Waste from food production or wood processing can be turned into a biofuel for more sustainable air travel. The raw oil, however, is unstable and difficult to use. A Swedish research team is working on optimising the refining process.
The structural twist of narwhal tooth
Recent research in Nature Communications led by Aarhus University reports on the intriguing life history of narwhals, a species of Arctic marine mammal. The study reveals atomic-level details of the helical structure of the whale tusk. This knowledge of complex tooth construction advances understanding towards potential innovations in materials design.
The liquid tech of self-healing batteries
Materials scientists seek to develop better lithium (Li) metal batteries by improving structural stability and reducing dendrite formation that causes battery failure. It is well-known that instability at the metal electrode-electrolyte interface causes lithium dendrite growth, leading to short-circuiting and formation of inactive lithium. New electrolyte designs that control lithium deposition during cycling may solve these issues. Researchers are investigating liquid crystalline (LC) electrolytes under different conditions at MAX IV’s ForMAX beamline to determine whether these electrolytic materials are possible to align on demand. Successful results hold promise to propel the development of Li metal batteries as a next-generation power solution for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
Beamline Collaborations through MAX IV’s Shared Postdocs: Firoz Malayil Kalathil
Collaboration with the user community is a core part of MAX IV’s work. One joint initiative is enabled through close interaction with universities, with postdoctoral researchers dividing their time between a university research group and the synchrotron.
High-resolution imaging opens doors for low-power information storage
Electronics built from ferroelectric materials have low power consumption and are well-suited for information storage. Their competitiveness depends on developing novel architectures on the nanoscale. A research team from Lund University and ETH Zurich in Switzerland has used the NanoMAX beamline at MAX IV to image through metal contacts on the ferroelectric material bismuth ferrite to see how they affect the material beneath them.
Beamline Collaborations through MAX IV’s Shared Postdocs: Leonardo Oliveira
Collaboration with the user community is a core part of MAX IV’s work. One joint initiative is enabled through close interaction with universities, with postdoctoral researchers dividing their time between a university research group and the synchrotron.
Final call for recyclable materials research through ReMade@ARI
With increasing consumerism depleting finite resources and producing growing quantities of waste, the need for a shift to sustainable, circular products is urgent. Through ReMade@ARI (REcyclable MAterials Development at Analytical Research Infrastructures), more than 50 European research infrastructures, including MAX IV, have formed a consortium to support advanced materials research.
The value of toxic waste for an inclusive circular economy
What if the toxic metalloid arsenic extracted from water treatment processes could be upcycled for economic use? What if this upcycling could benefit marginalized communities most affected by toxic pollution? The questions today are not what if, but when, thanks to seminal work recently reported in Science Advances on commodifying the critical raw material arsenic from groundwater. A novel chemical method developed with measurements from MAX IV’s Balder beamline lays the path to produce amorphous metallic arsenic As(0), valuable in alloys and clean energy systems such as batteries and high-speed electronics, namely semiconductors.
How to study the digestion of vegan protein in real time
A new study presents a multi-angle approach to investigating the step-by-step breakdown of vegan proteins in the stomach. It is a research area that is becoming increasingly important as we seek new protein sources to reduce climate impact. Protein digestion is crucial for both the absorption of nutrients and the immune response to potential allergens. A gel of pea protein was exposed to artificial gastric fluid, and the researchers used several techniques to study how the gel was broken down into smaller parts.
MAX IV contributing to Swedish Excellence Clusters
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