Anjani K. Maurya

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory · Stanford University

Anjani K. Maurya

Associate Staff Scientist

Plastic deconstruction & recycling · nucleation and growth of nanoparticles · AI/ML-guided autonomous experimentation

Scholar ORCID LinkedIn Email

About

I am an Associate Staff Scientist at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University, where I am building a soft matter research group that uses large-scale facilities such as synchrotrons and free-electron lasers. My research focuses on understanding plastic deconstruction and recycling through chemical and biological pathways, and on developing autonomous, data-driven X-ray scattering methods for polymers and soft materials. By combining in situ and operando scattering with real-time analysis, AI/ML and adaptive measurement strategies, my work aims to accelerate the discovery of structure–reactivity and structure–property relationships.

I earned my Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) and the University of Bern, where my research applied materials science approaches to biomedical systems. I completed the Erasmus Mundus Master's program in Materials Science Exploring Large Scale Facilities (MaMaSELF), studying at the University of Rennes 1 in France and the Technical University of Munich in Germany, and hold a B.Tech. in Engineering Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India.

This work sits between sustainable materials chemistry and X-ray methods development: understanding how polymers come apart and can be rebuilt, and building the autonomous experiments that make those structural measurements fast enough to guide materials design directly.

What I am working on now

Building a soft matter group

Developing a research group at SLAC that uses synchrotrons and free-electron lasers to study soft and disordered materials.

Autonomous beamline experiments

Integrating AI and machine learning with X-ray capabilities at SSRL, so a measurement can decide what to measure next, combining real-time analysis with closed-loop control of sample environments.

Taking plastics apart

Following catalytic deconstruction of polyethylene and polystyrene as it happens, to understand what controls how a plastic comes apart.

Research

My work uses X-ray scattering to understand how the structure of soft materials governs their reactivity and properties, and to build the automated, data-driven experiments that make those questions tractable at scale.

SAXS and WAXS scattering geometry with incident and scattered wavefields A collimated monochromatic X-ray plane wave of wavelength lambda and wavevector k-i strikes a sample. The sample re-radiates spherical scattered wavefronts with wavevector k-f. Wide-angle scattering is collected on a detector close to the sample; small-angle scattering reaches a downstream detector. The scattering vector q is the difference between the scattered and incident wavevectors, and two-theta is measured from the transmitted beam axis. Scattered intensity falls off with distance and angle. Synchrotron X-ray source Collimation λ k i Sample in situ cell 2θ 2θ k f WAXS detector wide 2θ · Å-scale packing transmitted direct beam SAXS detector small 2θ · 1–100 nm beamstop absorbs direct beam
A monochromatic plane wave of wavelength λ and wavevector ki reaches the sample, which re-radiates spherical wavefronts kf. Wide 2θ carries atomic packing to the near detector, small 2θ carries nanoscale morphology downstream, and the transmitted beam is absorbed by the beamstop. Scattering vector q = kf − ki, |q| = 4π sin θ / λ. Angles are exaggerated for clarity.

Plastic deconstruction & redesign

Polymer-physics-informed, mechanistic understanding of how plastics come apart and how they can be rebuilt. In situ SAXS/WAXS during reaction shows how morphology governs solvent and catalyst accessibility in deconstruction, and in situ tensile and thermomechanical measurements link crystallinity and chain orientation to the mechanics of redesigned, recyclable polymers.

Polymer membrane dynamics

Operando X-ray scattering of nanofiltration membranes, following how membrane structure responds during operation to understand selective separation of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel from battery-recycling streams and natural sources.

Nucleation and growth of nanoparticles

Following particle formation from solution as it happens. Reagents are mixed in a microfluidic cell in the beam, so SAXS resolves the induction period, nucleation and early growth, with position along the channel setting the time axis. Used to build quantitative growth kinetics for iron oxide and related systems.

Ultrafast X-ray dynamics

Pump–probe X-ray scattering at LCLS (XPP) probing transient melting and structural dynamics in metal films, and time-resolved studies using split-and-delay optics.

Hierarchical soft matter & fibers

Quantitative structure–property relationships in electrospun and thermally drawn fibers, nanocellulose aerogels, and mineralized tissues, connecting molecular orientation and semicrystalline order to mechanical and functional behavior across length scales.

AI/ML-guided autonomous experimentation

Building autonomous platforms at SSRL that integrate X-ray capabilities with AI/ML. Python pipelines perform real-time data reduction, correction, and analysis, enabling closed-loop and active-learning workflows that let a measurement decide what to measure next, including Bayesian experiment selection and simulation-based inference, and the SWAXS Platform, an AI-assisted toolkit for SAXS/WAXS reduction and analysis.

Length scales we probe

Length scales accessible by X-ray scattering Wide-angle scattering probes ångström-scale atomic packing, small-angle scattering probes one to one hundred nanometre morphology, and ultra-small-angle scattering and imaging reach micrometres. 0.1 nm1 nm 10 nm100 nm 1 µm10 µm WAXS: atomic packing SAXS: nanostructure USAXS & imaging crystal lattice lamellae, fibrils, pores domains, morphology
One beamline, many length scales. Combining methods spans atomic packing to bulk morphology.

Techniques & tools

X-ray methods

SAXS, WAXS, GISAXS/GIWAXS, XRD, rheo-SAXS/WAXS, XAS, micro-CT, ultrafast pump–probe diffraction, in situ and operando measurement

Sample environments

In situ tensile, biaxial thermomechanical, high-temperature/high-pressure, microfluidic, continuous-flow and reaction cells

Materials synthesis

Electrospinning, melt-spinning, microfluidics, spin coating, doctor blading, 3D printing; thin films by HWCVD, PECVD, RF sputtering and evaporation

Programming & analysis

Python, MATLAB, real-time SAXS/WAXS pipelines, beamline automation, FEM and DFT modeling

Software

TOPAS, ATSAS, NIKA, FIT2D, GIXSGUI, DPDAK, SasView, SASfit, BioXTAS RAW, PyMOL, Fusion 360

Facilities

SSRL: 1-5, 2-1, 17-2, 11-3, 4-2, 9-3, 4-1 LCLS: XPP DESY: P12 APS: 12-ID-B PSI: MS Diamond: I15-1

Publications

… Citations
… h-index
… i10-index
… Indexed works

Live metrics via OpenAlex. Full profiles below.

Google Scholar ResearchGate
  1. NeurIPS 2026
    Accepted NeurIPS 2026 · AI4Mat Workshop

    Pranav Kakhandiki, Sean Gasiorowski, Samuel Klein, Anjani K. Maurya, Christopher J. Tassone; “Simulation Based Inference for Multi-Component Nanoparticle Scattering” AI for Accelerated Materials Design (AI4Mat) Workshop, Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS 2026, accepted).

  2. JACS Au 2026
    JACS Au 2026

    Anjani K. Maurya, Arun S. Asundi, Sarah A. Hesse, Amani M. Ebrahim, Kevin P. Sullivan, Joel Miscall, Jocelyn A. Richardson, Simon R. Bare, Ritimukta Sarangi, Gregg T. Beckham, Christopher J. Tassone; “Effects of Polymer Morphology on Solvent and Catalyst Accessibility during Polyethylene and Polystyrene Autoxidation” JACS Au, 6, 2891–2901 (2026).

    View article
  3. Advanced Materials Technologies 2026
    Advanced Materials Technologies 2026 Invited

    Anjani K. Maurya, Arun S. Asundi, Ozge D. Bozkurt, Katrina M. Knauer, Simon R. Bare, Christopher J. Tassone; “Polymer Deconstruction and Redesign Strategies for Plastics Recycling” Advanced Materials Technologies, 11, 2502008 (2026).

    View article
  4. Nature Chemical Engineering 2025
    Nature Chemical Engineering 2025

    Julia B. Curley, Yuanzhe Liang, Jason S. DesVeaux, Taylor Uekert, Hoon Choi, Ryan W. Clarke, William E. Michener, Anjani K. Maurya, Lisa M. Stanley, Yue Wu, Sarah A. Hesse, Andrea L. Baer, Hudson A. Neyer, Christopher J. Tassone, Alan J. Jacobsen, Ofei D. Mante, Gregg T. Beckham, Katrina M. Knauer; “Closed-Loop Recycling of Mixed Polyesters via Catalytic Methanolysis and Monomer Separations” Nature Chemical Engineering, 2, 568–580 (2025).

    View article
  5. Protein Science 2024
    Protein Science 2024 Best Paper Award 2024

    Jessica Lusty Beech, Anjani K. Maurya, Ronivaldo R. da Silva, Emmanuel Akpoto, Arun S. Asundi, Julia A. Fecko, Neela H. Yennawar, Ritimukta Sarangi, Christopher J. Tassone, Thomas M. Weiss, Jennifer L. DuBois; “Understanding the Stability of a Plastic-Degrading Rieske Iron Oxidoreductase System” Protein Science, 33, e4997 (2024).

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  6. Graphical abstract
    Green Chemistry 2024
    Green Chemistry 2024

    Amy A. Cuthbertson, Clarissa L. Lincoln, Joel Miscall, Lisa M. Stanley, David Moore, Anjani K. Maurya, Arun S. Asundi, Christopher J. Tassone, Nicholas A. Rorrer, Gregg T. Beckham; “Characterization of Polymer Properties and Identification of Additives in Commercially Available Research Plastics” Green Chemistry, 26, 7067–7090 (2024).

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  7. Graphical abstract
    The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2023
    The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2023

    Arun S. Asundi, Amani M. Ebrahim, Anjani K. Maurya, Chad T. Palumbo, Kevin P. Sullivan, Gregg T. Beckham, Ritimukta Sarangi; “Effect of Ligand Chemistry on Electronic Properties and Reactivity of Cobalt Acetate Autoxidation Catalysts” The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 127, 15797–15808 (2023).

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  8. Graphical abstract
    ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2023
    ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2023

    Makenna L. Pennel, Anjani K. Maurya, Amani M. Ebrahim, Christopher J. Tassone, Matteo Cargnello; “Intrinsic Activity of Silica–Alumina for the Conversion of Polyethylene into Tunable Aromatics below Pyrolytic Temperatures” ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 11, 12623–12630 (2023).

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  9. Graphical abstract
    The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2022
    The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2022

    Fernando Vazquez Luna, Anjani K. Maurya, Juliana Martins de Souza e Silva, Guido Dittrich, Theresa Paul, Dirk Enke, Patrick Huber, Ralf Wehrspohn, Martin Steinhart; “Straight versus Spongy: Effect of Tortuosity on Polymer Imbibition into Nanoporous Matrices Assessed by Segmentation-Free Analysis of 3D Sample Reconstructions” The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 126, 12765–12779 (2022).

    View article
  10. Graphical abstract
    Carbohydrate Polymers 2022
    Carbohydrate Polymers 2022

    Deeptanshu Sivaraman, Gilberto Siqueira, Anjani K. Maurya, Shanyu Zhao, Matthias M. Koebel, Gustav Nyström, Marco Lattuada, Wim J. Malfait; “Superinsulating Nanocellulose Aerogels: Effect of Density and Nanofiber Alignment” Carbohydrate Polymers, 292, 119675 (2022).

    View article
  11. Chimia 2022
    Chimia 2022

    Jean Schoeller, Jonathan Avaro, Anjani K. Maurya, René M. Rossi, Antonia Neels; “Tailoring Fibre Structure Enabled by X-ray Analytics for Targeted Biomedical Applications” Chimia, 76, 229–235 (2022).

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  12. Graphical abstract
    Journal of the American Chemical Society 2022
    Journal of the American Chemical Society 2022

    Robin M. Cywar, Nicholas A. Rorrer, Heather B. Mayes, Anjani K. Maurya, Christopher J. Tassone, Gregg T. Beckham, Eugene Y.-X. Chen; “Redesigned Hybrid Nylons with Optical Clarity and Chemical Recyclability” Journal of the American Chemical Society, 144, 5366–5376 (2022).

    View article
  13. Graphical abstract
    Advanced Functional Materials 2022
    Advanced Functional Materials 2022

    Neda Iranpour Anaraki, Marianne Liebi, Quy Ong, Clément Blanchet, Anjani K. Maurya, Francesco Stellacci, Stefan Salentinig, Peter Wick, Antonia Neels; “In-situ Investigations on Gold Nanoparticles Stabilization Mechanisms in Biological Environments Containing HSA” Advanced Functional Materials, 32, 2110253 (2022).

    View article
  14. Graphical abstract
    Nanoscale Advances 2022
    Nanoscale Advances 2022

    Anjani K. Maurya, Eloïse Mias, Jean Schoeller, Giuseppino Fortunato, René M. Rossi, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels; “Multiscale Structural Decoding of Electrospun Fibers: From Fabrication to Possibilities for Steering Properties” Nanoscale Advances, 4, 491–501 (2022).

    View article
  15. Graphical abstract
    Small 2022
    Small 2022

    Inès Richard, Anjani K. Maurya, Shahrzad Shadman, Eloïse Masquelier, Lison Sylou Marthey, Antonia Neels, Fabien Sorin; “Unraveling the Influence of Polymer Chain Orientation on the Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Thermally Drawn Fibers” Small, 18, 2101392 (2022).

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  16. Graphical abstract
    Acta Biomaterialia 2021
    Acta Biomaterialia 2021

    Anjani K. Maurya, Annapaola Parrilli, Tatiana Kochetkova, Jakob Schwiedrzik, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels; “Multiscale and Multimodal X-ray Analysis: Quantifying Phase Orientation and Morphology of Mineralized Turkey Leg Tendons” Acta Biomaterialia, 129, 169–177 (2021).

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  17. Graphical abstract
    Polymer 2021
    Polymer 2021

    Anjani K. Maurya, Sumit Mondal, Dean E. Wheeldon, Jean Schoeller, Michel Schmid, Simon Annaheim, Martin Camenzind, Giuseppino Fortunato, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels, Amin Sadeghpour, René M. Rossi; “Effect of Radiant Heat Exposure on Structure and Mechanical Properties of Thermal Protective Fabrics” Polymer, 222, 123634 (2021).

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  18. Graphical abstract
    Materials & Design 2021
    Materials & Design 2021

    Dambarudhar Parida, Khalifah Salmeia, Amin Sadeghpour, Shanyu Zhao, Anjani K. Maurya, Eva Moreau, Robin Pauer, Sandro Lehner, Milijana Jovic, Sabyasachi Gaan; “Template-Free Synthesis of Hybrid Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle with Phosphonic Acid Functionality for Efficient Methylene Blue Removal” Materials & Design, 201, 109494 (2021).

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  19. Graphical abstract
    Materials Letters 2020
    Materials Letters 2020

    Ivana Malagurski, Ruggero Frison, Anjani K. Maurya, Antonia Neels, Boban Andjelkovic, Ramsankar Senthamaraikannan, Ramesh B. Padamati, Kevin E. O’Connor, Tomasz Witko, Daria Solarz, Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic; “Polyhydroxyoctanoate Films Reinforced with Titanium Dioxide Microfibers for Biomedical Application” Materials Letters, 285, 129100 (2020).

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  20. Graphical abstract
    Acta Biomaterialia 2020
    Acta Biomaterialia 2020

    Tatiana Kochetkova, Cinzia Peruzzi, Oliver Braun, Jan Overbeck, Anjani K. Maurya, Antonia Neels, Michel Calame, Johann Michler, Philippe Zysset, Jakob Schwiedrzik; “Combining Polarized Raman Spectroscopy and Micropillar Compression to Study Microscale Structure–Property Relationships in Mineralized Tissues” Acta Biomaterialia, 119, 390–404 (2021).

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  21. Graphical abstract
    Langmuir 2020
    Langmuir 2020

    Nguyen D. Tien, Anjani K. Maurya, Giuseppino Fortunato, Markus Rottmar, Robert Zboray, Rolf Erni, Alex Dommann, René M. Rossi, Antonia Neels, Amin Sadeghpour; “Responsive Nanofibers with Embedded Hierarchical Lipid Self-Assemblies” Langmuir, 36, 11787–11797 (2020).

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  22. Graphical abstract
    Optics Express 2020
    Optics Express 2020

    Arushi Jain, Anjani K. Maurya, Leonie Ulrich, Michael Jaeger, René M. Rossi, Antonia Neels, Philippe Schucht, Alex Dommann, Martin Frenz, H. Günhan Akarçay; “Polarimetric Imaging in Backscattering for the Structural Characterization of Strongly Scattering Birefringent Fibrous Media” Optics Express, 28, 16673–16695 (2020).

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  23. Graphical abstract
    Nanoscale 2019
    Nanoscale 2019

    Anjani K. Maurya, Lukas Weidenbacher, Fabrizio Spano, Giuseppino Fortunato, René M. Rossi, Martin Frenz, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels, Amin Sadeghpour; “Structural Insights into Semicrystalline States of Electrospun Nanofibers: A Multiscale Analytical Approach” Nanoscale, 11, 7176–7187 (2019).

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  24. Graphical abstract
    ACS Applied Energy Materials 2018
    ACS Applied Energy Materials 2018

    Nitin Saxena, Josef Keilhofer, Anjani K. Maurya, Giuseppino Fortunato, Jan Overbeck, Peter Müller-Buschbaum; “Facile Optimization of Thermoelectric Properties in PEDOT:PSS Thin Films through Acid–Base and Redox Dedoping Using Readily Available Salts” ACS Applied Energy Materials, 1, 336–342 (2018).

    View article

Talks & Conferences

  1. 2026
  2. Invited Talk December 2026 (scheduled)

    BOTTLE: Biaxial Thermomechanical Testing

    Film Technical Committee, Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR)

    Virtual

    Anjani K. Maurya

  3. Invited Talk October 2026

    Multiscale Structural Investigations Using SAXS and WAXS: From Measurement Fundamentals to Autonomous Experiments

    SLAC-Stanford Battery Center Seminar

    SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA

    Anjani K. Maurya

  4. Invited Talk July 2026

    Characterization-Informed Processing of Redesigned Polymers

    DOE BOTTLE Consortium All-Hands Meeting

    Golden, CO, USA

    Anjani K. Maurya

  5. Oral March 2026

    Decoding Structure–Property Relationships in Redesigned Polymers Using In Situ WAXS and Tensile Measurements

    APS Global Physics Summit

    Denver, CO, USA

    Anjani K. Maurya, Arun S. Asundi, Ozge D. Bozkurt, Julia B. Curley, Katrina M. Knauer, Gregg T. Beckham, Christopher J. Tassone

  6. 2025
  7. Invited Talk June 2025

    Rational Process Design Through Characterization

    DOE BOTTLE Consortium All-Hands Meeting

    USA

    Anjani K. Maurya

  8. Invited Talk June 2025

    In Situ Tensile Measurement on Redesigned Plastic Substrates

    DOE BOTTLE Consortium All-Hands Meeting

    USA

    Anjani K. Maurya

  9. Invited Talk April 2025

    Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) for In Situ Structural Investigations: Insights, Challenges, and Future Prospects

    SSRL Seminar, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource

    SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA

    Anjani K. Maurya

  10. Oral March 2025

    Chemical Deconstruction of Plastics: Insights from In Situ Simultaneous SAXS and WAXS

    APS Global Physics Summit

    Anaheim, CA, USA

    Anjani K. Maurya, Arun S. Asundi, Ozge D. Bozkurt, Julia B. Curley, Katrina M. Knauer, Gregg T. Beckham, Christopher J. Tassone

  11. Oral March 2025

    Unraveling the Impact of Solvents and Catalysts on Plastics in Catalytic Autoxidation: Insights from X-ray Scattering

    ACS Spring Meeting

    San Diego, CA, USA

    Anjani K. Maurya, Arun S. Asundi, Sarah A. Hesse, Amani M. Ebrahim, Kevin P. Sullivan, Joel Miscall, Simon R. Bare, Ritimukta Sarangi, Gregg T. Beckham, Christopher J. Tassone

  12. 2023
  13. Poster September 2023

    In Situ Synchrotron-Based Characterization of Soft Materials Properties and Behavior

    Bay Area Soft Matter Symposium

    Stanford, CA, USA

    Anjani K. Maurya, Arun S. Asundi, Ozge D. Bozkurt, Sarah A. Hesse, Christopher J. Takacs, Ravikumar Ramegowda, Jeremy Luterbacher, Eugene Y.-X. Chen, Gregg T. Beckham, Christopher J. Tassone

  14. 2022
  15. Oral September 2022

    Decoding the Mechanism of Autoxidation Deconstruction Reaction of Plastics by In Situ Simultaneous SAXS and WAXS

    SAS2022 International Conference

    Campinas, Brazil

    Anjani K. Maurya, Arun S. Asundi, Sarah A. Hesse, Amani M. Ebrahim, Kevin P. Sullivan, Chad T. Palumbo, Allison Z. Werner, Christopher J. Takacs, Gregg T. Beckham, Ritimukta Sarangi, Christopher J. Tassone

  16. Oral May–June 2022

    Unraveling the Multiscale Structure of Fibrous Materials by X-ray Scattering Techniques

    17th European Powder Diffraction Conference (EPDIC17)

    Šibenik, Croatia

    Anjani K. Maurya, René M. Rossi, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels (presented by A. Neels)

  17. 2020
  18. Oral November 2020

    Multiscale Structural Decoding of Electrospun Fibers: From Processing to Possibilities for Steering Properties

    Empa PhD Symposium 2020

    St. Gallen, Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Eloïse Mias, Jean Schoeller, René M. Rossi, Martin Frenz, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels

  19. Poster January 2020

    Nucleation and Growth Study of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles from Solution for Biomedical Application

    GCB Symposium, University of Bern

    Bern, Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Amin Sadeghpour, Ruggero Frison, Riccardo Innocenti Malini, Claudio Toncelli, Marc G. Willinger, René M. Rossi, Martin Frenz, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels

  20. 2019
  21. Poster November 2019

    Nucleation and Growth Study of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles from Solution

    Empa PhD Symposium 2019

    Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Amin Sadeghpour, Ruggero Frison, Riccardo Innocenti Malini, Claudio Toncelli, Marc G. Willinger, René M. Rossi, Martin Frenz, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels

  22. Poster October 2019

    Electrospun Nanofibers with Embedded Bioinspired Membranes

    Bioinspired Materials Conference

    Monte Verità, Ascona, Switzerland

    Nguyen D. Tien, Anjani K. Maurya, Robert Zboray, Giuseppino Fortunato, Markus Rottmar, René M. Rossi, Martin Frenz, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels, Amin Sadeghpour

  23. Poster August 2019

    Understanding Fiber Fabrication Process by Structural Feedback from SAXS and WAXD

    32nd European Crystallographic Meeting (ECM32)

    Vienna, Austria

    Anjani K. Maurya, Lukas Weidenbacher, Fabrizio Spano, Giuseppino Fortunato, René M. Rossi, Martin Frenz, Alex Dommann, Amin Sadeghpour, Antonia Neels

  24. Oral August 2019

    Decoding Structural Insights of Nanofibers by SAXS and WAXD

    Swiss Crystallography Meeting 2019

    EPFL, Sion, Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Lukas Weidenbacher, Fabrizio Spano, Giuseppino Fortunato, René M. Rossi, Martin Frenz, Alex Dommann, Amin Sadeghpour, Antonia Neels

  25. 2018
  26. Poster November 2018

    Decoding Structural Insights into Semicrystalline States of Polymeric Nanofibers at the Nanoscale

    Empa PhD Symposium 2018

    Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Amin Sadeghpour, Lukas Weidenbacher, Fabrizio Spano, Giuseppino Fortunato, René M. Rossi, Martin Frenz, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels

  27. Poster October 2018

    Structural–Morphological Correlation Studies in Polymeric Nanofibers by SAXS and WAXD

    Polycoll 2018

    EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Amin Sadeghpour, Lukas Weidenbacher, Fabrizio Spano, Giuseppino Fortunato, René M. Rossi, Martin Frenz, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels

  28. Poster September 2018

    Effect of Nanofiber Fabrication Processes on the Internal Structure at the Nanoscale

    Swiss Crystallography Meeting 2018

    PSI, Villigen, Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Amin Sadeghpour, Lukas Weidenbacher, Fabrizio Spano, Giuseppino Fortunato, René M. Rossi, Martin Frenz, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels

  29. Best Poster Award September 2018

    Structural Insights into Semicrystalline States of Electrospun Nanofibers

    EXCITE Biomedical Imaging Summer School 2018 (poster)

    ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Amin Sadeghpour, Lukas Weidenbacher, Fabrizio Spano, Giuseppino Fortunato, René M. Rossi, Martin Frenz, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels

  30. Poster March 2018

    Structure–Morphology Correlation Studies of Electrospun Nanofibers by SAXS and WAXS

    Bio-X Symposium

    Empa, St. Gallen, Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Amin Sadeghpour, Lukas Weidenbacher, Fabrizio Spano, Giuseppino Fortunato, René M. Rossi, Martin Frenz, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels

  31. Oral January 2018

    Structural In Situ Studies for Particle System Synthesis and Early Event Dynamics in Bio-Environments

    Empa PhD Seminar

    St. Gallen, Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Amin Sadeghpour, René M. Rossi, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels

  32. 2017
  33. Oral November 2017

    Structure–Morphology Correlation Studies in Electrospun Nanofibers by SAXS and WAXS

    Empa PhD Symposium 2017

    Dübendorf, Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Amin Sadeghpour, René M. Rossi, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels

  34. Oral September 2017

    Structural Analysis of Electrospun Fiber Membranes by SAXS and WAXS

    Swiss Crystallography Meeting 2017

    Geneva, Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Amin Sadeghpour, René M. Rossi, Alex Dommann, Antonia Neels

  35. 2016
  36. Poster July 2016

    In-Plane and Cross-Plane Seebeck Coefficients in Organic Thermoelectric Thin Films

    6th Energy Colloquium, Munich School of Engineering

    TUM, Munich, Germany

    Anjani K. Maurya, Nitin Saxena, Peter Müller-Buschbaum

  37. Poster June 2016

    Enhancement of the Seebeck Coefficient by Dedoping of Conducting Polymers

    Summer School

    Austria

    Anjani K. Maurya, Nitin Saxena, Peter Müller-Buschbaum

  38. Oral May 2016

    Hybrid-Based Thermoelectrics

    MaMaSELF Status Meeting

    Rigi Kulm, Switzerland

    Anjani K. Maurya, Nitin Saxena, Peter Müller-Buschbaum

  39. Poster March 2016

    Hybrid-Based Thermoelectrics

    DPG Spring Meeting 2016

    Regensburg, Germany

    Anjani K. Maurya, Nitin Saxena, Peter Müller-Buschbaum

  40. 2013
  41. Poster December 2013

    Band Gap Variation in Bilayer Graphene and Silicene under a Transverse Electric Field

    International Conference on Advanced Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (ICANN-2013)

    IIT Guwahati, Guwahati, India

    Anjani K. Maurya

  42. 2011
  43. Poster August 2011

    Structural and Transport Studies of ZnS Thin Films Prepared by the Doctor Blade Technique

    Condensed Matter Days 2011

    Gauhati University, Guwahati, India

    Lalhriatzuala, Anjani K. Maurya, Pratima Agarwal

X-ray Scattering Resources

Practical resources gathered from working with SAXS and WAXS: the tools I reach for, the references worth reading, and the communities that maintain the standards. If you would like to talk through data, methods or analysis, please do get in touch.

Recommended reading

Elementary Scattering Theory

D. S. Sivia. The clearest starting point for X-ray and neutron users: builds the theory from first principles without hiding behind formalism.

Learning and reference

SAS Tutorials

Structured lessons in SAXS and SANS, from first concepts through to advanced modeling.

Diamond SAXS software list

A curated survey of the software people actually use for reduction and analysis.

X-ray absorption database

Edge energies, cross-sections and attenuation lengths for planning an experiment.

periodictable (Python)

Scattering lengths, densities and element data, scriptable for contrast calculations.

Software and analysis

pyFAI

Azimuthal integration in Python: the workhorse for turning 2D detector images into I(q).

FabIO

Reads and writes the many detector image formats you meet at beamlines.

SasView

Model fitting with a large library of form and structure factors.

ATSAS

The established suite for biological small-angle scattering.

BioXTAS RAW

Reduction and analysis built around bioSAXS workflows.

DENSS

Reconstructs 3D electron density directly from a 1D SAXS curve.

Shape2SAS

Simulates scattering profiles from particle shapes you define.
From detector image to structure Three stages of scattering analysis. First, a two-dimensional detector image of concentric rings around a central beamstop. Second, azimuthal integration converts it to a one-dimensional curve of intensity against q. Third, fitting a model to that curve yields real-space structure such as a lamellar repeat distance d. 2D detector image azimuthal integration I(q) profile model fitting d real-space structure d = 2π/q* reciprocal to real space
The reduction path most SAXS software follows: a detector image becomes a curve, and a fitted model turns that curve into structure.

Community and standards

canSAS

The community effort behind small-angle scattering data standards and interoperability.

lightsources.org

A directory and history of synchrotron and free-electron laser facilities worldwide.

smallangle.org

The central hub for the global small-angle scattering community.

This list is far from complete, which is part of what keeps the field lively, and occasionally bewildering for newcomers. Suggestions are welcome.

Curriculum Vitae

Download CV (PDF)

Experience

Dec 2025 – Present

Associate Staff Scientist

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, USA

Soft-matter research using SSRL and LCLS; autonomous, AI/ML-guided X-ray experiments; operando scattering of membranes for critical-mineral separations.

May 2021 – Nov 2025

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, USA

In situ SAXS/WAXS of plastic deconstruction and redesigned polymers; built beamline sample environments and real-time analysis software.

Mar 2017 – Mar 2021

Doctoral Researcher

Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (ETH Domain), Switzerland

Multiscale X-ray analysis of fibers and nanoparticle nucleation.

Education

2017 – 2021

PhD, Biomedical Engineering, summa cum laude

University of Bern & Empa, Switzerland

2014 – 2016

MSc, Applied and Engineering Physics (Erasmus Mundus MaMaSELF)

Technical University of Munich, Germany & University of Rennes 1, France

2010 – 2014

B.Tech, Engineering Physics

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India

2023

Stanford Ignite

Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA

Awards & honors

2024

Protein Science Best Paper Award, The Protein Society

2022

Young Scientist Support, SAS2022 International Conference

2020

IUCr Young Scientists Award

2018

Best Poster, EXCITE Biomedical Imaging Summer School, ETH Zurich

Service & mentoring

Get in touch

I am always glad to hear from people working on related problems. Whether you have a question about scattering data, an idea for a collaboration, or you are a student looking for a way into this field, please do reach out.

Good reasons to write

  • Collaborations

    Plastics deconstruction and recycling, polymers and soft materials, or anything suited to in situ X-ray scattering.

  • SAXS / WAXS questions

    Experiment design, data reduction, or analysis. Happy to talk through a problem or point you to the right tool.

  • Beamtime & facilities

    Planning a measurement at SSRL or another synchrotron, or curious about autonomous experimental platforms.

  • Students & early researchers

    Advice on getting started in scattering, or interest in joining the group I am building at SLAC.

Working on something related?

I would be glad to hear about it: questions, collaborations, and student enquiries are all welcome.

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