A new research, published in ACS Catalysis, reports for the first time that the shape of the support plays a determinant role in the reorganization and oxidation states of bimetallic nanoparticles, which has important consequences for catalytic performance. The study concludes that ceria nanorods are a better support than nanocubes for the ethanol steam reforming process. To this end, scientists have used operando ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at the NAPP endstation of CIRCE beamline at ALBA.
Researchers have unveiled new dynamical properties of magnetic domain walls when subjected to an electrical current in ferromagnetic cylindrical nanowires. Part of the experiments used the shadow XMCD PEEM technique at the CIRCE beamline of ALBA.
Researchers at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil in collaboration with the ALBA Synchrotron have performed the first detailed measurement of the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) effect in Cu-Ni nanoparticles supported on cerium oxide. A better understanding of this effect is essential for developing smart catalysts that are more selective, stable and sustainable.
Researchers have shown that an everyday substance such as salt, NaCl, can be used to protect graphene layers and decouple them from a metallic substrate. It can then be easily removed in order to recover an intact graphene layer, turning this affordable ingredient into an enabler of a high-performing material. The experimental work, recently published in the journal 2D Materials, was carried out at the ALBA Synchrotron, working with the PEEM microscope of the CIRCE beamline, which was used both for the dissociation process and to characterize the sample.
Researchers from ALBA, UPC and UNSAM have studied the chemical state of cobalt in three different cobalt-based catalysts during the ethanol steam reforming (ESR) reaction. Complementary analyses have been carried out with synchrotron light at CLÆSS and CIRCE beamlines. Cobalt-based catalysts are a promising alternative for hydrogen production, which could be used in vehicles or industrial applications in the future.
