In-Operando Lithium-Ion Transport Tracking in an All-Solid-State Battery.

An all-solid-state battery is a secondary battery that is charged and discharged by the transport of lithium ions between positive and negative electrodes. To fully realize the significant benefits of this battery technology, for example, higher energy densities, faster charging times, and safer operation, it is essential to understand how lithium ions are transported and distributed in the battery during operation. However, as the third lightest element, methods for quantitatively analyzing lithium during operation of an all-solid-state device are limited such that real-time tracking of lithium transport has not yet been demonstrated.

The effect of work function during electron spectroscopy measurements in Scanning Field-Emission Microscopy.

Electron spectroscopy proves to be a handy tool in material science. Combination of electron spectroscopy and scanning probe microscopy is possible through Scanning Field Emission Microscopy (SFEM), where a metallic probe positioned close to the surface is used as an electron source. However, using this not too much technologically demanding technique, it looks like the compromise between the lateral resolution and spectroscopic clarity must be considered.

The Mechanism of Vesicle Solubilization by the Detergent Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate.

Membrane solubilization by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is indispensable for many established biotechnological applications, including viral inactivation and protein extraction. Although the ensemble thermodynamics have been thoroughly explored, the underlying molecular dynamics have remained inaccessible, owing to major limitations of traditional measurement tools. Here, we integrate multiple advanced biophysical approaches to gain multiangle insight into the time-dependence and fundamental kinetic steps associated with the solubilization of single submicron sized vesicles in response to SDS.

Polar Spinel-Perovskite Interfaces: an atomistic study of Fe3O4(111)/SrTiO3(111) structure and functionality.

Atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy combined with ab initio electronic calculations are used to determine the structure and properties of the Fe3O4(111)/SrTiO3(111) polar interface. The interfacial structure and chemical composition are shown to be atomically sharp and of an octahedral Fe/SrO3 nature. Band alignment across the interface pins the Fermi level in the vicinity of the conduction band of SrTiO3.

Enhanced oxidation of nanoparticles through strain-mediated ionic transport.

Geometry and confinement effects at the nanoscale can result in substantial modifications to a material's properties with significant consequences in terms of chemical reactivity, biocompatibility and toxicity. Although benefiting applications across a diverse array of environmental and technological settings, the long-term effects of these changes, for example in the reaction of metallic nanoparticles under atmospheric conditions, are not well understood. Here, we use the unprecedented resolution attainable with aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy to study the oxidation of cuboid Fe nanoparticles.

The growth of an ordered Mn layer on the Si(111)- 1 × 1-Ho surface.

The growth of ordered Mn layers on room temperature and liquid nitrogen cooled Si(111)- 1 × 1-Ho surfaces has been studied using scanning tunnelling microscopy. We have shown for 4 ML (monolayers) of Mn grown on a cooled Si(111)- 1 × 1-Ho surface that an ordered Mn layer is produced without any, or with only limited, silicide formation. This surface exhibits a [Formula: see text] low energy electron diffraction pattern.