Research Highlight

Cover - Journal of the American Chemical Society Volume 143, Issue 24, pages 8949-9276 Light activation of lead-halide perovskites induces polaronic lattice distortions, here quantified with atomic-level precision. Electron-phonon coupling drives the crystal changes, which are unlocked upon charge-carrier recombination and in the absence of thermal effects. This study clarifies the structure-property relationships in out-of-equilibrium conditions, underpinning the developments of perovskite-based devices.  Find out more

Cover - Structural Dynamics Volume 6, Issue 6, 064303 Most chemical and biochemical reactions in nature and in industrial processes are driven by thermal effects that bring the reactants above the energy barrier for reaction. In aqueous solutions, this process can also be triggered by the laser driven temperature jump (T-jump) method, in which the water vibrational (stretch, bend, or combination) modes are excited by a short laser pulse, leading to a temperature increase in the irradiated volume within a few picoseconds.  Find out more

5232 - The magazine of the Paul Scherrer Institute Fast-paced action How do colored solar cells work and what is behind them the new brilliant mobile phone displays? The ultra-short X-ray pulses at SwissFEL cover the chemical reactions inside and should make the devices even more efficient and cheaper.  Find out more View in issuu.com