NEWSROOM

Using a combination of spectromicroscopy at BESSY II and microscopic analyses at DESY's NanoLab, a team has gained new insights into the chemical behaviour of nanocatalysts during catalysis. The nanoparticles consisted of a platinum core with a rhodium shell. This configuration allows a better understanding of structural changes in, for example, rhodium-platinum catalysts for emission control. The results show that under typical catalytic conditions, some of the rhodium in th

Chirality, or "handedness," is a fundamental property of objects, from galaxies to molecules, and plays a crucial role in biological systems. However, chiral compounds in living organisms such as sugars and amino acids, exist almost exclusively in a single form. This phenomenon, known as "biological homochirality," has long puzzled scientists, and its underlying mechanism remains elusive. Understanding how a preference for one chiral form over the other arises is crucial for

Gold is considered one of the most unreactive metals. However, under pressure conditions such as those found in the Earth's interior, something happens to the precious metal. Researchers at the High Energy Density (HED) experimental station at European XFEL compressed gold to over 40 gigapascals (GPa) using a diamond stamp cell and heated it to around 2,500 degrees Celsius with ultra-short flashes from the European XFEL X-ray laser. Under these conditions, the gold reacted wi

“There are a lot of different simulation methods that make different approximations, and they all provide slightly different results,” said Thomas Wolf. “The excitement is that this data can be used to unambiguously evaluate simulations.”

DESY team finds surprising defects in tiny metal particles, which could stimulate the development of more efficient catalysts

This new understanding of water’s role could help researchers develop methods to accelerate chemical reactions at the interface, potentially increasing their efficiency and productivity for industrial processes.