Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute

Beamstop-free small-angle X-ray scattering for multiscale structure measurement of high-energy-density plasma

The advent of free-electron lasers has enabled in-situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements of laser-produced high-energy-density plasma at solid density, with nanometer- and femtosecond-scale resolution. Such plasmas generally exhibit gentle density gradients, which...

Helical Nanocavity-Driven Upconversion Circularly Polarized Luminescence with Efficient Triplet Dynamics in Poly(methyl methacrylate) Stereocomplexes

Abstract Triplet–triplet annihilation photon upconversion circularly polarized luminescence (TTA-UC-CPL) in solid-state materials remains challenging because the molecular ordering required for chirality often compromises triplet energy transfer and oxygen tolerance. Herein, we r...

A High-Density Supercritical Fluid of H2

Abstract This study aimed to elucidate the structural evolution of supercritical fluid hydrogen (SCF H2) under high pressure. X-ray diffraction was performed on SCF H2 using synchrotron radiation at room temperature. The structure factor S(Q) was observed in a low-Q region at eac...

Robust Ferroelectricity in Chalcogenides Down to 2 nm Particles

ABSTRACT Nano‐ferroelectric materials are essential for advancing miniaturized energy converters, optoelectronics, and nonvolatile memory devices. However, the depolarizing fields of size‐reduced nanoparticles will weaken or even eliminate the ferroelectric spontaneous polarizati...

Liquid–Metal-Induced Metal–Support Interactions for CO2 Hydrogenation

Abstract Metal–support interaction (MSI) is central to numerous industrial heterogeneous catalytic processes yet its classical realization typically requires high-temperature treatment (typically >500 °C), which often induces metal sintering and excessive encapsulation. Herein, w...

Direct Visualization of a Hydroperoxy Intermediate in Fluorescent Protein Chromophore Maturation in PAmCherry1

Abstract Despite the widespread use of fluorescent proteins in bioimaging, the mechanism of oxidative chromophore maturation to form the tyrosine Cα═Cβ double bond remains unclear. In the photoactivatable fluorescent protein PAmCherry1, this double bond has not yet been formed pr...

Ultrahigh flow strength in shocked nanopolycrystalline diamond

Extreme pressures and temperatures create conditions that allow even hard and brittle materials to flow plastically. Despite extensive research, the limits of flow strength under such conditions remain uncertain, and the mechanisms driving deformation at the relevant stresses are...

Synchrotron-Based 3D Operando Chemical Imaging of Battery Electrodes: Toward Rational Design of Electrochemical Devices for Green Transformation

Achieving green transformation (GX) and carbon neutrality requires the large-scale deployment of renewable energy and the electrification of broad sectors of society. Realizing this transition depe...

The parent bodies of Ryugu and Ivuna formed before those of other carbonaceous chondrites

Most carbonaceous chondrite (CC) meteorites contain abundant chondrules, millimeter-scale spherical inclusions of previously molten material. Ivuna-type carbonaceous chondrites (CIs) do not contain chondrules, nor do samples of the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu. CIs and Ryugu share...

Cryo-EM structures of the SurA–BAM complex reveal conformational changes in outer membrane protein assembly

The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria acts as a permeability barrier against toxic compounds. Its integrity is maintained by various outer membrane proteins (OMPs), which are inserted into the OM by the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) complex. The periplasmic chaper...

In Situ X-ray Scattering for Doxorubicin-Loaded Liposomes to Elucidate the Morphological Change Mechanism Depending on the Cooling Rate and Cholesterol Content

Abstract Doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded liposomes are one of the most established and clinically relevant nanomedicines in a drug delivery system. In this study, we elucidate the mechanistic relationships among cooling rate, lipid composition, and the resulting morphological evolution...

Computed Tomography Reconstruction Algorithm Using Markov Random Field Model

X-ray computed tomography (CT) reveals the materials’ internal structures non-destructively from a tilt series of projected images. Filtered back projection (FBP) is a widely-adopted reconstruction algorithm in CT owing to its small computational cost. Under low-dose or sparse-vi...

Direct speciation of ultra-trace platinum in marine ferromanganese oxides by wavelength-dispersive XAFS

Abstract Ultra-trace platinum (Pt) in marine ferromanganese oxides (FMOs) has remained inaccessible to direct XAFS analysis because of its extremely low abundance and severe interferences from co-existing elements. We achieved the first direct speciation of Pt at the 1 μg g−1 lev...

An additional water is introduced into the manganese cluster during the formation of the S3 state of photosystem II

During photosynthetic water oxidation, the Mn4Ca cluster in Photosystem II progresses through five intermediate Si (i = 0–4) states. X-ray crystallography studies have reported the insertion of one new O ligand during the formation of the S3 state, but recent studies question the...

Time-Temperature-Transformation Diagrams to Navigate the Nucleation and Quenchability of Metastable α-Li₃PS4

α-Li₃PS₄ is a promising solid-state electrolyte with the highest ionic conductivity among its polymorphs. However, its formation presents a thermodynamic paradox: the α-phase is the equilibrium phase at high temperature and transforms to the stable γ-Li3PS4 polymorph when cooled...

Three-Dimensional Real Contact Area at the Tire–Asphalt Interface Revealed by Synchrotron X-Ray CT

Abstract Tire and road wear particles are considered a major source of microplastic pollution globally, necessitating a deeper understanding of friction and wear mechanisms at the tire–road interface. A key parameter governing these phenomena is the real contact area; however, to...

Type-II Charge-Transfer Photogating in a DDCI-4/MoS2 Heterojunction Phototransistor

Abstract Molecular sensitization of two-dimensional semiconductors offers a route to enhanced photodetection, yet the interfacial charge-transfer mechanisms that govern gain in these hybrid devices are often inferred rather than directly established. Here, we report a multilayer...

Advanced Multimodal X-ray Visualization Techniques for Unraveling Catalytic Performance and Degradation Mechanisms of Metal Nanoparticles in Fuel Cells

Abstract This Account highlights the transformative advances enabled by the world-first BL36XU beamline dedicated to in situ and operando characterization of metal nanoparticles and adsorbed species in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). While PEFCs hold great promise for sus...

Pressure-SelectiveMagnetic Switching via SpatiallySeparated Soft Interlayer and Rigid Charge-Transfer Intralayer

Abstract We report a pressure-responsive molecule-based magnet featuring a layered cyanido-bridged Co–W assembly, [{CoII(4-phenoxypyridine)4}3{WV(CN)8}2], exhibiting a distinct pressure-selective magnetic behavior. The compound forms two-dimensional charge-transfer layers with la...

Humidity‐Guided In Situ Polymerization for Controlled Formation of Smooth, Oriented Covalent Organic Framework Films

Efficient, reliable preparation of high-quality films of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is essential for fully exploring the potential of this class of porous crystalline compounds in, for example, sensing and catalysis. To this end, in situ polymerization on substrates offer...