• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds




ORNL-led team demonstrates desalination with graphene membrane

Posted at 7:25 pm March 30, 2015
By Oak Ridge National Laboratory Leave a Comment

Nature Nanotech Pores

Researchers created nanopores in graphene (red, and enlarged in the circle to highlight its honeycomb structure) that are stabilized with silicon atoms (yellow) and showed their porous membrane could desalinate seawater. Orange represents a non-graphene residual polymer. (Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

 

By Dawn Levy

Less than 1 percent of Earth’s water is drinkable. Removing salt and other minerals from our biggest available source of water—seawater—may help satisfy a growing global population thirsty for fresh water for drinking, farming, transportation, heating, cooling, and industry. But desalination is an energy-intensive process, which concerns those wanting to expand its application.

Now, a team of experimentalists led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has demonstrated an energy-efficient desalination technology that uses a porous membrane made of strong, slim graphene—a carbon honeycomb one atom thick. The results are published in the March 23 advance online issue of Nature Nanotechnology.

“Our work is a proof of principle that demonstrates how you can desalinate saltwater using free-standing, porous graphene,” said Shannon Mark Mahurin of ORNL’s Chemical Sciences Division, who co-led the study with Ivan Vlassiouk in ORNL’s Energy and Transportation Science Division.

“It’s a huge advance,” said Vlassiouk, pointing out a wealth of water travels through the porous graphene membrane. “The flux through the current graphene membranes was at least an order of magnitude higher than (that through) state-of-the-art reverse osmosis polymeric membranes.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Chemical Sciences Division, CNMS, Dai and Sergei Smirnov, desalination, distillation, Energy and Transportation Science Division, fresh water, Gabriel Veith, graphene, graphene membrane, Ivan Vlassiouk, Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program, Nature Nanotechnology, New Mexico State University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, osmosis, porous membrance, Raymond Unocic, reverse osmosis, reverse osmosis filters, salt ions, scanning transmission electron microscopy, seawater, Shannon Mark Mahurin, Sheng Dai, Sumedh Surwade, U.S. Department of Energy, University of Tennessee, water, Water Desalination Using Nanoporous Single-Layer Graphene, water molecules

ORNL scientists uncover clues to role of magnetism in iron-based superconductors

Posted at 1:12 am August 25, 2014
By Oak Ridge National Laboratory Leave a Comment

Magnetism of Iron-based Superconductors

Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists used scanning transmission electron microscopy to measure atomic-scale magnetic behavior in several families of iron-based superconductors. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

New measurements of atomic-scale magnetic behavior in iron-based superconductors by researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Vanderbilt University are challenging conventional wisdom about superconductivity and magnetism.

The study published in Advanced Materials provides experimental evidence that local magnetic fluctuations can influence the performance of iron-based superconductors, which transmit electric current without resistance at relatively high temperatures.

“In the past, everyone thought that magnetism and superconductivity could not coexist,” said ORNL’s Claudia Cantoni, the study’s first author. “The whole idea of superconductors is that they expel magnetic fields. But in reality things are more complicated.”

Superconductivity is strongly suppressed by the presence of long-range magnetism—where atoms align their magnetic moments over large volumes—but the ORNL study suggests that rapid fluctuations of local magnetic moments have a different effect. Not only does localized magnetism exist, but it is also correlated with a high critical temperature, the point at which the material becomes superconducting. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Science, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Advanced Materials, Andrew May, Athena Safa-Sefat, atomic-scale magnetic behavior, Brian Sales, Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Claudia Cantoni, DOE, Elbio Dagotto, electric current, electron energy loss spectroscopy, iron-based superconductors, Jonathan Mitchell, Juan-Carlos Idrobo, magnetic moments, magnetic properties, magnetism, Matthew Chisholm, Michael McGuire, National Science Foundation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Office of Science, Orbital occupancy and charge doping in iron-based superconductors, ORNL, scanning transmission electron microscopy, superconductivity, superconductors, Tom Berlijn, U.S. Department of Energy, University of Tennessee Stephen Pennycook, Vanderbilt University, Wu Zhou

Honors: Hispanic engineers group recognizes ORNL’s Idrobo

Posted at 9:33 pm August 18, 2014
By Oak Ridge National Laboratory Leave a Comment

Juan Carlos Idrobo

Juan Carlos Idrobo

Juan Carlos Idrobo, a researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been recognized by the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Award Corporation with the 2014 Outstanding Technical Achievement Award for groundbreaking research in scanning transmission electron microscopy of 2D materials.

Idrobo works in the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences’ Microscopy group. The Ecuador native received his bachelor’s in physics from Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia; his master’s in physics from the University of Illinois at Chicago; and doctorate in physics from the University of California, Davis. He joined the ORNL research staff in 2010.

The award is associated with Great Minds in STEM, a nonprofit organization that advocates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers for the Hispanic community. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Honors and Spotlight, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Great Minds in STEM, Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Award Corporation, Juan-Carlos Idrobo, microscopy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Office of Science, ORNL, Outstanding Technical Achievement Award, scanning transmission electron microscopy, Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, U.S. Department of Energy, UT-Battelle

Honors: ORNL’s Varela receives Microscopy Society’s Burton Medal

Posted at 9:22 pm August 18, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Maria Varela

Maria Varela

Maria Varela, a researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has received the Microscopy Society of America’s Burton Medal for early career scientists.

Varela’s research experience includes thin-film growth, transport properties, and structural characterization by x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. She specializes in aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and atomic resolution energy loss spectroscopy.

After receiving her doctorate in physics from Complutense University in Madrid, Spain, Varela came to ORNL as a Eugene P. Wigner Fellow. She has approximately 180 publications in refereed journals and has presented more than 100 invited talks and seminars. She has collaborated with scientists from more than 50 universities in the United States and abroad. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Honors and Spotlight, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: atomic resolution energy loss spectroscopy, Burton Medal, early career scientist, Eugene P. Wigner Fellow, Maria Varela, Materials Science and Technology Division, microanalysis, microscopy, Microscopy Society of America, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, researcher, scanning transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction

ORNL researchers probe invisible vacancies in fuel cell materials

Posted at 11:00 pm August 26, 2012
By Oak Ridge National Laboratory Leave a Comment

Knowing the position of missing oxygen atoms could be the key to cheaper solid oxide fuel cells with longer lifetimes. New microscopy research from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is enabling scientists to map these vacancies at an atomic scale.

Although fuel cells hold promise as an efficient energy conversion technology, they have yet to reach mainstream markets because of their high price tag and limited lifespans. Overcoming these barriers requires a fundamental understanding of fuel cells, which produce electricity through a chemical reaction between oxygen and a fuel.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: fuel cells, mircoscopy research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, scanning transmission electron microscopy

Search Oak Ridge Today

Classifieds

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

Recent Posts

  • REAC/TS welcomes new team members: John Crapo, Josh Hayes and David Quillen
  • NASA Postdoctoral Program seeks early career and senior scientists for prestigious fellowships at its locations across the U.S.
  • ORAU names Brandon Criswell associate general counsel
  • Update on downtown Oak Ridge Tuesday
  • TVA has virtual open house for Clinch River Nuclear Site
  • Science and supercomputers at ORNL topic of Mar. 8 talk
  • First Presbyterian offers free meals & groceries on Mar. 10
  • Secret City Academy student charged with terrorism after alleged shooting, bomb threats
  • ORHS Masquers presents ‘Into the Woods’
  • Oak Ridge’s first girl Eagle Scout named a “Scout of the Year”
A Twitter List by OakRidgeToday

Recent Comments

  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Mark Caldwell on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Mark Caldwell on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Tracy Powers on Planning Commission to consider Main Street apartments, plan revisions
  • johnhuotari on Four incumbents re-elected to Oak Ridge City Council
  • Levi D. Smith on Four incumbents re-elected to Oak Ridge City Council
  • samuel hopwood on Housing: Apartments proposed on former AMSE site
  • Matt Bailey on Robin Smith named Oak Ridge police chief

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2022 Oak Ridge Today