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SYNCHROTRON
HIGHLIGHTS
2013
The research in the fields of Condensed Matter Chemistry, soft matter
and liquids benefits from the synchrotron radiation-based probes for describing
and understanding a variety of systems and their changes under well-controlled
conditions. This research thus concerns fundamental studies on model materials,
as well as studies related to applications.
Within the fields of energy, the understanding of the performances of electrodes
is essential to improve the cycling and rate capability of batteries. To address this
issue, electrode material based on Lithium oxyde composites were investigated
under working conditions using the CRISTAL beamline by Sathiya et al.
The development of new smart materials such as high-spin molecules exhibiting
a memory effect (single-molecule magnets) benefits from the information brought
about by absorption and diffraction spectroscopies. On the DEIMOS beamline,
Tancini et al. studied the superexchange coupling in surface-wired single-molecule
magnets, a key step in the development of molecular spintronics. Another example
of smart material concerns the search for new process for laser development.
Self-assembly of colloidal nanoplatelets which provides such emission was studied
by diffusion on the SWING beamline by Tessier et al.
Regarding environmental studies, the investigation of structures of soils sediments
used for the scavenging of toxic material can take advantage on the sensitivity
of X-Ray absorption on the LUCIA and SAMBA beamlines. In particular, the nature
of Al-Fe oxyhydroxy co-precipitates playing such a role was determined by Hofmann
et al.
At the border with lifescience, probing the active sites in metalloproteins has been
characterized using Electrochemically-induced difference spectroscopy in a wide
infrared domain on the AILES beamline. This study by Vita et al. points to the role
of a hydrogen bond for tuning the active site. Health issues concerning the metal-
environment characterization in biological material has been addressed on the MARS
beamline by Safi et al. to investigate an uranyl binding site inside the osteopontin,
a non-structured protein.
The control of the size and shape of nanomaterials is a necessary step for their
development for optical, electronic, and catalytic applications. Such control
during the synthesis of hybrid (organic−inorganic) material based on bridged
silsesquioxanes was achieved by Creff et al. on the AILES beamline through
measuring the far infrared absorption spectra during the material nanocrystallization.
Pascale Roy
Head of the ”Chemistry and Physical Chemistry, Nanochemistry” Scientific Section
CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY, NANOCHEMISTRY
