Highly selective surface acoustic wave e-nose implemented by laser direct writing
In this paper, we present an e-nose for the detection of volatile compounds based on an array of six surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators coated with five different polymers (i.e. polyepichlorohydrin, polyisobutylene, polyethylenimine, (hydroxypropyl)methyl cellulose, and poly(styrene-co-maleic acid) partial isobutyl/methyl mixed ester, plus an uncoated SAW device used as reference.
Progress in non intrusive laser based measurements of gas-phase thermoscalars and supporting modeling near catalytically reacting interfaces
Heterogeneous and combined hetero/homogeneous chemical processes have attracted increased attention in many energy conversion systems, which include large scale power generation, microreactors for portable power generation, household burners, fuel processing technologies and automotive exhaust gas aftertreatment. Progress in such systems crucially depends on the development of catalysts with enhanced activity and thermal stability and on the comprehensive understanding of the fundamental processes occurring near gas solid reacting interfaces.
ERC Consolidator grant for Paolo Crivelli
Dr Paolo Crivelli (ETH Zurich, Department of Physics, Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics) has recently been awarded an ERC Consolidator grant for his project "Mu-MASS" aiming at a new precision measurement of the Muonium 1S-2S transition energy, ultimately with an improvement by three orders of magnitude.
Spin triplet ground-state in the copper hexamer compounds A2Cu3O(SO4)3 (A = Na, K)
The compounds A2Cu3O(SO4)3(A=Na,K) are characterized by copper hexamers which are weakly coupled along the b axis to realize one-dimensional antiferromagnetic chains below TN≈3K, whereas the interchain interactions along the a and c axes are negligible. We investigated the energy-level splittings of the copper hexamers by inelastic neutron scattering below and above TN.
Eccellenza Professorship to Lea Caminada
Dr Lea Caminada has been awarded a Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship.
A High Resolution Digital Image Correlation Study under Multiaxial Loading
We have developed a new cruciform geometry with reduced thickness at the center, which allows reaching high plastic strain under equibiaxial loading. The novel thinning method results in excellent surface quality, suitable for electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and high-resolution digital image correlation (HRDIC) investigations. We performed an in-situ HRDIC study on a 304 austenitic stainless steel using the new cruciform geometry to follow the slip activity under uniaxial and equibiaxial loadings.
Sebastian Dittmeier successfully defends his thesis on the Mu3e data acquisition system
Sebastian Dittmeier has developed many important parts of the Mu3e data acquisition system, which has allowed him to perform the first successful vertical slice test of the readout system. He has now successfully defended his thesis, which also involves a study of wireless readout systems at 60 GHz, at Heidelberg university.
Helping chemists to understand degradation and stabilization of catalytic nanoporous gold structures
Catalytic materials are ubiquitously used in industrial processes to perform chemical reactions efficiently and in a sustainable manner. Nanoporous gold (npAu) is a monolithic sponge-like catalyst exhibiting a hierarchical structure with pores and connecting ligaments of typically 10 to 50 nm.
In situ tension-tension strain path changes of cold-rolled Mg AZ31B
The mechanical behavior of cold-rolled Mg AZ31B is studied during in-plane multiaxial loading and tension-tension strain path changes using in situ neutron diffraction and electron backscatter diffracion.
Multiple-q noncollinear magnetism in an itinerant hexagonal magnet
Multiple-q spin order, i.e., a spin texture characterized by a multiple number of coexisting magnetic modulation vec- tors q, has recently attracted attention as a source of nontrivial magnetic topology and associated emergent phenome- na. One typical example is the triple-q skyrmion lattice state stabilized by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions in noncentrosymmetric magnets, while the emergence of various multiple-q states of different origins is expected according to the latest theories.
Woman in Science
Congratulations to our former postdoc, Alexandra Palla-Papavlu (4th from the left), for winning the L’Oreal Prize for Woman in Science(link is external) in the category Physics in Romania
Adsorption and Interfacial Layer Structure of Unmodified Nanocrystalline Cellulose at Air/Water Interfaces
Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) is a promising biological nanoparticle for the stabilization of fluid interfaces, which is however poorly understood due to the inability to form controlled NCC interfacial layers. Herein we present parameters that allow the adsorption of unmodified NCC at the air-water (A/W) interface. Initial NCC adsorption is limited by diffusion, followed by monolayer saturation and decrease in surface tension at the time scale of hours.
Molten Salt Reactor research at LSM/NES
MSR research at LSM has 3 main justifications:
1. education purpose (2 PhD & 8 MSc internal students, 3 PhD & 4 other guests)
2. technology monitoring (it is the most revolutionary GIV system)
3. novel research topics (liquid phase of the fuel introduces many challenges)
Two major research objectives in NES:
1. safety: evaluate system behavior in nominal and transient conditions (tight multi‐physics coupling / H2020 SAMOFAR project)
2. sustainability: evaluate if the concept can use legacy nuclear waste as initial fuel, insure a high resource utilization (high burning)
Mit 200 Stundenkilometern unterwegs
Fabia Gozzo ist keine Frau für die Komfortzone. Erst machte sie eine Strahllinie an der Synchrotron Lichtquelle Schweiz SLS des Paul Scherrer Instituts PSI zu einer weltweit führenden Anlage. Heute stellt sie ihr Wissen mit ihrem Spin-off der Industrie zur Verfügung.
Information Event Mentoring Programmes for Women at PSI and within the ETH Domain
An information Event for Mentoring Programs will take place on Thursday, 6th December 2018, from 08:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Date: Thursday, 6th December, 2018, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Place: PSI, SZ-OSGA/EG06 (large room Education Center)
Please register by Monday, 3rd December, 2018 at mentoring@psi.ch0 Unternehmen teilgenommen.
A crystal-clear picture
Fast and accurate data collection for macromolecular crystallography using the JUNGFRAU detector.
Nationaler Zukunftstag 2018
Am Zukunftstag 2018 durften wir 42 Mädchen und 68 Jungs der 5. bis 7. Klasse, im PSI begrüssen. Während einem halbtägigen Programm wurden 12 betreute Stationen von unseren motivierten Fachleuten angeboten. Danke an alle engagierten Helferinnen und Helfer!
Linking Structure to Dynamics in Protic Ionic Liquids: A Neutron Scattering Study of Correlated and Single-Particle Motions
Coupling between dynamical heterogeneity of ionic liquids and their structural periodicity on different length-scales can be directly probed by quasielastic neutron scattering with polarization analysis. The technique provides the tools to investigate single-particle and cooperative ion motions separately and, thus, dynamics of ion associations affecting the net charge transport can be experimentally explored.
Hector Dejea receives an Outstanding Poster Presentation Award at the bMASR Conference
Hector Dejea, a PhD at TOMCAT, received an Outstanding Poster Presentation Award at the 9th bioMedical Applications of Synchrotron Radiation (bMASR2018) conference held in Beijing (China) from October 23rd till 27th 2018. He presented the latest results of his work, entitled Multiscale X-ray Phase Contrast Imaging for Assessing Cardiac Remodelling: towards in-vitro applications.
Radical Thermometers and Energetics
Methylperoxy radicals are crucial oxidation intermediates and could be synthesized photolytically in an exothermic reaction. Despite their vanishingly small concentration, their temperature could be measured after a few ten thousand collisions inside the reactor, which opens up the possibility of time-resolved operando temperature measurements. Also the reaction energy to yield methyl cations and oxygen could be determined with sub-kJ mol–1 precision, which firmly anchors the methylperoxy energetics to that of well-known stable species and opens up the possibility of highly accurate radical thermochemistry measurements.
Taming Reactive Molecular Magnets
Studying organic molecular magnets is a challenge, because the high-spin diradical character of these compounds dramatically increases the reactivity and reduces the lifetime. Researchers from PSI, ETH Zurich, Wollongong and Melbourne, Australia succeeded in taming the meta-xylylene diradical and were able to study its electronic and thermochemical properties.
Charges enter the ice age
Scattering experiments establish the partly disordered material CsNiCrF6 as the first verified example of a charge ice — and show that it supports Coulomb phases with correlations in three different degrees of freedom.
Relationship between crystal structure and multiferroic orders in orthorhombic perovskite manganites
We use resonant and nonresonant x-ray diffraction measurements in combination with first-principles electronic structure calculations and Monte Carlo simulations to study the relationship between crystal structure and multiferroic orders in the orthorhombic perovskite manganites, o−RMnO3 (R is a rare-earth cation or Y).
Design of magnetic spirals in layered perovskites: Extending the stability range far beyond room temperature
In insulating materials with ordered magnetic spiral phases, ferroelectricity can emerge owing to the breaking of in- version symmetry. This property is of both fundamental and practical interest, particularly with a view to exploiting it in low-power electronic devices. Advances toward technological applications have been hindered, however, by the rel- atively low ordering temperatures Tspiral of most magnetic spiral phases, which rarely exceed 100 K.
Unmögliches möglich machen
Vom Einsatz multiferroischer Materialien verspricht man sich energiesparsamere Computer, weil für die magnetische Datenspeicherung ein elektrisches Feld ausreichen würde. Forschende am PSI haben ein solches Material jetzt für die Betriebstemperaturen von Computern tauglich gemacht.
Dynamic volume magnetic domain wall imaging in grain oriented electrical steel at power frequencies with accumulative high-frame rate neutron dark-field imaging
The mobility of magnetic domains forms the link between the basic physical properties of a magnetic material and its global characteristics such as permeability and saturation field. Most commonly, surface domain structure are studied using magneto-optical Kerr microscopy. The limited information depth of approx. 20 nanometers, however, allows only for an indirect interpretation of the internal volume domain structures.
Rolling dopant and strain in Y-doped BiFeO3 epitaxial thin films for photoelectrochemical water splitting
We report significant photoelectrochemical activity of Y-doped BiFeO3 (Y-BFO) epitaxial thin films deposited on Nb:SrTiO3 substrates. The Y-BFO photoanodes exhibit a strong dependence of the photocurrent values on the thickness of the films, and implicitly on the induced epitaxial strain.
Dynamics of the Coordination Complexes in a Solid-State Mg Electrolyte
Coordination complexes of magnesium borohydride show promising properties as solid electrolytes for magnesium ion batteries and warrant a thorough microscopic description of factors governing their mobility properties. Here, the dynamics of Mg(BH4)2-diglyme0.5 on the atomic level are investigated by means of quasielastic neutron scattering supported by density functional theory calculations and IR and NMR spectroscopy.
Breakthrough - electron crystallography for everyone
Recent advances in electron crystallography published in Angewandte Chemie and highlighted by Science, Chemical & Engineering News and ScienceNews!Under the lead of LSK member, "Rapid structure determination of microcrystalline molecular compounds using electron diffraction", published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/anie.201811318 has attracted great attention in the chemistry community.
Cuprate Trilogy
In a trio of recent papers, a research group from the University of Zürich has made a number of new discoveries about the nature of cuprates' electronic structure and orbital composition. The results have important implications for superconductivity and pseudogaps in cuprates, and even the existence of type-II Dirac fermions in oxides.