Scientists have characterized carp scales down to the nanoscale, using the ALS to watch how the fibers in the scales react as stress is applied. The resulting insights provide inspiration for the design of advanced synthetic structural materials with unprecedented toughness and penetration resistance. Read more »
All News & Updates
2D Electronics Get an Atomic Tuneup
Researchers demonstrated a promising avenue for controlling atomic ordering in semiconductor alloys by engineering frustrated interactions in a 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD). The work could lead to improved semiconductor performance for next-generation electronics such as optoelectronics, thermoelectrics, and sensors. Read more »
Reversible Room-Temperature Fluoride-Ion Insertion in a Tunnel-Structured Transition Metal Oxide Host
Fluoride ions show promise as charge carriers in batteries but have limited cyclability. Here we show the reversible and homogeneous topochemical insertion/deinsertion and bulk diffusion of F ions within the one-dimensional tunnels of submicrometer-sized FeSb2O4 particles at room temperature. Read more »
Thermoinduced Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly of Bioinspired Block Copolymers in Aqueous Solution
Thermoinduced crystallization-driven self-assembly of polypeptoid-based block copolymers results in delicate control over the nanostructure in aqueous solution. This provides a convenient platform for comparing cellular uptake efficiency of nanostructured assemblies with various morphologies that are otherwise similar. Read more »
Structural Features Mediating Zinc Binding and Transfer in the AztABCD Zinc Transporter System
Zinc homeostasis is critical for bacterial survival and virulence. Extracellular zinc-binding proteins play an important role in this process. This work assesses the role of several flexible or unstructured sequences in zinc binding and transfer from proteins AztD to AztC. The results provide insights into the dynamic nature of these processes and support a previously proposed structural model of transfer. Read more »
A Closer Look at Water-Splitting’s Solar Fuel Potential
Although bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is a theoretically attractive material for electrodes in photoelectric chemical cells (PECs) used for artificial photosynthesis, it hasn’t lived up to its potential. Researchers used a multimodal approach to gain new insight into what might be happening at the nanoscale to hold BiVO4 back. Read more »
Roland Koch, Research Scientist
Roland Koch first became fascinated with synchrotron work at BESSY in Germany. He has been at the ALS ever since he finished his PhD and is happy to teach others everything from getting more meaningful data to flying a plane. Read more »
In Memoriam: Al Thompson, Retired Berkeley Lab Senior Scientist
With sadness we announce the recent passing of our retired colleague Al Thompson on May 30, 2020, after several years of medical challenges. At the Lab, he worked on x-ray detectors and applications in energy dispersive x-ray analysis before transitioning into synchrotron applications. He will be missed by his colleagues at the ALS who will remember him as a capable scientist and diligent worker. Read more »
How Water Promotes Catalysis of Methane to Methanol
Researchers unraveled how water helps catalyze the conversion of methane, the main component of natural gas, into methanol, a liquid fuel. The work supports the efficient production of methanol and other useful chemicals and could help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released by the flaring and venting of methane. Read more »
Rotavirus VP3 Is a Multifunctional Capping Machine
Rotavirus, a major cause of infantile gastroenteritis, is responsible for the deaths of about 200,000 children per year. Although vaccines are available, the virus still circulates, and a fuller understanding of the viral structures is needed. Here, scientists investigate the structure and function of the last unsolved rotavirus structural protein. Read more »
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