Recent Trends in Mössbauer Techniques

Rudolf Mössbauer has discovered the Mössbauer effect and was honored the Nobel Prize in 1961, based on that the Mössbauer spectroscopy was obtained [1].

The discovery of the Mössbauer spectroscopy effect is the recoilless (also called: recoil-free) nuclear resonance emission/absorption of γ-rays. In the case of a nuclear transition, the de-excited nucleus is normally recoiled by the momentum of the γ-photon emitted, which makes its resonance absorption impossible by another ground-state nucleus of the same type. However, in solids, recoilless photons can be emitted (and reabsorbed by another ground-state nucleus) with some probability. Mössbauer spectroscopy has utilized in numerous interdisciplinary research applications from core subjects (physics, chemistry, and biology). This spectroscopic technique will be continued to make significant contributions based upon the 2004-2005’s analysis of soil from the Mars surface with spectra collected in-situ [2].

Figure 1. Mössbauer Spectra of (Sn, N)TiO₂ microspheres (left side). Credit: SNB Team, The MIMOS II sensor head (right side top). Credit: the University of Mainz, A MIMOS II sensor head (Mössbauer) mounted on Mars Exploration Rover Spirit’s robotic arm, together with the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), the Microscopic Imager (MI), and the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) (right side bottom). Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell.

Mössbauer spectroscopy is the preferred technique to study the bulk structure of complex iron oxides like magnetite, which provides unprecedented detailed on oxidation states, local geometry, and dopant incorporation.

Mössbauer spectroscopy and related techniques are used in the main field as follows:

Nanomaterial and thin film.
Magnetic and optical materials.
Inorganic, organic, and coordination chemistry.
Solid-state chemistry and physics.
Material science and industrial applications.
Earth and planetary science.
Synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy.

^"57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy is usually applied to powdered materials to probe the structural and chemical nature of Fe environments and the magnetic properties mainly related to Fe moment. It also contributes to investigate, on the one hand, the surface interface and the grain boundaries in the case of nanoparticles, multilayers, and nanostructured powders, respectively and on the other hand the hyperfine magnetic properties and their dynamics in correlation with super paramagnetic relaxation phenomena in the case of magnetic nanostructures”.

---Jean-Marc Greneche, Institut des Molecules et Materiaux du Mans, France.

Prof. M. Reissner from the Institute of Solid State Physics, Austria, has delivered a tutorial talk on “Investigation of Magnetic Structures with High-Field Mössbauer spectroscopy” in the International Conference on the Applications of the Mössbauer Effect (ICAME 2019) held at Dalian, China on September 2019. He said that “The application of external magnetic fields allows broadening the knowledge that can be gained by Mössbauer spectroscopy enormously. In combination with magnetic measurements, detailed information about local magnetic and electronic structures can be obtained. In this tutorial, he has concentrated on investigation of solid material magnetism on different levels of complexity of magnetic structures. Starting with the influence of a magnetic field on the hyperfine interactions, examples of some simple magnetic structures (para-, ferro-, and antiferromagnetic) are discussed before coming to more complex ones with the canted or inhomogeneous spin arrangement”.

ICAME 2019 conference organizers (Prof. Junhu Wang, Prof. Tao Zhang and Prof. Xiaodong Wang) have mentioned that “Mössbauer effect has been very clear, since the mid-sixties of the last century, in spite of the fact that the answer to the question posed by the metallurgist, chemist, archaeologist, solid-state physicist, etc. It was also contained in the Mössbauer spectrum in a very reliable manner, the method was too much sophisticated to be routinely used by outsiders. The following information can be extracted from the Mössbauer technique, that one should quite understand some details of static and dynamic hyperfine interactions, Mössbauer optics, technical aspects of spectrometers, and many other things”.

Recently, Dr. Xuning Li (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) and his research collaborators Prof. Junhu Wang and Prof. Tao Zhang from (Mössbauer Effect Data Center, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Dalian, China) developed a new method in the ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer technique. They have predicted that a newly developed operando ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer technique for the in-situ characterization of single-atom catalysts (SACs) shall pave ways for the further insight into the structural and dynamics of catalytic active centers during catalysis. This may provide proof-of-concept for single-atom heterogeneous catalysis as a conceptual bridge between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Mössbauer spectroscopy is a powerful technique for determining the structure of iron-N-C SACs [3].

On the basis of 30 years experience, the Mössbauer spectrometer design is presented. However, the design need newly developing equipment like Doppler modulation system, gamma-ray counters, detection conversion electrons and X-ray, data storage systems.

Late Dr. GöstarKlingelhöfer (German Scientist) has developed a miniaturized Mössbauer spectrometer (MIMOS) for space applications. He received various awards for this study, by the DLR Eugen-Sanger-medal (2005), IBAME award (2006), Helmholtz award (2007) for Metrology. In 1990, his collaborator Dr. Renz from Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany has worked for the development of MIMOS on the Mars 94-96 mission. NASA has also made plans in the mid 1990’s for Mars [4]. Further, he mentioned that “The first extra-terrestrial Mössbauer spectra was measured in January 2004 in the Gusev crater by the MER Rover Spirit”.

Dr. Renz said that “We should think how Dr. Klingelhöfer’s legacy carries on with future in-situ applications of Mössbauer spectroscopy (MIMOS I, MIMOS II (TRL9), MIMOS IIa (TRL6-6) on the Moon, the Mars, some Asteroids, and other bodies in the solar system with different space agencies (DLR, NASA, ESA, CNSA, JAXA, etc.)” in ICAME 2019, China.

Our SNB team have emphasized this research article to enrich our viewer’s knowledge about the recent trends in Mössbauer techniques. Also, the discovery of the Mössbauer effect and its various techniques have been discussed by various scientists. Further, the Scientists Schroder and Gutlich from (University of Stirling, UK, and Johannes Gutenberg-Universitat, Germany) have highlighted that the portable “Mössbauer spectrometer MIMOS II” can be used for several terrestrial applications. A supportive example used for the investigation of archeological artifacts, mineralogical transformation with time and depth, in-situ identification of air pollution [5]. This shows that Mössbauer technique will provide better achievement for numerous interdisciplinary research applications in the near future.

References

R. L. Mösbauer, Z. Physik 151124 (1958).
G. Klingelhofer, http://akguetlich.chemie.unimainz.de/klingelhoefer/rahmen/
eframrows.htm (see also http://athena.cornell.edu/ the_mission/ins_moss.html).
X. Li, ACS Catal., 3, 2521 (2019).
G. Klingelhöfer, et al., Science 95, 305 (1995).
P. Gutlich, et al., Hyperfine Interactions, 151/152, 125 (2003).

--Dr. A. S. Ganeshraja

Author Profile

Comments

Electro-Organic Synthesis: Next Emerging Technique

Industrial developments, excessive energy consumption, sustainable technologies, environmental cleaning processes are major topics of political and social discourse. Current innovations are rated not only focusing on their benefit and utility but also concerning their eco-friendly approaches. The development of green technological processes is becoming more important and requires harmless energy sources. Particularly over the past decade, the severe limitations of fossil resources intensify the movement towards sustainable synthesis techniques with a strict cutback in the ecological footprint [ 1 ]. Electro-organic synthesis belongs to the synthetic organic chemistry discipline that facilities the direct use of electricity to generate valuable compounds. Hence, it is possible to transfer green aspects of sustainable energy sources to the whole production process [ 2 ]. Since the Kolbe’s discoveries of using electricity as a reagent for organic transformations over 170 years ago, ...

Designing of Corrosion Resistant Alloys via Percolation Theory

Canada and USA Scientists have reported on designing of corrosion-resistant alloys via percolation theory and published in Nature Materials on 01 February 2021. Nickel–chromium, Iron–chromium binary alloys can serve as the prototypical corrosion-resistant metals owing to its presence of a nanometre-thick protective passive oxide film. The main key criterion for good passive behavior is the passive film should be compromised via a scratch or abrasive wear that can be reformed with a little metal dissolution. This could be a principal reason for the stainless steels and other chromium containing alloys that are used for critical applications which ranges from nuclear reactor components to biomedical implants. A long-standing unanswered question in corrosion science is the unravelling of the compositional dependence of the electrochemical behavior of the alloys [ 1, 2 ]. The discovery of the family of these alloys were increased its rate with the advent of artificial intelligence, da...

AN ACT OF FACE MASK MATERIAL USED TO PROTECT US FROM SARS-COV-2

“ In the absence of a vaccine, or effective antiviral, one of our only remaining strategies for controlling COVID-19 is to physically block the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the community ” On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic [1] . In the absence of a vaccine, or effective antiviral, one of our only remaining strategies for controlling COVID-19 is to physically block the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the community. Given that COVID-19 is a respiratory illness, the most effective physical defense likely involves widespread public use of face coverings, in conjunction with other control measures [ 2 ] . Face coverings (also variously referred to as face masks, nonmedical masks, community masks or barrier masks ) function primarily in source control; capturing droplets expelled by an infected individual [3] . Figure 1. DIY masks to protect against from viruses sounds like a crazy idea. source click here In the absence of an...

Electric Vehicle: Public Health and Climate Benefits

A research team led by Daniel Peters at Northwestern University has investigated that if we introducing electrifying vehicles in the streets of the United States could annually prevent hundreds-to-thousands of premature accidental deaths.This work highlights the potential of a synergistic solution to reduce CO 2 emissions by hundreds to millions of tons annually. The estimate of economic damages induced by introducing electrifying vehicles (EV) adoption is substantial. With current infrastructure, about 25% of electrifying vehicles adoption in the US can save approximately $16.8 billion annually, has been told in the study entitled"Public Health and Climate Benefits and Trade offs of U.S. Vehicle Electrification," in GeoHealth on 13 th August 2020 [1] . Vehicle electrification in the United States could prevent hundreds to thousands of premature deaths annually while reducing carbon emissions by hundreds of millions of tons. This highlights the potential of co-beneficial...

Novel Approach of Plastic Waste to Flash Graphene

Prof. Algozeeb and his research collaboration team have investigated an novel approach of upcycling plastic waste (PW) products to flash graphene (FG). This method relies on Flash Joule Heating (FJH) to convert PW into FG. A sequential direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) flash is used in order to make a high-quality graphene. In this FJH process, they established without catalyst and works for PW mixtures that can make the process suitable for handling landfill PW. In 21 st century, PW pollution is considerable one among the various environmental issues. A very large fraction of PW ends up in the ocean, which leads to the formation of micro- and nanoplastics that threaten marine life, micro-organisms, useful bacteria, and humans. From the intense carbon footprint process, most of these synthesized plastics are used only once before dumping into landfills or water ways that terminate in the oceans. Hence, upcycling PW to higher value materials and chemicals is econ...

PROSPECTS ON PHOTOBIOREFINERY

Very recently, Prof. Dr. K. Faungnawakij and his research group have summarized a mini review report on an emerging renewable technique of Photobiorefinery . This is one of the beyond technique of Artificial Photosynthesis (AP) [1] . Despite great promises, AP technologies for solar H2 production and CO2 reduction are far uncompetitive to other promising technologies at the current stage . However, despite an enormous effort, time, and budget paid on AP-related researches throughout several decades, AP technologies have struggled to strive beyond laboratory demonstration except a very few exceptions [2] . This bitter reality makes the translation of this excellent science to practical application questionable [3] . Technoeconomic analysis shows that without achieving the aggressive technology targets, this technology will not be commercially viable. This has directed the research community towards the development of highly efficient yet expensive devices. While tremendous p...

Electromagnetic Field: Non-Chemical Water Treatment Technology

An interesting review report on “A critical review of the application of electromagnetic fields for scaling control in water systems: mechanisms, characterization, and operation” was reported by Lu Lin, Wenbin Jiang, Xuesong Xu and Pei Xu published in Nature Partner Journals Clean Water published on June 2020 [1] . Water is the precious matter in the world. source U.S. General Services Administration has interested on non-chemical water treatment technologies. It has mentioned following important points: n on-chemical technology promises to increase the period between required blow-down cycles, thus reducing water consumption , minimizes associated issues of chemical storage, handling, and disposal, and may permit on-site re-use of cooling-tower “blow-down” water as “grey water” , it promises to be life cycle cost effective based solely on the reduction in chemical costs , this technology may reduce or eliminate chemical costs, it may not reduce other contractor costs ...

Single-Atom Catalysis in Chemistry World

The recent interest on the heterogeneous single-atom catalysts (SACs) were composed of atomically dispersed active metal cen ters in catalyst research field, because of the increased atom utilization and unique catalytic properties of such materials, which differ greatly from those of conventional nano or subnano counter parts. In this case, the fabrication of SACs are challenging, especially in the case of noble metal based catalysts and many researches are ongoing in this field for the development of improved catalysts. Many chall enges have faced for the hybridization of controlling of single atoms in suitable host materials, but it has also equally opened with unique opportunities for catalyst design. SACs with atomically dispersed active metal centers on supports represent an intermediary between heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis. Therefore, understanding the homogeneous catalysis prototype creates a great opportunity for designing SACs and developing related applications....

A Novel Green Synthesis of Au/TiO2 Nanocomposites

Prof. Lahiru A. Wijenayaka, Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC), Mahenwatte, Pitipana, Homagama, Sri Lanka and his collaboration team has reported on the interesting materials for effective environmental alternative remediation via nontoxic, low cost and eco-friendly methods dedicated to the scientific community. Here, a novel, facile, and green synthetic approach to synthesize gold nanoparticle decorated over TiO 2 (Au/TiO 2 ) nanocomposites for sustainable environmental development has been discussed [ 1 ] . Based on various metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) photocatalysts, titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is the most widely used, owing to its effective and excellent results in optical transmittance, high refractive index, chemical stability, concurrently being stable, nontoxic, and inexpensive [ 2 ]. They are highlighted with the following points: (i) Synthesis of the Au/TiO 2 nanocomposite, (ii) Microscopic characterization, (iii) Dye adsorption on Au/TiO 2 and (iv) Photoca...

Postdocs Crisis: The "Last Generation" of Scientists

Postdoctoral Researchers play a vital role in the research productivity of several countries and serving as leaders, mentors, guides, teachers, and scientists. These researchers have developed their own skills and preparing themself for their scientific research careers with various research groups worldwide. Even performing in a short term, they need to spend additional years in some special cases for succession in their research careers. Senior research investigators or leaders who have promised to their younger colleagues or students for a long term contract in the academics should find a new pathway to make it possible to stay and plan for their long-term career. Also, these investigators should be more flexible, patience, and supportive for everyone in their research groups. But the main key point which they should focus on that was the researchers who want to pursue fulfilling careers in science elsewhere need to be supported in all means, whatever matters, whoever may be, the ta...

Search This Blog