Study on nanocatalysts reveals rhodium diffusion and oxidation

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿: Using a combination of spectromicroscopy at BESSY II and microscopic analyses at DESY's NanoLab, a team has gained new insights into the chemical behaviour of nanocatalysts during catalysis. The nanoparticles consisted of a platinum core with a rhodium shell. This configuration allows a better understanding of structural changes in, for example, rhodium-platinum catalysts for emission control. The results show that under typical catalytic conditions, some of the rhodium in the shell can diffuse into the interior of the nanoparticles. However, most of it remains on the surface and oxidises. This process is strongly dependent on the surface orientation of the nanoparticle facets. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: https://lnkd.in/ehAME6mi Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Thomas F. Keller Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY

Tuesday publication post! 📖 The chimie-douce (soft chemistry) route is a powerful way to synthesize inorganic and hybrid materials under mild conditions. This newest publication from Charles Sidhoum, Dris Ihiawakrim, Mohamed Haouas, Doru Constantin, François Schosseler, Mateusz Odziomek, Kahina Vertchik, Amélie Leforestier, Clément Sanchez, and Ovidiu ERSEN, focuses on synthesizing tungsten oxide and following the process using complimentary techniques. Using in situ liquid-phase TEM with #PoseidonAX, researchers from the #IPCMS were able to directly observe the dynamic formation process at the nanoscale: 💧 Capture the earliest stages of material nucleation in liquid 📈 Track the growth of nanoscale clusters into larger networks 🔬 Reveal how these assemblies eventually form a dense gel structure This correlative, multiscale approach—combining in situ microscopy, scattering, diffraction, and spectroscopy—provides unprecedented insight into gel formation pathways. With Poseidon AX, researchers can capture real-time transformations in liquid environments, gaining a deeper understanding of how nanomaterials assemble and evolve. Want to read the entire work? Find it here: https://hubs.li/Q03Ft89M0 #Protochips #InSituLiquidCell #FindYourBreakthrough

One of my favourite things about mass spectrometry is it gives the ability to watch complex reactions evolve over time with great detail. While I was a postdoc in Scotland, I used a Waters Synapt G2 TWIMS ion mobility mass spectrometer to map the drift time (ion mobility) vs. m/z of molybdenum oxide clusters as they grow into larger polyoxometalate nanoparticles. The ion mobility dimension let me separate thousands of nanoparticle intermediates by their mass and morphology, revealing mechanistic details of the particle growth regime which were later optimized on my automated synthesis platform. 📈 In the plot you can see: • Distinct charge state bands (1- vs 2-) clearly resolved. • The addition of MoO₃ subunits driving growth along well-defined pathways. • The ability to correlate structural motifs with self-assembly trends. Techniques like this yield insights into complex molecular self-assembly, bridging analytical chemistry, nanoscience, and materials design. #analyticalchemistry #massspectrometry #ionmobility #molybdenum #selfassembly #nanoparticles #polyoxometalates #chemicalanalytics #analyticalbest #labautomation

I am thrilled to share that our recent work has been published in ACS Nano and is now featured on the DESY Homepage. In this study, we performed spectro-microscopic analysis of individual Pt–Rh core–shell nanoparticles, directly observing their dynamic behavior under competing oxidation and alloying conditions. These insights advance our understanding of structure–reactivity relationships in bimetallic nanoparticles, with implications for catalytic performance and nanoscale materials design. 🔗 DESY highlight: https://lnkd.in/efs95bMj 🔗 There is also a press release on the HZB Homepage: https://lnkd.in/gYSjwThZ 📄 Full paper: https://lnkd.in/ejpzeW_G A big thank you to the entire team and collaborators for their dedication and excellent work that made this study possible. 👏 Enjoy reading!!

Are silver nanoparticles what they seem? 🤔 Learn more: mdpi.com/2943406 This Editor's Choice paper reveals that ultrasmall silver nanoparticles secretly transform into silver sulfide over weeks in storage. This "aging" process, invisible to many tools, dramatically reduces their toxicity. #nanotechnology #nanoscience #chemistry

"The AFM proved to be highly useful for glovebox usage where our polymer electrolyte (unstable in air, hygroscopic) was able to be characterized quickly. We were able to confirm the roughness of the polymer surface without subjecting it to SEM's harsh vacuum, which might introduce artifacts. It is a pleasure using this machine." - Dr. Matthew Li, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) In "Discharge Rate-Driven Li2O2 Growth Exhibits Unconventional Morphology Trends in Solid-State Li-O2 Batteries", researchers at ANL have published new work in Angewandte Chemie International Edition investigating the morphology of lithium peroxide in solid-state Li-O2 batteries using a polymer-based solid electrolyte. With the help of Qianshu W. on site, they were able to set up the nGauge #AFM inside an argon atmosphere glovebox and obtain topographical (left) + phase (right) images to quantitatively characterize the roughness of their polymer electrolyte (top) and gas diffusion layer (bottom)! This allowed them to get a more accurate understanding of their samples without potentially compromising them through exposure to the vacuum needed for #SEM. Want to learn more about how fast and flexible On-Chip AFM can support characterization of sensitive samples with unique requirements? Read this paper and more on our Publications page: https://lnkd.in/gntjBFq7 #AtomicForceMicroscopy #Nanotechnology #batteries #electrochemistryl #glovebox #Materials #Science #MaterialsScience #Polymers #nGaugeAFM #microscopy

The search for more efficient organic semiconductors is still very active, and GIWAXS (Grazing Incidence Wide Angle X-ray Scattering) is an important tool for the determination of the structure and its relationship with electrical conductivity. This new paper with GIWAXS experiment on #SIRIUSBeamline at Synchrotron SOLEIL reports the synthesis of a new DPP-based small molecule, DBT-I, designed for solution-processed organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). The influence of solvents, deposition techniques, and thermal treatments on the thin-film morphology and crystallinity of DBT-I was systematically investigated. It was found that solution shearing produced highly crystalline films with improved charge transport compared to spin-coated films, yielding a mobility of 0.26 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and an on/off ratio of 10⁶. The work highlights how controlling processing parameters directly tunes film microstructure, enabling rational optimization of OFET performance. Users coming from cfaed - Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Leibniz institute of polymers (Dresden), Novaled GmbH, beeOLED Morphology, Crystallinity, and Electrical Performance of Solution- Processed OFETs Based on a DPP-Based Small Molecule Enrique Caldera Cruz,Reshma Raveendran, Yevhen Karpov, Felix Talnack, Brigitte Voit, Anton Kiriy, Stefan Mannsfeld ACS Appl. Electron. Mater. 2025, 7, 6874−6884 DOI: 10.1021/acsaelm.5c00731 https://lnkd.in/ebpv5fkx

Excited to share that our latest work "Pentacene-like Frontier Orbitals in Angularly Fused Bisacene Spin-Coated Thin Films" has been published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C! In this paper, we unveil the electronic structure of the highest occupied and lowest excited unoccupied molecular frontier orbitals in semiconducting angularly fused bisacenes thin films. By a combination of electron spectroscopies, we demonstrates that the delocalized character of the electrons along the angularly fused bisacene is limited to the acene subunit and it can be foreseen as a promising alternative to pentacene in future organic devices. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eW4kMmwd

Proud to share our latest research published in Natural Product Research, detailing the discovery of Tinctoric acid A & B—two new triterpenoids with potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. In this study, I was responsible for all computational modeling, which proved essential for advancing the research. Specifically, we leveraged DFT calculations and DP4 probability analysis to confirm the absolute configuration of Tinctoric acid A, a crucial step that is often challenging and time-consuming with experimental methods alone. Subsequently, molecular docking simulations provided a clear, atomistic picture of how these compounds bind to and inhibit the target enzyme, explaining their strong bioactivity. This work is another validation of our lab's integrated approach. By closely coupling simulation with experiment, we can solve complex chemical problems more efficiently and gain deeper molecular insights. Read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/gZnxFyg2 #ComputationalChemistry #NaturalProducts #DrugDiscovery #DFT #MolecularDocking #Simulation #Research #Triterpenoids

At the University of Warwick, Dr. David Walker and his team are advancing materials research using XRDynamic 500. Anton Paar's X-ray diffraction (XRD) system. With hundreds of users across physics, chemistry, and engineering, XRDynamic 500 supports critical investigations of battery materials, solar cells, pharmaceuticals, and catalysts. Its high-resolution, high sensitivity, and flexible configuration delivers reliable insights that drive impactful research and world-leading publications. 🔎 Discover more about XRDynamic 500 🔗 https://loom.ly/m2nlABU #antonpaar #xrd #diffractometer #xraydiffractometer