Platinum, a noble metal, is oxidized more quickly than expected under conditions that are technologically relevant. This has emerged from a study jointly conducted by the DESY NanoLab and the Vienna University of Technology. Devices that contain platinum, such as the catalytic converters used to reduce exhaust emissions in cars, can suffer a loss in…
X-ray Laser Examines Alzheimer, Parkinson’s Biomolecules
A new experimental method permits the X-ray analysis of amyloids, a class of large, filamentous biomolecules which are an important hallmark of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. An international team of researchers headed by DESY scientists has used a powerful X-ray laser to gain insights into the structure of different amyloid samples. The X-ray…
Transparent Ceramics Make Super-Hard Windows
Scientists have synthesised the first transparent sample of a popular industrial ceramic at DESY. The result is a super-hard window made of cubic silicon nitride that can potentially be used under extreme conditions like in engines, as the Japanese-German team writes in the journal Scientific Reports. Cubic silicon nitride (c-Si3N4) forms under high pressure and is…
Novel Nozzle Saves Crystals
Scientists are interested in the spatial structure of proteins, as it reveals much about the workings of these biomolecules. This knowledge can lead to a better understanding of the functions of biomolecules and to tailored medicines. X-ray crystallography is the prime tool to solve protein structures. However, it requires to grow crystals of the proteins…
Scientists Lay Foundation for New Type of Solar Cell
An interdisciplinary team of researchers has laid the foundations for an entirely new type of photovoltaic cell. In this new method, infrared radiation is converted into electrical energy using a different mechanism from that found in conventional solar cells. The mechanism behind the new solid-state solar cell made of the mineral perovskite relies on so-called…
Electron Gun Shrinks to Size of Matchbox
In a multi-national effort, an interdisciplinary team of researchers from DESY and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has built a new kind of electron gun that is just about the size of a matchbox. Electron guns are used in science to generate high-quality beams of electrons for the investigation of various materials, from biomolecules…