SOLEIL II: Science lights up the future

Designing higher-performing catalysts

More than three-quarters of the manufactured objects around us are produced through catalytic processes. These processes enable selective reactions (the desired substance is produced in larger quantities), efficient reactions (less loss of initial components), and operate under conditions (temperature, pressure, etc.) that are less energy-intensive.

One of the challenges in many industrial sectors is to understand these processes in detail and optimize them to significantly reduce energy consumption.

Benefits of SOLEIL II
Brighter and more coherent synchrotron radiation =  Study of catalytic reactions under operating conditions and in real time Better understanding of catalyst activation mechanisms Recommendations for obtaining higher-performing catalysts

 

Preserving plants

 

Our lives depend on plants, for both the air we breathe and the food we eat. Population growth, climate change, and intensive agriculture all make plants more vulnerable to drought and the rapid spread of pathogens.

Optimizing plants’ resistance to drought and their adaptation to the emergence of new plant pathogens are the challenges facing tomorrow's agriculture.

Benefits of SOLEIL II
Increased flux, brightness, and coherence of synchrotron radiation = Qualitative improvement of X-ray computed tomography and scanning microscopy Non-invasive techniques that provide morphological and chemical information (detection of trace elements in plants)

 

Fighting bacterial resistance to antibiotics

 

Multidrug-resistant bacteria kill about 700,000 people around the world each year. Understanding the mechanisms of antibiotic uptake and expulsion developed by bacteria are key points in the fight to save lives. 

Benefits of SOLEIL II
Increased photon flux on samples = Higher-quality measurements Coupling analytical techniques to elucidate the mechanisms of interaction between antibiotics and bacteria

 

Developing nanoelectronics

 On the surface of graphene, referred to as a 2D material due to its extreme thinness (a single layer of carbon atoms), electrons move 150 times faster than in silicon. Can we envision electronics 150 times faster, based on graphene?

The main challenge: it is not a semiconductor, a property essential for electronic components. However, modifications of graphene, as well as other 2D materials with similarities to graphene, are being studied to address this challenge.

 

Benefits of SOLEIL II
Extreme brightness + increased flux of coherent photons = Identification and optimization of materials for a new generation of ultra-rapid, nanometric transistors

Preserving and restoring natural and cultural heritage

To preserve these materials for future generations, it is essential to understand the deterioration mechanisms at work and develop environmentally sound protocols for conservation and restoration.

 

Benefits of SOLEIL II
Brighter and more coherent synchrotron radiation = Detection and characterization of nanometer- to millimeter-sized constituents  Identification of diluted tracers reflective of physical and chemical modifications Faster analysis, increased number of studied specimens

Understanding interactions between atoms and molecules

 
Knowledge of the electronic structure of isolated atoms and molecules is crucial to experimental validation of models based on quantum mechanics. However, in matter, particularly living matter, atoms and molecules are not isolated: they interact with their environment, which impacts their electronic structure. To understand the effect of these interactions, microjets of atomic or molecular ion solutions are generated in vacuum, enabling their study through X-ray spectroscopy.

Benefits of SOLEIL II
Increased brightness + focus of photon beam = Study of even more diluted samples, nanometric objects in solution, and droplets Possibility to more easily carry out X-ray absorption spectroscopy