Real-XAS
Real-XAS – Real-Time Operando X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy
The Real-XAS project (“Energy materials in relevant operation environments monitored online by advanced energy- and time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy”) is a collaborative research initiative between the University of Bayreuth (Prof. Dr. Christina Roth) and the Freie Universität Berlin (Prof. Dr. Holger Dau and Priv.-Doz. Dr. Michael Haumann), in close cooperation with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) at the BESSY II synchrotron facility.
The project aims to develop next-generation operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) techniques to study functional energy materials—such as electrocatalysts and battery electrodes—under realistic reaction conditions. By enabling millisecond time-resolved tracking of atomic and electronic changes during operation, Real-XAS provides unprecedented insights into reaction mechanisms, activation and degradation processes, and material dynamics at the atomic scale.
Building upon the successful Live-XAS project, Real-XAS extends the experimental capabilities of the KMC-3 beamline at BESSY II through:
- Advanced sample-environment control for experiments under industrially relevant conditions (high current densities, elevated temperatures, extreme pH).
- Integration of magnetic field-assisted operando electrochemistry (magneto-electrochemistry).
- Development of frequency-domain XAS methods to capture transient reaction intermediates.
The project is part of a long-term effort to establish a state-of-the-art, user-friendly operando XAS station for the German and international scientific community, supporting interdisciplinary research in energy conversion and storage, catalysis, and battery technologies.
Project Profile
Duration: 01.10.2025 - 30.09.2027
Funding: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR)
Project Partners:
Large-scale facility:
Contact: Dr. Bruna Lobo, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christina Roth