Scientists have seen for the first time metal atoms near the surface of a liquid alloy arrange themselves in alternating layers one atom thick.

Nov. 7 , 2005 -- Some of this week's stories:

'Demixing' of metallic liquids seen for 1st time

With the help of the Western Hemisphere's most brilliant hard X-ray beams at the Advanced Photon Source, scientists have seen for the first time metal atoms near the surface of a liquid alloy arrange themselves in alternating layers one atom thick.

The research has implications for nanomaterials — materials made of ultrafine particles in which most atoms lie at or near the surface — and could lead to such applications as improved lead-free solder for electronics.

The collaboration, led by physicists from Harvard University, used X-rays to look at how atoms of bismuth and tin behave when they form a liquid alloy. In the bulk material, the two elemental liquids form a perfectly miscible solution — like cream mixed with coffee — but near the surface they separate into atomic layers with alternating compositions.

"The top atomic layer is mostly bismuth," said Oleg Shpyrko (currently at Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials, or CNM), the lead author of the study. "Below that layer, it's mostly tin. The layers alternate as you get deeper into the material, but after a few layers they start to mix until it becomes a pure alloy."

Previous studies have observed the low-surface tension component in such a mixture form a surface monolayer, a phenomena known as Gibbs adsorption. However, the extension of surface effects to sub-surface layers has never before been observed.

"The demixing we observe is somewhat of a paradox, since the interactions between the two components are strongly attractive, not repulsive, as in the case of immiscible mixtures like oil and water," Shpyrko said. "Surface demixing was predicted in 1950, but it eluded experimentalists for more than 50 years."

Shpyrko and collaborators developed an X-ray technique allowing independent measurements of atomic structure in the near-surface region of the liquid. The technique can also determine, and allow the researchers to compensate for, the effects of temperature-induced surface waves. These fluctuations can obscure direct observation of surface structures on minute scales.

The researchers have learned that surface-induced layering is a quasi-crystalline structure that appears at liquid-vapor interface of even simplest metallic fluids, but is apparently absent in dielectric liquids such as water.

In the most recent study, Shpyrko and co-workers added resonant X-ray scattering to obtain element-specific density profiles, while retaining sub-nanometer spatial resolution — a method that can be applied to a wide range of multi-component liquids in the future studies.

"As we learn about a variety of novel nanoscale materials where most atoms are near the surface, these and other interfacial effects are expected to play a dominant role," Shpyrko said.

The study was primarily led by Harvard's Peter Pershan and his group members Alexei Grigoriev, Reinhard Streitel and Diego Pontoni. Contributing were Ben Ocko from Brookhaven National Laboratory, Moshe Deutsch from Bar-Ilan University in Israel, and Binhua Lin and Mati Meron, who provided beamline support at The University of Chicago's ChemMat-CARS facility at the Advanced Photon Source.

The results were reported in Physical Review Letters [Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 106103 (2005)]

Daniels to lead ES Division

Ed Daniels has been appointed director of Argonne's Energy Systems Division, a leading center for research and development into energy and environmental issues.

Energy Systems Division employees are expert in transportation technologies, industrial processes, applied biological processes and environmental restoration. Current technologies being developed in the division address a number of national priority issues, including:

Advanced transportation systems, including hybrid electric vehicles,

Diesel engine efficiency and emissions research at all scales, from light-duty vehicles to railroad diesels,

Biochips for analysis of biological agents and disease detection,

Recycling technologies to economically recover materials from post-consumer goods, including auto-shredder residue,

Advanced separation technologies for the production of chemicals and intermediates from biological and conventional feedstocks,

Novel materials technologies, such as inert anodes for primary aluminum production and atomic layer deposition for catalysts, and

Analysis protocols and detection technology for chemical agents.

Daniels has a distinguished record of achievement in technical and economic analyses of advanced energy systems. He has been a leader within the laboratory in developing a broad range of industrial processing and materials recycling technologies for use in the commercial sector. He holds several patents and has written dozens of articles for peer-reviewed publications.

He previously served as the section leader for the division's Process Engineering Team. Daniels' team twice was awarded the Federal Laboratory Consortium Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer. Daniels was a co-recipient of an R&D 100 Award in 2000 and the Intellectual Law Property association Inventor of the Year Award in 2003. He received the University of Chicago's Distinguished Performance Award in 1997.

Before joining Argonne, Daniels held various positions of increasing responsibility with the Institute of Gas Technology (IGT). At IGT he was responsible for engineering-economic assessments for a range of energy systems, including coal-conversion technologies, alternative hydrogen-production technologies, unconventional gas production, solar-thermal conversion and the HTGR-chemical energy pipeline concept.

Online open enrollment is now under way

Open enrollment for Argonne's medical plans and flexible spending accounts will be held through Wednesday, Nov. 23. Read the open enrollment cover letter carefully for information on changes in the rates, plans, enrollment in flexible spending accounts and student verification.

Employees with e-mail will receive open enrollment materials by e-mail. Employees without e-mail will receive paper copies of open enrollment materials by mail. If you have not received your materials, contact HR-Employee Benefits at fperri@anl.gov or ext. 2-2989. Employees wishing to participate in the flexible spending accounts in 2006 must enroll during open enrollment.

All open enrollment transactions must be completed online. The open enrollment Web site can be reached at inside.anl.gov:

Log in using your Argonne ID and password

Click the Personal Info tab

Click the My Benefits tab

Click the Open Enrollment menu item on left side

If you do not have access to a computer, Employee Benefits will have computers available in the Benefits Conference Room in Building 201. Representatives will be available for assistance.

BlueAdvantage HMO can lower healthcare costs

Argonne employees who elect to participate in an HMO have a new opportunity to save money. In this open enrollment, employees can choose HMO Illinois or BlueAdvantage HMO.

Both HMOs have the same benefits; however, BlueAdvantage HMO members enjoy a cost savings. The difference between the two plans is the number of providers in the network. Many Argonne employees' primary care physicians (PCPs) are already in the BlueAdvantage network.

To find out if your PCP is in the BlueAdvantage HMO, visit www.bcbsil.com and click on "Provider Finder," then choose BlueAdvantage HMO. Those without Internet access can use the computer in the Benefits Conference room in Building 201 or pick up a provider directory that will be available in the Building 213 Cafeteria Nov. 8-10.

Veteran's contributions to be recognized Nov. 10

Argonne's 9th Annual Veteran's Recognition Day ceremony will feature a keynote speech by Donald R. Erbschloe, acting chief operating officer for the Department of Energy Office of Science.

Tim Branch (EQO-ESH) and Tim Marin (CHM) will perform patriotic music, and the Argonne Choral Group will perform the national anthem.

The program will be held Thursday, Nov. 10, in the Building 402 Auditorium and is open to all whose schedules permit.

The musical presentation will start at 11:30 a.m., and the non-musical portion of the program will begin at noon.

Visitors to the laboratory must pre-register; contact Paul Neeson (DOE) at ext. 2-2258.

Argonne scientists can help city students via video

Argonne's Division of Educational Programs is looking for several teams of one to three scientists to take part in video conferencing sessions with students at Walter Payton High School in Chicago.

For the past two years, the Chicago Workforce Board, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and Argonne have worked together to develop distance learning technology that can provide CPS students with unique interactive video conferences with scientists and technical professionals in Argonne's research and development facilities.

There are two programs:

Scientists show examples of their research, perhaps give a "virtual tour" of their laboratories, talk with students and answer questions. Sessions are planned for the following Thursdays in 2006: Jan. 12, Feb. 2 and 9, and March 2 and 16. All sessions will be held from noon to 12:45 p.m.

Students present their science fair or class-assigned project to a team of scientists who provide feedback, guidance and encouragement. This session will be held Thursday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to noon.

For more information and examples of past conferences, see the Web site at www.dep.anl.gov/sciencecareers/, or contact Lou Harnisch (DEP) at ext. 2-6925 or lharnisch@dep.anl.gov.

Santa set to visit Dec. 3

"Breakfast with Santa," Argonne Club's annual holiday party, will be held Saturday, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be three sessions for visiting Santa:  9-11 a.m., 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30-2 p.m. Tickets will be sold in the Building 213 Cafeteria Nov. 17-23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. To request tickets after Nov. 23, call Julie Bittke (UC) at ext. 2-8109 or see the Argonne Club Web site.

New activities this year will include Christmas bingo, kid kraft korner, cookie decorating and a candy cane lane walk. The party will also include favorites like face painters, balloon artists, coloring contest and magician. Breakfast and lunch items will be available for purchase. 

Volunteers are needed to run the event; contact Susan Grask (ACU) at sgrask@argonnecu.orgor ext. 2-3531. 

Visitors to the laboratory must be registered prior to event. See the Argonne Club Web site for details.

Katrina experiences topic of talk

George Mosho (PBC-HP) and Tim Smith (XFD) will share their experiences and photos from Hurricane Katrina emergency response efforts near Gulfport, Miss., at a meeting sponsored by the Argonne Amateur Radio Club Tuesday, Nov. 8.

The one-hour talk, "Reflections and Photos of Katrina," will begin at noon in the Building 402 Auditorium. All employees whose schedules permit are invited to attend.

Run, walk planned for Nov. 8

The Argonne Running Club will hold its Thanksgiving fun run and walk Tuesday, Nov. 8, starting from the Advanced Photon Source Gallery at noon.

There will be a three-mile running course and a two-mile walking course. Employees of all skill levels are welcome to participate. Refreshments will be served after the event. Participants who donate a food item are eligible for raffle prizes.

More information about the Argonne Running Club is online.

'SciFinder' can speed searches for information

The Argonne Research Library is coordinating an "open enrollment" for SciFinder, the Chemical Abstracts Services research tool.

SciFinder allows researchers to search the world's largest collection of chemical, chemical engineering, biochemical and medical information. More information about SciFinder can be found online. Open enrollment for this subscription service will be available to Argonne employees Nov. 7 - 18.

For more information, including pricing, contact Sharon Clark (TSD) at sclark@anl.gov.

HR classes

Human Resources, Performance Development, has scheduled the following classes during November:

Critical Conversation Series: "Listening for the Right Information" (HR404) — Thursday, Nov. 10, 1-3 p.m., Building 201, Room 190. This class covers approaches and techniques to enhance your ability to get information by encouraging information-sharing and promoting constructive relationships.

Survival Skills Series: "Postdocs — Packaging Your Ph.D. to Find a Job" (HR406) — Tuesday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m. - noon, Building 401, Room E1100. How does a Postdoc find a job after Argonne? Experts from academia, the laboratory and industry explain how it is done effectively in the first of the series of the award-winning Survival Skills workshops.

Critical Conversations Series: "The Art of Giving and Receiving Feedback" (HR397) — Thursday, Nov. 17, 1-3 p.m., Building 201, Room 190. Participants will learn to develop productive and positive approaches that can increase confidence when giving or receiving feedback.

To enroll, contact a Training Management System representative and complete the online enrollment form. Call Betty Iwan at ext. 2-3410 for more information.

In Memoriam

Nobel laureate Richard E. Smalley, a member of the University of Chicago Board of Governors for Argonne, died Oct. 28.

Smalley was Gene and Norman Hackerman Professor of Physics at Rice University's Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology. He shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in chemistry with fellow Rice chemist Robert Curl and British chemist Harold Kroto for the discovery of a new form of carbon, which they dubbed buckminsterfullerene — "buckyballs" for short — because of its resemblance to the geodesic domes designed by Buckminster Fuller. His leadership was crucial to the launch the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative in 2000.

Smalley was named to the Argonne Board of Governors in 2004. The board oversees and guides Argonne management. Members of the board are chosen from faculty, administrators and trustees of the University of Chicago, from other universities and organizations and from industry.

Leon Baltusis , a retired design draftsman with 9 years of service in ENG, died Oct. 8. His wife, Helen, survives him.

Robert N. Feinstein , a retired senior biochemist with 25 years of service in BIM, died Sept. 22. His wife, Betty, survives him.

Orris Fletcher , a retired engineering assistant with 19 years of service in HEP, died Sept. 30. His wife, Priscilla, survives him.

Raymond E. Grajek , a retired engineering specialist with 37 years of service in AP, died Oct. 10. His wife, Irene, survives him.

Jean R. Korn , a retired designer with 27 years of service in ENG, died Sept. 29. Her daughters survive her.

Argonne News deadline moves to Friday at 5 p.m.

The deadline for news, seminar listings and classified ads is now Friday at 5 p.m., subject to change due to holidays. See schedule below.

Nov. 21 issue deadline is Friday, Nov. 11, at 5 p.m.

Dec. 5 issue deadline is Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 5 p.m.

Dec. 19 issue deadline is Friday, Dec. 16, at 5 p.m.

Service Awards

Service Awards for October include:

50 Years

John C. Tezak (ET).

35 Years

Robert W. Aeschlimann (NE).

30 Years

Jean E. Missig (DIS), Oscar Ortega (PFS), Robert G. Sommer (TSD).

25 Years

Lisa L. Reed (DEP), John F. Schneider (ES).

20 Years

Jose Repond (HEP).

15 Years

Timothy Allison (DIS), John C. Conway (TSD), Mark A. Delrose (IPNS), Ronald J. Fierro (CIS), Gregory A. Fletcher (CMT), Gloria J. Griparis (TSD), Victor Guarino (HEP), Barbara L. Hall (MSD), Elizabeth K. Hocking (EA), Russell Jones, Jr. (PFS), James A. Kavicky (DIS), Phillip M. Kupiec (PFS), Luis Nuñez (PBC), Jaromir M. Penicka (ASD), Jiangang Sun (ET).

10 Years

Jeff A. Duckett (CIS).

5 Years

George Beranek (CIS), Cheryl Bergthold (ASD), William S. Bray (PFS), Cathy A. Bynum (NE), Cynthia Guendling (PFS), Marianna Kuczaj (PFS), Phani R. Pokkuluri (BIO), Claude J. Shultes, (AOD), Noreen A. Sorensen (MSD), Kathryn L. Tietz (AOD).

Use care operating office machinery

Laboratories and shop floors aren't the only places at Argonne that can present machinery hazards: Office equipment can also cause injuries.

Shredders designed to destroy CDs can eject shards; use care when operating any kind of shredder.

Loose clothing and lanyards used to display badges can be caught in machinery. The laboratory's Environment, Safety and Health Manual is being revised to require that all lanyards have the ability to pull apart to prevent injuries due to machinery, shredders or other hazards.

For more information, call Greg Dely (EQO) at ext. 2-6440.

RETIREES

Edwin Beck (PFS) retired Oct. 28 with 16 years of service.

James Beitz (CHM) retired Oct. 31 with 29 years of service.

Victoria Jennings (PFS-CU) retired Oct. 21 with 17 years of service.

John L. Krazinski (NE) retired Sept. 30 with 28 years of service.