Category: SOLARIS

Sodium-ion batteries: How doping works

Sodium-ion batteries: How doping works

Sodium-ion batteries still have a number of weaknesses that could be remedied by optimising the battery materials. One possibility is to dope the cathode material with foreign elements. A team from HZB and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin has now investigated the effects of doping with Scandium and Magnesium. The scientists collected data at the X-ray sources BESSY II, PETRA III, and SOLARIS to get a complete picture and uncovered two competing mechanisms that determine the stability of the cathodes.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) have the highest possible energy density per kilogramme, but lithium resources are limited. Sodium, on the other hand, has a virtually unlimited supply and is the second-best option in terms of energy density. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) would therefore be a good alternative, especially if the weight of the batteries is not a major concern, for example in stationary energy storage systems.

However, experts are convinced that the capacity of these batteries could be significantly increased by a targeted material design of the cathodes. Cathode materials made of layered transition metal oxides with the elements nickel and manganese (NMO cathodes) are particularly promising. They form host structures in which the sodium ions are stored during discharge and released again during charging. However, there is a risk of chemical reactions which may initially improve the capacity, but ultimately degrade the cathode material through local structural changes. This has the consequence of reducing the lifetime of the sodium-ion batteries.

“But we need high capacity with high stability,” says Dr Katherine Mazzio, who is a member of the joint research group Operando Battery Analysis at HZB and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, headed by Prof Philipp Adelhelm. Spearheaded by PhD student Yongchun Li, they have now investigated how doping with foreign elements affects the NMO cathodes. Different elements were selected as dopants that have similar ionic radii to nickel (Ni 2+), but different valence states: magnesium (Mg 2+) ions or scandium ions (Sc 3+). 

Read more on HZB website

Image: The schematic illustration shows a sodium ion battery: The positive electrode or cathode (left) consists of layered transition metal oxides which form a host structure for sodium ions. The transition metal nickel can be replaced either by magnesium or scandium ions. 

Credit: HZB

New method of data quality improvement by noise removal

New method of data quality improvement by noise removal

Scientists from the CIRI beamline have found a way to accelerate infrared imaging of biological tissues. Their solution will enable faster diagnosis of cancer thanks to denoising. You can read about the MNF2 method they developed in the journal “Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory System”. With this discovery, researchers significantly enhanced the measurement capabilities using the FPA array detector available at the FT-IR microscopy end station at the CIRI beamline.

In infrared imaging (IR), a key aspect of the analysis of biological tissues is the time necessary to perform the measurement. This is particularly important in terms of the diagnosis of tumors in tissues – where it can be used as an alternative to conventional histopathological staining as well as support for histopathologists in the diagnosis of the disease. One of the approaches to shorten the measurement time is to reduce the number of measured scans to, e.g. 4 – which are employed in studies on tissue classification – instead of the typically measured 128 or 64 scans. This results in increased noise in the spectra. However, by using data pre-processing methods, specifically denoising, they can obtain data qualitatively comparable to those measured with a large number of scans. Nowadays, the method gaining popularity among researchers working with IR imaging is the Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) method. This method is based on the eigenvalue decomposition. In the first step: the noise matrix is calculated and decomposed. This estimate is made by subtracting the signal from neighboring pixels, assuming that they do not differ in terms of chemical composition – the only difference should be noise.

Read more on the SOLARIS website

Image: On the left side, a breast needle biopsy imaged with FT-IR is presented, with three interesting tissue regions: necrosis, blood, and fiber. On the right side,  FT-IR spectra are shown (coming from pixels marked with filled squares), for visual comparison of denoising methods performance.

Direct observation of the spin texture and the Rashba effect of a ferroelectric semiconductor

Direct observation of the spin texture and the Rashba effect of a ferroelectric semiconductor

Unprecedentedly high-quality ARPES experiments have been performed at the URANOS beamline and revealed the band and spin behavior in a semiconductor undergoing a ferroelectric transition. The temperature dependent measurements unraveled the impact of the ferroelectric phase transition on the electronic spin texture.

Ferroelectric Rashba semiconductor are a sought-after new class of materials due to their remarkable properties. Their spin texture is controllable by an external electric field, which makes these multifunctional materials highly attractive for spintronics technology like spin-FET transistors or bipolar memories. However, their experimental demonstrations are still rare and elusive.
A ferroelectric phase results in a permanent electric polarization intrinsic to the material, which lifts the spin degeneracy of the electronic bands. This spin splitting is called the Rashba effect and has been directly observed using the ARPES setup of the URANOS beamline (see Fig. 1). Temperature dependent measurements (10 to 300 K) have revealed the emergent Rashba splitting when temperature is decreased below the critical temperature of the phase transition. In this way, the ferroelectric phase of the Pb1-xGexTe compounds have been fully probed in a wide range of composition (x=0 to 10 %). Remarkably, the ferroelectric behavior is seen to persist down to very thin film thickness (8 nm).
The high-quality ARPES images have allowed for an accurate quantitative evaluation of the Rashba spin-texture in the ferroelectric phase and its evolution with temperature. 

Read more on SOLARIS website

Image: Temperature dependent ARPES spectra measured on a Pb0.93Ge0.07Te 8 nm quantum well. The band degeneracy lifting is clearly observed above a critical temperature Tc, which indicates the ferroelectric phase transition. The Rashba effect is seen to increase as temperature is decreased.

Detection of early pancreatic cancer lesions using infrared and machine learning

Detection of early pancreatic cancer lesions using infrared and machine learning

A group of researchers from the CIRI beamline in their latest publication entitled Pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia detection and duct pathology grading using FT-IR imaging and machine learning published in Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy presented the results of their PanIN classification method, which provides opportunities for early recognition of changes in the cells lining the pancreatic ducts using infrared and machine learning.

Pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) manifests itself by changes in the cells lining the pancreatic ducts. It is an early pre-cancerous lesion divided into low-grade and high-grade PanIN. In particular, high-grade PanIN is a lesion that often leads to Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In the case of pancreatic cancer, due to the lack of characteristic symptoms of the disease in its early stage, patient survival is low. The basic examination performed to diagnose the disease is to take a fine-needle biopsy from the patient. The most common method of treatment is to remove part of the tissue affected by cancer, which increases the patient’s chances of survival, especially if it is done at an early stage of the disease. Therefore, it is so important to understand the biochemistry of lesions such as PanIN and their progression to cancer. 

Read more on SOLARIS website

Image : Scheme of sample collection (figure upper part), and FT-IR imaged TMA processing using: Random Forest classification (figure middle part), PLS Regression (figure bottom part).

Light for Ukraine – conference focused on research infrastructure

Light for Ukraine – conference focused on research infrastructure

The SOLARIS Centre hosted second time international meeting with the Ukrainian scientific community, entitled “Light for Ukraine.” The conference set directions for European-Ukrainian activities aimed at to support initiatives using synchrotron radiation.

The second edition of the “Light for Ukraine” workshop, has just ended. Nearly 130 scientists representing the European and Ukrainian scientific communities participated in the workshop.
The workshop focused on the planned Ukrainian synchrotron beamline concept: “Nano and micro X-ray spectroscopy beamline” at SOLARIS within the LEAPS initiative.

Read more on SOLARIS website

Research on the structure of human cold receptor TRPM8

Research on the structure of human cold receptor TRPM8

Researchers from the Laboratory of Protein Structure at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, led by Prof. Marcin Nowotny, used the KRIOS cryoelectron microscope located at the SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre to study the human TRPM8 protein.

The structure they obtained will enable a better understanding of the binding mechanism of small-molecule compounds affecting the activity of this ion channel. It will facilitate the design of new small-molecule compounds that can be used as therapeutics to treat numerous diseases associated with TRPM8 protein, such as neuropathic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, oropharyngeal dysphagia, chronic cough, and hypertension. As an example, in collaboration with scientists from Italy led by Dr. Carmine Talarico of Dompé Farmaceutici SpA, they have performed modeling of the binding of icilin, a small-molecule compound showing 200 times stronger TRPM8 channel activation than menthol. 

Read more on SOLARIS website

Image:  Structure of human cold receptor TRPM8

Credit: Mariusz Czarnocki-Cieciura

What makes parrots have colorful feathers?

What makes parrots have colorful feathers?

Dr. Peter Mojzeš Institute of Physics of Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physic Charles University and Dr. Jindřich Brejcha Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague – conducted the research on a CIRI beamline, studying how parrots produce the colors of their feathers.

The multi-colored plumage of parrot feathers arouses admiration and delight, but where did all these colors actually come from?  How birds managed to develop such a range of colors and how has it evolved over the centuries? A group of researchers led by Dr. Miguel Carneiro from CIBIO (Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources – InBIO Associate Laboratory) in Portugal decided to answer these questions. 

Dr. Jindřich Brejcha explained what their research is about – Specifically, we are interested in molecular differences of polyene pigment contained within parrots’ feathers. We use Raman spectroscopy combined with mass spectroscopy to look at the structure of molecules causing parrot color. However, due to the resonance Raman effect for the excitation throughout the visible region and high Raman cross-section of the C-C and C=C vibrations, only a few Raman bands related to the vibrational modes of the main polyene chain and disproportionately enhanced are visible in the Raman spectra. Raman bands associated with vibrations of functional end groups are hidden in stochastic noise. Hence, to overcome this shortcoming of Raman microscopy while preserving the same spatial resolution, O-PTIR microscopy seems to be a promising candidate method.

Read more on the SOLARIS website

Exploration of the mechanism of phase formation in pulsed laser irradiation of suspensions

Exploration of the mechanism of phase formation in pulsed laser irradiation of suspensions

The cooperation between scientists of the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences and ASTRA beamline resulted in a better understanding of the mechanism of phase formation in pulsed laser irradiation of suspension (PLIS) for submicron heterostructure formation.

According to Shakeri, et al., irradiation of suspended nanoparticles using laser pulses results in formation submicron particles by the following mechanism.

Suspended agglomerates are heated by the energy absorption of a laser pulse according to their absorption efficiency, depending on the wavelength-dependent absorption cross section calculated by Mie theory. The absorbed energy is directly proportional to the laser fluence and the surface area of the agglomerate. On the other hand, the pulse factors influence the temperature development, so that the pulse shape is responsible for heat conservation, while the pulse duration controls the heat release. Cooling of the particles and re-agglomeration of the irradiated particles occurs in the time between pulses by synergistic agitation of the suspension. In addition, pulse repetition affects particle growth by changing the probability of the probe. The heating-cooling process is repeated depending on the probability of the probe in the system, resulting in alternative particle growth limited by the melting possibility of agglomerates. More importantly, the temperature of agglomerates not only determines their thermodynamically stable phases but also affects the rate of solvent dissociation during interfacial solvent-particle interactions. Although the solvent bath is at ambient temperature, due to the transparency to the laser beam, the kinetic energy of the molecules coming into contact with the surface of the heated particles is very high, resulting in the bond breaking/formation at the interface between the dissociated solvent and the heated particles. The dissociated species diffuse into the sphere where the oxidation/reduction reactions take place according to their nature.

EXAFS spectra measured in ASTRA beamline of SOLARIS were initially used for invesigation of oxidation evaluation of samples. Linear combination fitting (LCF) of EXAFS spectra also used using reference spectra for measurement of exact composition of samples. Chemical composition variations detected by LCF helped the scientists to detect chemical/physical type of phase transition during PLIS phase formation. Gaussian deconvolution of XANES spectra showed the probable constituent transitions, which were later used for fitting of various phases in the system derived by calculated XANES spectra using Feff code.

Read more on Solaris website

Image: Figure 1. Mechanism of particle formation during PLIS.

New phase of CIRI beamline construction.

New phase of CIRI beamline construction.

The CIRI beamline has received another piece of its infrastructure. Under construction since 2019, CIRI – Chemical InfraRed Imaging – uses infrared radiation for advanced microscopy experiments.

The SOLARIS Center is continuously improving and expanding its infrastructure. This past week saw the long-awaited installation of the first part of the front-end – the optics component that introduces the IR beam from the accumulation ring – on the CIRI beamline.

– It is a modified dipole chamber that will allow the M1 mirror to be moved a short distance from the electron beam and, as a result, allow infrared (IR) radiation to be reflected out of the chamber. This operation required great precision in both the fabrication of the chamber itself and its positioning relative to the rest of the ring. The next step will be to observe the IR beam once the synchrotron is operational – said Dr. Tomasz Wróbel, supervisor of the CIRI beamline.

Read more on SOLARIS website

New end station on PHELIX beamline

New end station on PHELIX beamline

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

Two powerful universities join forces in a common cause.

Two powerful universities join forces in a common cause.

The SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre will soon be the site of a joint project by Jagiellonian University and Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. In the hall of only Poland’s synchrotron will house a beamline for research into viruses, drug and vaccine carriers and nanomaterials.

The Ministry of Education and Science, in the framework of the investment grant ‘Construction of a measurement line for small-angle X-ray scattering research’, has decided to award funding for the construction of a new beamline at the SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre, operating within the structures of the Jagiellonian University. This will be the first line in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe dedicated to the study of biological molecules, polymers and their composites, viruses, drug carriers and nanomaterials. Its creation will be possible thanks to the cooperation of scientists from two leading Polish academic communities, from the Jagiellonian University and Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan.

The rectors of the two universities met on 13 July at the NSRC to discuss collaborative spaces, and plans to develop new experimental techniques and learn about the specifics of shared research centres such as SOLARIS.

– The persistence of scientists from our universities in achieving the success of the joint project is an excellent example of exemplary relations between two powerful academic centres in Poland. I am delighted that, after so many months of perturbations to obtain ministerial approval, we have been able to obtain approval for this project. I wish that in three years’ time, we will all have the opportunity to meet here and together open a new line of research that will enable us to make breakthrough discoveries. – said Prof. Jacek Popiel, Jagiellonian University Rector.

– Science always has two dimensions: the present – the local – but also the global. Projects such as the joint research line project take us to this higher dimension of science.  I am a firm believer that global science does not succeed without collaboration. Our two universities have shown that such cooperation has yielded excellent results for many years. – said Professor Bogumiła Kaniewska, PhD, Rector of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan.

Read more on SOLARIS website

Unique properties of a new anode material for Li-ion cells.

Unique properties of a new anode material for Li-ion cells.

Researchers from AGH, Shanghai Institute of Space Power-Sources and the University of Silesia have conducted research on a new anode material. The material features a simple synthesis method, excellent cyclic stability and good electrochemical performance. Experimental studies have been carried out using the technique of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS on PIRX line), and the pioneering results have been published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Lithium-ion batteries are a ubiquitous technology for today’s society, being crucial especially for portable electronics and the electrification of transport. However, from a point of view of further growth of the Li-ion batteries market and emerging applications, new cells with an extended lifespan, improved safety, as well as higher energy and/or power density are indispensable. To achieve this goal, one of the most significant objectives is to replace the conventional graphite anode, working already at its theoretical limits, with other, better compounds. Although much higher capacities can be obtained by employing anode materials that store lithium based on different Li-storage mechanisms, as compared to graphite, new challenging issues have emerged regarding their application. The main one is poor stability during cycling (i.e. charging and discharging), resulting in the unacceptable capacity fade. Recently it has been proposed to combine two different Li-storage mechanisms within a single compound, benefiting from their advantages and confining the disadvantages. The so-called conversion-alloying materials (CAMs) have been proposed and developed. Despite the overall improved electrochemical properties of CAMs, their still insufficient cycling stability remains a significant problem. So far, the only possibility of improving cyclability was to use complex and expensive synthesis methods and additives, which are hard to scale and expensive, and because of that, the vast majority of them will never be used for commercial production.

When studying the literature, authors of the publication found that a novel group of materials, the so-called high-entropy oxides (HEOs), has brought particular attention in the field of materials science and is currently extensively studied all over the world. HEOs are materials containing numerous elements (typically five or more) in a ratio close to equimolar, resulting in the high configurational entropy of the such system (hence the name). Because of the presence of many constituents and complex interactions between them, these compounds may exhibit exceptional properties, which cannot be simply predicted by analyzing the components individually. For example, one such effect is the excellent cycling stability observed for HEOs when they are applied as anode materials in Li-ion batteries. The reasons for this behavior, however, have not been fully understood so far.

Maciej Moździerz, the first author of the publication says: “In our work, we decided to resolve the problem of the capacity fade of CAMs by developing a novel concept of application of the high-entropy approach to CAMs. We successfully created a new anode material for Li-ion batteries, Sn0.80Co0.44Mg0.44Mn0.44Ni0.44Zn0.44O4, characterized by the excellent cycling stability, as well as good electrochemical performance. Very importantly, it can be obtained using a simple synthesis method, without expensive additives, and therefore, is easily transferable to the industrial scale. Then, we wanted to take a step further and explain in details why exactly this material works very well, and how in particular the high-entropy approach ensures great stability. For this purpose, we had to use several experimental techniques allowing investigating battery materials at the atomic scale, including X-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments, which were possible thanks to the use of the research infrastructure of the National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS.”

Read more on SOLARIS website

The first X-ray images recorded at POLYX beamline

The first X-ray images recorded at POLYX beamline

POLYX is a beamline under construction at SOLARIS that is focused on X-ray microimaging and microspectroscopy in the tender/hard energy range of 4-15 keV. A recent publication described the general concept of the beamline and showed first X-ray images measured at POLYX with a white (polychromatic) X-ray beam. Performed experiments demonstrated the possibility of X-ray phase contrast imaging of weakly absorbing test samples and focusing of the X-ray beam with polycapilllary optics for X-ray fluorescence imaging of elemental distribution inside samples.

POLYX is a compact beamline that is being constructed at SOLARIS and is scheduled for user operation in 2023. The main idea behind POLYX is to provide SOLARIS users with access to X-ray microimaging and X-ray microspectroscopic methods at higher energies (4 keV–15 keV) without using insertion devices or sophisticated X-ray optics. The name POLYX originates from polycapillary optics that will be extensively used to concentrate not only monochromatic, but also polychromatic X-rays.

Read more on the SOLARIS website

New orbit for electrons

New orbit for electrons

Energy savings and a solution to a beam orbit correction problem are the results of a recent optimization carried out as part of a project initiated by Dr. Roman Panaś of the Accelerators Department. The correction problems stemmed from suboptimal alignment of the electron beam position “centers” (so-called offsets). It turned out that the correction magnets were undergoing periodic saturation, which made it impossible to maintain the correct orbit. Optimization of the beam orbit was essential, as it indirectly affects the quality and power of synchrotron light. It took about 2 months to develop and implement the new algorithms.

Precision at the synchrotron

Synchrotrons are a large, if not the largest, research infrastructure. Despite their size and diameters that range from tens to hundreds of meters, the precision of individual components is extremely important. As with a space rocket, accuracy to the hundredth of a millimeter on a synchrotron is crucial to the operation of the entire machine. This is why the synchrotron beam optimization project was such a great challenge. At the center of the initiative were the correction magnets, which directly affect the orbit of the electrons in the circular accelerator (ring). The orbit of electrons is determined by an algorithm and corrected in the vertical and horizontal axes with an accuracy that reaches fractions of micrometers.

The correction magnets got periodically saturated

The accumulation ring, in which the electrons circulate, is made up of 12 blocks of electromagnets. These blocks are called Double-Bend Achromat (DBA) cells. A typical DBA cell consists of two bending magnets, focusing magnets, and correction magnets. It is the latter that the team of researchers led by Dr. Roman Panaś, the originator of the project, focused on.

Steering magnets are responsible for keeping circulating electrons at the correct orbit. Until now, many power supplies for the correction magnets went to maximum currents, which is called saturation (reaching values of 11 A). This caused disturbances in the proper functioning of the beam correction. When electron beam is not properly corrected, it begins to oscillate in an uncontrolled manner, and resulting in faster electron beam losses.

Read more on the SOLARIS website

Opening Ceremony for the new ASTRA (SOLABS) beamline

Opening Ceremony for the new ASTRA (SOLABS) beamline

On 29 June 2022, the official opening ceremony was held for the ASTRA beamline (formerly SOLABS), a beamline dedicated to measurements using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in the energy range of 1 keV to 15 keV. The ceremony was attended by a number of distinguished guests along with the international team involved in building the beamline.

International cooperation is the key to success.

The ASTRA beamline was created thanks to the cooperation of 4 scientific institutions, the Hochschule Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences (Germany), Synchrotron Light Research Institute (Thailand), the Institute of Physics at Bonn University (Germany), and the SOLARIS Center.

Read more on the Solaris website

Image: Starting from right to left: Prof. Alexander Prange (Hochschule Niederrhein), Dr Thomas Grünewald (Hochschule Niederrhein), Prof. Stanisław Kistryn (Jagiellonian University), Prof. Marek Stankiewicz (SOLARIS, JU), Dr Michael Groß (Consul General of Germany), Prof. Josef Hormes (University of Bonn). Further Dr Alexey Maximenko (SOLARIS), Dr Henning Lichtenberg (Hochschule Niederrhein), Marcel Piszak (SOLARIS) – credit Solaris Synchrotron. 

What role does Elongator play in brain development?

What role does Elongator play in brain development?

What role does a tRNA modification complex, called Elongator, play in brain development?

SOLARIS Centre users from the Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology (of the Jagiellonian University, together with Australian, Turkish and Canadian colleagues, have found a link between defects in the cellular protein production machinery and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), characterized by an inability to reach cognitive and motor milestones. Key studies in this publication were conducted using Cryo-EM microscopes located at our center.

The speed rate of protein synthesis is crucial to the integrity of the proteome

Scientists showed how genetic mutations in patients affect the Elongator activity and lead to severe clinical symptoms. The study provided the first clinical evidence for missense mutations in the Elongator accessory subcomplex ELP456 to cause neurodevelopmental disorders. Genome-wide analysis allowed identification of pathogenic variants in patients with severe clinical presentation of NDDs. Further modelling of the patient-derived mutations in mice resembled the complex neurodevelopmental phenotype and revealed neuron-specific consequences of the found genetic mutations.

„We report patient-derived substitutions in the accessory ELP456 subcomplex to affect different types of neurons than previously known mutations in the catalytic core of the complex” – explains Dr. hab. Sebastian Glatt, the senior author and head of the Max Planck Research Group, that carried out the experimental work in Krakow. This provides a novel concept in the field that depletion of specific tRNA modifications in patient cells may induce specific changes in the cellular proteomes.

Read more on the SOLARIS website