Scanning Transmission Microscopy for Environmental and Energy Research

teaser for STXM

We develop and apply in situ Scanning Transmission X-ray Microspectroscopy at the PolLux beamline of SLS. Applications involve chemical and photochemical processing of aerosol particles, tracking the nucleation of ice and phase transitions in the context of aerosol research, but also the investigation of processes in the field of development of synthetic fuels from biomass or the characterisation of nanoparticles from aircraft engines operated with sustainable aviation fuels.

  • Alpert PA, Corral Arroyo P, Dou J, Krieger UK, Steimer SS, Förster J-D, et al.
    Visualizing reaction and diffusion in xanthan gum aerosol particles exposed to ozone
    Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 2019; 21(37): 20613-20627. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9CP03731D
    DORA PSI
  • Alpert PA, Boucly A, Yang S, Yang H, Kilchhofer K, Luo Z, et al.
    Ice nucleation imaged with X-ray spectro-microscopy
    Environmental Science: Atmospheres. 2022; 2(3): 335-351. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EA00077B
    DORA PSI
  • Corral Arroyo P, David G, Alpert PA, Parmentier EA, Ammann M, Signorell R
    Amplification of light within aerosol particles accelerates in-particle photochemistry
    Science. 2022; 376(6590): 293-296. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abm7915
    DORA PSI
  • Alpert PA, Dou J, Corral Arroyo P, Schneider F, Xto J, Luo B, et al.
    Photolytic radical persistence due to anoxia in viscous aerosol particles
    Nature Communications. 2021; 12(1): 1769 (8 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21913-x
    DORA PSI
  • Dou J, Alpert PA, Corral Arroyo P, Luo B, Schneider F, Xto J, et al.
    Photochemical degradation of iron(III) citrate/citric acid aerosol quantified with the combination of three complementary experimental techniques and a kinetic process model
    Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 2021; 21(1): 315-338. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-315-2021
    DORA PSI
  • Forster J-D, Gurk C, Lamneck M, Tong H, Ditas F, Steimer SS, et al.
    MIMiX: a multipurpose in situ microreactor system for X-ray microspectroscopy to mimic atmospheric aerosol processing
    Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. 2020; 13(7): 3717-3729. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3717-2020
    DORA PSI
  • Mahrt F, Alpert PA, Dou J, Grönquist P, Arroyo PC, Ammann M, et al.
    Aging induced changes in ice nucleation activity of combustion aerosol as determined by near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy
    Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts. 2020; 22(4): 895-907. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EM00525K
    DORA PSI