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A study now published in Nature Communications brings remarkable insights into the enigmatic behaviour of supercritical fluids, a hybrid state of matter occupying a unique space between liquids and gases, and arising in domains ranging from the pharmaceutical industry to planetary science. The obtained results are at the limit of current experimental possibilities and could only be obtained in a high-flux neutron source such as the ILL.

Using neutron spectroscopy data taken at ILL, researchers achieved a novel understanding of molecular movement at the nanoscale, providing new insights that may impact the design of future materials and technologies. The study has just been published in the Nature Portfolio open access journal Communications Chemistry – and is featured (as a banner) on the journal homepage.

The goal of this study was to complete the mapping of the dynamics of the well-known protein Hsp90 by studying the 5-500 ns timescale using a combination of state-of-the-art complementary techniques, and to take the first steps towards understanding how this timescale relates to the slower dynamics known to drive the protein’s functioning.

In an article published in ACS Macro Letters, a team of physicochemists describes a novel approach which uses neutron and light scattering to monitor in situ the self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers in near-equilibrium conditions. These results offer a wealth of possibilities for observing and better understanding the organisation of complex biological and synthetic macromolecules in aqu…

Figure 1. (a) Illustration of hard, borderline, and soft metal-chelator-like traps within the MOF-808 scaffold. (b) Illustration of tentative placement of the mercaptosuccinic molecules into the MOF-808 pore space and their coordination to Hg(II). (c) Coordination modes of dimercaptosuccinic acid…

Courtesy of 2FDN - Written by Valentina Giordano

Neutrons throw light on an important manufacturing process in the textile industry.

Nanoparticles and large molecules are everywhere in advanced materials and pharmaceutical products. From touchscreens to protein drugs, the stabilisation of these particles is central to their ability to perform their required function. For instance, vaccine formulations, which use proteins or nuc…

11th October 2018: Grenoble, France – Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) the world’s flagship neutron facility, hosts the global neutron community in its hometown to discuss the future of neutron science in Europe and highlight cutting-edge research in the field. Neutron science is critical to Europe’s scientific impact. The ILL has enabled globally significant research in this field for over 50 years,…

10.06.2016 On Earth, water is abundant substance, the cycle of evaporation - condensation - solidification (steam transitions - liquid - solid) falls within everyday experience. The physical properties of water and its phase diagram are, however, much more complex than they appear with these familiar characteristics.The properties of bulk water come from a delicate balance of interactio…

An international team, including ILL scientists, have used neutron scattering to study the behaviour of dense supercritical methane. Their results could help to better model the interiors of methane-rich outer planets of our solar system.“Methane is one of the most abundant molecules in the Univer…