Repository logo


ANSTO Publications Online

Welcome to the ANSTO Institutional Repository known as APO.

The APO database has been migrated to version 8.3. The functionality has changed, but the content remains the same.

ANSTO Publications Online is a digital repository for publications authored by ANSTO staff since 2007. The Repository also contains ANSTO Publications, such as Reports and Promotional Material. ANSTO publications prior to 2007 continue to be added progressively as they are in identified in the library. ANSTO authors can be identified under a single point of entry within the database. The citation is as it appears on the item, even with incorrect spelling, which is marked by (sic) or with additional notes in the description field.

If items are only held in hardcopy in the ANSTO Library collection notes are being added to the item to identify the Dewey Call number: as DDC followed by the number.

APO will be integrated with the Research Information System which is currently being implemented at ANSTO. The flow on effect will be permission to publish, which should allow pre-prints and post prints to be added where content is locked behind a paywall. To determine which version can be added to APO authors should check Sherpa Romeo. ANSTO research is increasingly being published in open access due mainly to the Council of Australian University Librarians read and publish agreements, and some direct publisher agreements with our organisation. In addition, open access items are also facilitated through collaboration and open access agreements with overseas authors such as Plan S.

ANSTO authors are encouraged to use a CC-BY licence when publishing open access. Statistics have been returned to the database and are now visible to users to show item usage and where this usage is coming from.

Discover

Communities in ANSTO Publications Online

Select a community to browse its collections.

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Recent Submissions

  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type: Item ,
    Efficient CO electrosynthesis in hydroxide-mediated reactive capture systems through catalyst and microenvironment design
    (Elsevier, 2026-04) Wang, C; Qi, MM; Zheng, Z; Zheng, XB; Li, S; Li, P; Ma, TY; Johannessen, B; Cao, Y; Yi, JB; Yu, H; Zeng, J; Zhao, Y
    The electrochemical conversion of captured CO2 – also known as reactive capture – offers a promising approach to produce renewable carbon monoxide (CO) while bypass the energy and cost-intensive CO2 capture, purification and pressurization processes at large scale. However, current reactive capture systems suffer from low CO selectivity (< 50 %) and productivity (< 100 mA cm⁻2) due to the lack of efficient electrocatalysts and limited CO2 availability at the reactive interfaces. Here, we develop a coupled catalyst and microenvironment strategy to overcome these barriers. Employing Ni single-atom catalysts with a high density of reactive sites (Ni loading up to 3.0 wt%), together with enhanced CO2 regeneration and transport to the catalyst via local hydrophobicity control, we achieved efficient CO production with a Faradaic efficiency of 68 % at 100 mA cm⁻2 with stable performance maintained over 100 h in a hydroxide-mediated reactive capture system. The system achieved a CO energy efficiency of 27 % and an energy intensity of 37.7 GJ ton⁻¹CO, outperforming the best reported amine- and hydroxide-based reactive capture processes operating at ambient temperature and pressure. © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Open Access CC BY 4.0.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type: Item ,
    Imaging zinc speciation in the mouse hippocampus with µXANES Spectroscopic mapping
    (Oxford University Press (OUP), 2026-01-02) Hollings, AL; Willans, M; Lam, V; Takechi, R; Mamo, JCL; Mitchell, VD; de Jonge, MD; Howard, DL; Ellison, G; Hackett, MJ
    Zinc ions (Zn2+) are the second most abundant trace metal ion in the brain of rodents and primates, often serving functions as a structure-stabilizing element or catalytic role. There is an additional pool of Zn2+, ∼15% of total brain Zn2+, which exists in a labile chemical form in a specific subset of glutamatergic neurons ('zinergic' or 'zincergic' neurons). The labile pool of Zn2+ is now well established to be critical for healthy memory function, with disturbance to the labile Zn2+ pool implicated in diminished memory performance during the ageing process or neurodegeneration. The chemical form of Zn2+ in the labile Zn2+ pool has however, remained unknown, largely due to the difficulty of imaging metal speciation for 'spectroscopically silent' metals such as Zn2+. In this study, we have developed X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopic protocols to enable chemically specific imaging of Zn2+ speciation in murine brain (hippocampal) tissue. The protocols capitalise on the unique sensitivity of the XANES spectral region to metal ion coordination environment, enabling a direct in situ measurement of metal speciation. Key findings of our method development are characterisation of the effects of sample preparation on metal speciation, and revelation that Zn2+ coordination with histidine is likely to be the dominant coordination environment of the labile Zn2+ pool in the murine hippocampus. © The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press. Open Access CC BY 4.0.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type: Item ,
    Formation of compositionally graded grains and molten-salt corrosion behavior in wire-arc additive manufactured NiMoCr alloy-cladded steel
    (Elsevier, 2026-01-25) Zhu, HL; Qiu, ZJ; Wang, ZY; Muránsky, O; Karatchevtseva, I; Li, HJ
    A nickel-based alloy containing Mo and Cr as the primary alloying elements (NiMoCr) was deposited onto 316 L stainless steel via wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), and its microstructural evolution and high-temperature corrosion behavior in molten FLiNaK salt at 750 °C were investigated. The as-deposited cladding exhibited a highly textured dendritic γ-Ni matrix with significant Mo segregation and minor carbide formation in interdendritic regions. At the cladding-substrate interface, compositionally graded grains (CGGs) developed across a transition zone, displaying smooth chemical and crystallographic continuity without a distinct boundary. Corrosion testing for 500 h revealed corrosion rates of 0.11 mm/year for the NiMoCr cladding, 0.29 mm/year for the steel substrate, and 0.18 mm/year for the bistructure, indicating a gradient in corrosion resistance across the system. Post-exposure analysis and thermodynamic modelling showed that the steel substrate underwent intergranular corrosion, driven by rapid Cr diffusion and depletion along grain boundaries, further accelerated by galvanic coupling with the NiMoCr cladding. In contrast, Mo segregation in the NiMoCr alloy suppressed Cr diffusion and promoted the dynamic formation of corrosion-resistant σ-phase precipitates. These precipitates, along with the surrounding Mo-enriched matrix, mitigated galvanic interactions and shifted the dominant corrosion mode from interdendritic to intradendritic. Moreover, the CGGs helped maintain interface integrity by forming a transition zone that did not undergo preferential degradation. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. Open access CC BY 4.0.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type: Item ,
    Electron backscatter diffraction characterisation of a zirconolite-rich multi-phase ceramic wasteform
    (Springer Nature, 2026-03-19) Dayal, P; Muransky, O; Nguyen, TH; Gregg, DJ
    Single- or multi-phase ceramics and glass–ceramic composite materials are widely recognised as candidate wasteforms for the immobilisation of intermediate- and high-level radioactive wastes (ILW and HLWs). The long-term performance of these materials is governed by their microstructural features which may include grain size, crystallographic orientation, and phase distribution. These attributes influence dissolution rates, material response to radiation damage, and mechanical integrity, making them essential parameters in predictive models of wasteform durability over extended timescales. However, quantitative determination of grain-size and phase composition in ceramic and glass–ceramic wasteforms remains scarcely reported due to the inherent limitations of conventional methods. Here we present a novel methodology to produce reliable Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) maps of complex multi-phase systems to address this challenge. The approach enables precise grain-size measurement, phase quantification, texture analysis, and interphase boundary characterisation, in single- and multi-phase ceramics and glass–ceramic materials, significantly advancing microstructural assessment in nuclear wasteform research. © Crown 2026. Open access CC BY 4.0.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type: Item ,
    Framework short-range order observed in a spinel-type Li superionic conductor
    (American Chemical Society (ACS), 2026-03-11) Chen, Y; Ramette, C; Krogstad, M; Avdeev, M; Lawrence, EA; Kushwaha, S; Wei, CC; Subramanian, RS; Singh, B; Liu, B; Wang, XP; Hoffmann, CM; Liu, J; Cardon, P; Burch, KS; Sai Gautam, G; Ji, HW
    Solid-state superionic conductors are characterized by rich structural disorders. Though structural complexities are central to their functionalities, they often give rise to short-range order that eludes detection by conventional diffraction-based techniques and is thus overlooked in establishing precise structure–property relationships. In this work, we synthesized single crystals of a recently discovered lithium (Li) superionic conductor Li16.2(1)In9.00(2)Sn1.10(1)O23.8 (LISO) for in-depth characterizations of structural subtleties. LISO exhibits an unusual spinel-like phase with significant Li overstoichiometry and a face-sharing Li network. Single-crystal neutron diffraction confirms significant Li disorder, as manifested in Li site splitting and partial occupancy. More importantly, synchrotron diffuse scattering combined with 3D-ΔPDF analysis and Monte Carlo simulations reveal short-range order in the nonalkali framework that might contribute to the phase stability and ionic conductivity. This work showcases an example in which subtle local energetics can be directly visualized in structurally disordered ionic conductors. © 2026 American Chemical Society