Scientists finally see how nature moves energy so efficiently
Researchers have captured high-speed molecular snapshots of how protons and electrons move together to transfer energy. This process, which is highly efficient in nature, could lead to advancements in fuel cells, batteries, and catalysts.
Why it matters
Improving our understanding of energy transfer at the molecular level is critical for developing more efficient renewable energy technologies and storage solutions.
Some of the most important reactions in nature depend on positively and negatively charged particles moving in a coordinated way. These reactions are essential to processes such as photosynthesis, catalysis and biological energy conversion, but they happen so quickly that they are extremely difficult to observe.
A team led by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, working with researchers at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and several universities, has now captured snapshots of these events after they are triggered by light striking a molecule.
The findings, published in Nature Communications , could deepen scientists' understanding of these reactions and eventually contribute to improved flow batteries, fuel cells and catalysts.
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