October 23, 2017
News Release

Art and Science: A Winning Combination

Winners named in PNNL's 2017 Science as Art contest

Susan Bauer,
PNNL
Building-Better-Interfaces

 

Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are able to customize the surfaces of energy conversion and storage electrodes with the help of a separation and deposition tool called Ion Soft Landing. The technique allows them to create well-defined surfaces with only the most desirable molecules from a complex mixture of raw components. PNNL's unique capability to fine-tune extremely thin layers with high deposition rates is being developed with support from the Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences. By studying how clusters of active species assemble on the electrode in this image, scientists can use this tool to design interfaces for sustainable energy generation, conversion and storage, as well as conduct fundamental studies of electrochemical separation processes.

Thumbnail
Custom-made carbon materials for transportation, energy storage or cooling applications are being built right into commercially

Not one, but two images took top honors in Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's 2017 Science as Art contest.  Online voting by staff and the public resulted in a tie this year.  The Science as Art contest has been a regular fixture at the Department of Energy laboratory since 2010. The winners of the Popular Choice Award were selected from a group of 94 images on PNNL's Facebook page.   

One, submitted by scientist Venkateshkumar Prabhakaran, is part of research that will contribute to the design of new energy generation, conversion and storage technologies. The second, submitted by researcher Luis Estevez, is part of an initiative to develop new carbon-fiber based materials with wide-ranging applications from catalyst supports to electrodes for flow batteries.

The Director's Choice Award winner, selected by PNNL Director Steven Ashby, represents research that will contribute to the development of materials to treat and reduce vehicle exhaust or power plant emissions. It was submitted by materials scientist Radha Kishan Motkuri.  

Additionally, one submission from this year was selected as a finalist in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology's BioArt contest. The image of a microbial community living on the surface of ancient glass will deepen our understanding of how nuclear waste glass disposed of in shallow soil will change over time.

To view all of the entries received in this year's contest, visit PNNL's Facebook page.

Key Capabilities

Chemical & Molecular Science
SEE ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES

###

About PNNL

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory draws on its distinguishing strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science to advance scientific knowledge and address challenges in energy resiliency and national security. Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle and supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit the DOE Office of Science website. For more information on PNNL, visit PNNL's News Center. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Published: October 23, 2017

Research topics

Energy Resiliency
Materials Sciences
Scientific Discovery