Kyle Lancaster is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University and has agreed to serve as Vice-Chair of the CHESS Users' Executive Committee. Professor Lancaster’s group employs synthesis, biochemistry, and a broad range of methods to explore small molecule reactivity as mediated by transition metals.

Recognizing the broad applications of this type of technology, the Xraise outreach group worked with Devin Sonne, an undergraduate research student from Mohawk Valley Community College, on a summer project blending XRF research and outreach capabilities. Devin helped orchestrate collaboration between Dr. Robert Ross, education director at the Paleontological Research Institute (PRI) at the Museum of the Earth and Xraise to explore possible ways in which XRF technologies can be utilized by the geosciences to develop extended learning outcomes for secondary science education.

This phase separation, and the internal structure of the films, is critical to creating the high interfacial area between domains with distances suitable for charge extraction. Seeking to make the fabrication and performance of solar devices more standard and more predictable, small molecule additives have emerged as viable alternatives to the more widely studied conjugated polymer counterparts primarily since they lack batch-to-batch variability and can be simpler to purify.

That void was briefly filled from July 6-10, when the Marriott Marquis at 1535 Broadway hosted the 12th International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation (SRI). The international version of SRI is held every three years, and offers a rare opportunity for the global synchrotron community to share ideas and information specifically related to synchrotron science and technology. This year’s conference featured just under 200 talks scheduled in 4 parallel sessions, as well as over 400 poster presentations.

The formation of superlattices is a fascinating mesoscale phenomenon governed by the interplay of a range of thermodynamic and kinetic factors. Long-time collaborators Detlef Smilgies, CHESS, and Tobias Hanrath, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, have recently summarized the role of time-resolved X-ray scattering techniques in combination with in-situ sample environments to gain unique insights into the relevant processes.

The Abruña group has over 20 years of experience in the in-situ and operando investigation of electrochemical interfaces using synchrotron radiation and Katie has spent countless hours here at the beamlines during her graduate studies.

What kind of research do you do?
My graduate research focused on the charge storage mechanisms of new lithium-ion battery electrode materials. If we have a better understanding of how molecules and nanostructures store charge, we can use that understanding to guide the design of materials and systems with better performance.

Pressure cryocooling, originally developed by Chae Un Kim and Sol Gruner (1) and now supported as a resource by MacCHESS, has seen most use as a means of reducing the damage caused to macromolecular crystals when they are cooled to 100 K.

The team is comprised of CHESS staff, graduate students, and visiting undergraduates from the REU and SRCCS programs and is open to all players, regardless of skill or experience. It serves as a great excuse to get some exercise and fresh air, also allowing staff and students to develop community and interact outside of the lab environment.

This summer down, the ERL has been moved from the CHESS East area out to the CESR L0E area and a mini-loop is in progress of being built.

Facility Engineer, Richard Gallagher, has offered tours of the area should you be interested in learning more, and for more information about the program please go to http://www.classe.cornell.edu/Research/ERL/ErlResearch.html.