In the hands of jewelers, gold can be fashioned into rings and pendants of long-lasting beauty. But, when reduced in size to nanocrystals containing a few thousand atoms, this noble metal is a surprisingly good catalyst.

A discovery in molecular chemistry may help remove a barrier to widespread use of diesel and other fuel-efficient "lean burn" vehicle engines. Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have recorded the first observations of how certain catalyst materials used in emission control devices are constructed.

Like two ballroom dancers waltzing together, the two atoms of an oxygen molecule severed by a metal catalyst usually behave identically. But new research reveals that on a particular catalyst, split oxygen atoms act like a couple dancing the tango: one oxygen atom plants itself while the other shimmies away, probably with energy partially stolen from the stationary one.

Mazda Motor Corporation has developed a world-first catalyst for cars that use single-nanotechnology to create a catalyst material structure which substantially reduces the amount of precious metals that are used, such as platinum and palladium.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed new ways to make or modify nanorods and nanotubes of titanium oxide, a material used in a variety of industrial and medical applications. The methods and new titanium oxide materials may lead to improved catalysts for hydrogen production, more efficient solar cells, and more protective sunscreens.

A new class of catalysts created at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory may help scientists and engineers overcome some of the hurdles that have inhibited the production of hydrogen for use in fuel cells.

X-ray studies at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory are pointing the way to less costly and more efficient catalysts for improving the performance of fuel cells. The studies, which will be presented by Brookhaven chemist Jose Rodriguez at the 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, show that copper can be substituted for gold in reactions that keep fuel cells functioning longer while eliminating unwanted byproducts.

Platinum might outweigh gold in the jewelry market, but as part of an ongoing effort to produce efficient and affordable fuel cells, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory are studying how gold atoms might enhance the value of the pricier metal.