News

March 11, 2026

1 MIN READ

Isotope labels reveal underlayer MoS2 bilayer growth

Scientific Achievement: Mo isotope labeling and molecular dynamics (MD) calculations revealed how vdW interactions with the substrate control the synthesis pathway of bilayer MoS2 – driving underlayer growth on SiO2/Si but overlayer growth on sapphire.Significance and Impact: Work provides mechanistic insight into confined epitaxial growth and establishes isotope labeling as a powerful probe of 2D materials synthesis.DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5c20844

May 3, 2024

5 MIN READ

Tweaking isotopes sheds light on promising approach to engineer semiconductors

Research led by scientists at ORNL has demonstrated that small changes in the isotopic content of thin semiconductor materials can influence their optical and electronic properties, possibly opening the way to new and advanced designs

April 4, 2024

1 MIN READ

Abnormal isotopes effect on MoS2 optical bandgap

Scientific Achievement: By growing lateral heterostructures of monolayer MoS2 with different Mo isotopes, researchers observed intrinsic isotope effect on photoluminescence, revealing how phonons couple strongly with excitons to anomalously shift the optical band gap in 2D materials compared to conventional semiconductors.Significance and Impact: This study presents a novel approach for tailoring the optical and electronic properties of 2D materials through isotope engineering for future optoelectronic devices.DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj0758

December 7, 2023

4 MIN READ

Time-tested magnesium oxide: Unveiling CO2 absorption dynamics

Magnesium oxide is a promising material for capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and injecting it deep underground to limit the effects of climate change. ORNL scientists are exploring ways to overcome an obstacle to making the technology economical.

October 23, 2023

1 MIN READ

Armoring Impedes Direct Air Capture of CO2 by MgO

Scientific Achievement: This work showed that the rate of CO2 uptake by MgO slows over time and is limited by CO2 diffusion through the reacted layer.Significance and Impact: MgO is a promising candidate material for direct air capture of CO2, but the rate of uptake and the controls on its reactivity are not known. The armoring effect shown here will need to be overcome to improve the economics of this inexpensive DAC method.DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04690

March 24, 2022

6 MIN READ

ORNL multimodal study sheds new light on promising photovoltaic material

A study by researchers at the ORNL takes a fresh look at what could become the first step toward a new generation of solar batteries.

December 12, 2019

1 MIN READ

Light-Ferroic Interactions in High-Performance Photovoltaic Materials

Although hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) have made impressive progress in applications in solar cells, light emitters, photodetectors, etc., the quest to advance the fundamental understanding of the photo-physics of HOIPs remains highly relevant.

November 20, 2019

6 MIN READ

High school students’ data science contributions boost biomineralization research

Students often participate in internships and receive formal training in their chosen career fields during college, but some pursue professional development opportunities even earlier.

August 1, 2019

1 MIN READ

Clean water—Sunny desalination

A new method developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory improves the energy efficiency of a desalination process known as solar-thermal evaporation.

October 10, 2018

1 MIN READ

“Lighting up” High Response in Thin Film Nanocomposite Sensors

This joint CNMS-CFN research effort built on unique capabilities of two NSRCs and resulted in a new hybrid nanocomposite sensor material with ~20 times higher gravimetric response than pure polymer thin films, and that could be further enhanced by

September 25, 2018

6 MIN READ

Multimodal imaging shows strain can drive chemistry in a photovoltaic material

A unique combination of imaging tools and atomic-level simulations has allowed a team led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to solve a longstanding debate about the properties of a promising material that can harvest energy from light. Th...

April 2, 2018

1 MIN READ

Multipurpose Argon Ion Beam for Processing Graphene