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DOE OSTI · 3010729

Close-up view of the interplay between lattice distortions and charge density waves: Case study on rare-earth nickel carbides

Petkov, Valeri [Central Michigan Univ., Mount Pleasant, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000263927589)·Zafar, Adeel [Central Michigan Univ., Mount Pleasant, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000182768096)·Ramakrishnan, Sitaram [Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune (India); Univ. of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble (France); Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Grenoble (France). Institute Néel] (ORCID:0000000160654178)·Galeano-Cabral, Jorge R. [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States). National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab)] (ORCID:0000000193933042)·Wei, Kaya [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States). National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab)] (ORCID:0000000309129380)·Abeykoon, AM Milinda [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)] (ORCID:0000000169653753)
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Abstract

Using variable temperature total x-ray scattering and large-scale structure modeling, we study the temperature and composition evolution of lattice distortions and charge density waves (CDWs) in the archetypal strongly correlated system RENi⁢ C 2 (RE=Dy, Tb, Gd, and Sm). Joint analysis of reciprocal and real space data reveals the presence of strong lattice distortions that, depending on the RE species and temperature, appear periodic or remain local, forming a complex CDW phase diagram. Apparently, the CDWs in RENi⁢ C 2 materials arise from a common to the system lattice instability involving diverse distortion modes that persist when magnetic order also sets in at very low temperature. In conclusion, the results support the notion that intrinsic lattice distortions are important to the emergence of exotic electronic phases in strongly correlated systems and call for their further investigation using the advanced approach adopted here.

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCECondensed matter physics

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Petkov, Valeri [Central Michigan Univ., Mount Pleasant, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000263927589), Zafar, Adeel [Central Michigan Univ., Mount Pleasant, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000182768096), Ramakrishnan, Sitaram [Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune (India); Univ. of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble (France); Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Grenoble (France). Institute Néel] (ORCID:0000000160654178), Galeano-Cabral, Jorge R. [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States). National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab)] (ORCID:0000000193933042), Wei, Kaya [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States). National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab)] (ORCID:0000000309129380), Abeykoon, AM Milinda [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)] (ORCID:0000000169653753). 2025-11-12. Close-up view of the interplay between lattice distortions and charge density waves: Case study on rare-earth nickel carbides. https://doi.org/10.1103/j91b-md4g

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DOE OSTI2026

Cyclic moisture reactivation of calcium sorbents for long duration thermochemical energy storage

The transition to a flexible and reliable energy infrastructure, using electro-thermal energy generation technologies such as geothermal, concentrated solar power, and nuclear, usually demands simultaneous advancement of thermal energy storage (TES) to support on-demand electricity generation and industrial applications while mitigating the inherent intermittency of renewable energy sources and power outages from direct energy generation. Among TES technologies, thermochemical energy storage (TCES) based on calcium looping emerges as a compelling high-power energy storage candidate due to its high reaction enthalpy, compatibility with elevated operating temperatures, and abundance of low-cost materials. However, the long-term durability of calcium-based sorbents for TCES is hindered by surface sintering and particle aggregation, leading to performance degradation over repeated thermal cycles. This study explores a moisture hydration-based strategy to regenerate a degraded calcium sorbent and mitigate performance degradation for long duration TCES. The addition of moisture transforms calcium oxide into calcium hydroxide and produces intercalation water layers, associated with a regenerated surface area and reduced calcium oxide crystallite size. Both these effects are beneficial in restoring the sorbents' reactivity for carbonization. Additionally, an optimized hydration-assisted reactivation protocol balances the recovered energy storage capacity with heating penalty required for moisture removal from hydrated samples, resulting in an enhanced energy storage capacity up to 176% compared to benchmark sorbents that undergo cycling without reactivation after 60 cycles. In conclusion, these results highlight the potential of hydration-assisted reactivation to enhance the long-term performance of TCES, providing an effective pathway to advancing electro-thermal storage technologies.

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