Helmholtz Virtual Institute International Conference "Dynamic Pathways in Multidimensional Landscapes" 2016
We invite you to join the International Conference "Dynamic Pathways in Multidimensional Landscapes" which will take place in the heart of Berlin at the Magnus-Haus of the German Physical Society from September, 12th -16th, 2016. Now, the Online registration is open.
The conference is conducted by the Helmholtz Virtual Institute "Dynamic Pathways in Multidimensional Landscapes" where transient states of matter are captured in snapshots and electronic and structural dynamics are followed with Synchrotron and Free Electron Laser radiation.
At the conference we cross the boundaries of physics, chemistry and materials science and focus on unifying aspects of materials function. Since we also leave the regime of single photon interactions fundamental aspects of X-ray matter interaction are touched.
Online registration is open. Please submit abstracts of your oral or poster contributions. Out of these we will choose hot topic talks. Please take advantage of our limited accommodation contingency in Berlin and the participation at social events included in the conference fee.
For additional information and updates, please checkthe conference web portal. Other inquiries can be directed to the Conference Secretariat.
We’re looking forward to meeting you in Berlin.
- Electrocatalysis with dual functionality – an overviewHybrid electrocatalysts can produce green hydrogen, for example, and valuable organic compounds simultaneously. This promises economically viable applications. However, the complex catalytic reactions involved in producing organic compounds are not yet fully understood. Modern X-ray methods at synchrotron sources such as BESSY II, enable catalyst materials and the reactions occurring on their surfaces to be analysed in real time, in situ and under real operating conditions. This provides insights that can be used for targeted optimisation. A team has now published an overview of the current state of knowledge in Nature Reviews Chemistry.
- BESSY II: Phosphorus chains – a 1D material with 1D electronic propertiesFor the first time, a team at BESSY II has succeeded in demonstrating the one-dimensional electronic properties in phosphorus. The samples consisted of short chains of phosphorus atoms that self-organise at specific angles on a silver substrate. Through sophisticated analysis, the team was able to disentangle the contributions of these differently aligned chains. This revealed that the electronic properties of each chain are indeed one-dimensional. Calculations predict an exciting phase transition to be expected as soon as these chains are more closely packed. While material consisting of individual chains with longer distances is semiconducting, a very dense chain structure would be metallic.
- What vibrating molecules might reveal about cell biologyInfrared vibrational spectroscopy at BESSY II can be used to create high-resolution maps of molecules inside live cells and cell organelles in native aqueous environment, according to a new study by a team from HZB and Humboldt University in Berlin. Nano-IR spectroscopy with s-SNOM at the IRIS beamline is now suitable for examining tiny biological samples in liquid medium in the nanometre range and generating infrared images of molecular vibrations with nanometre resolution. It is even possible to obtain 3D information. To test the method, the team grew fibroblasts on a highly transparent SiC membrane and examined them in vivo. This method will provide new insights into cell biology.