cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1620445
title: The Effect of Electron-Phonon Coupling on the Nuclear Dynamics of Superconductors

description: We request beam time on VESUVIO spectrometer in order to characterise the effect of electron-phonon coupling on the nuclear dynamics of superconductors. This proposal is motivated by recent experimental evidence of a broadening of Niobium momentum distribution (and increase in the mean kinetic energy) when a Niobium slab is cooled below the critical temperature (9.2 K). In order to investigate the sensitivity of VESUVIO to the effect of electron-phonon coupling in superconductors, and to clarify if the observed mechanism is a general one, we propose to measure the momentum distribution of several superconductors across superconducting phase transition. In particular, we want to measure two elemental superconductors, Vanadium and Tantalum (having the same bcc structure of Niobium and belong to the same group in the periodic table), and two Niobium-based superconductors, Nb3Sn and Nb3Al.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1700016
title: Nuclear Dynamics in Methylammonium Lead Iodide, One Atom at a Time

description: Methylammonium lead iodide is currently one of the most promising materials for solar energy applications, with light-conversion efficiencies exceeding 20%. Although insightful, conventional spectroscopic techniques (including inelastic neutron scattering) can only provide us with a detailed picture of MAPI at low temperatures given the large degree of dynamical disorder. This limitation can be circumvented via the use of mass-resolved neutron spectroscopy on VESUVIO, to probe nuclear motions of both light and heavy atomic species across the three known phases of the material at ambient pressure. We believe that this rapid-access request is justified given the current race to gain a quantitative understanding of this material (dozens of papers per week).
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1700025
title: Investigating the magnetic structure of Weyl Semimetal MoTe2 using neutron diffraction

description: MoTe2 is a type-II Weyl semimetal and very topical field of research for both theoreticians and experimentalists. Two weeks ago we measured this system using muSR technique and found magnetic ordering below 50 K. This is the first observation of magnetic ordering in this system and probably in any Weyl semimetal candidate. Here, we propose to study the magnetic structure of MoTe2 in temperature range from 2K to 70K using the WISH diffractometer. Our proposed measurement will be a crucial step for our broader research of these compounds and it will lead to a high quality publication. We are about to publish our musr results in next couple of weeks. As soon as it is online, is likely to be studied at other neutron sources. Therefore, we believe that rapid access is suitable for our proposed measurements.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1700068
title: Hydrogen kinetics in nano-layered metal hydrides for hydrogen sensing applications

description: Accurate, safe and cheap hydrogen detectors functioning under a wide range of conditions are a vital ingredient for using hydrogen as an energy carrier. A novel, safe and cheap way to detect hydrogen is using optical detectors based on thin film hydrides. Recently, we found that hafnium is capable of detecting hydrogen under an extremely wide sensing range. In addition, we showed that hafnium has thermodynamics that cannot be explained on the basis of a classical solid solution model.  Although hafnium can be used over a wide range of pressures, it can only probe until hydrogen pressures up to 100 Pa. Therefore, we consider other materials (Ta, PdAu, HfNi) that have similar beneficial properties as hafnium, but can measure higher hydrogen pressures. We propose to study the structural properties to gain insights in the applicability as a sensor and the thermodynamics of these materials.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1710206
title: Film thickness and Ageing influences on Surfactant Distribution and Nanostructure in PVA Films

description: Recent NR results (fig 1) have shown the ability to characterise surface segregation and nanostructuring of surfactants in PVA film.  As well as the fundamental scientific interest, this behaviour is relevant to the ageing and performance of PVA film used in unit dose detergent products.  Surface segregation will impact wettability and the ability to seal PVA films together and the nanostructuring is likely to alter the reversibility of surface segregation and the tendency for lateral migration.  This experiment aims to better understand whether the surface segregation process is diffusion limited and kinetically trapped or reflects the equilibrium outcome for plasticised PVA film with surfactant.  By exploring films that are thicker and contain lower surfactant loadings, not only do we approach more realistic formulations, but the systems are inherently slower to equilibrate.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1710222
title: Spontaneously Segregated Polymer Brush Structure

description: This study intends to elucidate how molecular hairy or brush-like structures form on different flat surfaces. When molecule chains form a densely packed assembly on a surface they are called 'brushes' or 'polymer brushes'. These types of structures can afford surface properties such as low surface friction or the ability to prevent bacteria from sticking to the surface. The polymer brushes we want to study form by segregating out from the underlying bulk material into water. Bulk material such as rubber silicone or polyurethane act as a resevoir from where the polymer brushes can segregate. This process happens spontaneously in the right solvent conditions and high enough content of polymer brush chains filled into the silicone. We would like to further understand the segregation process for e.g. industrial applications such as biomedical surface coatings or non-fouling ship hull paints.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1710409
title: Anisotropic Li+ diffusion in the cathode material LiFePO4

description: LiFePO4 is cathode material for Li ion batteries. One of the key functional properties is the Li-ion diffusion. Theoretical calculations showed that Li diffusion along the [010] channels is the favored path, and this was later visualized using neutron diffraction. Mu+SR is the only technique which succeeded to measure the ionic diffusion on the atomic scale (and not through a macroscopic sample) in the relevant temperature range. This was done on powder samples. After a successful test experiment, we would like to measure now the anisotropy using single crystals. To fully decompose the components 3 orthogonal directions has to be measured. The limited sample amount results in longer counting times, therefore we apply for 8 days at EMU to measure direction dependent Li diffusion in LiFePO4 single crystals in the temperature range of 150-300 K.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1710453
title: SANS of nanotubide in solutions

description: We will study the temperature dependence of carbon nanotubes in solutions using small angle neutron scattering, to investigate in particular the rebundling when the free energy of the nanotube salt exceeds that of the solutions. The experiment is a continuation of research instigated in a previous proposal and will contribute towards a detailed understanding of the solution thermodynamics.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1761004
title: Urgent test for development of a new neutron detector system

description: We propose to perform tests on a new kind of neutron detectors developed for European Spallation Source in collaboration with the ISIS detector group. In particular we want to understand the performances of the detector in the realistic condition of pulsed neutron source environment. The INES and EMMA beam line are the best suited for this kind of tests. Such measurement have a character of relative urgency to be fitted in the ESS timeline.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1500026
title: Changes  in electrochemical double layer capacitor electrolyte structure during charge/discharge
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1510102
title: Structural and Magnetic Characterisation of a Novel Magnetic MOF

description: Metal organic framework (MOF) materials are porous solids formed from a network of metal centres mainly coordinated to organic linkers. Examples of magnetic MOFs with strong magnetic interactions as a result of 3D superexchange are rare. We have prepared a new MOF material Fe2F5(Htaz) that realises a 3D inorganic network containing Fe(II) and Fe(III) cations. Magnetic susceptibility indicate the dominance of strong antiferromagnetic correlations within Fe2F5(Htaz) and the system appears to undergo an ordering transition at ~ 100 K to a ferrimagnetic state. We request one day on GEM to investigate  the evolution of spin order in this new magnetic MOF material as a function of temperature.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1510194
title: Interaction of thermo-responsive deutrated nanogels with lipid monolayer at the air water interface

description: Drug delivery through skin is an important delivery route. However, the outermost layer of the skin provides a formidable barrier to dermal absorption and penetration for therapeutic agents. In this proposal we aim to investigate the interaction of a new class of delivery vehicles with an idealised model to mimic the organization of the human skin.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1510294
title: Membrane-stacking properties of myelin proteins

description: Myelin is the multilamellar structure that ensheaths axons and accelerates nervous impulses in the nervous system. The fine structure of myelin remains to be further characterized on the biomolecular scale. There are many myelin proteins that contribute to myelin membrane stacking and are involved in demyelinating diseases. We propose an experiment at the INTER neutron reflectometer, where the properties of these proteins can be investigated on supported stacked lipid bilayers. The proteins and their properties have already been characterized using other methods, but the use of neutrons allow us to probe for biomolecular distances in biomimetic systems. This helps us understand the ultrastructure of myelin from a structural aspect. In this proposal we ask for 4 days of beamtime to carry out measurements involving three abundant myelin proteins in various lipid environments and contrasts.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1510317
title: Probing stray field distributions in silver arising from patterned ferromagnetic films

description: We propose to investigate muon spin depolarization in silver resulting from stray magnetic fields from a nickel film that has been photo-lithographically patterned into a series of micron sized features. We will examine the correspondence between muon spin depolarisation in the Ag plate and the form of the stray field distribution on the plate due to the patterned  ferromagnet. An understanding of this relationship should greatly enhance the utility of measurements carried out in stray fields, and may provide a basis for a potentially new avenue of application for muon spectroscopy: as a non-intrusive probe of the properties of magnetic nanostructures, an area of research where µSR has yet to make a significant impact. Room temperature µSR measurements will be made on samples both in the presence of a transverse field (100G) and in zero field after magnetizing the sample.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1510375
title: Studies of the new S=1/2 triangular lattice spin liquid kappa-ET2Ag2(CN)3 (MUSR)

description: A new member of the class of S=1/2 triangular lattice quantum spin liquids will be studied with muons. It is obtained by replacing Cu with Ag in the original compound (ET)2Cu2(CN)3. A systematic set of studies in ZF, TF and LF will be carried out down to 30 mK to allow close comparison to be made with the Cu system and with a number of other triangular lattice spin liquids that were previously studied or are currently under study.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1510478
title: Hydration and chain entanglement in random poly(HEMA-co-PEG10MA) brushes

description: Marine biofouling compromises function and reliability of marine equipment, causing considerable economic and environmental damage. Biocides for fouling prevention are increasingly avoided for environmental reasons, and the development of effective nontoxic antifouling coatings requires better understanding of the interactions between fouling organisms and surfaces. We try to understand how surface properties affect the behaviour and attachment of marine organisms, and which strategies and chemical ¿glues¿ they use for attachment. An essential part of this research is development of antifouling polymeric materials. In certain polymer coatings we observe a clear thickness dependence on the antifouling efficacy, suggesting that polymer structure and swelling vary with thickness. We ask for beamtime to clarify the structure of such a polymer to better understand its antifouling properties.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1510545
title: Structural studies of thermochemical and phase-change naterials for heat storage

description: This proposal seeks to study three systems associated with heat-storage applications using in situ neutron powder diffraction. The first experiment will focus on a sample of Al-Si alloy embedded in an alumina matrix. The experiment will provide information about the chemical and mechanical behaviour of this composite under conditions of heat cycling.   The second experiment will focus on characterising a new hydrate of strontium hydroxide and will use neutron diffraction to locate the hydrogen positions.  The third experiment will focus on the stepwise dehydration of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate.  The results of these studies will provide valuable information about the mechanisms of operation of these heat-storage materials, and will identify at an early stage in the research programme any potential issues (chemical and mechanical) associated with the use of these materials.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1510576
title: Caesium sorption in Cu2[Fe(CN)6], a potential nuclear waste cleanup material

description: Caesium-137 is among the most important hazards associated with low-level nuclear waste. Among the most promising materials for scavenging Cs+ ions from waste solutions are the metal ferrocyanides. Although the efficiency of these materials has been demonstrated in industrial conditions, the structural changes that allow them to absorb Cs+ remain unclear. Here I propose an investigation by total neutron scattering of copper ferrocyanide, one of the best scavenging materials. I will collect data from samples as synthesised and after soaking in Cs+ solutions for up to six months, as well as from the analogous copper ferricyanide, which is a poor scavenger, for comparison. The results will reveal the distribution of vacancies and the Cs+ sorption site in this material, yielding the complete sorption mechanism for the first time and helping in the design of related waste sorption materials.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1520065
title: Sweet taste chemoreception: the strange case of alpha-mannose (sweet) and beta-mannose (bitter)

description: In the late 1960s, a molecular theory of sweet taste was proposed, based on the presence of a ?functional structure? (AH-B-X) in all sweeteners, eliciting the sweet response via the interaction with a complementary AH-B-X dock in the taste bud receptor. Interestingly, two isomers of the same carbohydrate D-mannose, have a totally different taste, as the alpha isomer is sweet while the beta isomer is bitter. Remarkably, the only difference between these two isomers is the position of a single -OH group. We propose to look at the compatibility of these two isomers with the AH-B-X docking site of the receptor, in terms of the hydration of specific sites of both isomers of D-mannose. These hydration patterns will be compared with that of glucose (sweet) that we have recently obtained, in order to understand, at the atomic length scale, sweet taste chemoreception.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1520074
title: SANS from photoconductive hydrogel mixtures and their gelators.

description: Hydrogels are formed from a self?assembled network of fibres made up of small molecules (gelators) trap and hold water at just 1% by weight, or less, from the solution they are originally in. Solutions can be gelled using a change in acidity. The particular gelators we are interested in have interesting properties when exposed to a certain type of light which causes them to become electrically conductive. Both the chemical structure of the molecules and the hierarchical structures of the fibres and gel networks affect the conductive properties of the gels. We will use small angle neutron scattering to investigate the nanostructures formed in both the final gel state and original solutions of a mixture of two gelators in order to better understand their photoconductive properties.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1610020
title: Inelastic Neutron Scattering Study on the onset of Ferromagnetism in Y-Ni Based Intermetallic Compounds

description: Y-Ni based compounds are quite interesting materials as far as their magnetic ground states are concerned. As a function of Y concentration, the compounds show both weak itinerant ferromagnetism as well as enhanced Pauli paramagnetism. It is understood that the system is associated with strong spin fluctuations which hinders long range magnetic order in some of the compounds. In this proposal of inelastic neutron scattering, beamtime is sought for the study of magnetic excitations over a wide range of incident energy and temperature in four compounds belonging to the series namely YNi5, Y2Ni7, YNi3 and YNi2 on MERLIN spectrometer. The experiment is aimed to probe the spin wave excitation as well as Stoner continuum of these compounds and to correlate the findings with the evolution of magnetic properties in Y-Ni with Y concentration.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1610039
title: Controlling Biosurfactant self assembly in solution

description: Biosurfactants are becoming more commonplace in pharmaceuticals, vaccines and other forms of medicines. With the biobased economy growing substantially and pressure to reduce reliance on palm and crude oil derived materials, it is vital that the Home and Personal Care industry develops frameworks for deploying sustainably sourced alternative materials. Biosurfactants tend to be very similar to nonionic and mild anionic surfactants but with significantly higher molecular weights, generally more than double that of the most commonly used conventional surfactants. We have explored many such glycolipids in recent times and in this proposal wish to study the solution microstructure under conditions where the glycolipid self assembles into liquid crystalline like structures. Understanding the mesophase behaviour is important precursor to commercialisation.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1610337
title: Applying self-assembly in deep eutectic solvents to templated ionothermal synthesis

description: Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) are a subclass of room temperature ionic liquids (ILs). They are mixtures of an organic salt with a hydrogen bond donor that form strong interactions which hinder crystallisation. DES share many features with ILs (low vapour pressure, adjustable physicochemical properties) which make them viable as green solvents, especially as they are less toxic than typical ILs. DES have been shown to be useful in the synthesis of nanomaterials as they are innately templating, drive reactions, and are tolerant of added water and amphiphile self-assembly. We therefore propose to examine the self-assembly and templating effect of the anionic surfactant AOT, in the choline chloride:urea DES reline and its aqueous mixtures. In addition, we will study the self-assembly of the cationic surfactant C12TAB in DES based on oxalic and malonic acid to determine its aggregate structure
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1610511
title: The Magnetic Behaviour of LaCo0.75Mn0.25O3

description: Significant numbers of studies have been performed on the cobaltate and manganate perovskite systems. These are as a result of complex competition between lattice, charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom which give rise to a multitude of interesting electronic and magnetic properties. This proposal is to look at the unusual magnetic behaviour of one such material LaCo0.75Mn0.25O3 and we will use muons to probe the local magnetic behaviouor.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1610516
title: SANS Contrast Matching Studies of Radiation-grafted Anion-exchange Membranes

description: We request two days beam time on SANS2D for the study of radiation-grafted anion-exchange membranes, both dry and hydrated under different ratios of D2O/H2O. These materials are some of the most promising anion-exchange membranes for use in energy applications (such as fuel cells and water electrolysers). The collection of small-angle neutron scattering data will enhance our understanding of the mesoscale morphology of these membranes and how that contributes to their anionic conductivity under the relevant conditions to electrochemical device operation.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1620100
title: Mass-resolved neutron spectroscopy and neutron resonance Dopplerimetry on Superconducting Radio Frequency cavity cutouts

description: We request beam time on Vesuvio to investigate the samples taken from and prepared in parallel with Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) Nb cavities in order to investigate the local hydrogen dynamics changes induced by the surface conditioning. Understanding how hydrogen and niobium hydride phases participate in deterioration of surface superconductivity in Nb cavities will allow us not only to reduce the performance degradation but also to design better surface processing technologies.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1620108
title: Humidity Effects on Surface Segregation in Plasticized Poly-Vinyl Alcohol Films

description: PVA film is widely used as a non-toxic water soluble polymer.  This proposal relates to its use in unit dose detergent pouches where plasticised PVA film stores a concentrated mixture of surfactants.  We wish to understand the ageing and failure mechanisms of these films and in particular the extent to which small molecules within PVA film can migrate to the surface and modify the surface properties.  Following our recently published NR and ion beam study, we now proposed to exploit the unique ability of NR to study the surfactant migration under realistic atmospheric conditions in which the humidity is controlled.  The influence of humidity is known to be significant to the shelf-life of commercial systems, and determining the influence of this parameter on some well defined model systems if of both fundamental and practical significance.
DOI: 10.5286/isis.e.rb1620200
title: Mechanism of Wax Anti-Settling Additives and their role within Wax Crystallisation

description: Wax anti-settling additives are used to limit the sedimentation of wax crystals by reducing the crystal size and improving the stability of the wax crystal suspensions. The two mechanisms proposed for this action are; that they reduce the wax crystal size to such an extent that they settle very slowly or that they induce a repulsion in the wax crystal suspension, causing gelation. We aim to locate different WASAs within the wax nuclei to discover the mechanism of WASA action and its dependance on WASA structure. If the molecule is located on the surface of the crystal nuclei then a repulsion, possibly from a charge dissociation type mechanism is implicated. If the WASA is evenly distributed throughout the crystal nuclei then a change in habit leading to a mutual blocking gelation is deemed the most likely gelation mechanism.