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Single-shot two-dimensional (2D) phase retrieval (PR) can recover the phase shift distribution within an object from a single 2D x-ray phase contrast image (XPCI). Two competing XPCI imaging modalities often used for single-shot 2D PR to recover material properties critical for predictive performance capabilities are: speckle-based (SP-XPCI) and propagation-based (PB-XPCI) XPCI imaging. However, PR from SP-XPCI and PB-XPCI images are, respectively, limited to reconstructing accurately slowly and rapidly varying features due to noise and differences in their contrast mechanisms. Herein, we consider a combined speckle- and propagation-based XPCI (SPB-XPCI) image by introducing a mask to generate a reference pattern and imaging in the near-to-holographic regime to induce intensity modulations in the image. We develop a single-shot 2D PR method for SPB-XPCI images of pure phase objects without imposing restrictions such as object support constraints. It is compared against PR methods inspired by those developed for SP-XPCI and PB-XPCI on simulated and experimental images of a thin glass shell before and during shockwave compression. Reconstructed phase maps show improvements in quantitative scores of root-mean-square error and structural similarity index measure using our proposed method. 

Abstract The nanomaterial containing amphiphile‐stabilized mononuclear Cu(II) is developed. The material is characterized by various spectroscopic techniques, such as X‐ray absorption spectrscopy (XAS), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), UV‐vis, and infrared spectroscopies. Since the structural data for the amphiphile‐bound Cu(II) center is not available, a theoretical model based on DFT calculations is employed. The analyses based on NMR spectroscopic data, including the isotope labeling, support that the tertiary amide group of the amphiphile binds to the Cu surface. Likewise, the bond distances found by XAS spectroscopy agree with the theoretical model. Time‐dependent DFT studies predict that the low‐lying excited state has a dominant ligand‐to‐metal charge transfer (LMCT) character. Cu(II) changes to Cu(I) assisted by the LMCT excitation upon visible light irradiation, generating robust catalytically active species. The catalytic activity for domino azidation‐[3+2] cycloaddition reactions in water is investigated. The catalytic protocol is applicable on various substrates, and the catalytic material is stable under ambient conditions for up to three months.