Lanthanides and other rare earth elements are quite difficult to separate and purify from the other materials with which they're usually found. Because of the great value and utility of these metals for many purposes, including electronics, computing, and various industrial processes that rely on their unique electronic and chemical properties, that difficulty is a major problem. Researchers using the Advanced Photon Source took inspiration from nature to examine a new possibility for lanthanide separation.

Scientists are always searching for new catalysts to enable fast, energy-efficient chemical reactions to transform wastes into useful chemical fuels, such as converting carbon dioxide to methane. Single-site catalysts are a promising new class of catalyst. Researchers using the Advanced Photon Source have demonstrated a design for single-site catalysts that resist aggregating and retain their high efficiency.

Scientists are exploring materials whose electronic properties could reduce the amount of resistive heating created by the transistors in computer chips. These new materials incorporate a one-dimensional electronic structure---meaning that the electrons which create current are confined to a single dimension---inside a three-dimensional crystal with insulating properties.

Materials chosen for fusion reactors need to be able to withstand radiation damage and the effects of transmutation atoms such as helium. Previous work has suggested that nano-heterophases might offer greater radiation resistance and helium tolerance, but experimental evidence has been inconclusive. Researchers used the APS to probe further and settle the question. 

Seeking a different way to heal crystallographic defects, tested a low-temperature annealing technique utilizing electron wind force (EWF) to “push” defects out of materials. Evaluation showed that EWF is a viable, low-temperature way to reduce defects in degraded gallium nitride devices and partially recover electrical performance.