Three-day exchange at User Meeting
From December 12 to 14, more than 400 users of HZB's BER II and BESSY II large-scale equipment met up to discuss the current state of technology and exchange their views on pressing scientific issues. Two of the highlights were Science Day on December 13 and Neutron Day on December 14, both held at the Bunsensaal in Berlin-Adlershof. Both days, the focus was on instrumentation. Participants were able to learn about new technologies and advances in large-scale equipment instrumentation. Science Day featured the many scientific achievements that have been made thanks to BESSY II and BER II.
Holger Dau of the Free University Berlin delivered the keynote lecture titled "X-ray spectroscopy in solar-fuels research - from biology to inorganic catalysts." EMPA Zurich's Andreas Züttel gave the public lecture titled "What we learn from history to master the future energy challenge." The two lectures impressively highlighted the tremendous potential of large-scale equipment in energy research.
Science Day awards
On December 13, two awards were given out by the Helmholtz Centre Berlin Circle of Friends. Recipients of this year's 4000 Euro Synchrotron Radiation Innovation Award included DESY's and European X-FEL's Gianluca Geloni, Vitali Kocharyan, and Evgeni Saldin as well as Paul Emma of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The four physicists were being recognized for their development of a "self-seeding" protocol that significantly improves free-electron laser technology.
The Ernst-Eckhard-Koch Award for excellence in doctoral-level research in the amount of 2500 Euros went to up-and-coming physicist Dr. Daniil Evtushinsky of the Leibniz Institute for Solid Body and Materials Research in recognition of his work on band-structured and fermi areas of a new class of two-dimensional, high-temperature superconductors.
The HZB User Committee's Best Poster Award went to Christian Caspers of the Jülich Research Centre for the skillful presentation of his work on "Magnetic Oxides EuO Thin Films on Surface Passivated Silicon for Silicon Spintronics."
240 posters, 51 vendors
During the poster session in BESSY experimental hall, a total of 240 posters documented the work done by both HZB and external researchers using the HZB research facilities, with topics ranging from the life sciences and basic physics research to applied research on industrial materials. In addition, five satellite symposia sought to answer pertinent questions on neutron spectroscopy, crystallography, and related topics.
As in previous years, the user meeting featured a well-attended industry exhibit with 51 vendors of synchrotron spectroscopy and neutron diffraction experimental equipment showcasing a broad range of state-of-the-art products. Thanks to the vendors' generous financial support, the lavish "Berlin Buffet" on Thursday night, which offered yet another chance for conversation and networking, attracted many visitors. The organizers would like to thank Adlerhof con.vent, WISTA Management GmbH's event planners, for organizing the industry exhibit.
- Battery research with the HZB X-ray microscopeNew cathode materials are being developed to further increase the capacity of lithium batteries. Multilayer lithium-rich transition metal oxides (LRTMOs) offer particularly high energy density. However, their capacity decreases with each charging cycle due to structural and chemical changes. Using X-ray methods at BESSY II, teams from several Chinese research institutions have now investigated these changes for the first time with highest precision: at the unique X-ray microscope, they were able to observe morphological and structural developments on the nanometre scale and also clarify chemical changes.
- BESSY II: New procedure for better thermoplasticsBio-based thermoplastics are produced from renewable organic materials and can be recycled after use. Their resilience can be improved by blending bio-based thermoplastics with other thermoplastics. However, the interface between the materials in these blends sometimes requires enhancement to achieve optimal properties. A team from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands has now investigated at BESSY II how a new process enables thermoplastic blends with a high interfacial strength to be made from two base materials: Images taken at the new nano station of the IRIS beamline showed that nanocrystalline layers form during the process, which increase material performance.
- Hydrogen: Breakthrough in alkaline membrane electrolysersA team from the Technical University of Berlin, HZB, IMTEK (University of Freiburg) and Siemens Energy has developed a highly efficient alkaline membrane electrolyser that approaches the performance of established PEM electrolysers. What makes this achievement remarkable is the use of inexpensive nickel compounds for the anode catalyst, replacing costly and rare iridium. At BESSY II, the team was able to elucidate the catalytic processes in detail using operando measurements, and a theory team (USA, Singapore) provided a consistent molecular description. In Freiburg, prototype cells were built using a new coating process and tested in operation. The results have been published in the prestigious journal Nature Catalysis.