General Lab Information

CFN 2024 Calendar

The Center for Functional Nanomaterials 2024 calendar features staff and user creations submitted in the 14th Annual CFN Image Contest. The contest includes two categories: Scientific and Technical (micrographs and images relating to CFN research) and Life at the CFN (images of the facility, instrumentation, offices, and beyond).

2024 CFN Calendar

January

Photoelectrochemical Brine Splitting

Transition metal layers can be controllably deposited on single crystalline bismuth vanadate as an effective photoanode for photoelectrochemical chlorine generation. The study provides insights into using artificial photosynthesis for byproducts that carry significant economic value while avoiding the energetically expensive oxygen evolution reactions. (1st Place Winner: Scientific and Technical) CFN capabilities used: CFN Material Synthesis & Characterization, Electron Microscopy, and Proximal Probes facilities

Zhaoyi Xi, CFN PhD Student & User, Brookhaven National Lab & Stony Brook University

Selected Journal Cover by ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Z. Xi, C. Zhou, K. Kisslinger, T. Nanayakkara, F. Lu, X. Tong, M. Liu*. Cobalt Oxide-Coated Single Crystalline Bismuth Vanadate Photoanodes for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Chlorine Generation." ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 15, 42, 49281-49288 (2023).

February

Stuck in the CFN Elevator k-Space

I had the opportunity to stare at the CFN elevator walls for a while and noticed that the light reflections looked like a band structure map. (1st Place Winner: My Life at the CFN).

Ashley Head, CFN Staff, Brookhaven National Laboratory

March

Pt (100) surface after two cycles of CO adsorption-desorption

CFN instrument used: The original image was obtained from the Electron Spectro-Microscopy at 21-ID beamline at NSLS-II. The image was processed by an AI mimicking the style of Oscar-Claude Monet. (2nd Place Winner: Scientific and Technical)

Gengnan Li, CFN User, Argonne National Laboratory

April

Metal Organic Framework in a Hydrogen plasma during an in-situ ambient pressure XPS measurement

CFN instrument used: Ambient Pressure XPS (AP-XPS)

Anibal Boscoboinik, CFN Staff, Brookhaven National Laboratory

May

Laser flower

Diffraction of a linearly polarized laser focused through an oil immersion objective lens. CFN instrument used: Olympus IX81 confocal microscope

Shreetu Shrestha, CFN Postdoc, Brookhaven National Laboratory

June

Ripening raspberries and the forest after a rain shower

Gwen Wright, CFN Staff, Brookhaven National Laboratory

July

CFN – A BBQ of Innovation where young scientists add special spice

(2nd Place Winner: My Life at the CFN)

Mueed Ahmad, CFN User, Stony Brook University

August

Cu (110) in the eyes of Vincent van Gogh the surface scientist

A LEEM image of the surface of a Cu (110) single crystal consisting of densely packed terraces separated by surface steps. Surface steps result in a dark contrast in a LEEM image and are rendered in a darker shade of blue in the image. (30 μm X 30 μm). CFN instrument used: XPEEM/LEEM end station at NSLS-II (21-ID)

Shyam Patel, CFN User, Binghamton University

September

Burning wood into nano shapes, at the rhythm of the guitar, with CFN friends

Anibal Boscoboinik, CFN Staff, Brookhaven National Laboratory

October

Xenon Plasma

The sample — silica nanocages deposited on ruthenium metal powder — was exposed to xenon plasma during a noble gas trapping experiment.The image was taken from the load-lock chamber window of the instrument at the time of xenon plasma exposure. The equipment used was the Reactor STM, a dedicated experimental setup for studying chemical processes on electrically conductive surfaces. It incorporates scanning tunneling microscopy and related surface preparation and analysis techniques under UHV conditions and controlled flow of reactive gasses. (People’s Choice Award 1st Place Winner: Scientific and Technical)

Laiba Bilal (Zenvee Pillay), CFN User, ECE- Stony Brook University

November

A unique FFT of polymerized nanocomposites made of silver and graphene quantum dots

The strange pattern shows many rings when usually one is observed, inviting the observer to find its cause. CFN instrument used: CFN’s FEI Talos F200X

Nataniel Medina Berríos, CFN User, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus

December

Trapping in Cages

Depiction of a nanocage structure used for trapping noble gas. The instrument in the background is the Ambient Pressure XPS used for the characterization of samples during the experimental work. My research is mainly focused on trapping noble gases in silica nanocages and so my life at CFN revolves around the cages. (People’s Choice Award 1st Place Winner: My Life at the CFN)

Laiba Bilal (Zenvee Pillay), CFN User, ECE- Stony Brook University

The Magic CFN Garden: It’s all flowers and smiles at the ISC group meeting.

Dario Stacchiola, CFN Staff, Brookhaven National Laboratory

Standing on the shoulders of giants

Chenyu Zhou, CFN Staff, Brookhaven National Laboratory

Unlock the secrets of the nanoworld: CFN instrument used: Helios G5 Dual Beam SEM/FIB Microscope.

Cheng-Chu Chung, CFN User, Stony Brook University

Analyzing solid fossil-fuel pitches by High-Resolution Atomic Force Microscopy: A glimpse of nature’s near-infinite number of molecules no one ever has seen in detailbefore. Imaging at the edge of the ultimate possible dimensions in real space before physics defies picturing more detail as of entering quantum or sub-atomic scale. CFN instrument used: Low Temp STM/AFM (HR-AFM).

Percy Zahl, CFN Staff, Brookhaven National Laboratory

The ebeam evaporator comes home to the clean room: CFN instrument used: ebeam evaporator

Gwen Wright, CFN Staff, Brookhaven National Laboratory

Pie is the answer! James Buddenhagen is the pie man! When the cart rolls, he creates smiles :)

Pam Ciufo, CFN Staff, Brookhaven National Laborator