SHINE · Seeing hydrogen in matter

Observing hydrogen (H) in matter is a formidable challenge. Despite being ubiquitous in nature, it is elusiveto scientific scrutiny like no other element. It is often portrayed as either a blessing or a curse. Certainly, it isa prime candidate for producing low-carbon emission power. But no less important is the effect of hydrogenembrittlement which has resulted in many catastrophic failures of engineering alloys.In aid of this, SHINE will realise multiple ambitions. It will facilitate the direct imaging and quantification ofH atoms in candidate metallic alloys and metal-organic frameworks for gaseous storage, allow the discoveryof new solid-state hydrides with controlled release, and help the improvement of fuel cell materials forenergy generation. All these applications have relevance to a ‘low-carbon-emission economy’ that humanitymust develop in the 21st century.SHINE will exploit a novel and entirely unique infrastructure, designed and currently implemented in thePI’s group. It will directly provide three-dimensional hydrogen mapping at the near-atomic scale. Byconnecting and relating this fundamental knowledge and observed physical properties, we will enableunprecedented precision in the prediction of material behaviour and so resolve to unlock control over thebehaviour of hydrogen in such materials.Atom probe tomography will be the principal method of a correlative microscopy and spectroscopy approachto investigate materials where precise knowledge of the distribution of H is crucial. Informed byexperimental data, modelling and simulations will provide a mechanistic understanding of the behaviour ofH in materials. Novel hardware and data-treatment approaches will be developed to maximise data qualityand provide new insights of the behaviour of H in the complex and dynamic microstructures of engineeringmaterials, thereby allowing us to devise manufacturing strategies to enhance their performance anddurability.