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April 2021 Message from the UEC

Johanna Nelson Weker, UEC chair, encourages users to attend the “Science enabled by ALS-U” seminar series to hear about research at light sources around the world and imagine the possibilities of future experiments. In addition, the UEC recently worked with other DOE light source user committees to share critical contributions with Congress. Read more »

Graphene Outperforms Metal Junctions for 2D Semiconductors

Researchers found that graphene performs ten times better than metal in transmitting a photoinduced current across interfaces with 2D semiconductors. Nanoscale-resolution band-structure measurements provided a deeper understanding of charge transport in these systems and will help in engineering more efficient contacts. Read more »

A Properly Tailored Tail Boosts Solar-Cell Efficiency

With the help of structural insights from the ALS, researchers optimized the fit between organic and inorganic ions in a perovskite solar-cell material. The work increased the material’s power-conversion efficiency and stability and opens up a new avenue for improving the current-carrier dynamics of a promising class of materials. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Structure-Based Design of Selective LONP1 Inhibitors for Probing In Vitro Biology

LONP1 is an AAA+ protease that  maintains mitochondrial homeostasis by removing damaged or misfolded proteins. Elevated activity and expression promotes cancer cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis-inducing reagents. Herein, we report the development of selective boronic acid-based LONP1 inhibitors using structure-based drug design as well as the first structures of human LONP1 bound to various inhibitors. Read more »

To Design Truly Compostable Plastic, Scientists Take Cues From Nature

Researchers have designed an enzyme-activated compostable plastic that could diminish microplastics pollution and holds great promise for plastics upcycling. The material can be broken down to its building blocks—small individual molecules called monomers—and then reformed into a new compostable plastic product. Read more »

Meteorites Reveal Magnetic Record of Protoplanet Churn

Researchers detected the signatures of ancient magnetic fields imprinted in the ferromagnetic grains of meteorites that originated from the same parent body. The results, combined with radioisotopic dating of the samples, support an extended time frame for the cooling of molten protoplanetary cores. Read more »

X-Ray Study Recasts Role of Battery Material from Cathode to Catalyst

Researchers used the ALS to learn about a lithium-rich battery material that has been the subject of much study for its potential to extend the range of electric vehicles and the operation of electronic devices. Through a fundamental spectroscopic study, they not only clarified the reaction mechanism of this material, but also found a conceptually different use of it as a catalyst. Read more »

The Spintronics Technology Revolution Could Be Just a Hopfion Away

Scientists have long treated skyrmions as merely 2D objects. Recent studies, however, have suggested that 2D skyrmions could actually be the genesis of a 3D spin pattern called hopfions. Now, a team of researchers has reported the first demonstration and observation of 3D hopfions emerging from skyrmions at the nanoscale in a magnetic system. Read more »