Full Energy Range Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering of O2 and CO2: Direct Comparison with Oxygen Redox State in Batteries April 2, 2020 - The evolving oxygen state plays key roles in the performance and stability of high-energy batteries involving oxygen redox reactions. Comparison of the mRIXS profiles of four different oxygen states reveals that oxygen redox states in batteries have distinct widths and positions along the excitation energy. Read more »
Survival of T. rex Microvascular Structures from Deep Time March 23, 2020 - Researchers used several analytical techniques at the ALS to demonstrate how soft-tissue structures may be preserved in dinosaur bones, countering long-standing scientific dogma that protein-based body parts cannot survive more than one million years. Read more »
How a New Electrocatalyst Enables Ultrafast Reactions March 23, 2020 - With key data from the ALS, researchers discovered how a new, low-cost electrocatalyst enables an important oxygen reaction to proceed at an ultrafast rate. The work provides rational guidance for the development of better electrocatalysts for applications such as hydrogen-fuel production and long-range batteries for electric vehicles. Read more »
Criegee Intermediates Play Unexpected Role in Cell Chemistry March 23, 2020 - Researchers employed mass spectrometry to illuminate lipid nanodroplets under ultraviolet light. The results unexpectedly showed that hydroxyl radicals cause damage to cells via the formation of Criegee intermediates: molecules first proposed in 1975 to explain how pollutants react with the ozone layer in our atmosphere. Read more »
Elusive Kagome Electronic Structures Revealed March 21, 2020 - Electronic-structure studies showed that both infinitely light and infinitely massive particles coexist in a material with a star-shaped (kagome) crystal lattice. The material’s rich array of electronic behaviors shows promise for future spintronic applications and represents a new frontier for studying exotic phases of matter. Read more »
Blending Ionic and Coordinate Bonds in Hybrid Semiconductor Materials: A General Approach toward Robust and Solution-Processable Covalent/Coordinate Network Structures March 4, 2020 - Blending ionic and coordinate bonds in copper iodide based hybrid semiconductor materials with extended covalent/coordinate network structures leads to greatly enhanced solubility and solution processability, making it possible to form high-quality films for device fabrication. Read more »
X-ray Crystal Structures of the Influenza M2 Proton Channel Drug-Resistant V27A Mutant Bound to a Spiro-Adamantyl Amine Inhibitor Reveal the Mechanism of Adamantane Resistance February 27, 2020 - The M2 proton channel, shown with front and back monomer helices removed, is an anti-influenza drug target. Here, a bound inhibitor blocks the transport of protons through the V27A mutant channel. Read more »
Can Minerals in the Earth’s Lower Mantle Store Water? February 23, 2020 - Earth is considered a watery planet, simply by virtue of the fact that 71% of its surface is covered by oceans. But researchers have discovered that, in the massive volume of material in Earth’s interior, minerals can serve as an important water reservoir, providing a new perspective on our planet’s water budget. Read more »
Water Improves Material’s Ability to Capture CO2 February 21, 2020 - With the help of the ALS, researchers from UC Berkeley and ExxonMobil fine-tuned a material to capture CO2 in the presence of water. The parties have applied for a patent on the material, which was developed for use on the relatively humid flue gases emitted by certain natural gas power plants, a cleaner-burning alternative to coal. Read more » 
ALS Reveals Vulnerability in Cancer-Causing Protein February 17, 2020 - A promising anticancer drug, AMG 510, was developed by Amgen Inc. with the help of novel structural insights gained from protein structures solved at the ALS. AMG 510, which is currently in phase II clinical trials for efficacy, targets tumors caused by mutations in the KRAS protein, one of the most common causes of cancer. Read more » 