The hard X-ray full-field transmission x-ray microscope on SSRL BL6-2C is an excellent tool to examine nanoscale heterogeneities in many materials including complex hierarchical systems such as catalysts, fuel cells and battery electrodes, and biological mineralized tissue and environmental samples. TXM imaging in 2D and 3D with resolution down to ~30 nm and spectroscopic capabilities from ~4.5 to 13 keV can be used for morphological, elemental and chemical mapping over tens of microns (up to mm in 2D). Operando sample environments include high temperature and pressure and full operating batteries.
 SSRL Discoveries Point to Better BatteriesResearchers at SSRL, General Motors, Imperial College London, National Taiwan University, and elsewhere have recently begun experimenting with 3-D transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM), in order to gain new insight into the microstructure of battery electrodes. |
 3D View Inside the Skeleton with X-ray Microscopy: Imaging Bone at the NanoscaleThe 3D structure of bone is critical for maintaining strength. Skeletal diseases such as osteoporosis and environmental conditions such as weightlessness, radiation, and vitamin D deficiency can affect bone structure. Understanding the 3D structure of bone is critical to understanding how these conditions affect bone's form and function. |
 "Seeing" Mercury Methylation in ProgressHigh levels of mercury in our diets can have adverse effects on our health, and fish are a major source of dietary mercury. Because of a process called biomagnification, mercury levels in fish can build up to be at a much higher concentration than in the surrounding water. The mercury that accumulates in the tissue of fish is in the form of methylmercury, but this is not necessarily the chemical form that pollutes the water. Microorganisms living in the rhizosphere, or root zone, of plants are responsible for much of the methylation of mercury. |
 X-ray Characterization of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries in ActionDramatic improvements in energy storage devices are essential to meet the increasing need to move away from fossil fuels and toward clean, renewable energy. Rechargeable lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries hold great potential for high-performance energy storage systems because they have a high theoretical specific energy, low cost, and are eco-friendly; but a better understanding of how the battery functions is required to design improvements for higher efficiency and capacity. |
 X-ray Nanotomography Imaging for Circuit IntegrityAs cell phones, computers, and other electronic equipment have become part of our daily lives, so too have integrated circuits. Also known as microchips, these semiconductors patterned with trace elements serve as the brains of electronic devices, controlling processes, storing data, and converting information from digital to analog, to name only a few applications. With their increasing prevalence, however, comes the increasing prevalence of malicious attacks. Integrated circuits are susceptible to "hardware Trojans" that can be inserted during production, testing, or distribution to cause failure or compromise the circuit. |
 Better Batteries through Nanoscale 3D Chemical ImagingAs an important step toward reducing oil dependence and greenhouse gas production, electric vehicles are becoming more and more prevalent. However, one major barrier remains: their batteries. Today’s lithium-ion technology has yet to meet energy density, cost, life cycle and safety goals. |
