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We present x-ray absorption and emission experiments and ab initio calculations showing that the size of carbon diamond must be reduced to at least 2 nm, in order to observe an increase of its optical gap, at variance with Si and Ge where quantum confinement effects persist up to 6-7 nm. In addition, our calculations show that the surface of nanodiamond particles larger than approximately 1 nm reconstructs in a fullerenelike manner, giving rise to a new family of carbon clusters: bucky diamonds. Signatures of these surface reconstructions are compatible with pre-edge features observed in measured absorption spectra.

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We found monochromatic electron photoemission from large-area self-assembled monolayers of a functionalized diamondoid, [121]tetramantane-6-thiol. Photoelectron spectra of the diamondoid monolayers exhibited a peak at the low-kinetic energy threshold; up to 68% of all emitted electrons were emitted within this single energy peak. The intensity of the emission peak is indicative of diamondoids being negative electron affinity materials. With an energy distribution width of less than 0.5 electron volts, this source of monochromatic electrons may find application in technologies such as electron microscopy, electron beam lithography, and field-emission flatpanel displays.

The exciton binding energy (EBE) in CdSe quantum dots (QDs) has been determined using X-ray spectroscopy. Using X-ray absorption and photoemission spectroscopy, the conduction band (CB) and valence band (VB) edge shifts as a function of particle size have been determined and combined to obtain the true band gap of the QDs (i.e., without an exciton). These values can be compared to the excitonic gap obtained using optical spectroscopy to determine the EBE. The experimental EBE results are compared with theoretical calculations on the EBE and show excellent agreement.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) consisting of alkanethiols and similar sulfurcontaining molecules on noble metal substrates are extensively used and explored for various chemical and biological surface-functionalization in the scientific community. SAMs consisting of thiol-or disulfide-containing molecules adsorbed on gold are commonly used due to their ease of preparation and stability. However, the gold-thiolate bond is easily and rapidly oxidized under ambient conditions, adversely affecting SAM quality and structure. Here, the oxidation of dodecanethiol on gold is explored for various 12-hour exposures to ambient laboratory air and light. SAM samples are freshly prepared, air-exposed, and stored in small, capped vials. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals nearly complete oxidation of the thiolate in air-exposed samples, and a decrease in carbon signal on the surface. Near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) at the Carbon K-edge shows a loss of upright orientational order upon air-exposure. Alternatively,

Laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing is an emerging 3D printing technique for the fabrication of advanced metal components. Widespread adoption of it and similar additive technologies is hampered by poor understanding of laser-metal interactions under such extreme thermal regimes. Here, we elucidate the mechanism of pore formation and liquid-solid interface dynamics during typical laser powder bed fusion conditions using in situ X-ray imaging and multi-physics simulations. Pores are revealed to form during changes in laser scan velocity due to the rapid formation then collapse of deep keyhole depressions in the surface which traps inert shielding gas in the solidifying metal. We develop a universal mitigation strategy which eliminates this pore formation process and improves the geometric quality of melt tracks. Our results provide insight into the physics of laser-metal interaction and demonstrate the potential for science-based approaches to improve confidence in components produced by laser powder bed fusion.

The local structure and composition of Cu ions dispersed in CdSe nanocrystals is examined using soft x-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES). Using Cu L-edge XANES and X-ray photoelectron measurements (XPS), we find that the Cu ions exist in the Cu(I) oxidation state. We also find that the observed Cu L-edge XANES signal is directly proportional to the molar percent of Cu present in our final material. Se L-edge XANES indicates changes in the Se density of states with Cu doping, due to a chemical bonding effect, and supports a statistical doping mechanism. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements indicate the Cu ions may act as deep electron traps. We show that XANES, XPS, and PL are a powerful combination of methods to study the electronic and chemical structure of dopants in nanostructured materials.