Berkeley — Capturing and storing the carbon dioxide humans produce is key to lowering atmospheric greenhouse gases and slowing global warming, but today's carbon capture technologies work well only for concentrated sources of carbon, such as power plant exhaust. The same methods cannot efficiently capture carbon dioxide from ambient air, where concentrations are hundreds of times lower than in flue gases.
Yet direct air capture, or DAC, is being counted on to reverse the rise of CO2 levels, which have reached 426 parts per million (ppm), 50% higher than levels before...
From top left: Scanning tunneling microscope images of electrons evolving into a single Wigner molecule (bottom right).
Research teams led by Feng Wang and Michael Crommie have taken direct images of the Wigner molecular crystal, a new quantum phase of an electron solid. The breakthrough may advance future technologies for quantum simulations.
"The Council of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has endorsed the NAE 2025 Nominating Committee’s[1] recommendation of Tsu-Jae King Liu, dean and Roy W. Carlson Professor of Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, to stand as the sole candidate for the NAE presidency. NAE members will vote in March 2025 to elect a new NAE president to a six-year term beginning July 1....
A new process for manganese-based battery materials lets researchers use larger particles, imaged here by a scanning electron microscope.Credit: Han-Ming Hau/Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley
Omar Yaghi was honored for "groundbreaking contributions to the discovery and development of nanoporous framework materials, and advancing their applications in carbon capture, hydrogen storage, and water harvesting from desert air. Yaghi developed foundational design principles and innovative synthetic methods, creating two extensive classes of nanoporous materials: metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs). These pioneering materials are now at the forefront of global efforts to tackle critical sustainability and environmental challenges...
"James Analytis,Charles Kittel Chair in Condensed Matter Physics, UC Berkeley, to develop new methods using focused ion beams to change the chemical composition of two-dimensional materials with nanometer resolution, potentially giving rise to new electronic states, including superconductivity."
The program was established to develop, sustain, and promote scientificand academic excellence in Office of Science (SC) research throughcollaborations between universities and national laboratories.
Persson was honored for “pioneering advancements in data-drivenmaterials design and discovery through first-principles basedcomputations and analysis algorithms that yield materials with optimalproperties for engineers and scientists worldwide to accelerateinnovation, and for her management...
This device uses red light to generate electricity. It has two parts: a blue photocathode and a green photoanode, separated by a special membrane. A bacterium (S. ovata) helps convert carbon dioxide, while a platinum-gold mix assists with another reaction. Illustration courtesy of Peidong Yang
Recently, a handful of “climate innovators” were identified as a part of Berkeley’s ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship to combat climate change. Among them was Peidong Yang, a professor of chemistry and of materials science and engineering.
The Tang Prize of Taiwan is one of the world’s most renowned awards, andwas awarded for Yaghi's discoveries unlocking essential tools to combat the climate crisis.
