An ambient-pressure probe of a solid electrolyte revealed how surface electrochemical mechanisms lead to poor electrolyte performance and battery failure. The results can help scientists engineer better coatings and interfaces, which are essential for building safer and better-performing batteries, particularly for use in vehicles. Read more »
Electronic energy transfer ionization in naphthalene–CO2 clusters reveals excited states of dry ice
The interaction between CO2 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is of interest in astrochemically relevant ices, the transition to renewable energy, and the development of green chemistry. We investigate the VUV excitation of the naphthalene–CO2 complex and observe excited states of CO2 through a newly identified electronic energy transfer ionization mechanism. Read more »
Converting N2 into Usable Form under Ambient Conditions
Researchers learned how molecular structure relates to function in catalysts that convert atmospheric nitrogen into more usable forms at room temperature and pressure. The work could lead to greater energy efficiency in producing nitrogen-based products such as fertilizer where large-scale industrial processes are unfeasible. Read more »
Caught in the Actinium
In this work, researchers demonstrated a macromolecular scaffold that combines an 8-coordinate synthetic ligand and a mammalian protein to characterize the solution and solid-state behavior of the longest-lived actinium isotope. The information could help design better cancer treatments. Read more »
Engineered π⋯π interactions favour supramolecular dimers X@[FeL3]2(X = Cl, Br, I): solid state and solution structure
Intermolecular interactions drive the formation of biological supramolecular architectures, inspiring the design of artificial supramolecular assemblies and molecular machines. Here, the engineering of supramolecular interactions allows selection of a self-recognition process of dimerization over one of helicate-cage formation. Read more »
Engineering Lipophilic Aggregation of Adapalene and Adamantane-Based Cocrystals via van der Waals Forces and Hydrogen Bonding
Adamantanes are emerging building blocks for active pharmaceutical ingredients. In this work, we sought to understand how systematic modification of the hydrophobic cage in adamantanes could result in changes to crystal packing in single and multicomponent organic solids. Read more »
A Cleaner Way to Produce Ammonia
A cavity made from linked rare-earth metals, such as zirconium and titanium, can convert abundant molecular nitrogen (N2) into useful nitrogen compounds, including ammonia or tris(silyl)amines, at room temperature. Read more »
Probing the Liquid/Vapor Interface of a Tunable Solvent
Despite the ready tunability and industrial promise of deep eutectic solvents (DESs), there have been few x-ray spectroscopy studies at their liquid/vapor interfaces—which is relevant for their use in applications such as greenhouse-gas capture. Here, researchers probed the liquid/vapor interface of a benchmark DES using complementary spectroscopies. Read more »
Mechanics of a Floating Molecular Layer for CO2 Reduction
Researchers discovered how a layer of organic molecules on a nanoparticle surface detaches to create a highly catalytic pocket for reducing CO2 to CO. The ability to probe molecular-scale events under realistic conditions with nanometer resolution will help guide the design of responsive systems for a wide range of applications, from medicine to optoelectronics. Read more »
Will Chueh to Receive the 2023 Shirley Award
Will Chueh of Stanford University is the 2023 winner of the Shirley award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement at the ALS. His selection recognizes Chueh’s deep contributions in operando soft x-ray spectromicroscopy for imaging electrochemical redox phenomena—images and movies for battery and electrocatalytic reactions. Read more »
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