ISIS Energy Science Highlights

Energy Science Highlights

Neutrons can be used to study hydrogen storage materials, battery materials, solar cell films, fuel cells and many more materials of interest use to the energy sector.

Neutrons interact very strongly with hydrogen atoms, allowing the study of the properties of hydrogen storage materials in a detail that is not always available to other techniques. Most metals are transparent to neutrons, so Neutron Scattering techniques can be used under realistic operation conditions.

Neutron diffraction can precisely determine the structure of materials; Neutron spectroscopy can study the dynamics of hydrogen in unparalleled detail. Computer modelling and neutron scattering data is straightforward to compare, making modelling an ideal tool for a deeper understanding of the properties of materials. Browse all our energy science highlights below.

Using ice as an innovative hydrogen storage material
Researchers from the Institute of Applied Physics "N. Carrara" of the Italian CNR have used TOSCA to show that gas molecules can be absorbed into the porous framework of ice XVII.
Being hydrated is key for electrolyte materials in low temperature fuel cells
A team from the universities of Warwick, Nottingham and Monash, and ISIS, have found that keeping a fuel cell electrolyte humid improves its low temperature conductivity.
Understanding the ageing mechanism of batteries to improve cycle life at high temperature
Echion Technologies Ltd, a battery technology spinout company from the University of Cambridge, used neutron diffraction and mass spectrometry to achieve greater insight into battery cycle life and help improve performance and material endurance.
Using muons to test lithium-ore materials to improve the understanding of their structure for future battery technologies
As part of our Facility Development Student program, PhD student Matilda Rhodes is working on lithium ore materials, using muons to examine their structure which could, in turn, enable better extraction techniques.
Strain could have massive potential to squeeze new information out of quantum materials
A collaborative effort has resulted in a new technique to investigate quantum materials, combining strain tuning with neutron and X-ray scattering
Investigating sodium-ion diffusion for renewable energy sources based on Prussian blue analogues (PBAs)
A team of researchers used EMU to understand the process of ion diffusion by examining battery materials at the microscopic level.
Tracking carbon capture & utilisation in real time
An international collaboration between academia and industry have designed and successfully tested a new experimental setup for the capture, conversion and utilisation of carbon dioxide.
Improving Silicon Solar Cell Efficiency by Measuring Carrier Lifetimes
A team of researchers from the University of Warwick have returned to ISIS Neutron and Muon Source to continue their research on carrier recombination centres in silicon.
Combining Neutron Bragg edge imaging and tomography could hold key to directly assessing residual strain
Researchers used IMAT to carry out neutron Bragg edge imaging for tomographic reconstruction of residual strain.
Studying battery cycling on the beamline
During his PhD with the University of Sheffield, ISIS facility development student Innes McClelland developed a cell for testing battery materials during their operation using muon spectroscopy and used it to study an increasingly vital cathode material.
Cycle Highlights!
During our last cycle the users were pulling out all the stops in every corner of science. Here are just a few select highlights of the research we have had going on at the facility during the last couple of months.
A structural insight into solar cell performance
By combining neutron and X-ray experiments with molecular dynamics, researchers from the University of Colorado and their collaborators have determined the structure of promising new solar cell materials and how this links to their usable lifetime.
Solving the stability issue of heat-storage materials to reduce fuel poverty
Developing longer-lasting electronics for electric vehicles
Thanks to Newton funding through the Malaysia-British Council agreement, Associate Professor Dr Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh and his research team from the Universiti Malaysia Perlis have come to use IMAT to study materials for use in electric vehicles.
Supporting Net Zero by exploring solid-state battery materials using neutron spectroscopy and ab-initio molecular dynamics
Using neutron techniques at ISIS, researchers have been studying some solid-state battery materials and investigating how they could be made better in the future.
Understanding silicon photovoltaics one muon at a time
Researchers at ISIS have been investigating a new technique for characterising the charge carrier lifetime of silicon substances, such as those used in solar cells.
Grimy windows could be harbouring toxic pollutants
Dirty windows can harbour potentially harmful pollutants under protective films of fatty acids from cooking emissions – and these can hang around for long periods of time.
Light it up – Disentangling the structure of next-generation photovoltaic materials with TOSCA
A brand-new study unveils the elusive atomic structure of a highly anticipated photovoltaic material, thanks to the use of TOSCA’s capabilities.
Designing porous materials for selective and reversible gas storage
Neutron and synchrotron X-ray studies have enabled researchers to understand the behaviour of gas molecules inside porous framework materials, informing the development of new sorbents for gas storage and separation.
Bigger is better for anions in Water-in-Salt electrolytes
Researchers investigate the structure of water-in-salt electrolytes...
Using structural knowledge to design solid-state battery electrolytes
By understanding how the chemical structure of a new series of electrolyte materials impacts their ability to transport lithium ions, researchers gain an insight into how to design better battery materials in the future.
How do hydroxide ions cross a fuel cell membrane?
Using quasielastic neutron scattering, researchers have been able to disentangle strongly coupled dynamics to shed light on the ion transport in a commercial anion exchange membrane.
Solar cell review featured as ACS editors’ choice
A review of methods used to characterise the layers in dye-sensitised solar cells, the outcome of a collaboration across many of the facilities at RAL, has been selected to be featured as an ACS Editors' Choice article by the American Chemical Society.
Formulating engine lubricants for modern fuels and hardware
Lubrizol has used small angle neutron scattering at ISIS to learn more about how additives neutralise a type of acid formed in engine lubricant that is more common when biofuels are used.
Infineum commissions new sample environment to study engine oil components
Speciality chemical company Infineum has used a new neutron reflectivity setup to recreate what happens to surfactants inside an engine.
Using machines to search for better battery materials
Researchers have used machine learning to discover a new material that could be used in lithium-ion batteries.
Hydrogen Storage Research at ISIS
A video interview of three collaborators who have used ISIS for their research on hydrogen storage materials.
2021 Roadmap to sodium ion batteries
ISIS staff and users have contributed to a collection of articles discussing the use of sodium ion batteries for energy storage.
Sacha Fop has been recognised as a 2021 Emerging Investigator
Sacha, a beamline scientist on HRPD, has been highlighted in a special issue of the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, which gathers “some of the best research being conducted by scientists in the early stages of their independent career”.
New solid state battery material for next generation batteries
Scientists analyse candidate materials to create next generation of solid state batteries.
Neutrons optimise high efficiency catalyst for greener approach to biofuel synthesis
ISIS and the UK Hydrogen Economy
With the UK government setting out its first ever hydrogen strategy, the neutron and muon user community is continuing to develop the technology needed to make the plans a reality.
$(a) Cryogenic tensile rig; (b) Stress-strain curves of a FeCrNiCo HEA; (c) Diffraction patterns during tensile loading at 15 K ($
Using High Entropy Alloys for cryogenic applications towards a greener future.
Cryogenic conditions, below -150°C, are crucial for the widespread application of some greener fuels, and so it is important that the materials used are able to cope with these harsh conditions.
Neutrons, catalysis and net zero
Catalysts could have a big impact when working towards Net Zero, across a wide variety of different industrial processes.
Using catalysts to improve yield of light olefins from sustainable biomass
Using TOSCA and MAPS researchers were able to study zeolite catalysts that alter reaction pathways to produce a higher yield of light olefins from compounds derived from a sustainable biomass source.
Using neutron sources across Europe to measure fuel cell materials
Advanced neutron technologies galvanise research into advanced polymer electrolyte membranes.
Quality control method for fusion component design
Using neutron tomography on the IMAT instrument, researchers have established that the technique could be used for testing divertor target monoblock prototypes before manufacturing hundreds of thousands of monoblocks for use in the fusion reactor DEMO.
Using neutrons to see what’s happening inside a transparent solar cell
Neutron reflectivity has been used to take a look at the internal layers of solar cells, to see how their structure could impact their performance.
New solid-state battery material for next generation batteries
Using neutron and muon techniques, researchers have tested a new material that could be used inside a solid-state battery.
ISIS and the 10 point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution
We undertake many activities which support the themes of the UK government’s recently announced environmental action plan.
Investigating battery performance and lifetime at IMAT
Leveraging the unique interaction of neutrons and lithium, researchers have been able to build a unique picture of what’s happening inside a lithium battery as it undergoes cycling.
Verifying the molecular dynamics calculations of asphaltene aggregates
Manipulating MOFs to improve proton conduction
Carbon nitride shows promise as a membrane for water filtration and fuel cells
An international research collaboration has found that water can pass through carbon nitride layers in the same way as it does through aquaporin channels in biological systems.
Corannulene shows promise as a hydrogen store
Negative muons used alongside positive muons to measure lithium diffusion in battery materials
For the first time, a combination of positive- and negative-muon spin rotation and relaxation (μ±SR) has been used to measure lithium-ion diffusion in a magnetic battery material.
Muons for understanding ion diffusion in energy materials
The ability of ions to move within a material is crucial to the performance of next-generation energy devices such as batteries and fuel cells, and muons offer a method to study this movement.
Inelastic Neutron Scattering reveals surprisingly small hydrogen-hydrogen distances
The first observations of very tightly spaced hydrogen atoms in a metal hydride open up the possibility of new hydrogen-storage materials and creating superconductors that operate near room temperature and pressure.
Investigating hard carbons for battery materials
Using the Materials Characterisation Lab, EMU, and computational modelling, two recent publications give an insight into the behaviour of ions inside hard carbons, when used for battery materials.
NIMROD gives an insight into low enhanced oil recovery in shale
A group from the U.S. Geological Survey used NIMROD to investigate samples of shale rock under different pressures of carbon dioxide, assessing the feasibility of these rocks for carbon dioxide storage and enhanced oil recovery.
Muons measure magnesium migration
The first muon study of magnesium diffusion has used EMU to improve the understanding of how these ions move through solid-state materials, with applications for battery technology.
A novel sodium-rich double perovskite proves promising for new battery technologies
Understanding the performance of hydrogen storage materials
Neutrons – a breath of fresh air for the offshore wind turbine industry
Developing efficient organic solar cells
New mechanism observed for CO2 transfer in flexible MOFs
Neutrons offer insights into proton conduction in crystalline MOFs
Using neutrons to determine the diffusion mechanism for Na-ion battery materials
Testing solar cells for space travel
A group from UCL and ISIS have been testing solar cells made from perovskite materials to see how resilient they are to the neutron irradiation they would be exposed to in space.
Polaris enables the study of structural change during thermal battery discharge
The way that a thermal battery discharges has been studied in real-time using neutrons, revealing the changes in the structure that occur during these transitions.
Biodiesel under high pressure
High-pressure studies of one of the main components of biodiesel, methyl stearate, have shown the different crystal structures adopted by the compound. This has implications for the use of biofuels in modern diesel engines.
Neutrons for Organic Solar Energy Technologies
Scientists from The University of Sheffield are studying the layered structure of highly efficient organic thin films for cheaper, more environmentally friendly, solar energy technologies.
Understanding the most popular conducting polymer
The liquid and solid structure of the most popular conducting polymer has been studied using neutrons when doped with a surfactant for conductivity improvement.
Studying shale structure for carbon dioxide storage
Research on NIMROD gives an insight into the carbon dioxide storage potential of shale.
Exploring the next generation of solar cell materials
A new method for synthesising oxyhydride materials
Hydrogen-conducting materials have been widely studied for various technological applications, including proton conductors, high-temperature solid oxide fuel components and metals for hydrogen storage.
Improving the efficiency of engine fuel delivery – one neutron at a time
Scientists from City, University of London and Lubrizol Limited have been using neutron technology at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source to test the role that modern additives have in increasing the efficiency of fuel injectors.
Investigating structural and electrochemical changes occurring in doped cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries
Lithium is an essential element for modern life, powering our electronic devices and electric vehicles, but it is a limited and expensive resource. Sodium is cheap and abundant, and a promising alternative for large battery arrays.
Open University and EDF Energy collaborate to extend the life of Advanced Gas Cooler Reactors
As one of the UK’s largest energy providers, EDF Energy operate 14 Advanced Gas Cooler Reactors (AGRs) to generate low carbon electricity.
Neutrons, muons and the battery revolution
The last two decades have brought a real revolution in personal electronics, all powered by the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery.
Neutrons delve deep into novel fuel cell materials
Researchers from the UK and Saudi Arabia have used neutrons to successfully investigate novel anode materials for use in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs).
One small step for sensors one giant leap for the hydrogen economy?
Scientists have used neutrons to help develop an extremely sensitive hydrogen sensor that can detect even the smallest of leaks. This discovery brings us one step closer to safely utilising hydrogen as a low carbon emission energy carrier.
New insights into nanoceria synthesis using SANDALS
Scientists from Universities of Bath and Cambridge have developed a new, green synthetic route for cerium oxide – an important component in catalytic converters and solid oxide fuel cells – using neutron diffraction to determine the mechanism of reaction.
Novel catalyst achieves record-high yields of biofuel
Scientists have designed a novel catalyst that overcomes the challenge of breaking down complex plant components to produce some of the highest yields of biofuel.
Energy Harvesting; ISIS offers unique insights into Molten Salt Mixtures
We all recognise that solar energy is a renewable energy source. Energy harvesting – the capture and storage of solar energy – is therefore becoming more and more important in our increasingly energy hungry society.
Inelastic neutron scattering shows new limits for hydrogen storage densities
Researchers at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories (RAL), the USA and Germany have uncovered some unexpected behavior of hydrogen gas when it is contained in optimally-sized sub-nanometer pores.
New chemical sponge has potential to mitigate carbon footprint of oil industry
UK scientists have discovered a ground-breaking technique with the potential to dramatically reduce the amount of energy used in the refinement of crude oil.
Breaking the Barriers to a solar Future
Researchers at the University of Sheffield, University of Durham and ISIS in collaboration with Start-up Company Ossila are using neutron reflectometry to look the formation of plastic solar cell films.
Testing new welding techniques for the nuclear industry with AREVA
Introduction of new designs, novel fabrication methods or modifications to existing plant in the nuclear power generation industry are subject to intense scrutiny to ensure that safety is not compromised.
Hydrogen breakthrough could be a game-changer for the future of car fuels
23 June 2014 – UK researchers today announced what they believe to be a game changer in the use of hydrogen as a “green” fuel.
What do you do when the oil runs out? You make it!
Neutrons have been used to understand Fischer-Tropsch chemistry, an industrial process for generating gasoline and diesel from a variety of carbon sources.
Might muons and a microwave make marvellous materials?
Captured in stars like the sun, energy has been stored since the formation of the universe itself. This solar power lies amongst all kinds of energy stores such as wind, plant and tidal sources that help feed our global appetite for energy.
Helping make hydrogen cars a reality
Toyota, who hope to release a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in 2015, have been working with ISIS scientists to address a key challenge: hydrogen loss during cycling.
Could plastic waste make better batteries?
Heating plastic carrier bags to very high temperatures produces a form of carbon that could help improve the properties of batteries.
ISIS ‘oils the wheels’ in the study of lubricant additives
In times where cracking down on energy consumption, cutting emissions and saving resources are central environmental concerns – enhanced lubricants, with the potential to increase operating efficiency in many systems, are attracting global interest.
Study to generate electricity from waste heat points to global energy solution
A major milestone in the quest to find more efficient ways of generating electricity from waste heat, and to reduce carbon emissions, has real potential in a vast range of applications.
ISIS research into nuclear graphite could ‘keep the UK’s lights on’
Uncertainty over the future integrity of graphite moderators in Advanced Gas-cooled nuclear Reactors (AGRs) could result in their premature shutdown before sufficient new nuclear or gas power stations come on-stream.
Can biological minerals made by bacteria clean-up contaminated Fukushima soils?
On 11th March, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude undersea earthquake occurred off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku, generating powerful tsunami waves and resulting in a human death toll of over 19,000.
A three-pronged attack on zeolites for the petrochemical industry
In the petrochemical industry the separation of propylene from propane is both an important and challenging process. The current process, cryogenic distillation, is one of the most energy demanding in the whole refinery.
Nanoparticles, small but mighty
Nanoparticles, defined as being between 100 and 1 nanometers in size, stir excitement amongst researchers due to a wide variety of potential applications in biomedical, optical and electronic fields.
Capturing a cleaner future
Greenhouse gases and their effects are looming over us like a ticking alarm clock. The attention of UK scientists has been drawn to combating global warming through a technique which captures these harmful gases.
Spreadable polymer solar cells
Neutron reflectivity studies provide insights into the manufacture of cheap solar cell panels, which could provide a solution to the world's growing energy demands.
Getting the hole picture: porosity in activated carbons
Small angle neutron scattering is used to investigate materials which could be used for hydrogen storage.
Developing methods for detecting hazardous radioisotopes emitted by the nuclear power industry
Small angle neutron scattering is used to probe microemulsion systems, in order to help develop methods for detecting hazardous radioisotopes emitted by the nuclear power industry.
‘Cling-film’ solar cells could lead to advance in renewable energy
A new study shows that even when using very simple and inexpensive manufacturing methods - where flexible layers of material are deposited over large areas like cling-film - efficient solar cell structures can be made.
New spin-out company from ISIS develops emission-free hydrogen fuel for cars
Cella Energy Limited has developed a novel technology that allows hydrogen to be stored in a cheap and practical way, making it suitable for widespread use as a carbon-free alternative to petrol.
Hydrogen absorption in Ti/Mg multilayers studied by neutron reflectometry
Mg-Ti thin film alloys have large hydrogen storage capacities, fast hydrogen absorption/desorption kinetics and are structurally stable.
Nanoscale properties of organic solar cell polymers
Conjugated polymers have been intensively studied since it was demonstrated that they could behave as semiconductors.
Nature of the bound states of molecular hydrogen in carbon nanohorns
Hydrogen has great potential as an energy source.
The secrets of storing hydrogen
Concern over climate change and a dwindling supply of fossil fuels mean that there is increasing interest in alternative forms of energy.
Hydrogen conduction in oxide materials
Compounds which exhibit high hydrogen conduction have potential applications in devices such as fuel cells and hydrogen sensors
The binding of H2 in zeolites
Understanding the microscopic mechanisms of hydrogen interactions with zeolite materials to develop their storage potential.
New materials for hydrogen storage
Developing a suitable material for hydrogen storage
Case study: ISIS contributes to zero-emission vehicles
ISIS helps identify materials that can store hydrogen safely, efficiently and cost-effectively