Back
Advanced Materials and Manufacturing
Probing silver nanocrystal superlattices
Typically, superlattices—faceted crystals composed of nanocrystal building blocks—have been made using slow evaporative techniques that often take days to weeks to form highly crystalline solids. This process is difficult to control, which has made it hard to systematically tune film properties and has hindered quantitative study of the assembly process. To overcome these…
Next-generation graphene supercapacitors
Understanding and controlling the electrical response at a complex electrode–electrolyte interface is key to the development of next-generation supercapacitors and other electrochemical devices. While it is largely acknowledged that the capacitive performance of these devices is governed by both the quantum capacitance of the electrode and the electric double layer…
Revitalized materials and chemistry internship wraps up successful summer
Each summer, hundreds of college students from around the country flock to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) campus to participate in LLNL’s varied and unique internship opportunities. This year, Megan Freyman and Rene Mercado, both graduate students at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), joined 82 other students in one such opportunity—a newly…
Imaging of detonation fronts using scattered synchrotron radiation
Many high explosives contain carbon, which condenses during detonation to produce nanometer-scale graphite and diamonds. These forms of carbon and their particle growth reaction rates are neither well known nor easily measured because the optical opacity at the detonation front has, until now, hindered the measurement and study of detonation phenomena at nanoscale time and…
Reviewing the evolution and application of kinetic reaction mechanisms
When researchers use kinetics to understand and predict the chemical behavior of reactive systems, the basic tool connecting the kinetics and the reactive system is the reaction mechanism. The characteristics and capabilities of current kinetic reaction mechanisms are the product of a great deal of directed evolution, which is motivated by the need to be able to model the…
Hierarchical 3D printing of nanoporous gold could 'revolutionize' electrochemical reactor design
Nanoporous metals are superior catalysts for chemical reactions due to their large surface area and high electrical conductivity, making them perfect candidates for applications such as electrochemical reactors, sensors and actuators. In a study published today in the journal Science Advances, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers, along with their…
Energy Secretary honors Lab scientist's contributions to stockpile stewardship
Secretary of Energy Rick Perry recognized Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) chemist Bill McLean with a Secretary’s Achievement Award Wednesday in recognition of "pioneering technical contributions that have led to significant advancements in science-based stockpile stewardship." The Secretary’s Honor Awards are bestowed on individuals who have a singular…
Five researchers named to '40 Under 40' list
Five Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers join an eclectic group of entrepreneurs, writers, executives, philanthropists and more on Diablo Magazine’s annual "40 Under 40" list, which recognizes young professionals in the East Bay who are leading the charge in their fields. Louisa Pickworth, an experimental physicist and group leader in the Physics…
LLNL and Virginia Tech researchers achieve more complex 3D-printed graphene aerogel
Graphene aerogel is lighter than air but as strong as steel, and it’s already proven useful in aerospace, energy storage and insulation. While there have been recent advances in 3D printing of the novel material, achieving complex structures has been elusive, hampering the unique material’s full potential. To date, 3D printing of graphene aerogel has been done using direct…
Warhead life extension passes key milestone
The program to extend the life of the W80 nuclear warhead recently achieved a significant milestone when the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) gave passing grades to the plans to refurbish certain components and the proposed approach to developing component cost estimates. Passing the milestone confirms that the life extension program (LEP), dubbed the W80-4…
LLNL joins effort to 3D print parts for U.S. Navy
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are lending their expertise in metal additive manufacturing to a new collaboration aimed at 3D printing critical replacement parts for the U.S. Navy. The Office of Naval Research recently announced an award of $9 million to fund a collaboration led by GE Global Research and aimed at developing a rapid process for…
Nearly completed Advanced Manufacturing Lab opens doors to industry, academia
Representatives from more than 30 companies in the additive manufacturing (3D printing), automotive and aerospace industries got their first glimpse last week at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) newest facility, the Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory, located in the Livermore Valley Open Campus (LVOC). The sneak preview was part of a "Partnering for Success"…
Surprising grain boundary structures found in refractory metals
Grain boundaries govern many of the properties of engineering materials, but until recently, computational techniques were not sufficiently powerful to predict grain boundary properties at elevated temperature, where they can undergo transitions from one structure to another. The study of grain boundary phase transitions is in its infancy, largely dominated by experiments…
Unexpected metal behavior at Earth’s core conditions
At temperatures and pressures typically encountered on Earth’s surface, metallic elements naturally form compounds with electronegative elements. For example, iron reacts with oxygen to form rust, Fe2O3. In contrast, noble gas elements such as argon, neon, and xenon show very little reactivity with other elements. Under the extreme conditions at Earth’s core, however,…
Forensic Science Center earns 8th straight ‘A’ in OPCW tests
During their 15 years as a certified laboratory for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a score of LLNL chemists have developed some first-rate habits. One of them is earning “A” grades on the organization’s environmental proficiency tests. In recently-announced results, LLNL earned its eighth straight “A” grade during last fall’s OPCW…
Go-getter undergrad lands second-author credential for 'hydrogen-getters' research
It’s rare for an undergraduate science student to appear as an author on a scientific journal paper, and when they do, theirs is usually the last name on the list. However, Elizabeth Sangalang, a graduating senior studying biochemistry at California State University East Bay, has landed a second-author credential through the research she completed as a summer intern at…
Carbon nanotubes worth their salt
Lawrence Livermore (LLNL) scientists, in collaboration with researchers at Northeastern University, have developed carbon nanotube pores that can exclude salt from seawater. The team also found that water permeability in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with diameters smaller than a nanometer (0.8 nm) exceeds that of wider carbon nanotubes by an order of magnitude. The nanotubes,…
Carbon nanotubes stand at attention
Just as members of a marching band align themselves for a performance, carbon nanotubes create a similar configuration. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists recently used synchrotron X-ray scattering to fully capture the hierarchical structure in self-organized carbon nanotube materials from the atomic to micrometer scale. Their work, recently published…
NIF technology could revolutionize 3D printing
A technology originally developed to smooth out and pattern high-powered laser beams for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) can be used to 3D print metal objects faster than ever before, according to a new study by Lawrence Livermore researchers. A team of Lab scientists report the findings in the latest issue of Optics Express, published online on May 15. This new…
Lawrence Livermore reinventing metal 3D printing with new direct writing process
Metal 3D printing has enormous potential to revolutionize modern manufacturing. However, the most popular metal printing processes, which use lasers to fuse together fine metal powder, have their limitations. Parts produced using selective laser melting (SLM) and other powder-based metal techniques often end up with gaps or defects caused by a variety of factors. To…
