Scientific Highlights
Synthesis of Metallic Lanthanide Thin Samples
This work aimed to produce intermetallic samples of platinoid metals (active metal matrix) and lanthanides (co-metal) and via the method of Coupled Reduction, i.e. a thermal treatment of the combination of the lanthanide oxide and noble metal at high temperature, as high as 1100 °C, under a constant flow of H2. We have demonstrated by means of several techniques, such as Scanning Electron Microscope, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy, Alpha Spectrometry and Radiographic Imaging, that this method, at defined experimental conditions (temperature, pressure and concentration) yields a metallic lanthanide thin film when using platinum as active metal matrix. Conversely, the formation of a bulk intermetallic compound was obtained when using Pd as matrix. Those systems will have applications in different nuclear physic and radiochemistry studies, such as irradiation targets for production of superheavy elements and for nuclear data determination.
NMB/Eckelman Young Investigator Award 2022
Chiara Favaretto, PhD student in the “Radionuclide Development” group at the Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, received the NMB/Eckelman Young Investigator Award for the abstract entitled: “Production and radiochemical separation of terbium-155 from enriched gadolinium target material and its preliminary application in SPECT imaging”, presented at the International Symposium on Radiopharmaceutical Sciences (iSRS 2022).
Stable Performance of High Capacity Cobalt-Free Li-ion Battery
Lithium-rich layered oxides, containing cobalt, despite being promising high-capacity cathode materials, need alternatives to eliminate toxic and geopolitically restricted cobalt. An ongoing search for low-cost, Co-free Li-rich cathode materials with a better structural stability lead to investigation of Li1.16Ni0.19Fe0.18Mn0.46O2 (LNFM), where cobalt is replaced by abundant iron. Our LNFM not only delivered a high capacity of 229 mAh/g but also has a stable average discharge voltage when cycled to upper cutoff potential of 4.8 V in additive-free electrolyte.
Atmospheric globe-trotters
The CLOUD experiment reveals a new mechanism by which atmospheric particles form. The particles rapidly travel the world, globally impacting cloud formation and climate.
Light-Induced Magnetization at the Nanoscale
Targeted manipulations of an atom's magnetic moment are tricky, as the charge currents used for this process are extremely difficult to control . Now, a consortium of collaborators in Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia and Italy reports on a solution to this problem in the cover page article of Physic Review Letters 128, Vol. 15. As it appears, the magnetization of an atomic gas can be altered by high-power lasers using a patterned wave front. The method is promising for studying and manipulating the magnetic properties of matter at the nanoscale.
Unveiling Unequivocal Charge Stripe Order in a Prototypical Cuprate Superconductor
In the cuprates, high-temperature superconductivity, spin-density-wave order, and charge-density-wave (CDW) order are intertwined, and symmetry determination is challenging due to domain formation. We investigated the CDW in the prototypical cuprate La1.88Sr0.12CuO4 via x-ray diffraction employing uniaxial pressure as a domain-selective stimulus to establish the unidirectional nature of the CDW unambiguously.
Spin keeps electrons in line in iron-based superconductor
Electronic nematicity, thought to be an ingredient in high temperature superconductivity, is primarily spin driven in FeSe finds a study in Nature Physics.
Mechanochromism of layered perovskites
The mechanochromism of hybrid 2D perovskites is probed at pressures compatible with practical applications
Things run smoother without lubricants
At the particle accelerators of PSI, the components have to withstand harsh conditions. This is why a special ball bearing that does not require grease as a lubricant has been in use since last year.
In situ Study of Low-temperature Dry Reforming of Methane Over La2Ce2O7 and LaNiO3 Mixed Oxides
The combination of in situ spectroscopy methods allowed to detect the evolution of a catalyst precursor to the catalytic material, and investigate a relevant reaction. The reduction of a mixture of perovskite, pyrochlore and nickel leads to the formation of active and selective catalytst, converting carbon dioxide and methane to syngas.