At the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), researchers make big discoveries about 

small materials. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter—about 100,000 times thinner than a human hair. Nanoscience aims to understand 

advantageous yet sometimes strange physical and chemical behaviors that arise in structures 1 to 100 nanometers wide that do not 

occur in larger structures. 

In the CNMS clean room, researchers wear 

specialized clothing to protect samples from 

contamination during materials synthesis. 

“At the CNMS we are at the leading edge of breakthroughs 

in electron microscopy, which enables us to directly see and 

manipulate individual atoms. We’re on the horizon of great 

impacts to materials for energy and quantum sciences.” 

 Miaofang Chi, 

 CNMS Distinguished Scientist

<0.07 nanometer 

Resolution of CNMS

electron microscopes

68,000+ 

 Scientific publications

to date that cite

CNMS research

>800 

CNMS users

in 2022

>1Billion 

Number of atoms

identified in a single atom 

probe tomography

experiment

at CNMS

Big Discoveries at Small Scales

Nanotechnology can help address challenges in energy, medicine, manufacturing, and global 

security. It can present unprecedented advantages in areas ranging from drug delivery to 

computing. Because a nanoscale building block may be a million times smaller than an ant, 

much more of its surface area interacts with the surrounding environment compared to a 

conventional material—a factor that 

drives advances in batteries, chemical 

and biological sensing, catalysts 

for low-energy fuel and chemical 

production, and breakdown of toxins 

for environmental restoration. Other 

nanoscale factors derive from the 

nature of quantum mechanics and fuel 

innovations in efficient solar energy 

collection and conversion, energyefficient lighting, and stronger and lighter 

materials for transportation.

CNMS is one of five US Department 

of Energy (DOE) Nanoscale Science 

Research Centers. 

The centers provide leading-edge tools 

and scientific expertise for synthesis, 

characterization, and computation for interdisciplinary research at the nanoscale. Providing 

its own unique capabilities, CNMS enables scientists worldwide to “see,” make, control, and 

understand nanoscale matter. 

OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY
CONTACT:

Karren More, Director 

Center for Nanophase 

Materials Sciences

morekl1@ornl.gov, 

865-574-7788

One Bethel Valley Road, 

Oak Ridge, TN 37830

www.ornl.gov

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle LLC for the US Department of Energy November 2022

Specialized Capabilities

Located alongside ORNL’s world-class neutron scattering and computing facilities, CNMS welcomes hundreds of users each year from 

universities, companies, and research institutes around the world. The center provides state-of-the-art clean rooms and nanofabrication 

tools; laboratories for the synthesis of low-dimensional, hybrid, and polymer materials; theoretical approaches to understand 

nanomaterials; and instruments for atomic-scale imaging and characterization of chemical, structural, and functional properties. 

This broad spectrum of capabilities and the benefits of in-house research that focuses on nanomaterials capturing, transporting, or 

converting energy creates an environment that would be difficult to replicate anywhere other than at a national laboratory.

Making an Impact

Nanoscience is rapidly approaching the point where researchers will be able to build a nanoscale structure with atomic precision, 

measure where each atom sits in its local environment, visualize what each atom is doing, and use theory and computation to 

understand why each atom behaves in its specific way. They are now beginning to apply this expertise and information to create 

materials with improved functions and properties. 

Contributing to this progress, CNMS researchers have:

• Built freestanding, three-dimensional metallic structures with features as small as a few nanometers, akin to nanoscale 

3D printing of tiny designs, such as nanoscale antennas, cages for single cells, or connections for the smallest electronic 

circuits

• Visualized magnetic properties at the atomic scale, taking the guesswork out of the design of new devices, especially 

for electronics and sensors

• Obtained chemical information at length scales ranging from single atoms to whole devices, revealing what nanomaterials 

are made of, what limits the performance of solar cells, or how batteries degrade

• Applied high-performance computing to shed light on the meaning of data obtained using neutrons, photons, and 

electrons to provide a more complete understanding of structure, properties, and behavior, enabling the development 

of materials for future applications and products 

• Designed nanoscale materials including new polymers for solar energy harvesting, catalysts for converting carbon dioxide 

to liquid fuels, and ionic conductors for better batteries by combining theory, simulation, and precision techniques for 

imaging and synthesis