The Institute for Integrated Catalysis at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory facilitates collaborative research and development in catalysts for a secure energy future.
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A Cooperative Way to Make Ammonia
A better understanding of how bacteria fix nitrogen molecules into ammonia could lead to energy savings in industrial processes such as those that produce fertilizer. Researchers are studying the bacterial enzyme that does this, a complicated enzyme called nitrogenase. In new work, researchers discovered essential information about the manner in which nitrogenase produces ammonia, according to work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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PNNL to Partner with University of Oregon
A new agreement between DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Oregon will allow scientists to obtain joint appointments that bridge the two research institutions. The agreement paves the way for greater collaboration between the two institutions. The initial commitment of the joint appointment agreement is focused on chemistry, biochemistry and materials science.
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PNNL is Part of Virgin Atlantic Airlines' Plan to Fly on Biofuels
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has been working with industry partner, LanzaTech, to convert alcohols derived from captured carbon monoxide, a byproduct in the production of steel, into synthetic paraffinic kerosene, a non-fossil-based jet fuel. The technology not only provides a viable source of sustainable jet fuel but also reduces the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere.
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Johannes Lercher Received Inaugural Lectureship from Australian Catalysis Society
Director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Institute for Integrated Catalysis, Dr. Johannes Lercher was chosen for the inaugural David Trim and Noel Cant Lectureship sponsored by the Catalysis Society of Australia. Lercher will share his insights on fundamental and applied research with researchers across Australia.
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Light Strikes Gold to Create Better Catalysts
Tiny particles of gold are highly stable and have other attractive features suitable for use in certain industrial applications. However, it's been difficult to control the size and shape of single-crystal nanostructures. Recently, scientists revealed a specialized strategy that lets them synthesize a plethora of hexagonal or triangular gold crystals. The research team is from the University of Florida, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
- Storing electric energy in hydrogen (a focus of the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis, an Energy Frontier Research Center)
- Adding hydrogen to oxo-functionalized carbon resources (that is, biomass constituents or CO2)
- Manipulating carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds
- Exhaust catalysis