Over the past decade, Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) have garnered significant attention within the scientific community due to their remarkable functional properties. Yet their nanoscale organization remains challenging due to nanoscopic domains and dynamics heterogeneity.
We probed the molecular dynamics of the benchmark deep eutectic solvent ethaline, separating the motions of its two...
Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are currently receiving great attention because of their photophysical properties and concomitant promise for use in both solar cells and light emitting diodes, however, fundamental properties surrounding the atomic-scale dynamics remain unclear for these materials. In this contribution, we report on results from inelastic and quasielastic neutron scattering...
Scattering studies are among the few methods that can be used to analyze the structure and dynamics of phospholipid membranes at nanometer scales. However, the available structural information is indirect, as it consists of correlation functions: space-correlation functions for elastic scattering (e.g. SAXS or SANS), and space-time correlation functions for inelastic scattering (e.g. NSE). An...
Understanding low-energy excitations and spin–charge correlations in quantum materials remains a key challenge in condensed matter physics. In this study, we investigate the magneto transport and structural properties of high-quality intermetallic single crystals (EuAuSb and DyMn6Sn6) alongside topological insulator thin films (Bi–Sb–Te–Se, BSTS) to explore the interplay between topology,...
A hallmark of amyloidosis such as Alzheimer’s disease is the deposition of amyloid fibrils, which are self-assembled protein filaments with core regions rich in β-sheets, in various organs. Cytotoxicity underlying the pathogenesis of amyloidosis is partly caused by the disruption of cell membranes by binding of amyloid fibrils. Since amyloidogenic proteins form polymorphic fibrils with...
In many natural and technological settings, water exists not as bulk liquid but as thin interfacial films or within nanopores, where its behavior is strongly influenced by surface chemistry. These constraints can significantly alter hydrogen-bonding compared to bulk water, raising the question of whether surface chemistry can be deliberately tuned to control interfacial water properties.
Our...
Hydrogen gas is a key energy carrier for a decarbonized energy system, especially when generated by water electrolysis. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) offers a cost-effective alternative to platinum catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) [1], though its performance remains limited by slow hydrogen dynamics and incomplete understanding of adsorption and reactivity mechanisms. This...
Vitrimers are redefining the boundaries between thermosets and thermoplastics by combining permanent network integrity with true recyclability enabled by dynamic covalent chemistry. Yet, the key question remains: how does molecular mobility at the smallest length and time scales translate into macroscopic reprocessability? In this work, we unravel this connection through a multiscale dynamics...
We discuss different concepts to realize crystal analyzer spectrometers at long pulse neutron sources.
For the novel High Current Accelerator driven neutron sources, crystal arrays designed for large ac-
ceptance enable resolutions down to 10 μeV with reasonable detector count rates.
For the ESS we present a concept that might enable neV resolution by using GaAs monochroma-
tors and...
The magnetic interactions between rare-earth and transition-metal moments are of significant interest in the study of permanent magnets [1-2]. In particular, the interplay between 4f and 3d magnetic moments leads to complex behaviors, giving rise to phenomena such as spin reorientation, exchange bias, multiferroicity, and spin switching [3]. Among rare-earth chromites, SmCrO₃ has been...
Inelastic neutron scattering measurements are usually (except on Spin Echo), performed by knowing the initial and final energy of each neutron detected. This information is used to obtain the double differential scattering cross section, d$^2$$\sigma$/d$\Omega$d$\omega$, the probability of a scattered neutron being directed in the solid angle between $\Omega$ and $\Omega$+d$\Omega$ having...
We present the instrument concept for KVASIR, a backscattering indirect time-of-flight neutron spectrometer for the European Spallation Source (ESS). KVASIR will probe low lying excitations in single crystals of hard condensed matter. The instrument follows the FARO/SHERPA concept, using mosaic prismatic PG analyzer crystals. KVASIR is simultaneously optimized for high resolution of energy-...
Special care is needed for spin echo spectroscopy of spin excitations. Even in the case of antiferromagnets (AF), which do not depolarize the neutron beam, the scattering on spin excitations induces neutron spin flips that affect the spin echo signal. We review three cases from TRISP at the FRM II. The first case is a straightforward example of magnons in the uniaxial AF MnF2, where by proper...
Within this presentation we want to show new developments on sample environment dedicated for TOFTOF. Although we want to show and discuss our planed upgrade program for TOFTOF.
The research on Non-Gaussian (NG) dynamics in polymer melts has been largely focused on the decaging of polymer segments near the glass transition and was quantified in terms of the NG parameter. Recently, based on simulations, theoretical investigations led to quantitative determination of the NG parameter for the linear entangled polymers. We present a study on diffusion of short...
Surfactant-free microemulsions (SFME) are an emerging class of self-organized ternary liquids that develop mesoscale structure without conventional surfactants. Understanding their phase behavior and dynamics is crucial for applications in drug delivery, extraction, and chemical engineering.
In ternary mixtures, SFME formation arises from a delicate interplay of molecular architecture,...
In spite of its fundamental interest, the collective dynamics of molecular liquids and glass-forming systems at the mesoscale –and its relationship with self-dynamics– is still poorly understood [1,2]. Mesoscale means distances long enough compared to intermolecular dimensions but not yet in the hydrodynamic region. Neutron scattering experiments addressing the coherent dynamic structure...
Understanding water diffusion in subnanometer pores is essential for designing next-generation proton-conducting materials. Sulfonated porous aromatic frameworks (SPAFs) offer a unique platform for this by combining rigid, permanently microporous carbon scaffolds with adjustable -SO3H densities. Their high proton conductivities, often comparable to fluorinated polymers, indicate that...
Hydrogen bonds are ubiquitous in nature and play a central role in determining the microscopic dynamics of liquids. While water remains the most important hydrogen-bonded liquid, its peculiar behaviour and supercooling challenges motivate the study of simpler systems, such as mono-hydroxy alcohols,where hydrogen-bond dynamics are better separated from structural relaxation. Dielectric...
Praseodymium-doped magnetite ($\mathrm{Pr_xFe_{3-x}O_4}$, $x = 0.15$ and $0.45$) was synthesized by co-precipitation from chloride precursors to investigate the influence of lanthanide substitution on structural and magnetic properties. Both compositions crystallize in a mixed spinel structure, space group Fd-3m (no. 227), and exhibit single-phase character, as confirmed by powder X-ray...
Understanding mass transport in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel-cell catalyst layers requires direct links between microstructure, microscopic dynamics, and macroscopic performance. In these electrodes, the relative spatial distribution of water and ionomer within a complex carbon pore network critically governs water management, proton transport, and durability, yet the microscopic origin...
Gas hydrates are crystalline solids formed by a three-dimensional network of cages formed by water molecules that are capable of trapping gas molecules inside. These compounds form when water and gases such as methane interact under low-temperature, high-pressure conditions. Current research increasingly focuses on synthesizing gas hydrates under milder conditions to develop them as gas...
Polymeric fluids are one of the most fascinating areas in soft matter physics. Entangled polymer systems exhibit complex, non-Newtonian viscoelastic behaviour arising from topological constraints that restrict chain motion. These entanglements result in characteristic plateau moduli and long relaxation times. To directly access molecular relaxation under shear, we used an updated cone–plate...
In recent years, a great effort has been put to investigate collective relaxations in liquids [1] and polymer systems [2] at mesoscopic scales. This has been experimentally achieved using neutron scattering methods, especially in combination with polarization analysis (PA) capabilities [3] allowing to disentangle incoherent and coherent contributions, or with computational methods [4]. Few...
We have Performed an inelastic neutron scattering (INS) investigation on the trimer ruthenate Ba$_5$Ru$_3$O$_{12}$, that undergoes long-range antiferromagnetic ordering at $T_\mathrm{N}$ = 60 K. The INS spectra suggest two distinct spin-wave excitations one at 5.6 meV, which is less intence and a broader intense excitation around 10-15 meV. Notably, these magnetic excitations persist well...
Rare-earth trihalides are attracting attention in the field of quantum matter for their potential to exhibit exotic ground states arising from interactions among magnetic moments, including competing interactions or geometrical frustration. While the late rare-earth halides adopt a honeycomb structure, the early rare-earth trihalides adopt a 3D UCl3-type structure, with ABAB stacked triangular...
Due to their intrinsic non-flammable nature, aqueous batteries are regarded as desirable alternatives to lithium-ion batteries which use non-aqueous electrolytes. Metallic zinc has long been regarded as an ideal anode material for aqueous batteries systems. Highly Concentrated Zinc Electrolytes (HCZEs) are a new type of Water in BiSalt Electrolytes (WIBSE) which might enable practical zinc...
Emulsions are an indispensable part of everyday life; they are used in a wide range of applications, including cosmetics, drug delivery, and food systems. Mixed interfaces in emulsions are common and are composed of proteins and low molecular weight emulsifiers like phospholipids.
The charge and nature of phospholipid head groups exert a significant influence on the interfacial structure and...
The study of critical phenomena has always been deeply connected with magnetism in solid state materials. Nickel, one of the three archetypical room temperature ferromagnets, is understood to be an itinerant system with a high degree of localization regarding its magnetically active electron states. We report a high-resolution neutron spectroscopy investigation of nickel (Ni) near its Curie...
The TOSCA spectrometer is a broadband indirect geometry spectrometer, with a particular sensitivity to and high-resolution in the chemical fingerprint region ħω = 50–200 meV (400–1600 cm−1), making it well suited to the study of molecular vibrations. TOSCA has been operating since 1998 and with a guide upgrade in 2017 providing a significant flux increase. To keep the instrument competitive...
Neutron polarization analysis provides profound additions of knowledge to the field of soft condensed matter research. The ability to separate the coherent and incoherent scattering contributions gives information on spatial correlations and collective motion, and information from single particles, respectively.
In this study, we focus on upgrading the SPHERES (SPectrometer for High Energy...
In spite of its fundamental interest, the dynamics –collective and self—of molecular liquids and glass-forming systems at the mesoscale is still poorly understood. Quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) is the ideal technique to carry on this kind investigations in a wide Q-range (Q: momentum transfer) due to the high energy resolution available. The problem is that the measured intensity...
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) has been operating a neutron spin echo spectrometer since the later ‘90s. Recently, through a collaboration among the University of Delaware, the University of Maryland and the NCNR with a strong support from the Jülich Center for Neutron Science, the instrument was significantly upgraded using funding...
The natural mineral clinoatacamite, [Cu2Cl(OH)3], exhibits low-temperature, frustrated magnetic behaviour where competing interactions are responsible for novel magnetic properties. Attempts to establish the magnetic phases in this material have been undertaken and an unconventional applied field (H||b) phase diagram has been revealed [1]. Two critical transition temperatures at zero field...
Tau is an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) expressed in neurons. In contrary to well-folded proteins, IDPs lack a distinct stable 3D structure and sample a vast conformational space instead. Tau’s biological function lays in its interaction with the microtubules. In patients with Alzheimer’s disease, however, it is found to be part of protein filaments in the brain.
Solutions of tau can...
