This illustration shows snapshots of the light-triggered transition of the ring-shaped 1,3-cyclohexadiene (CHD) molecule (background) to its stretched-out 1,3,5-hexatriene (HT) form (foreground).
Diagram with icons depicting how X-ray studies, machine learning and lab work (left) were used to study electrode nanoparticles (center) for batteries used in electric vehicles, consumer electronics and solar power (right).
How quickly a battery electrode decays depends on properties of individual particles in the battery – at first. Later on, the network of particles matters more.
An animation shows how an infrared laser beam (orange) triggers atomic vibrations in a thin layer of iron selenide, which are then recorded by ultrafast X-ray laser pulses (white) to create an ultrafast movie.
The work sheds light on the web of hydrogen bonds that gives water its strange properties, which play a vital role in many chemical and biological processes.