Skip to main content
  • Paul Scherrer Institut PSI
  • PSI Research, Labs & User Services

Digital User Office

  • Digital User Office
  • DE
  • EN
  • FR
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)
Search
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)

Hauptnavigation

  • Research at PSIOpen mainmenu item
    • Research Initiatives
    • Ethics and Research integrity
    • Scientific Highlights
    • Scientific Events
    • Scientific Career
    • PSI-FELLOW
    • PSI Data Policy
  • Research Divisions and LabsOpen mainmenu item
    • Overview
    • Research with Neutrons and Muons
    • Photon Science
    • Energy and Environment
    • Nuclear Energy and Safety
    • Biology and Chemistry
    • Scientific Computing, Theory and Data
    • Large Research Facilities
  • Facilities and InstrumentsOpen mainmenu item
    • Overview
    • Large Research Facilities
    • Facilities
    • PSI Facility Newsletter
  • PSI User ServicesOpen mainmenu item
    • User Office
    • Methods at the PSI User Facilities
    • Proposals for beam time
    • Proposal Deadlines
    • Data Analysis Service (PSD)
    • EU support programmes
  • New ProjectsOpen mainmenu item
    • SLS 2.0
    • IMPACT
  • DE
  • EN
  • FR

Digital User Office (mobile)

  • Digital User Office

You are here:

  1. PSI Home
  2. Labs & User Services
  3. PSD
  4. LSF
  5. Group MicroXAS

Secondary navigation

Group MicroXAS

  • People
  • Scientific Highlights
  • Publications

microXAS

The mission of the microXAS beamline project is to operate and advance a versatile hard x-ray microprobe facility for multimodal chemical microscopy and micro-spectroscopy. We strive to enhance spatial resolution, and to develop new or superior chemical contrast modes. Over a large range of length (and time) scales, we apply this comprehensive set of X-ray microbeam analytical techniques to scientific challenges in the broader scope of reactive transport in porous media: From virus metabolite distribution in single cells, over the variability of catalytic reactivity in single crystal catalysts, to reactive contaminant transport phenomena in heterogeneous natural porous media.

The scientific and engineering activities directly related to the instrumentation of the microXAS beamline facility are complemented by a vivid in-house science program. These research activities link to the development of an advanced understanding of macroscopic reactivity and dynamics of complex systems based on the micro/nanoscopic physical and chemical. The focus subject corresponds to enlightening our understanding of environmental chemical processes – including their link to physics and biology. Special emphasis is devoted to the characterization of chemical reactions occurring at solid-liquid interfaces in undisturbed surface and subsurface environments.

Scientific highlights

4 December 2022
EBSD image of prior beta grains

Thermal cycling during 3D laser printing

High-speed in situ X-ray diffraction is used to measure temperature profiles and cooling rates during 3D printing of a a Ti-6Al-4V single-track wall.

Read more
11 April 2022
Al3(Sc,Zr)

Thermal and phase evolution during laser powder bed fusion of Al-Sc-Zr elemental powder blends

The reaction of elemental scandium and zirconium powders with liquid aluminum is observed directly via operando X-ray diffraction during laser 3D printing. This work demonstrates that elemental blends can be used to create fine-grained crack-free Al-alloys and highlights the importance of feature size.

Read more
17 January 2022
Operando radiography

Direct observation of crack formation mechanisms with operando Laser Powder Bed Fusion X-ray radiography

Operando high-speed X-ray radiography experiments reveal the cracking mechanism during 3D laser printing of a Ni superalloy.

Read more
15 July 2021
A Three Dimensional View of Chemical Heterogeneities in Defect-Engineered HKUST-1 Crystals

Full-field X-ray absorption tomography reveals the chemical structure of defects in metal-organic frameworks

Cryo-full-field XANES computed tomography was used to visualize the presence and distribution of a second coordination polymer of reduced copper coordination within defect-engineered HKUST-1 MOF crystals. Observations encourage a revisitation of the structure-property relationships of defect-engineered MOFs.

Read more
11 May 2020
Cover Materials Today

Operando X-ray diffraction during laser 3D printing

Ultra-fast operando X-ray diffraction experiments reveal the temporal evolution of low and high temperature phases and the formation of residual stresses during laser 3D printing of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The profound influence of the length of the laser-scanning vector  on the evolving microstructure is revealed and elucidated.  

Read more
27 March 2019
inside batteries

Inside Batteries

Lithium ion batteries (LIB) are essential in modern everyday life, with increasing interest in enhancing their performance and lifetime. Secondary particles of Li-rich cathode material were examined with correlated ptychographic X-ray tomography and diffraction microscopy at different stages of cycling to probe the aging mechanism.

Read more
5 September 2018
Figure 1 (a) Transient relative x-ray intensity of the (1.5 0.5 0.5) superlattice reflection of Sr0.97Ca0.03TiO3 upon above bandgap excitation with 40 fs pulses Inset: STO crystal structure as seen along the c-axis. phi measures the antiferrodistortive rotation of the oxygen octahedra (exaggerated) and represents the order parameter. (b) Calculated energy change per STO cubic unit cell as a function of oxygen displacement u/u0 along the in-plane cubic crystal axes resulting from the octahedral rotation at …

Moving Atoms by Photodoping

Understanding how and how fast we can drive atoms to create a structural phase transition is of fundamental interest as it directly relates to many processes in nature. Here we show that a photoexcitation can drive a purely structural phase transition before the energy is relaxed in the material that corresponds to a “warmer” equilibrated state.

Read more
2 April 2018
Schematic representation of the active state of a Pt-Ni bimetallic nano-particle on the silica surface with unreduced nickel ions in/on silicates of the support.

Active Sites of supported bimetallic nano-Catalysts

Dynamic Structural Changes of Active Sites in Pt–Ni Bimetallic Catalysts Revealed by a Multimodal Approach

Read more
17 October 2017

Making the world go round - a look into the structure of a prominent heterogeneous catalyst

Fluid catalytic cracking catalysts, which are composite particles of hierarchical porosity, were examined using ptychographic X-ray tomography. These particles are essential to the conversion of crude oil into gasoline. Examination of catalysts at decreasing levels of catalytic conversion efficacy allowed the detection of possible deactivation causes.

Read more
  • 1
  • 2
  • Next page ››
  • Last page Last »

Sidebar

Associated Beamlines

  • microXAS / X05LA

Contact

Dr. Daniel Grolimund
Paul Scherrer Institut
5232 Villigen-PSI
Switzerland
Telephone: +41 56 310 4782
E-mail: daniel.grolimund@psi.ch

LSF Homepage

Laboratory for Synchrotron Radiation and Femtochemistry

Swiss Light Source SLS

Synchrotron light large research facility.

SwissFEL

The new X-ray free electron laser facility.

top

Footer

Paul Scherrer Institut

Forschungsstrasse 111
5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

Telephone: +41 56 310 21 11
Telefax: +41 56 310 21 99

How to find us
Contact

Visitor Centre psi forum
School Lab iLab (in German)
Center for Proton Therapy
PSI Education Centre
PSI Guest House
PSI Gastronomie (in German)
psi forum shop

Service & Support

  • Phone Book
  • User Office
  • Accelerator Status
  • PSI Publications
  • Suppliers
  • E-Billing
  • Computing
  • Safety (in German)

Career

  • Working at PSI
  • Job Opportunities
  • Training and further education
  • Career Center
  • Vocational Training (in German)
  • PSI Education Center

For the media

  • PSI in brief
  • Facts and Figures
  • Media corner
  • Media Releases
  • Social Media

Follow us: Twitter (in English) LinkedIn Youtube Facebook Instagram Issuu RSS

Footer legal

  • Imprint
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Editors' login