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ALS Work Using Scattering/Diffraction

These techniques make use of the patterns of light produced when x-rays are deflected by the closely spaced lattice of atoms in solids and are commonly used to determine the structures of crystals and large molecules such as proteins.

 

Efficient Organic Solar Cell with 16.88% Efficiency Enabled by Refined Acceptor Crystallization and Morphology with Improved Charge Transfer and Transport Properties

Feng Liu and co‐workers report a detailed structure‐performance relationship to help understand the success of Y6 non‐fullerene acceptors. Through the analysis of the single crystal structure of Y6, it is found that Y6 forms a polymer‐like conjugated backbone through its banana‐shaped structure and π‐π interactions between molecules, and forms a 2D electron transport network under the ordered arrangement of the lattice. Read more »

Divergent Adsorption-Dependent Luminescence of Amino-Functionalized Lanthanide Metal–Organic Frameworks for Highly Sensitive NO2 Sensors

A novel gas-sensing mechanism exploiting lanthanide luminescence modulation upon NO2 adsorption is demonstrated. Two isostructural lanthanide MOFs are used, including an amino group as the recognition center for NO2. Energy transfer from the ligands to Ln is strongly dependent on the presence of NO2, resulting in an unprecedented photoluminescent sensing scheme. Read more »

Coordination Engineering of Single-Crystal Precursor for Phase Control in Ruddlesden-Popper Perovskite Solar Cells

Chaochao Qin, Alex K.-Y. Jen, Kai Yao and co-workers describe a generic guideline for fine tuning colloidal properties of 2D perovskites via coordination engineering of the single-crystal precursor solution. In nonpolar co-solvent media, the derived colloidal templates prefer to grow along the vertical direction with a narrow phase variation, elucidating the critical role of colloidal chemistry in low-dimensional perovskite solar cells. Read more »

Study Leads to Firmer Grasp of Biochemical “Reactive Handle”

Protein crystallography provided new insight into a functional group of molecules that, if added to bacterial enzymes, could enable a variety of alterations to the bacteria’s polymer output. Tweaking enzymes to produce these “reactive handles” is a first step toward biosynthesizing diverse polymers with tailored properties. Read more »

Assembly Lines for Designer Bioactive Compounds

Researchers successfully bioengineered changes to a molecular “assembly line” for bioactive compounds, based in part on insights gained from small-angle x-ray scattering at the ALS. The ability to re-engineer these assembly lines could improve their performance and facilitate the synthesis of new medically useful compounds. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Seeing ‘Under the Hood’ in Batteries

To push battery performance, researchers want to learn how the individual ingredients of battery materials behave beneath the surface. But many techniques only scratch the surface of what’s at work inside batteries. A high-sensitivity x-ray technique is attracting a growing group of scientists because it provides a deeper, more precise dive into battery chemistry. Read more »