SLAC topics

Chemistry and catalysis RSS feed

Catalysts are the unsung heroes of chemistry, accelerating reactions used to make fertilizers, fuels and consumer products. Our work aims to make catalysts more efficient and reduce the use of fossil fuels.

Energy sciences

Depiction of four techniques used to study a single-atom catalyst.

Press Release

Researchers at SLAC and Stanford have created a nanostructured device, about half the size of a postage stamp, that harnesses more of the sun's...

A researcher holds a tiny device that uses sunlight to disinfect water.
News Feature

The White House announced $50 million in funding for ‘Battery500’, a five year effort, as part of a package of initiatives to accelerate adoption...

News Feature

The new MFX station expands the X-ray laser’s capability and flexibility for biological studies, which are increasingly in demand at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light...

Press Release

High-speed X-ray camera reveals ultrafast atomic motions at the root of organisms’ ability to turn light into biological function.

a protein from photosynthetic bacteria
News Feature

Method’s unprecedented combination of atomic resolution and extraordinary speed opens up new opportunities for ultrafast science.

News Feature

Their results suggest a more efficient way to store energy from solar and wind power by converting it into renewable fuels.

A water-splitting device at the University of Toronto
News Feature

Toward next-generation electronics, better medications and green energy solutions: "The First Five Years" point to a bright future of high-impact discovery at LCLS.

News Feature

SLAC, Stanford scientists discover that bombarding and stretching a catalyst opens holes on its surface and makes it much more reactive. Potential applications include...

Illustration of a catalyst being bombarded with argon atoms to create holes where chemical reactions can take place.
News Feature

An all-day symposium recognized the professor emeritus for his many contributions to the scientific community, from pioneering synchrotron radiation research at SSRL to making...

News Feature

X-ray research on 80-million-year-old fossilized burrows, likely the work of tiny marine worms, is helping scientists understand how living organisms affected the chemistry of...

Image - This marine worm, commonly known as a ragworm, can grow up to 4 inches in length. It is part of a class of worms known as polychaetes. A far smaller variety of polychaetes was likely responsible for creating ancient burrows studied at SLAC.
News Feature

A researcher who performed a variety of X-ray experiments at SLAC’s synchrotron will receive an annual scientific award during a SLAC conference next month.

Feng Lin
Press Release

Understanding Motions of Thin Layers May Help Design Solar Cells, Electronics and Catalysts of the Future

a three-atom-thick layer of a promising material as it wrinkles in response to a laser pulse