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13 January 2025

Success for Computational Spectroscopy Team in Securing Beamtime at ISIS TOSCA

Success for Computational Spectroscopy Team in Securing Beamtime at ISIS TOSCA

The Computational Spectroscopy team has achieved a significant milestone by securing four days of beamtime on the TOSCA instrument at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. This beamtime will be dedicated to studying the reaction mechanism of deep eutectic solvent (DES)-assisted depolymerization of biobased polymers, advancing our understanding of sustainable polymer recycling.

The beamtime application was led by Mariela Nolasco, with the team including Ph.D. student Simão Pandeirada and his supervisors, Andreia de Sousa and Paulo Ribeiro-Claro. The study combines advanced computational methods with inelastic neutron scattering (INS) to investigate critical molecular mechanisms driving DES-assisted recycling process. The ultimate goal is to support the development of more sustainable chemical processes. This work is a natural extension of previous collaborations on spectroscopy and renewable polymers within the COST Action FUR4Sustain on furans (2019-2024).

The Computational Spectroscopy Lab group has established a remarkable track record in securing competitive proposals for beamtime at prestigious facilities such as the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source (U.K.) and the Institut Laue-Langevin (France). Over the past five years, the group has had eight proposals approved, demonstrating its expertise and reputation in using neutron spectroscopy to unravel the structure of complex systems. This success is further bolstered by two recently approved proposals to the Diamond Light Source synchrotron, underscoring the group’s ability to be present at top-tier research facilities.

Andreia de Sousa chaired the COST Action FUR4Sustain, European network of FURan based chemicals and materials FOR a Sustainable development

https://fur4sustain.eu/

Mariela Nolasco received the 2021 ISIS Impact Award – Society ? “for her work characterising polymer structure? and dynamics”.

https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/The-2021-ISIS-Impact-Award---Society.aspx

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