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Keyword:synchrotron radiation source BESSY II
BESSY II reveals early-stage copper oxidation: providing evidence for catalyst development and corrosion research on nuclear waste final disposal containers
Germany's BESSY II synchrotron facility has recently provided new experimental insights into the early-stage oxidation process of copper surfaces. The study shows that before the formation of pure copper oxides, copper and oxygen atoms first form complex surface superstructures, such as "29"CuₓO. The chemical state of such structures has long been debated, and the findings are of reference value for catalyst research as well as for corrosion protection studies of copper containers used for radioactive waste final disposal. Before the formation of pure copper oxide, complex superstructures composed of copper and oxygen atoms emerge—such as "29"CuxO. HZB In everyday environments, copper surfaces gradually lose their red metallic luster and form a greenish oxide layer. This layer structure can slow further corrosion over an extended period. Regarding the initial stages of this process, the core question researchers focus on is: to what extent are copper atoms actually oxidized once oxygen enters the copper surface. Since conventional spectroscopic methods struggle to clearly distinguish between pure copper and partially oxidized surfaces, such oxidation states have previously been difficult to determine directly.
2026-09-07
German BESSY II Research Reveals: Cesium Chloride Seed Layer Can Improve Quality of Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Solar Cells
A team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) in Germany used the BESSY II synchrotron radiation facility to conduct nanoscale analysis of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells fabricated by evaporation methods, and proposed a new approach to improve the quality of perovskite thin films. The study shows that introducing a thin cesium chloride (CsCl) seed layer between the two sub-cells promotes uniform growth of the perovskite layer while reducing undesirable lead iodide deposition at the interface. The research demonstrates that the cesium chloride seed layer improves the growth of the evaporated perovskite layer and reduces the formation of lead iodide. Scanning electron microscopy images show that the perovskite layer grown without a seed layer (left image) consists of extremely fine crystallites...
2026-08-27