Identifying What Controls Reactivity in Concentrated Alkaline Aluminate Solutions
Hydrogen bonding and proton transfer control the identity and reactivity of molecules in highly concentrated and alkaline aluminate solutions.
Grain Boundary-Rich Network Structure Induces High Catalytic Activity
A new simple and scalable synthesis produces nanoparticle assemblies that can perform catalytic hydrogen sensing at room temperature for the first time.
Ba Tran
Ba Tran is a synthetic chemist in the Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate of PNNL. He is currently involved in the research activities of the core Office of Basic Energy Sciences (DOE) catalysis and hydrogen storage program.
Getting into the Fast Lane Means Minor Adjustments Far from the Catalyst's Core
Taking a cue from enzymes, researchers at PNNL placed the amino acid arginine at the periphery of a hydrogen-splitting catalyst that cleaves hydrogen into protons and electrons.
Scientists Achieve Difficult Chemical Step with Lower Energy Input
Researchers developed a new hybrid catalyst that achieved chemo-selective and site-selective hydrogenation of aromatic molecules under low pressure of dihydrogen and mild temperature.
The Contradictory Catalyst
Using a natural catalyst from bacteria for inspiration, researchers have now reported the fastest synthetic catalysts to date for hydrogen production-- producing 45 million hydrogen molecules per second.
New $90M PNNL Center to Focus on Solving Clean Energy’s Biggest Puzzles
PNNL’s new Energy Sciences Center has capabilities for scientists to advance solutions for storing clean hydrogen in chemical bonds.
Tracking Mechanisms of Crystallization in Real Time
iDREAM research shows that concentrated electrolytes in solution affect hydrogen bonding, ion interactions, and coordination geometries in currently unpredictable ways.
Marina Recognized as One of the Pioneering Women in Applied Physics
PNNL hydrogen expert Olga Marina has been named among the pioneering women in applied physics in a roadmap published in Journal of Physics D.
Oliver Gutiérrez Takes on a ‘Multidimensional Challenge’
Oliver Gutiérrez leads an electrocatalytic hydrogenation research team at PNNL that focuses on next-generation catalysts at the molecular level and in an aqueous state.