Category: Research

Chinese researchers find way to create green, inexpensive and efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts

May 26, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In China, environmentally friendly energy-conversion technologies, such as fuel cells and water-splitting systems, have attracted considerable attention. However, application of these electrochemical devices is hindered due to the high energy barrier of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are the most promising candidates for ORR and HER catalysis. However, […]

DOE researchers find corn ethanol reducing its GHG emissions

May 25, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Illinois, a study conducted by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory reveals that the use of corn ethanol is reducing the carbon footprint and diminishing greenhouse gases. The study, recently published in Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, analyzes corn ethanol production in the United States from 2005 to 2019, when […]

University of British Columbia develops coffee pod that composts in 35 days

May 24, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Canada, a researcher from the University of British Columbia has invented the NEXE pod, a coffee pod which composts completely in as little as 35 days in industrial compost. The pods are made from two specially engineered components: an outer fiber jacket and a bioplastic inner capsule designed to break down into carbon dioxide, […]

Researchers succeed in new enzyme system for hydrogen conversion

May 23, 2021 | admin

In Germany, a research team from the Technical University of Munich, the RUB, the Center national de la recherche scientifique Marseille and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion in Mülheim an der Ruhr succeeded in incorporating the sensitive enzymes into a protective polymer in such a way that they can also be used […]

DOE Co-Optima report shows blendstock research could have major GHG impacts

May 20, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Colorado, a report released this month highlights the most significant breakthroughs of the last year in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative, with details on findings that could translate into significant greenhouse gas (GHG) and tailpipe emissions reductions. Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and […]

DOE researchers attempt to simulate perennial bioenergy crops in Midwest

May 19, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In the Midwest, researchers project that biofuel production will continue to expand around the world. To understand the effects of this trend, scientists must accurately represent biofuel crops in land surface models. Using observations from biofuel plants in the Midwestern United States, researchers simulated two biofuel perennial plants, Miscanthus and switchgrass. The simulations indicate these […]

NREL and DOE researchers explore potential use of marine biofuels

May 18, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Colorado, a global effort to reduce sulfur and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships has researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and other Department of Energy facilities investigating the potential use of marine biofuels. The NREL-directed research provides a starting point for establishing the feasibility of ships using biofuels. Fueling costs already […]

Shell teams with National University of Singapore to develop fuels from CO2

May 17, 2021 | Meghan Sapp

In Singapore, researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and international energy giant Shell will jointly develop novel processes to use carbon dioxide, a byproduct of industrial processes, to produce fuels and chemicals for the energy industry. Supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF), this S$4.6 million research program was formalized by all […]

PNNL researchers find clingy copper ions contribute to catalyst slowdown

May 16, 2021 | admin

In Washington, scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington State University and Tsinghua University, discovered a mechanism behind the decline in performance of an advanced copper-based catalyst. Spectroscopy revealed a deactivating force in catalysts used to reduce diesel emissions. Heavy-duty diesel trucks on the road today are equipped with aftertreatment systems that include selective catalytic […]

US DOE to Subject Matter Experts: Become a BETO Reviewer

May 14, 2021 | Jim Lane

In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is expanding its roster of subject matter experts to review research funding applications. BETO’s Scale-Up and Conversion Funding Opportunity Announcement (More on that here) is currently accepting applications in the areas of: – Bioenergy technology scale-up – Clean cellulosic sugar production – Bioprocess separations […]

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