March 11, 2026
Designing Materials That Defy Heat Flow
Linking simple physical rules, machine learning and neutron spectroscopy to discover crystals with record-low thermal conductivity
Chemistry and Materials
Structure characterisation - Water dynamics – Planetology - Catalysis - Energy production – Clean energy - New materials - Novel engineering processes - Methods
The influence of structure is everywhere; the properties of water and ice, the hardness of metals, the strength of magnets, the biology of DNA or the effect of antibodies on viruses – all depend on structure. Crystallography is studied at the ILL in a broad sense, using both single crystal and powder diffraction. Some structural studies may require small-angle-scattering as well.
Neutron diffraction is ideal for determining the structure of materials containing light atoms such as hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. We need to understand the structure of materials before we can understand their properties and how they react.
To master the methodologies leading to new improved materials we need detailed knowledge of the structure of solids at the atomic or molecular level. Owing to their unique properties, neutrons can play a crucial role in this, by resolving, for example, the arrangements of magnetic moments in complex magnetic systems, by locating light atoms in intricate structures, or by assessing the residual stress distribution in bulky mechanical parts. The development and engineering of components with improved functionality is the key to technological progress, which in turn provides sustainable economic growth. To achieve this goal, scientists and engineers are developing smarter materials and components.
Highlights brochure on how neutrons help understanding the structure of new materials:
Highlights
March 3, 2026
Your MSCACompass@ILL 2026 starts here: apply for MSCA postdoctoral fellowship
Are you interested in conducting your own postdoctoral research project, as a Marie Curie fellow, at the ILL - the world's leading facility in neutron science & technology?
March 3, 2026
Your MSCACompass@ILL 2026 starts here: apply for MSCA postdoctoral fellowship
Are you interested in conducting your own postdoctoral research project, as a Marie Curie fellow, at the ILL - the world's leading facility in neutron science & technology?
Feb. 12, 2026
Cooling without gases: molecular design brings solid-state cooling closer to reality
A recent study shows that small molecular modifications can make barocaloric materials respond more reliably under pressure, supporting the development of solid-state cooling technologies without climate-damaging refrigerant gases.
Nov. 23, 2025
New insights into ion transport in next-generation solid electrolytes
The results of a new study show how materials scientists may be able to fine-tune ionic transport properties to meet specific technological needs in catalysis and solid-state energy devices.
Nov. 7, 2025
Neutrons for the energy transition
Incorporating specifically tuned MOFs in a polymer membrane significantly enhances carbon dioxyde-methane separation performance, key in biogas purification. Neutron scattering measurements at ILL’s instrument IN1/Lagrange unveil the reasons why.
July 10, 2025
Neither solid nor liquid : Neutrons help reveal an exotic state of matter
A team of researchers recently used the thermal-neutron two-axis diffractometer D23 at the ILL to investigate Na2 BaCo(PO4 )2 (NBCP), a material that surprisingly behaves as a ‘spin supersolid’ -a state combining properties of both a solid and a liquid. Neutrons, acting like tiny magnets themselves, were the ideal probes to reveal the hidden magnetic order and dynamics within this material. This discovery, which is also relevant for energy-efficient cooling, provides the first real-life evidence of a supersolid state in a quantum magnet.
July 7, 2025
Neutrons explore exotic insulator's quantum secrets
A recent study published in Nature Communications reveals an unexpected transition between two different insulator states. Neutron diffractometry experiments at the ILL, conducted on the D2B high-resolution, two-axis diffractometer, open up the path towards advanced technologies by providing vital insights into the complex electronic behavior of such materials.
July 4, 2025
Spinning into the future : polarised neutrons help unravel the mysteries of skyrmions
A recent study, published in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, and conducted at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), utilised polarised neutron scattering on the D33 instrument to explore skyrmions. This research provided crucial microscopic insights into these magnetic structures. The D33 instrument's unique ability to combine high magnetic fields and polarised neutrons was essential for understanding skyrmion phase transitions. The findings can enhance the development of skyrmion-based spintronic devices, which promise lower energy consumption and higher data storage efficiency. The study's methodologies can be applied to other magnetic materials, aiding in the discovery of new phenomena and the development of advanced magnetic materials.
March 24, 2025
Turning peptides into gold
Researchers used neutrons to study how peptides assemble into tiny spirals - and then used them as templates to create golden replicas.
March 19, 2025
Understanding water management in CO2 recycling with neutrons
... or assessing ‘power naps’ for electrolysers | A recent study uses high resolution neutron imaging at the ILL to examine water dynamics in a carbon dioxide electrolysis cells - selected as research highlight in Nature Catalysis.
March 19, 2025
New Material for Deuterium Separation at Higher Temperatures
A novel porous material capable of separating deuterium from hydrogen at a temperature of 120 K (-153°C) has been introduced. This opens a pathway for sustainable industrial-scale isotope separation using existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure.
March 19, 2025
New Material for Deuterium Separation at Higher Temperatures
A novel porous material capable of separating deuterium from hydrogen at a temperature of 120 K (-153°C) has been introduced. This opens a pathway for sustainable industrial-scale isotope separation using existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure.
Feb. 27, 2025
An immersive experience in neutron science for the ENGINE2025 participants
On February 26, 2025, as part of the fourth edition of the grEnoble eNerGy conversIoN & storagE (ENGINE2025) school, the ILL had the pleasure of hosting 75 participants interested in key enabling technologies such as fuel cells, electrolyzers, and solid-state batteries.
Feb. 12, 2025
Exotic observations at the ILL
In everyday life, we typically encounter water in one of three familiar states – solid, liquid or gas. But there are in fact many more phases, some of which – predicted to exist at high temperature and pressure – are so strange they’re referred to as exotic. State-of-the-art neutron spectrometers and sample environment infrastructures at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) have enabled the first experimental observation of one of these exotic phases – plastic ice VII.
Nov. 15, 2024
Celebrating Recent Achievements in Crystallography
Recent awards and publications are testament to the sustained efforts and long-standing contributions of the ILL diffraction group to crystallography, and reinforce our ongoing commitment to advancing scientific understanding in the discipline.
Sept. 24, 2024
Neutrons unveil the dynamics of water in concrete at the nanometre scale
An international research team has used neutrons to study the nanometer-scale dynamics of water inside concrete. This is not only key to concrete strength, but also for the development of green concrete and environment-related applications.
Aug. 7, 2024
Neutrons reveal surprises about the action of natural antibiotics
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural antibiotics which are very effective against resistant bacteria. Despite their interesting properties, AMPs remain difficult to use. A study just published marks a remarkable step forward in understanding how AMPs work. Taking full advantage of neutron and X-ray scattering, researchers obtained results that are both important and surprising.
July 2, 2024
Protein biopharmaceuticals: understanding the processes to take applications further
A recently published study uses neutron and X-ray scattering to deepen our understanding of freeze-drying protein stabilisation processes, widely used in biopharmaceutical applications. The results obtained for a protein relevant for pharmaceutical applications are in stark contrast with those previously obtained for lysozyme, widely used as a model protein. This highlights the importance of protein selection in such studies.
May 22, 2024
Unlocking the secrets of supercritical fluids
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.
April 11, 2024
A molecular moonlander: insight into molecular motion on surfaces at the nanoscale
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.
April 11, 2024
A molecular moonlander: insight into molecular motion on surfaces at the nanoscale
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.
April 3, 2024
Protein dynamics: dancing at different rhythms
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.
Sept. 6, 2023
Upward spiral for next-generation computing
Experimental evidence of rare magnetic behaviour in LiYbO2 will help to open the door to a new family of materials with potential applications in spintronics, quantum computing and more.
Though continuous down-scaling in microelectronics has enabled the industry to achieve phenomenal success, the trend is now approaching fundamental limits. Promising alternative technologies for next generation d…