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ALS Work Using Spectroscopy

These techniques are used to study the energies of particles that are emitted or absorbed by samples that are exposed to the light-source beam and are commonly used to determine the characteristics of chemical bonding and electron motion.

 

Probing Active-Site Chemical States in a Co-Based Catalyst

Researchers identified the dominant chemical state of active sites in a cobalt-based catalyst using resonant photoemission spectroscopy under realistic conditions. The work will help scientists develop more-efficient catalysts for removing noxious carbon monoxide gas from exhaust streams generated by the burning of fossil fuels. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Tracking the Breakdown of Cellulose at the Micron Scale

A time-resolved study using infrared spectromicroscopy in a carefully controlled environment revealed why enzymes get bogged down when trying to break up cellulose from plants. The work sheds new light on the challenge of extracting the sugars locked up in plants for use in making petroleum-free fuels, chemicals, and medicines. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Watching the Enzymes that Convert Plant Fiber into Simple Sugars

Research from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and UC Davis sheds new light on how to access the sugars locked up in plants to produce petroleum-free fuels, chemicals, and medicines. The technique used combines a novel microfluidic device and infrared spectroscopy to study how a cellulose-degrading enzyme works in real time. Read more »

Cobalt or Nickel: Which is Better for High-Energy Battery Cathodes?

High-energy Li-ion batteries can provide both high capacity and high voltage, both of which are important in electric vehicles for greater range and faster acceleration. Here, researchers untangled the contributions of nickel and cobalt in high-energy Li-rich battery cathodes, pointing the way to optimizing them via a compositional approach. Read more »

Flat Bands Signal Electrons Trapped in 3D

Researchers found flat electronic band structures—known hallmarks of electrons trapped in two dimensions—but in a material that extends this phenomenon to three dimensions. The work opens up a material framework for exploring superconductivity and other exotic states in three dimensions for advanced electronic applications. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Tracking Platinum Movement on Fuel-Cell Electrodes

Researchers tracked the movement of the platinum nanoparticles that catalyze reactions in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) and correlated this movement with nanoparticle degradation. The results yielded solutions that can immediately reduce platinum waste in emission-free heavy-duty fuel-cell vehicles. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Building a Two-Dimensional Magnet One Atom at a Time

Researchers synthesized a new two-dimensional ferromagnet and measured how its electronic and magnetic properties evolve with increasing thickness and temperature. Such atomically thin magnetic materials with tunable magnetic properties would be very useful in next-generation microelectronic and spintronic applications. Read more »

Immune Response Spurs Growth of “Soft” Kidney Stones

Matrix stones are an unusual type of soft kidney stone closely associated with the presence of bacteria from unchecked urinary tract infections. Researchers conducted a comprehensive study of surgically extracted matrix stones, work that highlights how host defense mechanisms against microbes can simultaneously encourage harmful stone formation. Read more »

HyMARC Aims to Hit Targets for Hydrogen Storage Using X-Ray Science

Understanding how materials absorb and release hydrogen is the focus of the Hydrogen Materials Advanced Research Consortium (HyMARC). At the ALS, the HyMARC Approved Program was recently renewed, underscoring the key role that soft x-ray techniques have played in addressing the challenges of hydrogen storage. Read more »