SPring-8

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...

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...

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...

Observation of near-infrared fluorescence from within biological specimens using X-ray light-sheet microscopy for deep-tissue imaging

Abstract Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy enables rapid three-dimensional imaging of biological specimens with low phototoxicity and high signal-to-noise ratio, but its imaging depth is limited by optical scattering and absorption in tissue. X-ray light-sheet microscopy, terme...

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...

Thermal decomposition and dehydration mechanism of kurnakovite MgB3O3(OH)5·5H2O

Abstract The thermal decomposition and dehydration mechanism of kurnakovite MgB3O3(OH)5·5H2O, a hydrated Mg borate mineral with potential industrial applications, were investigated using thermal analysis, in-situ high-temperature synchrotron single-crystal X-ray diffraction (30–1...

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...