Ytterbium thin-disk lasers pave the way for sensitive detection of atmospheric pollutants

The laser's capacity to generate high-power, stable pulses in the SWIR range is a game-changer for field-resolved spectroscopy and femtosecond fieldoscopy

19-Nov-2024 - Alongside carbon dioxide, methane is a key driver of global warming. To detect and monitor the climate pollutants in the atmosphere precisely, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) have developed an advanced laser technology. A high-power ytterbium thin-disk laser ...

Innovative catalyst produces methane using electricity

A study opens up new ways to produce important chemical compounds

08-Oct-2024 - Researchers at the University of Bonn and University of Montreal have developed a new type of catalyst and used it in their study to produce methane out of carbon dioxide and water in a highly efficient way using electricity. Methane can be used, for example, to heat apartments or as a starting ...

Bane and boon of oxygen mediating the performance of nickel catalysts in dry reforming of methane

Fundamental insights into the processes occurring at the catalyst surface

22-Jan-2024 - Catalysis is one of the key technologies in the chemical industry and has a wide-reaching impact on various aspects of our daily lives, including plastics manufacturing, drug synthesis, and production of both fertilizers and fuels. It is estimated that over 90% of chemical products are nowadays ...

Hy2gen Germany acquires plant and project pipeline of kiwi AG

Production plant in Werlte, Germany, is currently the world’s largest operating Power-to-eMethane plant

12-Dec-2023 - Hy2gen announced the successful acquisition of kiwi AG in Werlte, Lower Saxony, Germany. The acquisition includes what is currently the world’s largest operating power-to-eMethane plant in Werlte. The integration of kiwi AG marks an important milestone for Hy2gen, as it means the internationally ...

How lab-made catalysts can help to get a grip on difficult greenhouse gases

09-Nov-2023 - Natural gas consists of light hydrocarbons such as methane and ethane. Such gases are more potent greenhouse gases than CO2, are constantly released into the atmosphere from natural gas wells, and are more difficult to store than, for example, their corresponding alcohols (methanol and ethanol, ...

Space Telescope unveils the dark side of pre-stellar ice chemistry

Chameleon I hides a wealth of frozen molecules

25-Jan-2023 - The discovery of diverse ices in the darkest, coldest regions of a molecular cloud measured to date has been announced by an international team of astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. This result allows astronomers to examine the simple icy molecules that will be ...

Green gas to fight climate change

Electrochaea's commercial 10-megawatt biomethanation plant engineering completed

06-Oct-2022 - Electrochaea has completed the engineering for the first standardized 10 MWe biomethanation plant designed for commercial operation. A 10 MWe plant can produce several million cubic meters of renewable synthetic methane per year that replaces any use of fossil natural gas. Electrochaea offers a ...

From the oilfield to the lab

A special microbe turns oil into gases all by itself

03-Jan-2022 - Microorganisms can convert oil into natural gas, i.e. methane. Until recently, it was thought that this conversion was only possible through the cooperation of different organisms. In 2019, Rafael Laso-Pérez and Gunter Wegener from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology suggested that a ...

Dumping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere: the past decade beats many records

Highs for all climate killers and all sectors

11-Nov-2021 - The pledge to cut methane, by almost 100 countries at the start of the world climate conference in Glasgow, indicates that in the fight against global heating, greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide are now coming into focus. But what is the weight of the individual climate killers, how much ...

Researchers Decode Reaction Mechanisms During Interphase Formation in Lithium Batteries

Origin of the Decomposition Product Methane More Complex Than Previously Assumed

20-Sep-2021 - Understanding all processes and reactions inside the lithium-ion battery in detail is essential for its further development. Especially interphases, which strongly influence the performance, safety and service life of energy storage systems, are still insufficiently investigated. They are ...