General Lab Information

Ajith Pattammattel

HXN Beamline Scientist, Imaging & Microscopy Program, National Synchrotron Light Source II

Ajith Pattammattel

Brookhaven National Laboratory

National Synchrotron Light Source II
Bldg. 743
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-6082
pattammattel@bnl.gov

I am a Research Scientist at the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe (HXN) beamline of the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), Brookhaven National Laboratory. My research focuses on advancing high-resolution X-ray spectromicroscopy, nanoscale chemical imaging, and autonomous experimental methods to investigate the chemistry and structure of complex materials.

I am particularly interested in pushing the boundaries of spatial resolution, chemical sensitivity, and experimental efficiency. By combining advanced synchrotron instrumentation with computational methods and artificial intelligence, I aim to develop new approaches for understanding chemical heterogeneity and nanoscale transformations in environmental, biological, and advanced materials.

Expertise | Research | Education | Appointments | Publications

Expertise

My expertise spans synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy, spectroscopy, scientific instrumentation, and computational methods, with particular emphasis on:

  • Nanoscale X-ray spectromicroscopy: High-resolution X-ray fluorescence (nano-XRF), X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (nano-XANES), and chemical-state mapping.
  • Multimodal X-ray characterization: Integration of XRF, XANES, X-ray diffraction, ptychography, and other imaging techniques to investigate elemental composition, chemical states, and structure.
  • Synchrotron instrumentation: Development, commissioning, and optimization of hard X-ray nanoprobe microscopy systems and experimental capabilities.
  • Autonomous microscopy and AI: Computer vision, machine learning, adaptive experimental workflows, and automated instrument control.
  • Scientific software development: Python-based scientific computing, image processing, spectral analysis, data visualization, and graphical user interface development.
  • Environmental and materials characterization: Nanoscale chemical speciation, mineral transformations, particle heterogeneity, and interfacial processes.

Research Activities

High-Resolution X-ray Spectromicroscopy

Developing advanced X-ray imaging and spectroscopy techniques to push the limits of spatial resolution and chemical sensitivity. My research focuses on nanoscale elemental and chemical-state mapping using nano-XRF and nano-XANES, including the recent demonstration of sub-20 nm chemical-state imaging with sensitivity to fewer than 18,000 atoms.

Autonomous Microscopy and AI

Developing intelligent experimental workflows that integrate computer vision, machine learning, and automated instrument control. My work on XAutoMap enables autonomous identification and high-resolution characterization of scientifically relevant features in heterogeneous samples. Current research explores LLMs and vision-language models for adaptive experimental planning and scientific decision-making.

Scientific Software and Instrumentation

Developing scientific software, data-analysis pipelines, and experimental instrumentation for synchrotron X-ray microscopy. My contributions include XMIDAS, a Python-based multimodal spectromicroscopy analysis platform, along with graphical interfaces, automated data-processing tools, and microscope control systems.

Environmental and Materials Nanoscience

Applying nanoscale X-ray characterization to understand chemical heterogeneity, elemental speciation, and transformations in environmental and advanced materials. Research interests include atmospheric particulate matter, mineral oxidation, trace-element distributions, biological systems, and energy materials, with particular emphasis on nanoscale chemical processes and interfaces.

Education

- Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

- Master of Chemistry (MSc), Cochin Univ. of Science and Technology, India

- Bachelor of Chemistry (BSc), Mahatma Gandhi University, India

Professional Appointments

- Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California Merced, 2016-2018

- Postdoctoral Fellow at NSLS-II, 2018-2022

Selected Publications

  • Pattammattel A, Tappero R, Ge M, Chu YS, Huang X, Gao Y, Yan H (2020) High-sensitivity nanoscale chemical imaging with hard x-ray nano-XANES. Science Advances 6:eabb3615. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abb3615
  • Pattammattel A, Leppert VJ, Aronstein P, Robinson M, Mousavi A, Sioutas C, Forman HJ, O'Day PA (2021) Iron speciation in particulate matter (PM2.5) from urban Los Angeles using spectro-microscopy methods. Atmospheric Environment 245:117988. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117988
  • Pattammattel A, Tappero R, Gavrilov D, et al (2022) Multimodal X-ray nano-spectromicroscopy analysis of chemically heterogeneous systems. Metallomics 14:. https://doi.org/10.1093/mtomcs/mfac078
  • Pattammattel A, Root R, Gao Z, et al (2026) Sub-20 nm Hard X-ray Spectromicroscopy Reveals Nanoscale Redox Heterogeneity in Ultrafine Particulates. ACS Nano 20:22608–22615. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.6c05068
  • Deleon C, Gavrilov D, O'Day P, Pattammattel A (2026) Autonomous X-Ray Fluorescence Mapping for Nanoscale Chemical Speciation of Fine Particulate Matter. Advanced Intelligent Discovery. https://doi.org/10.1002/aidi.202600006
Ajith Pattammattel

Brookhaven National Laboratory

National Synchrotron Light Source II
Bldg. 743
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-6082
pattammattel@bnl.gov

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