending high amounts of energy for the conversion. Credit: Jill Hemman, Oak Ridge National Laboratory/U.S. Dept. of Energy

Illustration of the optimized zeolite catalyst, or NbAlS-1, which enables a highly efficient chemical reaction to create butene, a renewable source of energy, without expending high amounts of energy for the conversion. Credit: Jill Hemman, Oak Ridge National Laboratory/U.S. Dept. of Energy

SNS researchers

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have new experimental evidence and a predictive theory that solves a long-standing materials science mystery: why certain crystalline materials shrink when heated.

Background image represents the cobalt oxide structure Goodenough demonstrated could produce four volts of electricity with intercalated lithium ions. This early research led to energy storage and performance advances in myriad electronic applications. Credit: Jill Hemman/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Two of the researchers who share the Nobel Prize in Chemistry announced Wednesday—John B. Goodenough of the University of Texas at Austin and M. Stanley Whittingham of Binghamton University in New York—have research ties to ORNL.

Researchers from NIST and the University of Maryland standing in front of the Bio-SANS equipment.

Scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland are using neutrons at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to capture new information about DNA and RNA molecules and enable more accurate computer simulations of how they interact with everything from proteins to viruses.

Samples of 70% dark chocolate prepared for study with the USANS instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source. (Credit: ORNL/Genevieve Martin)

Tempering, the heating process that gives chocolate its appealing sheen and creamy texture, is a crucial part of crafting quality chocolate. But, at the molecular level, it gets a little tricky, and when done incorrectly, can render entire batches of chocolate gritty and unappetizing.

Illustration of a tooth cross-section showing a dental filling adhered with adhesive resin containing nanoparticles. The resin layer is highlighted in yellow, with labels indicating its bioactive function (preventing cracks by forming crystals in micro-gaps) and antibacterial function (killing bacteria on contact, enhanced by visible light). The surrounding gum tissue and biofilm are also depicted, emphasizing the protective properties of the adhesive.

To help address the issue of dental restoration, Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are using neutron scattering to study how nanoparticles with antibacterial properties can be added to adhesive resins, which are used by dentists to strengthen the bond between a tooth and its polymer composite filling.

Yue Yuan standing with Flora Meilleur in a railed walkway at the Spallation Neutron Source.

Yue Yuan, a second-year PhD student at NC State University’s Wilson College of Textiles, is working to create textiles that filter carbon dioxide (CO2) by using the latest scientific techniques in synthesis and imaging. Known as biocatalytic textiles, these materials could serve as sustainable scrubbers for CO2 capture by using enzymes trapped in bio-based polymers to catalyze the hydration of CO2.