Replacing commercial acid with acidic waste enables researchers to improve nickel extraction efficiency, lower projected costs, and improve process economics.

Researchers discovered that a polymer additive promotes smooth, layer-by-layer deposition on metal electrodes by tuning interactions with the substrate.

Anisotropies in surface potential driven by competitive ion adsorption can alter facet selectivity during oriented attachment.

Summarizing the state of designed protein hybrid materials, researchers celebrate both the 50th anniversary of the MRS Bulletin and the 2025 Fred Kavli Distinguished Lecturers in Materials Science, Jim De Yoreo and David Baker.

Localized gradients in magnetic fields have long-range effects on the concentration of rare earth ions in solution, facilitating field-driven extraction of critical minerals.

Studying a series of rare earth element compounds revealed differences in their magnetic behavior that will be leveraged for separations.

Specially designed histidine-containing peptoids mimic carbonic anhydrase to accelerate calcite step growth.

Distributed science is thriving at PNNL, where scientists share data and collaborate with researchers around the world to increase the impact of the work.

Imaging ice microstructures formed by water freezing with atomic resolution for the first time.

Tailored assemblies mimic natural enzyme activity with significantly higher stability.

In high-entropy oxides, chromium tends to segregate during growth due to oxidation-induced migration of smaller, high-valence cations.

Nanoscale domains of magnetically susceptible critical materials encounter enhanced magnetic interactions under external magnetic fields, providing a promising new avenue for separations.

Researchers developed a way to precisely control dopant structures and locations in carbon-based materials.

The size of graphene oxide sheets affects the ability of assembled membranes and adsorbents to separate rare earth elements.

Researchers have developed the first coastal transport model for microplastics to understand how particles move in waterways and coastal currents.

High-resolution hydrodynamic-sediment modeling shows that inundation, suspended sediment concentration in the Amazon River, and floodplain hydrodynamics drive sediment deposition in Amazonian floodplains.

Lakes are important sentinels of climate change and contribute significantly to the emissions of the second most important greenhouse gas—methane.

This study used historical data, remote sensing, and aquatic sensors to measure how far wildfire impacts propagated through the watershed after the 2022 Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire, New Mexico’s largest wildfire in history.

To assess the impact of observation period and gauge location, model parameters were learned on scenarios using different chunks of streamflow observations.

PNNL scientist James Stegen and an international team of collaborators recently published a comprehensive review of variably inundated ecosystems (VIEs).