Diamond Light Source – Page 3

Revolutionising plastic recycling: a breakthrough in enzyme-based depolymerisation

2025/01/142025/01/21

The accumulation of plastic waste in the environment is an ecological disaster and will require multiple solutions to tackle the problem. Despite recent initiatives to close the plastics loop, only 9% of plastic was recycled in 2019, with the remaining waste either incinerated or accumulating in landfills or natural environments, posing hazards to both living and non-living systems. Bioplastics, derived from renewable sources, have been investigated as green alternatives to conventional fossil-based plastics. However, costly synthetic routes and low recyclability continue to challenge the growth of bioplastics. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is the most popular polymer for commercial bioplastics, but its recycling is limited by challenging mechanical recycling and slow biodegradation. A team of researchers from King’s College London has developed a generalisable biocatalysis engineering strategy to enhance the use of enzymes to depolymerise a broad class of plastics, in a publication recently published in Cell Reports Physical Science. This novel approach is 84 times faster than the 12-week-long industrial composting process currently used for recycling bioplastic materials

The problem with plastic waste

The demand for conventional plastics such as Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) or poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is increasing, with 460 million tons produced in 2019; a 230-fold increase from the 2 million tons produced in 1950. Plastic waste is a significant environmental issue, with millions of tons of plastic ending up in natural environments each year. Traditional recycling methods are often inefficient and unable to produce high-quality reusable materials. Bioplastics, derived from biological sources such as corn starch and sugarcane, are seen as a more sustainable alternative. However, current methods of bioplastic production are costly and compete with food-based agriculture for land use. Furthermore, mechanical recycling methods generate CO2 and are incapable of producing high-quality reusable materials, leading many retailers to revert to using oil and fossil-based materials. As an example, it takes up to 84 days at 60°C in industrial composting to recycle PLA, with very little valorisation possible.

An innovative solution

In this publication, the team of researchers developed a new protocol to recycle PLA. This method involves different component to help depolymerise the material.

First, they used ionic liquids to solubilise the plastic. Ionic liquids are salts in a liquid state that have unique properties, such as low volatility and high thermal stability. Ionic liquids have been shown to have the ability to solubilise polymers used in common plastics such as PET and PLA. Secondly, they used a commercially available enzyme, a lipase from Candida antarctica (CaLB) to degrade the plastic.

As the enzyme may not be stable in ionic liquid, the researchers performed some chemical modifications in three different steps to preserve enzyme activity.

Researchers performed circular dichroism at Diamond Light Source on the B23 beamline to ensure that the secondary structure of the enzyme was intact after the chemical modifications. Measurements realised on B23 also showed that the thermostability of the modified protein was higher in ionic liquid (> 80°C) compared to the unmodified protein in aqueous solution. This parameter is important, as heat is required to help depolymerise plastics.

Image: Graphical abstract of the publication

Jigsaw puzzle: Deciphering the chloroplast transcription machinery

2025/01/072025/01/10

Chloroplasts are specialised organelles found in plant cells and some algae. Photosynthesis, the process by which light energy is converted into chemical energy, resulting in the production of oxygen and energy-rich organic compounds, takes place in chloroplasts. The number of chloroplasts per plant cell can vary widely, ranging from one in unicellular algae to up to 100 in plants like Arabidopsis and wheat. Chloroplasts have a unique transcription machinery that is more complex than their cyanobacterial ancestors. The plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP) is a multi-subunit complex crucial for transcribing chloroplast genes, which are essential for photosynthesis and plant growth. Despite its importance, the roles of many PEP-associated proteins (PAPs) are poorly understood. Researchers from the John Innes Centre and Diamond Light Source aimed to study the structure of PEP to better understand its composition, assembly, and function. They used cryo-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) at the electron Bio Imaging Centre (eBIC) to achieve this goal, providing a detailed view of the PEP complex and its interactions with DNA and RNA. Their work was recently published in Cell.

Before this groundbreaking study, the understanding of the plant plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP) was limited. Researchers knew that PEP is a multi-subunit complex composed of four plastid-encoded subunits similar to bacterial RNA polymerases (RNAPs) and several nuclear-encoded PEP-associated proteins (PAPs). This is the first striking difference compared to bacteria: the complex is significantly larger, as the PAPs seem to be present only in chloroplasts. Furthermore, the exact composition of the complex and roles of these subunits were poorly defined. Previous studies had identified PEP subunits are essential to chloroplast biogenesis, but the detailed structural and functional insights were lacking.

In this study, researchers purified PEP complex using chromatographic separation. It showed that the PEP is a huge complex of 1.1 MDa, more than twice the size of its bacterial counterpart. 19 unique subunits were identified using liquid chromatography techniques coupled with mass spectroscopy: the four subunits that form the core polymerase, and 15 PAPs. The purified PEP samples were functional in transcribing RNA from DNA in assays. This first step was crucial to ensure that the samples used for cryo-EM represents an active complex.

To visualise the PEP complex at high resolution, the researchers used cryo-EM at eBIC. Cryo-EM is ideal for studying large protein complexes in their native state, allowing the researchers to capture the intricate details of PEP and its associated proteins.

Dr Michael Webster commented:

They discovered that the core polymerase of the PEP shares structural similarities with the cyanobacterial RNAP. Also, PAPs encase the core polymerase, forming extensive interactions that likely promote complex assembly and stability. The precise composition of PEP and the position of the PAP subunits with respect to the polymerase were not known prior to this work. The PAP subunits add new capability to the core polymerase. PAP1 and PAP2 add DNA binding and RNA binding, and several PAPs add enzymatic functions. Interestingly, if any single PAP subunit is missing, the polymerase will not function efficiently. Future work will be needed to understand the relationship between all the different PAPs and the core polymerase and what is the precise role of each PAPs.

Image: the PEP complex in chloroplasts.

Solid Electrolytes: A Breakthrough for Safer, High-Performance Batteries

2025/01/022025/01/07

Synchrotron studies shed light on new places to look for high ionic conductivity

Batteries are a critical technology for the transition to a sustainable energy economy. Rechargeable lithium ion (Li ion) batteries power our electronic devices and electric cars and are needed to store energy generated from renewable sources. The design and discovery of new materials underpins the development of high performing and reliable rechargeable batteries that are long-lasting, cost-effective, fast charging, safe and sustainable. Most Li-ion batteries rely on a liquid electrolyte to conduct ions between the anode and cathode. However, liquid electrolytes can leak and are flammable, which can lead to fires. One solution to this issue is to use a solid electrolyte, and researchers at the University of Liverpool have discovered a solid material with high enough Li ion conductivity to replace the liquid electrolytes in current Li ion battery technology, improving safety and energy capacity. Their work, recently published in Science, used a collaborative computational and experimental workflow, synthesising the material in the laboratory, using synchrotron techniques to determine its structure, and demonstrating it in a battery cell. Their disruptive design approach offers a new route to discover more high-performance materials that rely on the fast motion of ions in solids.

A New Pathway to Superionic Conductivity

If you’re looking for a new material for battery electrolytes, then you want something with high ionic conductivity and good chemical compatibility between the solid electrolyte and lithium metal is required. The existing high-performance solid-state electrolytes come from a small number of structural families with transport paths that minimize changes in cation coordination. With the assumption that this is what gives them their high conductivities, the search for new materials has continued along the same lines – emphasising anion packings that provide a single type of Li coordination environment

However, the team at the University of Liverpool has taken a different approach, opting for a design strategy using multiple anions to construct suitable pathways, supported by AI and physics-based calculations. The material they synthesised, Li₇Si₂S₇I, is a pure lithium-ion conductor created by an ordering of sulphide and iodide with many different cation coordination environments that combine to create superionic conductivity. Created from non-toxic earth-abundant elements, the new material operates in a new way and achieves a high enough Li ion conductivity to replace liquid electrolytes.

At the start of the project, computational exploration of the Li-Si-S-I phase field offered up a number of candidate compositions, which were synthesised in carbon crucibles in the lab. Using X-ray Diffraction to identify the materials formed highlighted a novel phase. After suitable crystals for single-crystal diffraction were grown, the team used high resolution single-crystal XRD on Diamond’s I19 beamline to solve the crystal structure.

Image: The figure represents the lithium ions (in blue) moving through the structure

Credit: Liverpool University

Two-dimensional gold nanostructures

2024/12/182025/01/10

An international team of researchers from Hokkaido University, Lund University, MAX IV Laboratory in Sweden, and Diamond Light Source in the UK has made significant progress in synthesising nanostructured two-dimensional gold films. This development could pave the way for advances in catalysis, electronics, and energy conversion.

The research team utilized a bottom-up approach, growing gold monolayers on iridium substrates with boron atoms embedded at the interface. This method produced nearly freestanding gold layers with hexagonal nanoscale patterns, stabilized by boron. The resulting films exhibited notable thermal stability and distinctive electronic properties, addressing the challenges of stabilizing two-dimensional metallic structures.

The facilities at MAX IV Laboratory were central to the research. The MAX IV STM Laboratory facilitated the synthesis of the gold films and their topographic characterization, while the Surface- and Materials Science end station at the FlexPES beamline enabled detailed analysis using techniques such as X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), and Angular Resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ARPES). These complementary approaches provided valuable insights into the structure, bonding, and electronic properties of the films.

“The combination of synthesis and advanced characterization at MAX IV, particularly the ability to study atomic arrangement and surface chemistry in the same sample, was essential to this work,” said Dr. Alexei Preobrajenski of Lund University.

Cancer Research Horizons and Diamond Light Source establish drug discovery partnership

2024/12/102024/12/10

Cancer Research Horizons, the innovation arm of Cancer Research UK, is partnering with Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron, to build a world-leading fragment-based drug discovery programme

Diamond Light Source accelerates electrons to near light speed, producing bright light that is directed into research instruments known as beamlines. Cancer Research Horizons and its drug discovery site at Newcastle University have already been using Diamond’s beamlines and XChem facility for fragment-based screening, a powerful approach to identify chemical entities that can be developed rapidly into potent candidates.

The new partnership will build on this existing relationship to improve the throughput, running and analysis of these experiments. By leveraging their combined expertise and resources, the partnership aims to accelerate the drug discovery process and help bring new cancer treatments to patients faster.

Under the agreement, Cancer Research Horizons will fund two on-site postdoctoral research assistants dedicated to optimising the delivery of its in-house and industry-partnered projects. In return, Diamond will provide early access to any proprietary developments to its platform.

The partnership will establish a governance framework to enable Cancer Research Horizons to provide feedback on the industrialisation of Diamond’s Fragment Screening platform. This initiative aims to enhance its appeal to Cancer Research Horizons’ pharmaceutical and biotech partners, driving broader industry engagement.

UK and Switzerland partner for science using neutrons, muons and X-rays

2024/12/092024/12/18

A strategic partnership between research facilities in the UK and Switzerland has been established by the UK International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF), which will develop new capabilities for science using neutrons, muons and X-rays.

UK facilities – ISIS Neutron and Muon Source (ISIS) and the Diamond Light Source, located at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) – and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), in Switzerland – home to the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source SINQ, the Swiss Muon Source SµS, the Swiss Light Source SLS and the X-ray Free-Electron Laser SwissFEL, will create new scientific capabilities to address global challenges.

These large-scale research infrastructures have a rich history in pushing forward science in key areas for our society, such as net zero technology development, healthcare solutions and therapies, and resilient communications, relying on their ability to study material properties at the atomic and molecular scales. Recent studies have included investigation of materials for enhanced batteries, quantum computing and technologies, and novel drug delivery mechanisms, as well as fundamental science investigations. The ISPF partnership will enable new projects to be taken forward, developing capabilities for research facilities that benefit society overall.

Researchers and technical teams from ISIS, Diamond and PSI have already worked in close collaboration for many years. The ISPF funding will allow an extension of collaborations into new research areas, enabling the development of novel capabilities in both countries. Around 16 projects will be taken forward as part of the programme, with 16 early-career postdoctoral researchers employed to work between the facilities.

Image: Meeting of members of the ISIS – Diamond – PSI partnership at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, 27-28 November 2024.

A new authentication technology – A novel technique to fight counterfeiting

2024/12/042024/12/09

In today’s world, the fight against counterfeiting is more critical than ever. Counterfeiting affects about 3% of global trade, posing significant risks to the economy and public safety. From fake pharmaceuticals to counterfeit currency, the need for secure and reliable authentication methods is paramount. Authentication labels are commonly used – such as holograms on bank notes and passports – but there is always a need for new unfalsifiable technologies.

This is where new groundbreaking research recently published in Applied Sciences comes into play. Led by a team of scientists from Oxford University, the University of Southampton, and Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron, the work focuses on developing a new technology for writing and reading covert information on authentication labels. This technology leverages the unique properties of Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ thin films, which can change their structure when exposed to specific types of laser light. By using circularly or linearly polarised laser light, the researchers can encode hidden information in these thin films. This information can then be revealed using a simple reading device, making the technology both advanced and accessible. The paper is called ‘Application of Photo-Induced Chirality in Covert Authentication’ and explains how photo-induced chirality in Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ thin films can be exploited to improve authentication.

The significance of this research lies in its potential applications. Authentication labels are essential in various industries, including pharmaceuticals, electronics, and currency. The ability to encode and read covert information securely can help prevent counterfeiting and ensure the authenticity of products. Moreover, the technology’s reliance on existing manufacturing methods makes it a practical solution for widespread use.

To create these new authentication labels, the authors deposited 55nm thick film on a disk substrate. After that, author, Dr Konstantin Borisenko, Research Computing Administrator at University of Oxford explained,

Toxic behaviour: why do tuberculosis bacteria poison themselves?

2024/11/252024/11/29

Tuberculosis bacteria halt their growth with self-toxins that could inspire novel therapeutics

Stealthy bacteria slow down their division when they invade the body to avoid drawing the immune system’s attention. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the world’s leading bacterial infectious killer, takes a seemingly counterintuitive approach to that end. M. tuberculosis expresses self-toxins that damage its DNA and shut down growth as well as antitoxins to later help recuperate and resume proliferation. By studying these toxin-antitoxin pairs, Durham University microbiologist Professor Tim Blower aims to find ways to mimic the self-toxins with new therapeutics

By conducting X-ray crystallography at Diamond’s I04 beamline, Blower and his colleagues uncovered the structure of toxin-antitoxin complexes, providing insight into how they regulate DNA damaging activity. The findings reveal that the protein pair potentially form two types of complexes. A grouping of two toxins and four antitoxins dominated at body temperature, whereas an equal pairing of two and two were more common in colder conditions, which may reflect how the proteins come together when bacteria live in the environment. These findings change our perspective on how the toxins and antitoxins operate, bringing researchers closer to designing new drugs against a pandemic microbe that continuously evolves resistance to existing antibiotics.

Each year, Mycobacterium tuberculosis leads approximately 10 million people to endure a bloody cough, exhaustion, and fever, and it causes over one million deaths. Doctors typically prescribe patients a course of four to six antibiotics to clear the infection, but the bacteria evolve mechanisms to resist the effects of the drugs. As many as 2.5 percent of tuberculosis patients carry variants of the bacteria resistant to the four most common first-line antibiotics, and that proportion is expected to climb if researchers don’t develop other therapeutics that could kill resistant strains.

Poison control

Blower and the team from Durham University and Newcastle University study mechanisms the bacteria use to limit their own growth in pursuit of inspiration for new drug candidates. Specifically, they focus on an enzyme that controls DNA organisation in the cell and a pair of toxins and antitoxins that regulate this enzyme’s function.

Bacteria and eukaryotes (for instance, humans), organise DNA in the cell differently. Eukaryotic DNA is tightly packaged in the nucleus by histone proteins that wind it up into compact chromosomes. Bacteria, on the other hand, lack histones and rely on DNA to undergo a process called supercoiling. Like how a wound-up rubber band contracts into a small volume, bacterial DNA winds up into a condensed coil to save space. However, supercoiled DNA needs constant maintenance, which involves occasional unwinding and rewinding of the molecules. To this end, an essential enzyme called DNA gyrase cuts the DNA, allows it to untwist, and glues the cut ends back together again, so they can coil again.

Repairing the DNA breaks is essential to the bacteria’s survival because it avoids the build-up of harmful DNA damage and mutations, but sometimes M. tuberculosis interferes with the process. It achieves this using a toxin-antitoxin system that inhibits DNA gyrase. Scientists are still uncertain about the biological role of the toxin, Blower said, but one hypothesis is that by partially shutting down bacterial growth, it prevents antibiotics that target growth machinery from working. Another is that the toxin helps quiescent bacteria evade immune detection as slow-growing microbes tend to slip under the radar. The antitoxin relieves the bacteria, allowing those that survived the accumulation of DNA breaks to seal them back together and resume growth when conditions in the body become favourable.

Researchers developing new therapeutics are drawn to these systems. Suggesting scientists could develop copycat drugs, Professor Blower said:

Chiral magnets in the slow lane

2024/10/242024/10/28

A groundbreaking study led by Thorsten Hesjedal, Gerrit van der Laan, and Shilei Zhang from Oxford, Diamond, and ShanghaiTech University has uncovered unexpected slow relaxation processes in chiral magnets, a discovery that challenges the conventional understanding of magnetic dynamics. The study highlights the critical role of topological defects in slowing down the relaxation of non-collinear magnetic states considered for emerging skyrmionics applications.

Exploring non-collinear magnetic orders

Non-collinear magnetic orders, such as spin spirals and skyrmions, have become a central topic in modern magnetism research. These complex magnetic configurations, characterised by twisted spin textures, have topological properties that make them ideal candidates for next-generation spintronic devices. In particular, magnetic skyrmions are small, stable, and can be moved about at minimal energy cost, making them ideal for advanced information storage technologies.

Typically, when these magnetic textures are disturbed, their relaxation back to equilibrium is believed to occur over a timescale of nanoseconds, as predicted by micromagnetic theories. However, the research team has discovered that under certain conditions, the relaxation processes can extend to hundreds of milliseconds or even seconds.

Revealing the slow dynamics

In their experiment, the researchers studied the archetypal chiral magnet Cu2OSeO3 using a novel time-resolved resonant elastic X-ray scattering (REXS) technique (Fig a). By applying a pulsed magnetic field and measuring the magnetic order’s response, they were able to capture the entire relaxation process in real-time. Surprisingly, the team found that both the conical and skyrmion lattice phases took up to 0.2 seconds to decay to their equilibrium state – a timescale that is eight orders of magnitude longer than conventional predictions (Fig b).

This extended relaxation is attributed to the formation of topological defects, such as dislocations and monopoles, located within the magnetic structure. These defects act as localised disturbances, slowing down the relaxation process as the system strives to unwind and return to its lowest energy state. This behaviour contrasts sharply with the rapid dynamics typically expected in magnetic systems and opens up new questions about the underlying physics of topological textures.

Image: 3D simulation of the skyrmion lattice. (a) Isosurface visualization (𝑚𝑧=0) of a well-ordered 3D SkX phase. During the relaxation process, topological defects (red dots) emerge that break the local skyrmion strings, as shown in (b) and (c). (d) Shared 2D skyrmion plane, cut from the transparent slices in (a)–(c). The three 𝐐𝑖 wave vectors are shown.

Leading Korean science research centre to work in collaboration with Diamond

2024/10/182024/10/23

A new partnership agreement between Diamond and Max Planck POSTECH/Korea Research Initiative (MPK) has been established

Representatives from both institutions met this week to sign a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The aim of the agreement is to unite the two organisations in educational and scientific cooperation. This will include exchanging research expertise in shared fields of interest, as well as encouraging research visits between the two organisations.

MPK was established in October 2011 in close cooperation with the Max Planck Foundation (MPI) in Germany to advance foundational and innovative technologies in materials science through international collaboration. Part of its remit is to actively promote global talent training programs in association with Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH).

The initiative is particularly interested in developing cutting-edge functional materials and nanostructures with complex properties, as well as the development of high-tech functional nanodevices with new optical, electrical, and magnetic properties.

Image: Dr Adrian Mancuso, Physical Sciences Director (Diamond); Prof. Jae-Hoon Park Director (MPK); Changyong Song, Prof. of Physics (MPK); Sukeun Park (MPK) , Prof. Jongsu Park (MPK)

Ending the cold chain: novel hydrogel set to improve access to vital medicines

2024/10/022024/10/03

Hydrogel enables fridge-free stabilisation of protein-based therapeutics without additives

The storage and distribution of vital protein therapeutics presents several complex challenges. Many medicines and vaccines need stable, temperature-controlled environments and chemical additives (excipients) such as preservatives to keep them effective and safe for use.

This requires cold storage infrastructure and reliable energy sources which not only puts the responsibility on the user but causes accessibility and affordability challenges, especially in developing countries where resources are limited.

Now researchers from the UK Universities of Manchester, Glasgow and Warwick have designed the world’s first hydrogel technology for the storage and distribution of crucial medicines and other biopharmaceuticals without the need for refrigeration or chemical additives. The aim is to provide more robust and equitable storage and delivery systems, benefitting everyone worldwide.

The novel hydrogel cargo-system paves the way for affordable, energy efficient and user-friendly ways of supplying patients and clinics with vital protein-based drugs for health conditions like diabetes and cancer. The hydrogel also offers exciting potential for diagnostics and biotechnology.

Published in the journal Nature on 24 July 2024, the research involved a series of tests to show how the hydrogel works on two proteins: insulin to treat diabetes, and beta-galactosidase, an enzyme with life science and biotechnology applications. Synchrotron science played an important role in the early development and testing of the hydrogel using Diamond’s I22 (Fig.1) and B21 (Fig.2) beamlines.

The research was supported with funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme, the European Research Council, the Royal Society, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the University of Glasgow, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Image: Initial gel studies. Images exemplifying the syringe filter release protocol for gels. The gel is first loaded in a syringe fitted with a 0.22 μm filter. The gel is passed through the filter by gentle extrusion, releasing a clear solution. a.u., arbitrary units; CD, circular dichroism.

Discovering a New Dimension in Skyrmion Dynamics

2024/09/202024/10/01

A new study led by Professor Shilei Zhang from ShanghaiTech University, involving the University of Oxford and Diamond Light Source, has uncovered a groundbreaking phenomenon in the dynamics of magnetic skyrmions, which are topologically protected spin textures with particle-like properties. Traditionally, skyrmions have been understood to move linearly in response to external stimuli. However, the research team’s innovative approach using a linear temperature gradient has revealed a new, continuous rotational motion within skyrmion crystallites, driven by a novel chiral lattice torque.

Skyrmion crystallites as rigid entities

Magnetic skyrmions are known for their potential as information carriers in spintronics due to their stability, low-energy transport cost and nanoscale size. As for conventional magnetic information carriers, speed is key so the study of their dynamics is an important task on their way to device applications. In certain chiral magnets, skyrmions condense into a skyrmion lattice – a two-dimensional, closely-packed hexagonal arrangement. Unlike isolated skyrmions, this condensed skyrmion lattice exhibits a unique rigidity, meaning that the packed skyrmion structure resists to be broken up into its constituent parts. Under inhomogeneous driving forces, however, the strain on the skyrmion lattice becomes large enough to break the perfect lattice up into finite-size skyrmion crystallites. The team’s experimental work demonstrated that when subjected to a linear temperature gradient, these skyrmion crystallites do not merely translate; they also rotate, a motion analogous to a rolling ball or drifting sheets of ice in the ocean, combining both translational and rotational dynamics.

Experimental breakthrough with resonant elastic X-ray scattering

Utilising time- and spatially-resolved resonant elastic X-ray scattering (REXS) at beamline I10, the researchers observed this rotational behaviour in the insulating chiral magnet Cu₂OSeO₃. Their experiments provided direct evidence of the chiral lattice torque’s role in driving the skyrmion crystallites’ rolling motion. The skyrmion crystallites displayed a uniform rotational chirality, which could be reversed by flipping the direction of the applied magnetic field, confirming the theoretical predictions.

RIXS Shows Why Li-rich Batteries Fade

2024/09/172024/09/20

High-resolution resonant inelastic X-ray scattering uncovers the role that oxygen plays in voltage fade in next-gen battery materials

As part of the transition to net zero, the Faraday Institution’s CATMAT (Lithium Ion Cathode Materials) project is focusing on improving lithium-ion battery energy density and electric vehicle (EV) range. Its scope includes adding to our understanding of lithium-rich (Li-rich) oxygen-redox cathodes and novel anion-chemistry cathodes, as well as developing scalable synthesis routes for these materials. As part of this project, researchers from the University of Oxford are working with Diamond’s I21 beamline to explore the cause of voltage fade in Li-rich cathodes, using high-resolution resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) spectroscopy. In work recently published in Nature Materials, they followed the oxygen redox reaction in Li-rich cathodes over cycling and quantitatively measured the O₂ trapped within the material. Their results show that a gradual increase in electrochemically inactive O₂ and the loss of O₂ from voids near the cathode surface lead to a reduction in the O redox capacity and the observed voltage fade. These important insights could lead to innovations in cathode chemistry and aid the transition to low-carbon energy sources.

Powering net zero: understanding lithium-rich battery cathodes

The net zero transition necessary to limit the effects of climate change requires dramatic cuts to carbon emissions. One of the cornerstones of the UK’s transition will be switching to fossil-free transport, with electric vehicles (EV) one of the most developed options. However, the cathode is a critical limiting factor in efforts to increase the energy density of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for EV applications. As changes to the chemistry of the cathode are likely to lead to improvements in battery performance, such as boosting battery life, storing greater energy to improve range, reducing battery cost and increasing the power available to the EV during acceleration, developing next-generation lithium-ion cathodes is a major priority. “Lithium-ion batteries are very critical to the net zero transition, enabling electric vehicles and grid storage, says Dr Robert House, at the University of Oxford.

Lithium-rich cathodes are next-generation materials which have higher concentrations of lithium within the cathode structure, replacing some of the transition metals. They have a higher capacity because they store energy via oxidation of the oxygen in the structure as well as the transition metal. However, although these materials were first discovered over twenty years ago, a long-standing question has been how the oxygen undergoes charge storage. Dr House says:

New nanomaterial could transform how we visualise fingerprints

2024/09/122024/09/16

Innovative nanomaterials have the potential to revolutionise forensic science, particularly in the detection of latent (non-visible) fingermarks, following research conducted at Diamond’s labSAXS instrument

Researchers created a fluorescent nanoparticle using a combination of materials (MCM-41, chitosan and dansylglycine) to examine latent fingermarks. These nanoparticles have special properties that make them adhere well to fingerprint residues, even old ones. The nanoparticles work on various surfaces, including metal, plastic, glass and complex objects such as polymer banknotes. They have the potential to be used directly at crime scenes without lab facilities, which is a significant advantage over some previous reagents. They produce high-quality fingerprint images, with the vast majority of those tested meeting the UK Home Office standards for a successful identification. This new method captures the finer details of a fingermark, making it easier to identify individuals and is expected greatly to aid in forensic investigations.

he research was published in a Royal Society of Chemistry paper, highlighting that the new nanomaterial has proven to be a versatile and effective tool for visualising fingermark evidence. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques at Diamond provided useful data to validate these results.

The research team includes scientists from the Technical and Scientific Section of Alagoas, Federal Police, Brazil; the National Institute of Criminalistics of the Federal Police, Brazil; the University of Leicester’s School of Chemistry; the Federal University of Alagoas, Brazil; and the UK’s national synchrotron, Diamond Light Source.

Ridge patterns on fingertips remain unchanged during and beyond a person’s life. They provide the primary method of personal identification in criminal investigations. When an object’s surface is touched by a finger, sweat and oily substances are transferred and deposited onto the surface, resulting in the formation of a mark. Most fingermarks are invisible to the naked eye and are referred to as latent fingermarks.

The international collaboration of researchers developed the new nanostructured hybrid material, MCM-41@chitosan@dansylglycine, to visualise latent fingermarks. This material combines mesoporous silica nanoparticles with a fluorescent dye (dansylglycine) and chitosan, a polysaccharide derived from the exoskeletons of shrimps, crabs and lobsters.

Latent fingermarks require physicochemical development techniques to enhance their visibility and make them interpretable for forensic purposes. Traditional methods for developing fingerprints include optical, physical, and chemical processes that involve interaction between the developing agent (often a coloured or fluorescent reagent) and the fingermark residue. These methods have limitations in recovering high-quality results in certain conditions.

Recently, new methods using mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and nanoparticles have improved the development of latent fingermarks. These techniques offer better contrast, sensitivity, and selectivity, with low toxicity. The ability to adjust nanomaterial properties further enhances the detection of both fresh and aged fingermarks.

Image: Images for a fingermark deposited on glass, enhanced with MCM-41@Ch@DnsGly NPs, illuminated at 365 nm and viewed with different filters.

3D Strain Mapping for High-Performance Halide Perovskite Devices

2024/09/052024/09/16

Understanding the impact of strain (structural deformation) is crucial to the success of halide perovskite materials used in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells, X-ray detectors, and LEDs. While halide perovskites demonstrate the potential for enhanced efficiency in these devices, research is ongoing to investigate strain and defects that still hinder device performance and stability.

In experiments to understand the structural changes that can occur during device operation, scientists used Synchrotron-based Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging (BCDI) – an X-ray-based imaging technique – to map nanoscale strain in halide perovskite microcrystals (MAPbBr₃[MA = CH₃NH₃]), including strain around defects. Published in Advanced Materials, the experiments were part of a recent study from Diamond’s I13-1 beamline (Figure 1), which reveals the dynamic migration of nanoscale extended defects in halide perovskites under continuous light illumination. These insights demonstrate the highly dynamic nature of the structure of halide perovskite materials and how they evolve under operational conditions, highlighting the close links between nanoscale structure, dislocations, and device performance and stability.

With primary funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the European Research Council (ERC), the experiments took place from October 2019 – September 2023 at the University of Cambridge (UK) and Diamond Light Source (UK), and included scientists from the University of Cambridge, University College London (UK), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Catalysis Center (KAUST) (Saudi Arabia), Brookhaven National Laboratory (USA), and Diamond Light Source.

Shaping the future of solar cells, LEDS and X-ray detectors using advanced imaging techniques

In the race to address energy and climate challenges, the goal is to capture and emit energy efficiently, while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. In recent years, halide perovskites have been used to make high performance solar cells which offer many advantages over conventional silicon-based cells. While the latter require high crystal purity, high temperature manufacturing, and greater thickness to absorb sufficient light, thin film halide perovskite solar cells are lighter, flexible, absorb light more strongly, and are easier to manufacture, opening doors for cheaper and less energy intensive applications.

However, strain and defects in halide perovskite materials can influence their mechanical stability and energy-conversion properties, which in turn affect overall solar cell performance. Furthermore, dislocations (a specific kind of material defect uncovered in this study) formed during manufacture and operation can lead to delamination and cracking, and even mechanical failure of the solar cells, reducing their longevity.

Darren Batey, Principal Beamline Scientist on Diamond’s Beamline I13-1, said:

Kieran Orr, who conducted the research as a PhD student at the University of Cambridge and is now a Research Fellow at Stanford University in the USA, explained:

Image: Tracking defect migration in halide perovskites. The grey volumes outline a particular halide perovskite crystal measured in the experiment with black lines indicating defects (specifically, dislocation defects in this case). Under continuous illumination the defects dramatically migrate and change shape indicating that the nanoscale structure of halide perovskites is fluxional under conditions of solar cell operation.

Credit: Orr, K. W. P. et al., Adv. Mater. 35, 2305549 (2023)

Dragons, Diamond and dinosaurs

2024/09/022024/09/16

New research conducted at Diamond gives an insight into how Komodo dragons keep their teeth razor-sharp and may provide clues to how carnivorous dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex killed and ate their prey

One of the coolest animals on the planet, just got cooler.

If Komodo dragons weren’t fascinating enough already, it is now understood that the largest living predatory lizards have iron-clad teeth.

This new finding, discovered as part of studies on Diamond’s I18 and B16 beamlines, explains why their serrated, blade-shaped teeth can stay sharp and lethal through their lifetime. Looking into the teeth characteristics of these “living fossils” may provide new ways to learn about the eating habits of carnivorous dinosaurs, which haven’t been previously available.

A research team from King’s College London, led by Dr Aaron LeBlanc, aimed to discover what made the teeth of carnivorous dinosaurs so effective at cutting. They used Komodo dragons, the largest living lizards with small, blade-shaped teeth, as a modern comparison. The serrated teeth of Komodo make them a useful animal to study when trying to understand how the teeth of carnivorous dinosaurs. Dr LeBlanc’s team also looked at other serrated edged teeth from beavers, crocodiles and other reptiles.

Advanced imaging revealed the teeth have a unique adaptation: orange, iron-enriched coatings on the serrations and tips, which help maintain their cutting edges.

Iron teeth aren’t unique to reptiles – there are other animals with iron-infused enamel – but in Komodo dragons, the iron is concentrated along the cutting edges and tips of their teeth, staining them orange. This protective layer keeps the serrated edges of their teeth sharp and undamaged. On their teeth, iron is concentrated into a distinct coating of ferrihydrite, a type of iron oxide which bonds to crystalline structure of the enamel.

This discovery is surprising because Komodo dragons have very thin enamel layers (only 15-20 micrometres thick) and they replace their teeth quite frequently. Typically, such thin enamel and rapid tooth replacement wouldn’t be expected to have such a distinct and durable iron coating.

Dr LeBlanc, lecturer in Dental Biosciences at King’s College London, said: