LLNL researchers have developed a method to enhance the performance of polyelectrolyte membranes by using a humidity-controlled crosslinking process which can be applied to precisely adjust the water channels of the membrane.
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![Picture of SLA printed structures using 3D printable nitrile-containing photopolymer resins](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-04/SLA%20printed%20structures%20using%203D%20printable%20nitrile-containing%20photopolymer%20resins.jpg?itok=cVxxoNNY)
LLNL’s invention is a photopolymerizable polymer resin that consists of one or more nitrile-functional based polymers. The resin is formulated for SLA based 3D printing allowing for the production of nitrile-containing polymer components that can then be thermally processed into a conductive, highly graphitic materials. The novelty of the invention lies in (1) the photo-curable nitrile-…
![Picture of interlocked electrode structure with metal plated surfaces](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-03/Interlocked%20electrode%20structure%20with%20metal%20plated%20surfaces.jpg?itok=1A_mLJdP)
LLNL researchers have developed a fabrication process for creating 3D random interdigitated architectures of anodes and cathodes, eliminating the need for a membrane to separate them. This approach is similar to the repeating interdigitated multi-electrode architectures that also were developed at LLNL.
![Diffuse discharge circuit breaker with latching switch](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-02/Diffuse%20discharge%20circuit%20breaker.png?itok=qWpciEtY)
A thyristor will stay conducting until the current through the device is zero (“current zero”) or perhaps slightly negative. LLNL’s approach is to use the opticondistor (“OTV”) to force this current zero in order to force the device into an “off” state. By combining a light-activated thyristor with an OTV, a noise-immune, high efficiency, high-power switching device can be constructed. The…
![A cross-sectional schematic of a diffused Ga2O3 photoconductive semiconductor switch (PCSS)](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-02/a%20cross-sectional%20schematic%20of%20a%20diffused%20beta-Ga2O3%20PCSS.png?itok=Z41s0FbO)
The researchers’ approach leverages the concept that dopants have high diffusivities in Ga2O3; the key lies in the selection of the appropriate dopant. This LLNL invention describes two device types that employ this design:
![Samples of optimized diamond switches](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-01/Samples%20of%20optimized%20diamond%20switches.png?itok=5syzdD0q)
Design and construction of a photoconductive switch requires a diamond photoconductor illuminated by light of a certain excitation wavelength.
Characteristics of the LLNL-developed switch are as follows:
![Printed TPMS membrane structures using nanoporous photoresist](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-12/Printed%20TPMS%20membrane%20structures.png?itok=siH1EwC9)
LLNL researchers have developed novel advanced manufactured biomimetic 3D-TPMS (triply periodic minimal surface) membrane architectures such as a 3D gyroid membrane. The membrane is printed using LLNL's nano-porous photoresist technology. LLNL’s 3D-TPMS membranes consist of two independent but interpenetrating macropore flow channel systems that are separated by a thin nano-porous wall. 3D-…
![Custom PCB design of a PCSS Laser Diode Driver](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-11/PCSS%20Laser%20Diode%20Driver.png?itok=WQ2FNHQF)
LLNL researchers have invented an ultrafast PCSS to drive a high-power laser diode with arbitrary pulse widths. These devices operate by supplying a high voltage (>10 kV) to one side of the switch. A short pulse of light illuminates the semiconductor, instantly turning it from highly resistive to highly conductive.
![Electrodeposition of Zn onto 3D printed copper nanowire (CuNW)](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-07/ElectrodepositionofZnon3dprintedCuNW.jpg?itok=2G2D1kt9)
Improving the active material of the Zn anode is critical to improving the practicality of Zn-MnO2 battery technology. LLNL researchers have developed a new category of 3D structured Zn anode using a direct-ink writing (DIW) printing process to create innovative hierarchical architectures. The DIW ink, which is a gel-based mixture composed of zinc metal powder and organic binders, is extruded…
![Livermore researchers support efforts to limit the need for rare-earth elements in U.S. clean-energy technologies.](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-07/Reducing%20Reliance%20on%20Critical%20Materials.png?itok=IuC6bH4r)
CMI—a DOE Energy Innovation Hub—is a public/private partnership led by the Ames Laboratory that brings together the best and brightest research minds from universities, national laboratories (including LLNL), and the private sector to find innovative technology solutions to make better use of materials critical to the success of clean energy technologies as well as develop resilient and secure…
![One embodiment of a solid-state lithium-air battery based on gyroid foams.](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-06/Li-Air%20Battery%20Gyroid%20Foam.jpg?itok=gPAwVj0O)
LLNL researchers have developed a new 3D printable lithium-air battery that uses a novel thin solid state ceramic electrolyte. LLNL’s invention overcomes the combined challenges of low power density and low cycle life in previously designed lithium-air batteries by using solid state electrolytes to achieve stability and multiscale structuring of the electrolyte to achieve low interfacial…
![twister oven component with reflective inner cylinder surface](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-06/twister%20oven%20component.png?itok=v3jlzm2V)
U.S. Patent No. 11,555,965 describes LLNL’s invention of “Illumination Frustums” for photoconductive switches to capture and “frustrate” the light from leaving the frustum. LLNL researcher’s latest novel invention, “Twister Oven”, achieves this by encouraging laser light absorption in a photo conductor material. Light enters the oven twisting and reflecting, making near normal incident multi…
![A photoconductive switch made from a synthetic, chemical vapor deposition diamond under test](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-06/Photoconductive%20switch.jpg?itok=xC1O7vXg)
Design and construction of a photoconductive switch requires a diamond photoconductor illuminated by light of a certain excitation wavelength. The diamond material is chosen to be doped with substitutional nitrogen to act as a source of electrons. The device architecture allows maximum light entering the aperture. The top and bottom electrodes are made of ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG)…
![New class of lattice-based substrates](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-05/lattice-based%20substrate.png?itok=vFuqTT03)
To get the best of both worlds – the sensitivity of LC-MS with the speed of PS-MS – and a functional substrate that can maintain sample integrity, LLNL researchers looked to 3D printing. They have patented a novel approach to create lattice spray substrates for direct ionization mass spectroscopy using 3D-printing processes.
![schematic of LLNL’s field emission photocathode device architecture with examples of tunable SiC surface micro- and nanostructures fabricated at LLNL](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-05/FE%20photocathode%20device.png?itok=z-1Om9v8)
LLNL researchers faced this challenge by bridging the gap between VEDs and solid-state electronics (SSE). Their approach was to create a hybrid vacuum microelectronic device (VMD) architecture that combines the properties of vacuum as the electronic medium and the compact form factor and manufacturing scalability of semiconductor microelectronic chips.
![3D Printing of High Viscosity Reinforced Silicone Elastomers](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-05/3dPrintableSiliconeInks.png?itok=C6lgLCTy)
LLNL researchers, through careful control over the chemistry, network formation, and crosslink density of the ink formulations as well as introduction of selected additives, have been successful in preparing 3D printable silicone inks with tunable material properties. For DIW (direct in writing) applications, LLNL has a growing IP portfolio around 3D printable silicone feedstocks for diverse…
![Segments of transmission line lengths can be switched to open circuit (as shown) or shorted to the ground (not shown)](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-05/Segments%20of%20tranmission%20line%20lengths.png?itok=FF0qaBGw)
Design and construction of a photoconductive switch requires a diamond photoconductor illuminated by light of a certain excitation wavelength. The diamond material is specifically doped with substitutional nitrogen, which act as a source of electrons. The device architecture allows maximum light entering the aperture. The top and bottom electrodes are made of ultra wide band gap (UWBG)…
![Annular illumination on photo conductor by Conical Total Internal Reflection “CTIR” endcap](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-05/CONIFR.png?itok=L4wSanXF)
The approach is to use a custom-designed frustrum and attach it to the optical fiber that connects to the PCSS. Light from the fiber enters the frustrum, spreads out, and enters the PCSS. Any unabsorbed light re-enters the frustrum and, because of its geometry, reflects back into the PCSS itself with only a negligible fraction escaping from the fiber. The shape of the novel frustrum is…
![3D Printing of Fiber Reinforced Composite Thermoset Structures](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-04/3D%20Printing%20of%20FRC.png?itok=WZfsZPZy)
LLNL’s method of 3D printing fiber-reinforced composites has two enabling features:
![AI Innovation Incubator](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2022-01/AI%20Innovation%20Incubator.jpg?itok=B8jcKPOy)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is offering the opportunity to collaborate in accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) for applied science, including research in key areas such as advanced material design, 3D printing, predictive biology, energy systems, “self-driving” lasers and fusion energy research.
![Catalyst HPC cluster](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2022-06/Catalyst%20HPC%20cluster.jpg?itok=k9uYS5xL)
Clinical images have a wealth of data that are currently untapped by physicians and machine learning (ML) methods alike. Most ML methods require more data than is available to sufficiently train them. In order to obtain all data contained in a clinical image, it is imperative to be able to utilize multimodal, or various types of, data such as tags or identifications, especially where spatial…
![medical_x-rays_x-ray_tech](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2022-06/medical_x-rays_x-ray_tech_1.jpg?itok=kn0J-DkH)
Some COVID-19 diagnoses are utilizing computed tomography (CT)-scans for triage. CT-scans produce immediate results with high sensitivity. The digital images produced by a CT-scan require physicians to identify objects within the image to determine the presence of disease. Object identification can be done using machine learning (ML) techniques such as deep learning (DL) to improve speed and…
![MimicGAN data set example](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2020-05/mimicgan_robustness_to_rotation.png?itok=yacM18ra)
MimicGAN represents a new generation of methods that can “self-correct” for unseen corruptions in the data out in the field. This is particularly useful for systems that need to be deployed autonomously without needing constant intervention such as Automated Driver Assistance Systems. MimicGAN achieves this by treating every test sample as “corrupt” by default. The goal is to determine (a) the…
![nanocomposite_aerogel.jpg nanocomposite_aerogel](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2019-08/nanocomposite_aerogel.jpg?itok=PuNPrvkg)
Livermore researchers have developed two novel TiCl4 based non-alkoxide sol-gel approaches for the synthesis of SiO2/TiO2 nanocomposite aerogels. Composite SiO2-TiO2 aerogels were obtained by epoxide-assisted gelation (EAG route) of TiCl4/DMF solution in the presence SiO2 aerogel particles. Additionally, the same TiCl4/DMF solution was employed to prepare SiO2@TiO2 aerogels by a facile one-…
![medical_x-rays_x-ray_tech](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2022-06/medical_x-rays_x-ray_tech_1.jpg?itok=kn0J-DkH)
LLNL has developed a new system, called the Segmentation Ensembles System, that provides a simple and general way to fuse high-level and low-level information and leads to a substantial increase in overall performance of digital image analysis. LLNL researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of the approach on applications ranging from automatic threat detection for airport security, to…
![3D printed electrodes](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2022-06/3D%20printed%20electrodes.jpg?itok=HPvcODM8)
Nanomaterials that are emerging out of cutting edge nanotechnology research are a key component for an energy revolution. Carbon-based nanomaterials are ushering in the "new carbon age" with carbon nanotubes, nanoporous carbons, and graphene nanosheets that will prove necessary to provide sustainable energy applications that lessen our dependence on fossil fuels.
Carbon aerogels (CAs)…
![Batteryless Sensor](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2022-06/batteryless%20sensor.jpg?itok=OiEAlv22)
Chemical and biological sensors based on nanowire or nanotube technologies exhibit observable ultrasensitive detection limits due to their unusually large surface-to-volume architecture. This suggests that nanosensors can provide a distinct advantage over conventional designs. This advantage is further enhanced when the nanosensor can harvest its meager power requirements from the surrounding…
![3D printed electrodes](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2022-06/3D%20printed%20electrodes.jpg?itok=HPvcODM8)
LLNL has developed novel nanoporous carbon materials for the surface-stress-induced actuator technology. The morphology of these materials has been designed to combine high surface area and mechanical strength. The process allows for the fabrication of large monolithic pieces with low densities and high structural integrity. One actuation technology relies on electrochemically- induced changes…