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A time machine to the most stable state
GEMS allows scientists to model the chemistry of complex systems. A new national consortium now guarantees the long-term development of this open-source software.
Blood pressure-lowering drug with a light switch
From off to on: PSI researchers have observed how the potency of a blood pressure medication can be switched using light.
ISS @SLS 2.0
ISS received the first light on 10.07.2025. After that, the endstation has been reconnected and aligned. During the shutdown period, the ScientaOmicron R4000 HiPP-2 analyser has undergone maintenance and upgrade. It features now a new detector (new MCP and 70 Hz camera) and ethernet communication.
First in-house and pilot users have measured in November and December 2025. A first official call for proposals will open in February 2026 (deadline March 16th 2026, beamtime periods scheduled from September to December 2026). Please contact Dr. Luca Artiglia for more information.
New process for stable, long-lasting all-solid-state batteries
PSI researchers have developed a novel process that could make all-solid-state batteries more robust and longer-lasting.
Preparing cellulose sample for soft-Xray spectro-microscopy
Different sample preparation techniques for ultrathin samples to be measured at the carbon-K-edge for chemical contrast are presented.
Particulate pollution re-evaluated
A new study provides data from 43 sites across Europe, showing the respective oxidative stress on the lungs.
Carbocation, diradical, and superelectrophile in one molecule?
The pentafluorophenyl cation (C₆F₅⁺) breaks these rules with a borderline “crazy” reactivity.
PSI’s cement whisperer
John Provis has dedicated his research career to a building material that is far more exciting than you might think.
In situ characterization of structure-activity relationships on actual catalysts for water gas shift
By combining in situ XPS measurements carried out at ISS with theoretical calculations, reactivity/kinetics tests and high resolution electron microscopy, it was demonstrated that the reactivity of a Pt/CeO2 towards the low temperature water gas shift reaction is boosted on small platinum clusters originated by sintering of atomically dispersed species. A comprehensive model allowed to determine the most active sites, which are corner sites at the perimeter between platinum and ceria.
Aluminium made visible
PSI researchers have for the first time determined the exact position of the aluminium atoms in zeolites, which make these materials such good catalysts.
Water gets in shape for VUV absorption
Nanometre‑thin, free‑flowing liquid sheets now let Swiss Light Source users record pristine VUV absorption spectra of water, and soon any solvent.
A faster route to green hydrogen
The pH value determines how easily hydrogen can be produced from water when cobalt is used as a catalyst. PSI researchers have now found out why.
Prestigious funding for three research projects at PSI
Concrete, chemical catalysis and the search for new physics – three PSI researchers have each received a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation for these areas of research.
Mapping the ecosystem of Wannier Functions software
A new review article, just published in Reviews of Modern Physics and highlighted on the journal cover, provides a map to the vast landscape of software codes that allow researchers to calculate Wannier functions, and to use them for materials properties predictions. The authors, from all over Europe and the USA, include two PSI scientists. After providing readers with the theoretical foundations on Wannier functions and their calculation, together with intuitive graphical schematics to explain what Wannier functions are, the authors map the existing Wannier codes and the key applications.
New widgets and extensions expand the OSSCAR platform for educational notebooks in materials science
In a new article published in Computer Physics Communications, the team of the Open Software Services for Classrooms and Research project (OSSCAR) describes how to create custom widgets and extensions that can be used in interactive notebooks to teach computational materials science. The article also introduces two new entries in OSSCAR: a widget to display an interactive periodic table that allows users to group elements into different states, and one to plot and visualize electronic band structures and density of states.
Unlocking the secrets of proteins
This year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to three researchers who have made a decisive contribution to cracking the code of proteins – important building blocks of life. However, developing applications from this knowledge, for example in medicine, requires research institutes such as PSI.
How catalysts remove dangerous nitrogen oxides
In industrial catalysis, iron is not equal to iron.
Computational marathon matches the efficiency of the AiiDA platform with the power of Switzerland Alps supercomputer
A group of researchers from the LMS lab at PSI has conducted a "hero run" on the new Swiss supercomputer, occupying it entirely for about 20 hours with calculations managed remotely by the AiiDA software tools. The run demonstrated the efficiency and stability of AiiDA, that could seamlessly fill the entire capacity of an exascale machine, as well as the performance of the Alps supercomputer, that has been just inaugurated. All the results will soon be published on the Materials Cloud.
Where should hydrogen be produced in the future?
Researchers at PSI have been looking into where the hydrogen for a future hydrogen economy should be produced and what impact this energy carrier will have on the environment.
Sustainable aviation fuel from the PSI campus
In collaboration with climate start-up Metafuels, a pilot plant for the production of sustainable aviation fuel is being set up on the PSI campus.
Structure and Reactivity of Active Oxygen Species on Silver Surfaces for Ethylene Epoxidation
In situ XPS is an extremely powerful method to identify reaction intermediates formed at the solid-gas interface under reactive environments. In this work, an model silver surface catalyst (silver foil) was investigated upon exposure to ethylene and oxygen at increasing temperature. High resolution Ag 3d and O 1s spectra combined with theoretical calculations of core-electron binding energies allowed identifying oxygen reaction intermediates that selectively oxidize ethylene to ethylene oxide. A frequency selective method based on Fourier transform was developed and used to process time-resolved data acquired under modulation excitation conditions. This further demonstratred that the topmost oxygen atom of di-oxygen adsorbed on silver, which was previously identified as electrophylic oxygen, is the most active and selective intermediate.
A bionanomachine for green chemistry
PSI researchers have characterised a unique enzyme from bacteria that enables an important chemical reaction.
Making powerful lithium-air batteries suitable for everyday use
Chemical processes in lithium-air batteries revealed using neutron beams and synchrotron light.
Methane as an energy store
Researchers at PSI and the start-up AlphaSYNT are working together on a solution for efficiently storing energy.
New catalysts for pharmaceutical companies
In partnership with Roche, PSI scientists are developing new, potentially more efficient catalysts for manufacturing active substances for drug therapies.
Getting maximum energy out of biomass
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI start operation of a revolutionary pilot plant for production of synthetic biogas.
How catalysts age
Catalysts used in industry change their material structure over the years. Using a new method, PSI researchers have now studied this on the nanoscale.
Green fuels for aviation
In a new initiative, PSI and Empa want to jointly develop a process for producing kerosene from renewable resources.
Look Inside a Chemical Reactor
Operando X-ray spectrotomography allows scientists to look inside of functioning chemical reactors. A research team at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), at Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in France have employed this method successfully.