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Physical and Life Sciences
3D-printed electrode is all charged up
The architectural design of electrodes offers new opportunities for next-generation electrochemical energy storage devices (EESDs) by increasing surface area, thickness and storage capacity. But conventional thick electrodes increase ion diffusion length and cause larger ion-concentration gradients, limiting reaction kinetics, including storage capacity. To overcome these…
3D-printed solutions for electronics protection
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection is a significant concern in the chemical and electronics industries. In electronics, ESD often causes integrated circuit failures due to rapid voltage and current discharges from charged objects, such as human fingers or tools. With the help of 3D printing techniques, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are …
LLNL's Buddemeier named to National Academies board
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) certified health physicist Brooke Buddemeier has been appointed to a panel of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. A 35-year Lab employee, Buddemeier has been named to the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board (NRSB), which provides advice about safety, security, technical efficacy and other issues…
When iron meets titanium: Discovery of quasicrystalline-like grain boundary phases in alloys
The interfaces between individual crystals in a material, known as grain boundaries (GBs), play a critical role in dictating the strength, durability and overall performance of a material. For this reason, GB phase transitions — abrupt changes at a material’s interface resulting in distinct structures and properties — are becoming increasingly recognized as a new frontier…
Félicie Albert elected vice chair of APS Division of Plasma Physics
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientist and director of the Jupiter Laser Facility Félicie Albert has been elected to serve as vice chair of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Plasma Physics (DDP) Executive Committee. Established in 1959, the objective of DPP is the advancement and dissemination of the knowledge, understanding, and applications…
LLNL internship sets chemistry student on the right PATH
Internships at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) provide graduate students with hands-on research experience that they can bring back to their home institutions, applying their newfound skillsets to their PhD work. Since interning for LLNL’s Glenn T. Seaborg Institute in 2023, Zachary Murphy, a PhD student at the University of Central Florida (UCF), has gone on…
Consortium with Minority Serving Institutions delivers opportunities for students
The Consortium for High Energy Density Science (CfHEDS) had much to celebrate at its annual meeting this summer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). “It was exciting to connect with our academic partners and their students,” said Federica Coppari, the LLNL liaison to CfHEDS. “The best part is hearing from the students about their research experience.” The goal…
LLNL researchers discover promising treatment to counteract the effects of fentanyl for overdose cases
A team of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers has discovered a promising new treatment to counteract the effects of fentanyl and related opioids. The new treatment could, over time, be a boon to doctors and medical professionals dealing with the crisis of fentanyl, a drug whose lethal effects has killed more than 210,000 Americans during the past…
LLNL-led team receives ARPA-E funding for technology to enable fusion power plants
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has awarded a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)-led team $3.4 million to develop new alloys for first wall fusion reactors and enable commercial fusion energy. The funding came through ARPA-E’s Creating Hardened And Durable fusion first Wall Incorporating Centralized Knowledge …
LLNL wins big at 2024 Bay Area Research SLAM
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) 2024 postdoctoral team of Nicholas Cross, Caspar Donnison and Jillian McCool competed against their Bay Area colleagues at the fourth annual Bay Area Research SLAM (BARS) on Oct. 3. LLNL was the biggest winner of the evening: Donnison’s third-place finish for “Agriculture and Solar Power: An Unlikely Alliance” and Cross’s…
New technique enhances absorptivity of powders for metal 3D printing
In a significant advancement for metal additive manufacturing, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and their academic partners have developed a groundbreaking technique that enhances the optical absorptivity of metal powders used in 3D printing. The innovative approach, which involves creating nanoscale surface features on metal powders, promises…
Postdocs shine at 2024 LLNL Research SLAM!
Gathered in a Laboratory auditorium on Wednesday, Sept. 25, a dozen Livermore postdocs used three minutes and a single slide to answer the question “Why is my research important?” Lab trivia, guest appearances from previous Research SLAM! winners and thematic walk-up music for each of the finalists added to the festive atmosphere of the live event. Talks were judged using…
LLNL and Korean Institute of Science and Technology to explore innovative climate solutions
More than 60 researchers gathered for a three-day workshop at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) during August to discuss their progress on shared research projects and explore opportunities to expand their collaborations, which focus on clean energy technologies, climate resilience and related data-science solutions. LLNL and the Korean Institute of Science and…
From the battlefield to biocontainment: meet Sean Leonard
Science at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is what synthetic biologist and postdoctoral researcher Sean Leonard calls a “team sport.” This is one of the aspects he enjoys the most about working in a national laboratory environment. “I’d say my military experience fundamentally shaped how I approach science,” said Leonard. “In the Army, I learned that I like…
Becoming a nuclear scientist: LLNL traineeship inspires SJSU students
Historically, most undergraduate students in STEM are limited in their exposure to the field of nuclear science. This is especially true at minority-serving institutions, which often do not have the infrastructure, resources and technical support needed to maintain such courses. To broaden the nuclear science pipeline and establish an equitable and inclusive workforce that…
New research could extend the lifetime of key carbon-capture materials
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology, have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the impact of carbon dioxide (CO2) on the stability of amine-functionalized porous solid materials, a crucial component in Direct Air Capture (DAC) carbon-capture technologies. This new research,…
Interns shine bright at the Jupiter Laser Facility
This summer, the Jupiter Laser Facility (JLF) hosted interns as part of the Reaching a New Science Energy Workforce (RENEW) program — a DOE Office of Science initiative aimed at developing a strong, diverse workforce pipeline through partnerships with minority serving institutions. The interns, Alexandra Koleva and Aliyah St Louis-Alleyne from Florida Agricultural and…
Getting into the details of carbon accounting
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is essential for climate change mitigation, but no single standardized methodology exists for evaluating project-level net carbon removal from the atmosphere. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and collaborators from Lawrence Berkeley and National Renewable Energy national laboratories and UC Berkeley, have looked into the…
DOE honors seven early-career Lab scientists
Seven scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are recipients of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science Early Career Research Program (ECRP) award. Steven Blazewicz, Kostas Kravvaris, Shusen Liu, Filippo Scotti, Jennifer Shusterman, Kyle Wendt and Ben Zhu are among 91 awardees receiving the recognition under the program. “Investing in…
New insights into metals under extreme conditions
Materials are crucial to modern technology, especially those used in extreme environments like nuclear energy systems and military applications. These materials need to withstand intense pressure, temperature and corrosion. Understanding their lattice-level behavior under such conditions is essential for developing next-generation materials that are more resilient, cheaper…
