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Science Highlights

New Insights into Oxygen’s Role in Lithium Battery Capacity

Researchers working at the ALS have recently made new discoveries in understanding the nature of charge storage in lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, opening up possibilities for new battery designs with significantly improved capacity. Looking at a popular Li-rich cathode material, the researchers used soft x-ray techniques to quantifiably explain oxygen’s role in Li-ion charge capacity. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

New Fuel Cell Design Powered by Graphene-Wrapped Nanoparticles

Hydrogen is the lightest and most plentiful element on Earth and could serve as a carbon-free, virtually limitless energy source. Recently, researchers working at the ALS and the Molecular Foundry developed a promising new materials recipe based on magnesium nanocrystals and graphene for a hydrogen fuel cell with improved performance in key areas. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

3D Charge Order Found in Superconductor

Resonant soft x-ray diffraction studies of a cuprate high-temperature superconductor revealed a 3D, long-range charge order—the first of its kind ever reported in a cuprate—that competes with superconductivity. A better understanding of such phenomena could help in the design of more robust superconductors with higher transition temperatures. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

An Atomic-Level Understanding of Copper-Based Catalysts

Copper-based catalysts are widely used in chemical industries to convert water and carbon monoxide to hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methanol. There are theoretical models used to explain this reaction, but a complete understanding of the process has been lacking. However, recent research at the ALS has shed light on the process, giving scientists key data about how copper-based catalysts function at the atomic level. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Shutting Out Ebola and Other Viruses

Researchers have used protein crystallography at the ALS to understand how a drug molecule that has shown some efficacy against Ebola in mice inactivates a membrane protein, called TPC1, used by viruses to infect host cells. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

A New Universal Parameter for Superconductivity

Scientists have been researching high-temperature (high-Tc) superconductors for decades with the goal of finding materials that express superconducting capabilities at room temperature, which would be a requirement for practical and cost-effective applications. The newest materials to gain scientific interest are iron-based superconductors, and the latest research from the ALS on these materials indicates a new factor that determines their superconductivity. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Exploring the Repeat-Protein Universe

Researchers have published a landmark study that used both crystallography and SAXS to validate computationally designed structures of novel proteins with repeated motifs. The results show that the protein-folding universe is far larger than realized, opening up a wide array of new possibilities for biomolecular engineering. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Manganese Reduction-Oxidation Drives Plant Debris Decomposition

ALS research has shown that manganese reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions are an important factor in controlling the rate of plant debris decomposition. Understanding the role of manganese will help build better models to predict how litter decomposition rates—and thus nutrient cycling and the ecosystem carbon balance—may behave in future climate scenarios. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Aerosol Oxidation Speeds Up in Smoggy Air

To better understand the effects of organic aerosols on climate, pollution, and health, researchers measured aerosol reaction rates at ALS Beamline 9.0.2. They discovered an unexpectedly large acceleration in aerosol oxidation in the presence of anthropogenic pollutants commonly found in smoggy air, a result that could help bring models closer in line with observations. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35