Science Highlights | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)

Scientists Discover how Bacteria Convert Mercury to Toxic Form

Two genes responsible for mercury methylation identified.

Distribution of superconductivity around holes (white) in a thin sheet of superconducting film.

A Breakthrough for High-Field Superconductors

Nano-structuring may help superconductors overcome a decades-long barrier to use in more powerful motors and magnets.

The density of bonding electrons (red and yellow) in silicon (upper left) is rather evenly distributed, whereas in zinc oxide (upper right), it is concentrated around the oxygen atoms.

Understanding How Semiconductors Absorb Light

Advances in how we calculate optical properties of semiconductors shorten the path to improved solar cells and other optoelectronic devices.

[Left] Next generation multijunction solar cell with a dilute nitride middle junction (red) [Right] A transition from delocalized to localized electron trapping is directly observed in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra as the magnetic field is increased up to 57 Tesla.

Optimizing New Materials for Extreme Solar PV Performance

High magnetic fields reveal the existence of nitrogen superclusters.

Diagram showing the properties of a material as temperature and chemical composition (phosphorus level in this study) are varied.

What Causes High-temperature Superconductivity?

A phase change at absolute zero temperature may provide key insights into the decades-old mystery of high-temperature superconductivity.

Common Mineral Impurity Can Affect Uranium Mobility

Previously unknown role of titanium in subsurface chemistry revealed.

Understanding How Uranium Changes in Subsurface Environments

Bacterial biomass found to have an impact.

Scanning electron microscopy of conductive carbon fibers coated with metal oxide nanowires...

Nano-Composite Designs for Energy Storage

Nano-porous metal oxide coatings on carbon fiber dramatically enhance the electrical storage capacity for supercapacitors.

An electrolyte molecule (ethylene carbonate: C3H4O3) weakly binds (dashed line) to the positive electrode surface (Li0.6Mn2O4)...

Understanding Nature’s Choreography in Batteries

Charge-discharge chemistry for lithium ion batteries elucidated by theoretical calculations.

Breaking Down Enzymes’ Role in Biofuel Production

Molecular structures provide insights into biomass deconstruction.

Depiction of superionic phase of copper (blue) diffusing through the sulfur (yellow) sublattice.

Watching Ions Hop in Next Generation Battery Materials

Atomic-Scale, femtosecond time-scale measurements unravel the atomistic pathways and speed limits for copper migration through a nanocrystal.

Schematic figure of solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer formed during the first charging cycle illustrating a interphase layer comprised predominantly of a mixture of lithiumethylene dicarbonate (LEDC) and lithium fluoride (LiF).

Revealing the Illusive Interphase in Lithium Ion Batteries

Structure and composition of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase in lithium ion batteries was investigated via a unique combination of microscopy and spectroscopy.