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Sounding the Antiviral Alarm: A New Family of Immune-System Sensors

Comparison of enzyme structures from humans and insects revealed a new family of evolutionarily related immune-system sensors, triggered by viral RNA or DNA to produce tailored signals that initiate antiviral action. The results shed new light on the diversity and development of immune defenses in animals. Read more »

Interface Sensitivity in Electron/Ion Yield X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy: The TiO2–H2O Interface

To understand corrosion, energy storage, (electro)catalysis, etc., obtaining chemical information on the solid–liquid interface is crucial but remains extremely challenging. Here, x-ray absorption spectroscopy is used to study the solid–liquid interface between TiO2 and H2O. This result highlights the potential of electron-yield XAS to obtain chemical and structural information with a high sensitivity for the species at the electrode–electrolyte interface. Read more »

The Elusive Electronic Structure of Liquid Metals Unveiled

Over 50 years ago, renowned physicists formulated theoretical models for the electronic structure of liquid metals. Now, for the first time, researchers observed the distinct spectral features predicted by those models, at the interface of a crystalline insulator (black phosphorus) and disordered dopants (alkali metals). Read more »

New Technique Paves the Way for Perfect Perovskites

A new solar material, organic-inorganic halide perovskites, could one day help the U.S. achieve its solar ambitions and decarbonize the power grid. A recent study reports that manufacturing could be aided by a new instrument that uses invisible x-ray light and visible laser light to probe a perovskite material’s crystal structure and optical properties as it is synthesized. Read more »

Cell ‘Fingerprinting’ Could Yield Long-Awaited Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnostic

A new application of infrared spectromicroscopy analyzes cells for signs of Alzheimer’s disease by measuring how the molecules in cells vibrate upon exposure to infrared light. The vibrational profile of each sample is so distinct and the difference between diseased and healthy cell samples is so visible that researchers liken the process to “cellular fingerprinting.” Read more »

Laser-Induced Cooperative Transition in Molecular Electronic Crystal

The cooperative tuning of a supramolecular electronic crystal enables access to a long-lived hidden conducting phase with a broad temperature range. Researchers demonstrate a dynamic and cooperative phase in K-TCNQ, with the control of pulsed electromagnetic excitation. A dedicated charge–spin–lattice decoupling is required to activate and subsequently stabilize the non-equilibrium phase. Read more »

ALS in the News (September 2021)

3D View Reveals Shadow Effect after Rapid Battery Charging

Using 3D x-ray microtomography, researchers measured the lithiation levels of particles in Li-ion battery electrodes during charging. At faster charging rates, lithium metal accumulated on the electrode surface and created a “shadow effect,” a region of poor lithiation in the electrode at some distance away from the lithium plating. Read more »

When Timing Isn’t Everything: Spontaneous Chemical Dynamics

Researchers combined aspects of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) with correlation spectroscopy—a statistical method capable of detecting patterns in microscopic fluctuations across space and time. The new technique, called time-correlation XPS, allows researchers to monitor dynamics without the need for a timed trigger. Read more »