PhD Defense and Workshop
28/04/2026 🎓 Clara Lisa Silva successfully defended her PhD thesis. Funded by HZDR and MaLaR and based at ROBL, her research focused on a systematic investigation of the actinide series and its electronic structure over the past three years. The following day, the X-ray spectroscopy group at ESRF met with the defense committee to continue discussions on the complex electronic structure of f-electron systems—thank you to all committee members for the insightful exchange. Frank de Groot, Valérie Vallet, Luigi Paolasini, Michael Patzschke, Kindirich Kolorenc, Sergio Di Matteo, Maurits Haverkort, Yves Joly.
Continued XRS Measurements at ESRF
7-13/04/2026 Many thanks to all participating in the second round of XRS measurements at ID20 Sergei BUTORIN (Uppsala University), Nicolas CLAVIER (ICSM/CNRS), Shalane GOBERT (ICSM) and Kristina KVASHNINA (HZDR) as well as ID20 staff for their support.
MaLaR Scientific Meeting at ROBL
24/02/2026 We are looking forward to discussing promising results collected by Shalane GOBERT and the upcoming XRS experiments in April 2026 at ROBL with Nicolas CLAVIER, Shalane GOBERT, Nicolas DACHEUX and Laurent CLAPAREDE on Friday 27th February in Grenoble.
XRS Measurements at ESRF
27/01/2026 5 days of experiments using XRS at ID20 / ESRF for the MaLaR project come to an end. Many thanks for your participation and valuable insights Sergei BUTORIN (Uppsala University), Alexandr TALYZIN (Umeå University), Bartosz GUZERDA (HZDR), Simo HUOTARI (University of Helsinki) + Kari RUOTSALAINEN (ID20 staff)
Progress Meeting 2026
16/01/2026 Yesterday we met again with all #MaLaR partners to discuss our latest results and plan the next steps of the project. Exciting progress to share:
📌 It looks like we with Alexandr TALYZIN may have identified the first carbon-based (environmentally friendly) species capable of selectively eparating a single actinide ion from complex lanthanide/actinide mixtures. ☢️ Several tests have been repeated by Bartosz GURZEDA at the Institute of Resource Ecology of Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and all showing identical (very promising) results!📌 And we have developed new ideas on how lanthanides are incorporated into mixed oxides with Nicolas CLAVIER and Nicolas DACHEUX. ❓The next step? More lab characterization tests with Marius ENACHESCU and going deep into the fundamentals. We will use ESRF – The European Synchrotron to uncover the mechanisms behind this behavior at the atomic and molecular levels with Sergei Butorin. ➡️ Next week we are at ID20 with Christoph SAHLE, Kari RUOTSALAINEN and Simo HUOTARI ➡️ In 1 month at BM20 (Rossendorf beamline) with Damien PRIEUR, Sami VASALA, Lucia AMIDANI, Christoph HENNIG, Eleanor LAWRENCE BRIGHT, Clara L. SILVA. 🔆The unique experimental setups at both beamlines will be used extensively over the next 6 months. Thank you ESRF and HZDR for proving the beamtimes! A big thank you to all partners and colleagues for the enthusiasm, commitment, and shared passion for this project!
OPERA OMNIA Award: Marius Echanescu
17.12.2025 – Congratulations to our partner Marius Echanescu (Director of the Centre for Surface Science and Nanotechnology (CSSNT-UNSTPB) who has been given the Opera Omnia Award, one of the most prestigious distinctions of the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, granted in recognition of an entire scientific and academic career at its Research Gala. This recognition honours outstanding contributions to the advancement of cutting-edge research, academic leadership, and the international impact of the activity carried out. https://fils.upb.ro/en/2025/12/17/research-gala-opera-omnia-award-for-academic-excellence/
2025 Techniques and Beamtime 2026
17.11.2025 We had a very busy 2025: 7 visits by 4 partners, 33 days of beamtime, 3 stations at ROBL have been used: XES, XRD EXAFS! Plans are already on the table for 4 beamtimes in the first half of 2026 and the Progress Meeting is looking promising and will be on 16th January! Meanwhile have a good Christmas break!
Recruitment at ROBL
22.10.2025 Congratulations to Guna Othman who was successfully recruited for the post of Trainee / Research Assistant. She will be working on analysis of MaLaR data based on measurements here at ROBL from October 2025 to February 2026. A very warm welcome from all the team!
XAS Spectroscopy Measurements
28/09-05/10/2025: Exciting milestone for our European project MALAR: Our first samples 🧪 synthesized by Shalane GOBERT have just arrived at the ROBL beamline of the ESRF 💡 for XAS spectroscopy measurements 🔬. 🙏 A big thank you to Damien PRIEUR, Sami VASALA, Kristina KVASHNINA, and all our colleagues at ROBL for your support and collaboration 🤝, and to Nicolas DACHEUX and Laurent CLAPEREDE for the week-end shifts !
New Team Member at Umeå
15 September 2025: Welcome to Ekatarina CHERNOVA, an experienced researcher with many publications on graphene oxide membranes.
Raman Spectrometer at Marcoule
We’ve just unboxed our brand-new Raman spectrometer — an exciting addition to our lab. Largely funded by the European MALAR project, this powerful tool will help us explore the behavior of lanthanide elements in uranium oxides. 🧲♻️ A key first step toward turning nuclear waste into a new resource by recovering valuable critical elements produced in reactors.
MaLaR In-Person Meeting at Marcoule, France
09/09 -11/09/2025: The second in-person meeting of the #MALAR partners took place at Institut de Chimie Séparative de Marcoule (ICSM), and it was such a pleasure to spend these productive days together with colleagues from Germany, France, Romania, and Sweden.
Huge thanks to Nicolas CLAVIER, Nicolas DACHEUX , Laurent CLAPAREDE, for the wonderful organization – everything was just perfect! Looking forward to continuing our collaboration with you, Alexandr TALYZIN, Sergei BUTORIN, Marius ENACHESCU and the exciting next steps ahead!
HERFD Experiment at Grenoble
04/07 – 05/07/2025 : The HERFD experiment scheduled at ROBL. Main Proposer: Nicolas DACHEUX (University of Montpelier, France). Samples with radioactive isotopes are synthesized in Marcoule in collaboration with Nicolas CLAVIER (ICSM) and measurements are done in Grenoble.
Website News!
02/06/2025 Implementation of project website malar-project.eu. Welcome!
HERFD and EXAFS Experiments at ROBL, France
04/04 – 07/04/2025 HERFD and EXAFS experiments took place on samples after sorption. Main proposer: Alexandr TALYZIN (Umeå University, Sweden). Carbon-based materials were prepared in Umeå (Sweden), sorption experiments were done at HZDR (Germany) with radioactive materials. Measurements were performed at ESRF, Grenoble.
Synthesis and Sorption Tests at Umeå, Sweden
02/04/2025 Alexandr TALYZIN (Umeå University, Sweden) Synthesis of two types of materials for sorption tests was performed. Bulk amounts of materials were produced, materials characterized and tested for one Ln element sorption at Umeå. Also , samples of these two materials were sent our partners at HXRD for testing sorption of several Ln and AC elements. These samples will be studied during experiments at ROBL in April 3-10th.
Recruitment and Raman Spectrometer at Marcoule, France
28/03/2025 Nicolas CLAVIER (CNRS) The first quarter was devoted to the search for and hiring of a post-doctoral fellow, Ms. Shalane GOBERT, who will begin her work on the synthesis and characterization of uranium oxides doped with heavy rare earth elements in April. At the same time, we finalized the purchase of a new Raman spectrometer. This will enable us to acquire spectra from powder, solid or liquid samples, acquire hyperspectral images, and also record in situ data during high-temperature heat treatments. The combination of an experienced and highly-motivated student and cutting-edge experimental resources should lead to promising results for the MALAR project in the coming weeks!
STEM and EELS Measurements at NUSTPB, Romania
25/03/2025 Marius ENACHESCU (Center for Surface Science and Nanotechnology National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest) In this period we succeed to do STEM and EELS measurements on one of MALAR samples and soon we will send the results.
Synthesis at HZDR, Germany
24/03/2025 Kristina Kvaschnina (HZDR/ESRF) At HZDR, a synthesis procedure has begun, and samples will be examined at the synchrotron in early April.
Samples and Beamtime
19/02/2025 Sergei BUTORIN (Uppsala University, Sweden) Zoom meeting between HZDR, Umeå University and Uppsala University to discuss the data measured at beamline ID20 of ESRF on the samples prepared at the Umeå University and to prepare proposals for beamtime at ESRF and MAXIV for the upcoming round of applications .
MaLaR Kick Off Meeting
15/01/2025 The Kick Off Meeting took place at ESRF in Grenoble, France on 15th and 16th January 2025 with all partners present.
