Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology

An emerging strategy to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions of products is to incorporate carbonaceous materials obtained from removed atmospheric carbon dioxide, mainly obtained through biomass conversion. This approach can turn asphalt pavements into a functional carbon sink. In particular, biochar has been used as a bitumen modifier. However, due to performance limitations, carbonaceous materials were only added in small quantities to asphalt mixtures. An alternative approach is to produce lightweight aggregates to substitute a part of the mineral aggregates of the asphalt mixture. To this end, biochar is pelletised with a hydraulic binder and water in a cold-bonding process, forming spherical pellets labelled as carbon-rich lightweight aggregates (C-LWA). Like other lightweight aggregates, C-LWA showed a reduced mechanical strength compared to conventional mineral aggregates, adversely affecting the asphalt mixture performance. Cracking and rutting resistance almost linearly decreased with C-LWA content. The direct addition of biochar had a similar adverse influence on the mixture performance. Despite a reduced performance, adding biochar and C-LWA reduces the greenhouse gas emissions of asphalt mixtures. Net-zero emissions were estimated for the produced asphalt mixture by adding 5.5 ± 0.4% C-LWA or 3.0 ± 0.2% biochar obtained from the pyrolysis of landscape management wood. A wider range of C-LWA addition (1% to 35.1%) was estimated considering the greenhouse gas emission estimation variability of both asphalt and biochar production.

Background In a previous study, we demonstrated that military aircraft noise increases the short-term probability of on-demand drug administrations in patients in a psychiatric clinic located in close proximity to a military airfield. The aim of this article was to: (1) apply refined exposure assessment methods; (2) compare results for various noise exposure measures reflecting different assumptions about outdoor–indoor noise attenuation and explore possible effect thresholds; and (3) conduct an independent validation study with 1 year of more recent follow-up. Methods We conducted noise measurements during 1 year at the clinic to validate the modeled noise exposure of hourly military aircraft noise (equivalent continuous sound pressure level, L Aeq [dB]). We then compared results from case-time series analyses between on-demand drug administration and military aircraft noise using modeled versus measured aircraft noise exposure, different censoring approaches for background noise, and explored a potential threshold using nonlinear exposure–response modeling. Results There was a moderate (Pearson’s r = 0.54) to strong ( r = 0.65) correlation between modeled and measured aircraft noise levels, depending on the wind situation. Applying censoring at levels reflecting background noise in the range of 40–50 dB instead of censoring exposure at 20 dB resulted in higher effect estimates, but also larger uncertainty compared with the previous analysis (original analysis, censoring at 20 dB: odds ratio [OR] for sedative administration = 1.016 per 10 dB; realistic background analysis: OR = 1.036, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.994, 1.079). Additionally, we found indications of a nonlinear exposure–response relationship. Using measured instead of modeled aircraft noise exposure resulted in smaller effect estimates (modeled OR = 1.056, 95% CI: 0.970, 1.149; measured: 1.038, 95% CI: 0.983, 1.096). Analyses exclusively using new data from the year 2022 revealed almost identical results compared with the original analysis (2016–2021). Conclusion Our results suggest that predicting indoor noise levels and the addition of informed background noise estimates improves specificity in the exposure assessment and likely provides more reliable exposure–response associations. With additional follow-up data, we could confirm our previous findings that loud noise events can have acute effects on psychiatric patients’ sedative drug consumption.

The reaction conditions in industrial scale chemical reactors can differ markedly from the ones in a small laboratory scale reactor. The differences are both conceptual and practical, and can at...

The incommensurate spin density wave (SDW) of Chromium represents the classic example of itinerant antiferromagnetism induced by the nesting of the Fermi surface, which is further enriched by the co-presence of a charge density wave (CDW). Here, we explore its electronic band structure using soft-X-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) for a proper bulk-sensitive investigation. We find that the long-range magnetic order gives rise to a very rich ARPES signal, which can only be interpreted with a proper first-principles description of the SDW and CDW, combined with a band unfolding procedure, reaching a remarkable agreement with experiments. Additional features of the SDW order are obscured by superimposed effects related to the photoemission process, which, unexpectedly, are not predicted by the free-electron model for the final states. We demonstrate that, even for excitation photon energies up to 1 keV, a multiple scattering description of the photoemission final states is required.

We present a comprehensive study on the synthesis and characterization of 2D reduced graphene oxide (rGO) encapsulated 3D Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanocomposites, a promising semiconductor material with applications spanning electronic and optoelectronic domains. Through a facile two‐step chemical synthesis, we successfully fabricated both pristine MoS2 (denoted as S1) and MoS2‐rGO composites (termed S2), yielding distinctive flower‐like microspheres comprised of folded nanosheets. Our temperature‐dependent PL investigations unveiled pronounced mid‐gap emission peaks within the UV (380–468 nm) and visible (490–550 nm) regions, indicative of excitonic behavior. Notably, the S2 composite exhibited enhanced PL intensity and extended carrier lifetimes across all studied temperatures, attributed to effective suppression of surface states via d‐electron hopping. Complementary high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses further corroborated the presence of surface defects and d‐electron hopping mechanisms, elucidating their pivotal roles in enhancing PL emission characteristics. This study offers valuable insights into the fundamental properties of MoS2‐rGO nanocomposites, paving the way for tailored device design and applications.

Plasmonic double helical antennas are a means to funnel circularly polarized light down to the nanoscale. Here, an existing design tool for single helices is extended to the case of double helices and used to design antennas that combine large chiroptical interaction strength with highly directional light emission. Full‐field numerical modeling underpins the design and provides additional insight into surface charge distributions and resonance widths. The helical antennas are fabricated by direct writing with a focused electron beam, a technique that is unrivaled in terms of spatial resolution and 3D shape fidelity. After the printing process, the structures are purified using ozone plasma at room temperature, resulting in the smallest continuous double helix antennas ever realized in gold. Fabricated antennas are studied regarding their polarization‐dependent transmission behavior, which shows a large and broadband dissymmetry factor in the visible range. Since the polarization of light is an important tool for implementing logic functionality in photonic and quantum photonic devices, these helices are potential building blocks for future nanophotonic circuits, but also for chiral metamaterials or phase plates.

Aminopolycarboxylate chelates are emerging as a promising class of electrolyte materials for aqueous redox flow batteries, offering tunable redox potentials, solubility, and pH stability through careful selection of ligands and transition metal ions. Despite their potential, the impact of molecular structure modifications on the electronic and electrochemical properties of these chelates remains underexplored. Here, we examine how introducing a hydroxyl group, often employed for its solubilizing properties, to the backbone of CrPDTA, a reference chelate material, significantly changes the thermodynamics and kinetics of the chelate’s redox process. We correlate changes in molecular and electronic structures to different electrochemical responses resulting from the hydroxyl addition and show that the introduction of this functional group leads to a distortion in the octahedral coordination of chromium. Furthermore, increased anisotropic spin density and non‐integral oxidation state changes in the Cr metal center result in a larger barrier for electron transfer in CrPDTA‐OH. We demonstrate that preserving a hexacoordinate chelate structure across a broad pH range is crucial for efficient flow battery application and emphasize that ligand modifications aimed at enhancing solubility must avoid distorting the octahedral coordination of the transition metal.

This study investigates the requirements for estimating CO2 emissions at the country scale using observational data from the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) atmosphere network, taking Italy as a case study. In particular, we explore the potential expansion of Italy’s current atmospheric ICOS network by identifying additional existing and future stations that would most effectively improve the constraint of carbon flux estimations, with a focus on the southern region. Through a series of Observing System Simulation Experiments using the LUMIA regional inverse system, we evaluated 23 potential stations and identified Chieti (CHI, located in the Abruzzo region in mid-Italy) and Lecce (ECO, located in the southeastern Puglia region) as the most promising additions. These stations demonstrated significant value in recovering the annual and seasonal cycles of the assumed true CO2 fluxes (simulated by LPJ-GUESS) in southern Italy. Incorporating both CHI and ECO into the current network reduces the prior biases by approximately 82%, compared to the 48% reduction achieved when adding the CHI station alone. Our findings also suggest that adding more stations beyond CHI and ECO results in only marginal gains in flux precision. We therefore emphasize the need for targeted research funding to support the integration of these current and future stations into the ICOS atmospheric network in southern Italy, where the current network is sparse, with only Potenza as an ICOS atmospheric station. This research highlights the importance of strategic station selection to optimize network performance and improve regional carbon flux assessments, ultimately contributing to better reconciliation and understanding of discrepancies between bottom–up and top–down greenhouse gas estimation methods.

The spread of microbial infections is governed by the self-organization of bacteria on surfaces. Bacterial interactions in clinically relevant settings remain challenging to quantify, especially in systems with multiple species or varied material properties. Quantitative image analysis methods based on machine learning show promise to overcome this challenge and support the development of novel antimicrobial treatments, but are limited by a lack of high-quality training data. Here, novel experimental and image analysis techniques for high-fidelity single-cell segmentation of bacterial colonies are developed. Machine learning-based segmentation models are trained solely using synthetic microscopy images that are processed to look realistic using a state-of-the-art image-to-image translation method (cycleGAN), requiring no biophysical modeling. Accurate single-cell segmentation is achieved for densely packed single-species colonies and multi-species colonies of common pathogenic bacteria, even under suboptimal imaging conditions and for both brightfield and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The resulting data provide quantitative insights into the self-organization of bacteria on soft surfaces. Thanks to their high adaptability and relatively simple implementation, these methods promise to greatly facilitate quantitative descriptions of bacterial infections in varied environments, and may be used for the development of rapid diagnostic tools in clinical settings.

Near‐infrared (NIR) light detection at wavelengths λ > 1100 nm is essential in modern science and technology. Emerging organic semiconductors are promising for solution‐processed, flexible, and large‐area NIR organic photodetectors (OPDs), but only a few organic chromophores with peak absorption beyond the silicon bandgap are available. Furthermore, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) and specific detectivity (D*) of NIR OPDs are restricted by insufficient exciton dissociation and high dark/noise current. Here, the combination of strong electron‐accepting and ‐donating groups is used to synthesize a selection of novel NIR squaraine dyes with superior redshifted absorptions, peaking at 1165 nm in solution and extending to 1240 nm in a blend film. To overcome the tradeoff between long wavelength absorption and high photoresponse, NIR photons are detected utilizing a gain OPD design, where photomultiplication occurs via squaraine hole trap‐induced injection of external charges. The OPD can achieve an EQE of 220% at 1240 nm and still maintains 25% in the absorption tail at 1400 nm, thereby surpassing existing NIR OPDs in a broad wavelength range beyond 1100 nm. The measured maximum D* equals 10⁹ Jones at 1240 nm, and the detectivity estimated from the shot noise is ≈10¹¹ Jones, independent of the bias voltage.

Purpose Given its unique anatomical position and the amalgamation of bony and soft tissues within the cochlea, exploring its intricacies poses persistent challenges. Histopathology remains the gold standard in research, but given its inherent limitations, there is a clear need for innovative alternatives. The integration of microCT technology with advanced volume rendering techniques emerges as a promising approach for overcoming the hurdles associated with anatomical investigations of the cochlea. Methods We seamlessly integrated high-resolution microCT cochlear images with medical imaging analysis software to create detailed 3D anatomical images of the human cochlea without the need of sample processing. Results Volume rendering allowed a multiplanar, non-destructive, detailed anatomical evaluation of the human cochlea, including its capillary system, as well as soft tissue visualization at single-micron resolution in 3D. Conclusion The use of volume rendering in cochlear anatomical studies is underexplored despite the prevalence of 3D reconstruction. This technique presents a promising avenue for scientific investigation, providing researchers with unprecedented insights that can potentially benefit patients with hearing disorders.

Even today, the reduction of complications following breast implant surgery together with the enhancement of implant integration and performance through the modulation of the foreign body response (FBR), remains a fundamental challenge in the field of plastic surgery. Therefore, tailoring the material's physical characteristics to modulate FBR can represent an effective approach in implantology. While polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) patterning on 2D substrates is a relatively established and available procedure, micropatterning multiscaled biointerfaces on a controlled large area has been more challenging. Therefore, in the present work, a specific designed honeycomb-like well biointerface was designed and obtained by replication in PDMS at large scale and its effectiveness towards creating a pro-healing environment was investigated. The grayscale masks assisted laser-based 3D texturing method was used for creating the required moulds in Polycarbonate for large area replication. By comparison to the smooth substrate, the honeycomb topography altered the fibroblasts' behaviour in terms of adhesion and morphology and reduced the macrophages' inflammatory response. Additionally, the microstructured surface effectively inhibited macrophage fusion, significantly limiting the colonization of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative microbial strains on the tested surfaces. Overall, this study introduces an innovative approach to mitigate the in vitro FBR to silicone, achieved through the creation of a honeycomb-inspired topography for prosthetic interfaces.

Coulometric titration time analysis (CTTA) has recently been introduced as a quantitative electrochemical technique to assess the compatibility of Li-ion electrolytes with metallic lithium. Here, the authors outline that the applied stack pressure is a critical factor in influencing CTTA results, highlighting the need for careful stack pressure assessment to perform conclusive CTTA experiments.

Food-as-Medicine (FAM) is an emerging trend among medical doctors, health insurers, startups, and governmental public-health and non-governmental organizations. FAM implies using food as a part of an individual's health plan to prevent or help treat acute and chronic health conditions and diseases. We highlight trends and hurdles in the FAM intervention pyramid. Our viewpoint is to indicate how interventions might change the future demand for specific food groups, their transport in supply chains, and the technologies used to process them. Based on national guidelines, dietary interventions can help to prevent and treat many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancers, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. FAM R&D and services offer more individualized treatments. This is challenging given the inter-individual variability and complexity of the body's response to food and related factors, such as dietary habits, genetics, lifestyle, and biosphere. Quantifying health improvements is essential to prove the added value of more individualized FAM interventions compared to adopting a general healthy diet. It is unclear which level of individualization of interventions produces the largest health benefits at the lowest costs for the patient, healthcare system, and climate. FAM interventions can support and complement conventional medical treatment. They will require a shift to producing more health-promoting foods, including whole foods, minimally-processed foods, and selected processed foods. The food processing industry and supply chains must adapt to these new scenarios. Auxiliary technologies and methods are enablers, including delivery services, wearable technology, health-monitoring apps, and data-driven consumer behavior analysis.