Microplastics in soil: Tomography with neutrons and X-rays shows where particles lay in soil

21-Nov-2023 - It really is a problem: Microplastics are everywhere. Now, an HZB and University Potsdam team developed a method that for the first time enables us to precisely localise microplastics in soil. The 3D tomography shows exactly the location of particles and the change in structure of the soil – ...

Quantitative analysis of cell organelles with artificial intelligence

The analysis of cryo-X-Ray-microscopy data still requires a lot of time: AI now identifies structures at high accuracy within a few minutes

21-Jul-2023 - BESSY II's high-brilliance X-rays can be used to produce microscopic images with spatial resolution down to a few tens of nanometres. Whole cell volumes can be examined without the need for complex sample preparation as in electron microscopy. Under the X-ray microscope, the tiny cell organelles ...

When soft spheres make porous media stiffer

Researchers of the University of Stuttgart and the University if Twente succeed in three-dimensional characterization

23-Jun-2023 - Porous media such as concrete physically represent a spherical packing of different components – in this case cement, rock and water. The mechanical properties of such mixtures are still difficult to calculate due to their discretized nature. A team led by Prof. Holger Steeb (University of ...

Tomography shows high potential of copper sulphide solid-state batteries

Processes during charging and discharging observed

30-Nov-2022 - Solid-state batteries enable even higher energy densities than lithium-ion batteries with high safety. A team led by Prof. Philipp Adelhelm and Dr. Ingo Manke succeeded in observing a solid-state battery during charging and discharging and creating high-resolution 3D images. This showed that ...

Research paves the way for stronger alloys

High-speed synchrotron X-ray tomography ‘photograph’ the changing crystal structures in molten alloys as they cool

07-Jun-2022 - Scientists from the University of Birmingham have described how microscopic crystals grow and change shape in molten metals as they cool, in research that is breaking new ground in alloy research and paves the way for improving the tensile strength of alloys used in casting and welding. Their ...

Seeing more deeply into nanomaterials

New 3D imaging tool reveals engineered and self-assembled nanoparticle lattices with highest resolution yet

21-Apr-2022 - From designing new biomaterials to novel photonic devices, new materials built through a process called bottom-up nanofabrication, or self-assembly, are opening up pathways to new technologies with properties tuned at the nanoscale. However, to fully unlock the potential of these new materials, ...

Visualising Cell Structures in Three Dimensions in Mere Minutes

Researchers are working on a rapid process for 3D imaging of cells

08-Dec-2021 - Viral pathogens like the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus change the interior structure of the cells they infect. These changes occur at the level of individual cell components – the organelles – and can provide information on how viral diseases develop. Extremely powerful imaging techniques are needed to ...

Using neutrons and X-rays to analyse the ageing of lithium batteries

11-Feb-2020 - An international team has used neutron and X-ray tomography to investigate the dynamic processes that lead to capacity degradation at the electrodes in lithium batteries. Using a new mathematical method, it was possible to virtually unwind electrodes that had been wound into the form of a compact ...

Malaria pathogens under the X-ray microscope

X-ray microscopy at BESSY II reveals how antimalaria-drugs might work

04-Nov-2019 - Malaria is one of the most threatening infectious diseases in the world. An international team has now been able to investigate malaria pathogens in red blood cells in vivo using the BESSY II X-ray microscope and the ALBA and ESRF synchrotron sources. The scientists reveal the mechanisms used by ...

3D X-rays measure particle movement inside lithium ion batteries

23-May-2018 - Lithium ion batteries have come a long way since their introduction in the late 1990s. They're used in many everyday devices, such as laptop computers, mobile phones, and medical devices, as well as automotive and aerospace platforms, and others. However, lithium ion battery performance still can ...