JCNS Workshop 2024, Trends and Perspectives in Neutron Scattering: Functional Interfaces

Various engineering material concepts can be fabricated from cellulose. The starting point can be the cellulose polymer, nanoscale intermediates such as cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), and macroscopic cellulose fibres extracted from plants. The material concepts exhibit good mechanical performance, unique hierarchical structuring and various functional properties, making them suitable for various...

Beyond crystalline graphite, planar sp2 hybridized carbon can make a wide array of different structures and therefore materials: From geologically formed asphaltenes, to new synthetic materials such as carbon nanotubes. Many of these materials are non-crystalline, making non-ambiguous structural determinations is therefore difficult. In this talk we will outline the combined use of wide...

Food emulsions may be either stabilized by amphiphilic milk-based or sustainable plant-based proteins, which affect the interfacial and emulsion stabilization mechanisms on a macro- and microscale of length and time. To understand these mechanisms in detail different length scales from molecular to macroscopic distances as well as time dependent mechansims need to be investigated.
Neutron...

A coating in general serves two purposes, protection of the coated substrate and decoration of the coated object. Modern automotive coatings consist of multiple layers with each layer specialized to provide protective or appearance properties to the overall coating. The formulation of a single layer can easily contain dozens of individual components. The main component of an organic coating...

Efficient neutron transport through neutron guides is the basis for the high performance of modern neutron scattering instruments. The combination of special guide profiles and high reflectivity supermirror coatings allows the properties of the neutron beam to be tailored to the needs of the experiment. In addition, a variety of substrate materials (different glasses, different metals,...

Waterborne latex films, obtained from the dispersion of latex particles are of particular interest due to the non-content of volatile organic compounds (VOC), often mandatory under environmental legislation.1 However, abrupt water penetration inside the films restricting their lifespan and deteriorating the shining of the coating. In order to prepare efficient and solvent-free coatings with...

Research on the physico-chemical properties of microbial biosurfactants is a very active field as these compounds are of increasing interest to industry due to their enhanced biodegradability and their derivation from renewable sources [1]. To achieve the goal of replacing existing surfactant formulations with this greener alternative, a solid knowledge of the latter’s properties is...

Polysaccharides, as major components of natural origin, have garnered extensive attention and utilization across diverse fields, including the nutritional manufacturing sector. Due to their advantageous properties such as safety, stability, biocompatibility, biodegradability and nontoxicity, polysaccharide-based complex systems have a significant potential in the fields of cosmetics,...

Binary liquids may show critical composition fluctuations if the temperature and composition are close to the critical point. When adding ionic surfactants (or antagonistic salts) the whole system gets dominated by the ions that are arranged locally in lamellae that display the charge density waves. The domains only fluctuate along the surfaces in 2 dimensions on short time scales. Only at...

SuperADAM is an angle dispersive neutron reflectometer operated as Swedish CRG instrument at the Institute Laue-Langevin, Grenoble (France). The instrument offers very high resolution and polarization and is optimized for the study of interfaces and thin films with an emphasis on small magnetic moments. The instrument allows to record and analyze off-specular and grazing incidence small angle...

Soft crystalline structures are of great importance in many applications that improve human life on a day-to-day basis. Some examples include engineering of human tissue constructs [1]. They are particularly suitable in this environment because of their good biocompatibility and low toxicity as well as their tunable viscoelastic properties. The exact formulation can be varied by variables,...

Interactions between soft interfaces occur in our daily life and in numerous wet technological contexts. They also influence the functions of biological entities like membranes. Understanding the character of such interactions often requires detailed insights into the structure of the interfaces and their response to the interaction. Neutron reflectometry is an ideal tool for the...

Magnetic nanocaps, formed by depositing Co/Pd multilayers on highly ordered arrays of silica nanospheres, present a promising area of study due to their unique properties. This research focuses on fabricating and characterizing these nanocaps and comparing them to films deposited on flat silicon substrates. Using an advanced drop-casting method, we prepared two-dimensional arrays of silica...

The discovery of the topological phases of matter sparked a renaissance in solid-state physics, however the broader applications to materials engineering are still in their infancy. The three-dimensional topological insulators offer a particularly simple new paradigm for developing unique functionality which relies on exploiting surfaces and interfaces via nanoarchitectural design.

I will...

An increasing number of studies are showing the possibility of tuning the electronic properties of functional materials via an unconventional dopant: hydrogen. In correlated oxide interfaces, and especially in rare-earth nickelates, hydrogen-induced reversible electronic and structural phase transitions have been uncovered [1-2]. Neutron and x-ray scattering methods are without doubt one of...

Investigating the magnetism at interfaces with designed periodic modulation of the magnetization—known as magnetic metamaterials—has recently gained significant attention [1]. Such structures provide platforms for fundamental studies of order and dynamics at the mesoscale, as well as having potential applications such as computation [2]. The magnetism in these materials can be studied by real...

Pt/Co/Pt and Pd/Co/Pd heterostructures with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) are traditionally used for magnetic recording to achieve high magnetic data storage density. PMA can be tuned by e.g. thin film thickness, strain, ion bombardment or temperature. Recently, it has been shown that the absorption of hydrogen in the heavy metal modifies the interfacial spin-orbit coupling and hence...

Li-ion batteries are key players for the energy transition and help decrease greenhouse emission owing to their storage ability. But batteries are also very complex electrochemical systems that deserve an in depth characterisations to understand their limitation during cycling. Indeed, batteries are constantly under further development and employing new type of chemistry and materials that...

Since their introduction in 1991, lithium-ion batteries have become the popular choice for power sources in consumer electronics. Furthermore, as they have achieved a tremendous boost in their performance in the last decades, they are being increasingly employed in electrical vehicles and grid-scale energy storage systems as well. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of life...

Numerous applications of nanoporous materials require their pores to be filled with liquids. In spite of its huge technological importance, the conditions for the wetting of nanometer-sized pores and its phenomenology are still poorly understood. Here, we report on time-resolved synchrotron small-angle scattering experiments performed during capillary rise of water in carbon xerogels. These...

In single-domain nanoparticles (NPs), magnetic anisotropy significantly influences crucial properties in crafting magnetic nanocrystals for high-density data storage or medical purposes[1]. Success in designing systems to fulfill these applications requires a fine tune in the magnetic properties of the NPs, which is directly related to the control of the composition and morphology of the...

Novel, multifunctional nanoparticles and hydrogels that exhibits a unique set of properties for the effective treatment of cancer are presented. The materials are comprised of polypeptidic and polyethylene oxide polymers that are a non-cytotoxic polymer. The amphiphilic hybrid materials assemble in aqueous media to form micelles or vesicles, comprised of an outer hydrophilic corona of PEO...

Scattering methods such as small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) are well established as powerful techniques to investigate the structure of nanoscale objects. The usefulness of these methods for elucidating the role of confinement in catalysis, which is the main goal of the Collaborative Research Center 1333, is demonstrated by two recent studies. In...

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are promising nano-vehicles for biomedical applications such as drug delivery, imaging, and magnetic hyperthermia. However, one of the limitations of these systems is their tendency to agglomerate, which has a direct impact on the efficiency of their performance. One way to overcome this limitation is to apply a coating during synthesis. In...

The structure and fluctuations of membranes such as phospholipid vesicles or microemulsions is experimentally accessible with small angle neutron and x-ray scattering (SANS and SAXS) and neutron spin echo spectroscopy (NSE). A mathematical model is developed which jointly analyzes SANS, SAXS and NSE data within a single framework. As an example, scattering data from unilamellar vesicles [1]...

Tailoring magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) involves selecting the right combination of size, shape, and material, which is essential for creating various technological [1], biomedical [2], or environmental applications. To achieve optimal performance in a specific application, it is crucial to understand how the macroscopic characteristics of MNPs and their ensembles are related to their...

Over the past three to four decades, the technique of grazing incidence small-angle scattering has gained widespread acceptance as a means to investigate nanostructures near the surface. While conventional X-ray methods involve directing the beam onto the sample from a vacuum, typically on a wafer, neutron-based approaches allow the beam to penetrate through a silicon wafer, thereby accessing...

Lithium batteries are ubiquitous in our daily lives, finding applications in cell phones, laptop computers, and automobiles. Each of these applications requires specific key features, such as increased capacity, compact size, rapid charging, and cost efficiency. Achieving these objectives involves material research that employs a diverse range of techniques to optimize each battery component,...

Topological magnetic textures, known as magnetic skyrmions, hold significant promise for applications as nanoscale information components in logic and memory devices. These quasiparticles, characterized by their swirling spin configurations, exhibit unique advantages due to their stability, diminutive size, and the low current densities required for manipulation [1]. In transition metal...

Cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles have garnered significant attention due to their unique magnetic properties and potential applications in fields ranging from biomedicine to data storage. This study presents a systematic investigation of shape- and size-controlled synthesis of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles, focusing on spherical and cubic morphologies. We employed thermal decomposition method to...

*Poster contribution
Self-assembled nanocrystal crystals of nanoparticles (NPs) offer the opportunity to create devices with collective properties from the individual NP building blocks. Applications in plasmonic, optoelectronic, catalysis, magnetic, phonon, biomedical and electrochemical devices with much improved performance are expected [1,2]. Large area 2D nanocrystals may be prepared by...

Aiming to develop a high-current accelerator-driven neutron source (HiCANS), the High Brilliance Neutron Source (HBS) project has extensively detailed its technical aspects in the conceptual and technical design reports [1][2]. The facility, based on a high-power linear proton accelerator delivering a 70 MeV proton beam with a peak current of 100 mA, is designed to supply three distinct target...

*poster contribution
Port-GISANS will be a module to enable grazing incidence small angle neutron scattering (GISANS) experiments for existing and future small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) instruments by improving flux and signal to noise ratio. This will allow GISANS experiments at ESS from day one on its SANS instruments. By focusing the incident flux on the sample and improving the...

Štefan HRICOV1, Ondrej KAMAN2, Nina-Juliane STEINKE3, Dominika ZÁKUTNÁ1

1Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
2Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
3Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France

The magnetism exhibited by magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) is of intense research interest. These nanoscale...

Surface science has developed enormously over the last decades and interfaces play an increasing role in applications as well as many areas of science. This fact is in part related to new instrumental capabilities allowing to extract information with high resolution and sensitivity.
Neutron scattering methods offer unique opportunities, as the neutron is sensitive to light elements, low...

Polarization analysis is a useful tool for probing magnetic order or disorder at interfaces. 3He spin filters are powerful because they can provide the 2D resolutions and high signal to noise needed to study such systems. A high performance in-situ polarized 3He polarization analyzer has been in user operation for over 10 years on MARIA (Magnetism reflectometer). More recently a similar...

Proximity effects (PE) are emergent phenomena that occur at the interfaces of appropriately designed superconductor (SC)/ferromagnet (FM) thin films heterostructures. PE arise due to the strong correlation and electronic competition in the antagonist phase materials. PE have potential applications in spin-triplet Josephson Junctions that involve the manipulation of fluxons, such as...

The addition of synthetic polymers to lipid membranes has emerged as an effective route to modulate their properties and support them in performing biological functions [1]. The presence of polymers in the bilayer can alter the ordering and flip-flop activity of lipids, thus facilitating membrane permeation. In special cases, the addition of selected polymers results in membrane fracturing and...

Almost 4 years into the Covid-19 pandemic, its repercussions go far beyond a simple respiratory infection. A current study estimates that more than 13 % of Covid-19 patients develop Long Covid (LC) with symptoms such as shortness of breath, memory loss and, most prominently, a debilitating, chronic fatigue (CF). Similar post-viral complications (PVC) including CF have also been observed after...

During the last decades, we have dived into the fascinating pool of 4f intermetallic ensembles of nanoalloys. With a strong magnetic moment, these ensembles constitute the best case examples alloys to unveil modifications in RKKY interactions and crystalline electric field (CEF) driven by the size reduction to the nanoscale. Chiefly focused in binary alloys, in the form RM2, being R = Tb, Nd,...

In recent decades, analyzing complex, disordered systems posed a challenging yet highly rewarding endeavor in the field of physics [1]. One intriguing area of investigation involves spin disorder [2], particularly in the context of magnetic nanoparticles. They exhibit a reduced saturation magnetization compared to their bulk counterparts that is the result of a substantial degree of spin...

The macroscopic physical properties of magnetic nanoparticles rely on magnetic anisotropy, and their understanding is fundamental to the design of magnetic materials for different applications[1]. Magnetic anisotropy is influenced by the shape, crystal structure, surface effects, and interactions. Macroscopic magnetic measurements, such as DC magnetization and AC susceptibility, allow us to...

Curvature induced phase separation in lipid bilayers: A structural and compositional perspective
O. Kyzyma*1, F. Mehler2, A. Vorobiev2, N. Paracini3, M. Wolff2, M. Cárdenas1,4.

1Instituto Biofisika (CSIC, UPV/EHU), Fundación Biofísica Bizkaia/Biofisika Bizkaia Fundazioa (FBB), 48940, Leioa, Spain
2Department of material physics, Uppsala University, 751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
3Institut...

Biointerfaces describe the areas of making contact with biological environments, such cells, tissues, living organisms, bio(macro)molecules or organic/inorganic materials. Nano-biointerfaces are being mimicked by various models which allow studying important components of cell-life, hence permitting to reproduce various structural conditions [1], such as the architecture of plasma or bacterial...

We investigated the SARS-CoV2 membrane fusion timescale by means of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) using hydrogen/deuterium contrast variation. After the successful production of virus-like vesicles and human- host-cell-like vesicles we were able to follow the fusion of the respective vesicles in real-time. This was done using deuterated and protonated phospholipids in the vesicles in a...

Myelin, an asymmetric multilamellar membrane enveloping axons, comprises alternating extracellular and cytoplasmic leaflets [1]. Structural alterations in the myelin sheath, particularly demyelination, are indicative of various inflammatory neurological disorders, such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) [2]. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) serves as a recognized animal model for MS,...

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most prescribed drugs for their analgesic, antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic properties. NSAIDs have a strong propensity to alter the structure and dynamics of lipid membranes [1-2]. However, pure model membranes are too simple to represent a complex cell membrane. Hence, it is necessary to study a model membrane...

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are a class of proteins that do not have a defined three-dimensional structure but may fold if a binding partner is present. In our current research we focus on the interaction of two neuronal IDPs with bio-membranes where binding to the membrane induces configurational changes or folding:
α-Synuclein (αSyn) is associated with various neurogenerative...

Biomacromolecules, when approaching cell surface, can see different exposed chemical groups with a variety of possible spatial organization, depending on local plasma membrane composition and on intra- and extra-cellular environmental conditions. We develop experimental biomimetic interfaces in the form of dispersed aggregates in solution or of single supported bilayers, mimicking different...

The self-assembly of amphipathic copolymers with phospholipids in aqueous solution results in the formation of ‘nanodiscs’ containing a planar segment of phospholipid bilayer encapsulated by a polymer belt. Recent studies have reported that lipids rapidly exchange between both nanodiscs in solution and external sources of lipids e.g. [1]. There are, however, outstanding questions regarding...

The coexistence of different order parameters can lead to exotic new quantum phenomena. In hard condensed matter materials, their interplay often generates magnetic chiral structures with correlations on the nanometer and mesoscopic length scale, which can be explored by polarization-analyzed Small-Angle-Neutron-Scattering (SANS) in bulk systems, and by its surface-sensitive counterpart...

Polarized neutron reflectometry (PNR) offers the possibility to resolve structural and magnetic morphologies of heterostructures and their interfaces as a function of depth with sub-nm resolution. In addition, lateral structures such as magnetic domains in the $\mu$m scale are accessible with off-specular scattering. This talk discusses two examples of functional thin films in which the...

Thin film heterostructures are essential in modern device development, offering a platform for manipulating interfacial effects. Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) is an indispensable technique for the growth of high-quality epitaxial films, heterostructures, and nanostructures. It enables precise control over the composition, thickness, and structure of materials and has led to the discovery of a...

Controlled oxygen release or uptake in complex oxides can induce changes of the crystal structure and simultaneously of the magnetic and electrical properties. Consequently, a systematic control of the oxygen stoichiometry can enable potential applications in spintronics, solid oxide fuel cells and catalysts. In La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ (LSCO) the gradual oxygen release triggers a phase transition...

The Fe$_3$O$_4$/Nb:STO system has gathered significant attention due to its potential application in spintronics and memristors. The interface between Fe$_3$O$_4$ and Nb:STO plays a crucial role in determining the overall electronic and magnetic properties of the system. We present an investigation of a 30 nm Fe$_3$O$_4$ thin film on a TiO$_2$ terminated Nb-doped SrTiO$_3$ (TiO$_2$-Nb:STO)...