As part of investments related to education and scientific activity, the Minister of Education and Science granted funds for the construction of a new end station. Research equipment for photoelectron spectroscopy under increased pressure will be built at the PHELIX beamline.
With the development of the experimental and theoretical aspects of surface science, knowledge of the complex nature of surfaces at the atomic scale has increased significantly. This, in turn, opened the way to modify and control this nature and to produce improved materials used in, among others, catalysis, solar cells and biosensors. A number of challenges related to traditional methods of surface characterization prompted the scientific community to look for a research method that would allow measurements to be made in conditions similar to real conditions.
The method of near ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) is widely popular among scientists from around the world. Equipment for this type of research is available in major synchrotron centers. This is due to the specificity of such measurements – soft X-rays excite low-energy electrons, which are absorbed in the gas phase, making the signal collected by the analyzer weak. A pressure of 1 mbar shortens the electron range to about 1 mm. A very intense source (synchrotron light) is needed to get a satisfactory result.
Thanks to funding received from the Ministry of Education and Science, the Solaris Centre will soon join this group. The funds, amounting to PLN 8,125,420, come from the budget for investment in education and scientific activities as part of a project prepared by Dr Magdalena Szczepanik.
Read more on SOLARIS website