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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

The radiated power limit in impurity seeded JET-ILW plasmas

The total radiated fraction is examined in high density H-mode plasmas (Greenwald fraction of about 85 %) in JET by the variation of the auxiliary heating power of Pheat = 14 MW-29 MW. An achieved radiation fraction of about 75 % at most has been observed in JET-ILW, which is less than the highest achievable (≈90 %) fraction in JET-C during the high radiative power scenarios with N2 seeding. It is shown that the maximal achievable total radiation fraction averaged over ELM cycles has a strong dependence on the radiation efficiency of the ELM energy, $θ_{rad}$: $\gamma^{max}_{rad,total}$ = 1 -$\frac {f_{ELM} x ΔW_{ELM}} {P_heat}$ (1- $θ_{rad}$). About 50 % and 16 % of the ELM induced diamagnetic energy drop (ΔW ELM ) radiates during the ELM in JET-C and JET-ILW, respectively, which corresponds to the maximum total radiated powers of $\gamma^{max}_{rad,JET-C}$ = 0.87 and $\gamma^{max}_{rad,JET-ILW}$ = 0.77. These values of the maximum of the radiative power fractions are in good agreement with $\gamma^{max}_{rad}$ experimentally observed in JET-C (90 %) and JET-ILW (75 %).

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Controlling the Aspect Ratios of Au Nanocrystals with Ag+ Addition Time in Seed-Mediated Synthesis: Implications for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Among various factors playing pivotal roles in the typical seed-mediated growth of Au nanocrystals (NCs), the role of Ag (AgNO3) has remained debatable over time and seminal research efforts have helped us in reaching a consensus, albeit from the standpoint of [Ag+] concentration. This study aims to provide an understanding of the role of Ag+ from the perspective of time. Here, we show that different Au NCs with tunable aspect ratios (ARs) can be generated in one system in high yield simply by varying the time of addition of Ag+ in the growth solution. The generality of the method has been demonstrated in tuning the ARs of anisotropic Au NCs like concave cuboid (CCB, AR = 2) and elongated tetrahexahedra (AR = 2.5), where the delayed addition of Ag+ leads to the formation of their isotropic counterpart concave cube (CC, AR = 1) and tetrahexahedra (AR = 1), respectively. This work, apart from establishing timed addition of Ag+ as a crucial parameter in controlling the AR, may also help in the realization of a universal growth mechanism of Au NCs. The Au NCs with varying ARs (CCB, AR = 2 and CC, AR = 1) have been further explored as potential substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) due to the presence of their high-index facets and sharp tips.

KEYWORDS:Au nanoparticles seed-mediated growth hig↗
DOE OSTI2024

Characterization and controllability of radiated power via extrinsic impurity seeding in strongly negative triangularity plasmas in DIII-D

Experiments with extrinsic impurity seeding in strongly negative triangularity shapes in DIII-D achieved radiated power fractions (relative to input power) of up to ≈85% total radiation and ≈55% core radiation in steady-operating conditions. The relationship between core and total radiation was sensitive to impurity species and input power. Attempts to reach higher radiation levels via higher impurity flows resulted in radiative collapse disruptions. Nitrogen, neon, argon, and krypton were tested. Injection was by gas puffing, usually controlled by feeding back real-time estimates for core or total radiating fractions ($P_\textrm{rad} / P_\textrm{input}$). Argon and krypton were controlled by feeding back total radiating fraction, whereas neon was controlled by feeding back the core radiating fraction, due to the lower efficiency of neon as a divertor radiator. Nitrogen flows were pre-programmed. Reasonable total $P_\textrm{rad}$ control target following was achieved with argon or krypton. Control was more challenging with the neon/core radiation configuration, which was more prone to slow response and overshooting of the control target. Poor particle removal contributed to the control challenge: neon particle inventory within the last closed flux surface was roughly constant for up to 1 s (the longest duration tested) after neon injection was halted. However, separate experiments with laser-blow off of non-recycling impurities measured a short impurity confinement time, on the scale of the energy confinement time of ∼100 ms. Modeling with the Aurora impurity transport simulation matched experimental neon density profiles with full recycling (R = 1.0) and weak pumping but predicted rapid decreases in neon inventory if pumping were increased or recycling decreased. This indicates that changes outside the confined plasma (adding a well-placed pump) would improve controllability for all highly recycling species.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Rotation of Crystal Seed During Early Stages of Growth Reveals the Anisotropy of Glass Matrix

Glass-ceramics are a highly valuable class of materials that are needed for realizing many high-tech as well as consumer products. They are made by controlling crystallization of glass. Theoretical atomistic insights obtained using molecular dynamics simulations in this work reveal that crystal seeds can spontaneously rotate within glass at high temperatures due to anisotropic forces at the glass-crystal interface. This rotation challenges the long‐held view of glass as isotropic solid, and highlights how atomic‐scale inhomogeneities influence crystal growth and microstructure, hence the physical properties glass‐ceramics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Broccoli seed extract rich in polysaccharides and glucoraphanin ameliorates DSS ‐induced colitis via intestinal barrier protection and gut microbiota modulation in mice

Abstract BACKGROUND Broccoli has received widespread attention because of its anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The present study aimed to explore the composition of broccoli seed extract (BSE) and its effect on colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). RESULTS BSE mainly comprises glucoraphanin and polysaccharides composed of arabinose, galactose, glucose and mannose. Animal experiments suggested that BSE intervention effectively reversed body weight loss, suppressed the levels of proinflammatory interleukin‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐α and interleukin‐1β, and elevated the levels of anti‐inflammatory interleukin‐10 and the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione in DSS‐induced colitis mice. According to histopathologic and immunohistochemical analysis of colon tissue, BSE intervention may repair the intestinal barrier by upregulating mRNA levels and the expression of tight junction proteins (claudin‐1, occludin and zonula occludens‐1). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (MS) analysis demonstrated that cecal short‐chain fatty acids in mice with BSE administration were significantly increased compared with the model group. Sulforaphane and sulforaphane‐ N ‐acetylcysteine were only detected in BSE group mice by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐MS analysis. In addition, BSE intervention evidently increased the abundance of Alistipeds , Coriobacteriaceae UCG‐002 and Bifidobacterium and decreased the abundance of Escheichia‐Shinella , Lachnospiraceae others , Parabacteroides , Ruminococcaceae others and Turicibacter , which possibly promoted carbohydrate metabolism and short‐chain fatty acid production. CONCLUSION The present study aimed to elucidate the effect of BSE on colitis and found that BSE, as a novel food ingredient, has great potential for the improvement of colitis. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Wu, Jiaying↗
DOE OSTI2023

Seed‐Assisted Growth for Scalable and Efficient Perovskite Solar Modules

Perovskite solar modules (PSMs) have shown remarkable photovoltaic potentials, but they still suffer from large power conversion efficiency (PCE) loss on scale‐up and instability due to inferior uniformity and crystallization over large areas. Herein, the scalable production of efficient and stable PSMs using a suite of all‐scalable fabrication methods featuring a two‐step blade/dip‐coating approach to deposit the perovskite absorber layer is demonstrated. Rubidium chloride is introduced to embed (PbI 2 ) 2 RbCl complex seeds in the first‐deposited PbI 2 precursor, which assists in uniform crystallization of the perovskite layer with high crystallinity and reduced defect density over large areas. Following the optimization of RbCl additives, a champion PSM with 17.9% PCE on a 7.6 × 7.6 cm 2 substrate with a 37 cm 2 aperture area is achieved. Moreover, the RbCl‐incorporated PSMs demonstrate excellent reproducibility and stability under continuous 1 sun illumination. This work shows that the two‐step blade/dip coating is a promising method for producing high‐efficiency and stable PSMs on an industrially relevant scale.

Energy & Fuels↗
DOE OSTI2026

QTL Mapping of Seed Fatty Acid Contents in Camelina sativa Under Heat Stress

Heat stress alters oil quality in oilseed crops, yet its genetic underpinnings in Camelina sativa remain unclear. This study investigated the genetic basis of heat-induced changes in seed fatty acids using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between two camelina varieties, Suneson and Pryzeth. Exposure to high temperature during reproductive growth led to increased proportions of saturated (C16:0, C18:0) and monounsaturated (C18:1) fatty acids, whereas polyunsaturated C18:3, total unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and the PUFA/MUFA ratio were decreased, suggesting an inhibition of the C18:1 → C18:2 → C18:3 desaturation pathway. A high-density linkage map (4981 bins across 20 chromosomes) was built, and 25 QTLs for fatty acids were detected, with hotspots on chromosomes 1, 9, 12, 13, 16, and 20. A major QTL on chromosome 1 (~ 80 cM) explained the largest variance component for PUFA/MUFA under heat. Three desaturase genes (FAD2, FAD7, FAD8) were located within key QTL intervals, nominating them as candidates for modulating unsaturation under elevated temperature. These results provide a genetic basis for fine mapping and functional validation, supporting future molecular and breeding efforts to stabilize oil quality under warming conditions.

Camelina↗
DOE OSTI2020

Unidirectional growth of graphene nano-islands from carbon cluster seeds on Ge(1 1 0)

The anisotropic twofold symmetry of Ge(1 1 0) makes it a unique substrate for the growth of single-crystalline graphene. However, the underlying mechanism during the initial stage of growth of graphene on Ge(1 1 0) surface is not well understood. Here, we use in-situ cryogenic scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS), to study the initial growth properties of graphene synthesized on Ge(1 1 0) surface with ethylene precursor gases. The STM results reveal that the unidirectional growth of the graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) initiates from carbon cluster seeds on terraces during the early stage of the growth. The orientations of the GNRs show the same directions which are nearly parallel to the direction of the Ge(1 1 0) surface. This orientation is the same as that of the wafer-scale graphene grown on Ge(1 1 0). Subsequent growth, transformed the GNRs to graphene nanoislands (GNIs), which eventually coalesced to form single crystalline monolayer graphene. STS measurements demonstrated that the GNRs have small bandgaps induced by the confinement effect of graphene. Furthermore, this study provides an in-depth understanding of the growth mechanism of graphene on Ge(1 1 0) surface in various synthesis conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Synthesis and characterization of photo-cross-linkable quince seed-based hydrogels for soft tissue engineering applications

The convenience, versatility, and biocompatibility of photocrosslinkable hydrogel precursors make them promising candidates for developing tissue engineering scaffolds. However, the current library of photosensitive materials is limited. This study reports, for the first time, the modification of quince seed mucilage (QS) with glycidyl methacrylate (GM), resulting in the synthesis of methacrylated QS (QSGM). The chemical composition and structure of QS were analyzed. The effects of reaction time, temperature, QS concentration, and GM/QS ratio on the degree of methacrylation, as well as the physicochemical, rheological, mechanical, and biological properties of the synthesized materials were explored. Chemical characterization using 1H NMR and FTIR confirmed the successful methacrylation of QS. Hydrogels fabricated from QSGMs at a 0.5 wt% concentration exhibited high swelling ratios of 320 to 580 g/g, and compressive strengths between 0.6 ± 0.1 and 1.2 ± 0.3 kPa. No significant changes in the rheological properties of hydrogel precursors were observed. Moreover, QSGM-based hydrogels supported cell encapsulation for 14 days with minimal cytotoxicity and immune cell activation. Finally, as a proof of concept, the potential use of QSGM for 3D printing was demonstrated. Overall, the results highlight the significant potential of QSGMs as a biomaterial of choice for soft tissue engineering applications.

3D printing↗
DOE OSTI2025

Photoionization of seeded combustion products as a method of enhancing the efficiency of magnetohydrodynamic power generators

Here, in this study, we performed an experimental and computational investigation into the feasibility of utilizing photoionization to enhance the electrical conductivity of seeded oxy-fuel combustion products and improve the performance of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generators. We applied a variety of optical and microwave diagnostics to study the ionization and recombination processes of potassium excited by an excimer laser in a high-velocity oxy-fuel free jet. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations were performed to model the thermophysical properties and species densities of the free jet. The CFD results were validated with position-dependent potassium concentration measurements. Electron recombination exponential lifetimes were measured through time-resolved microwave transmission. The experimental electron lifetimes were compared with lifetimes calculated from CFD-predicted species densities and literature recombination rates. It was determined that K + or O 2 are the most likely recombination partners for photoionized electrons. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements provided evidence of an ionization pathway involving a two-photon ionization of KOH . Finally, a zero-dimensional chemical kinetic model was developed to assess the fundamental viability of inducing a non-equilibrium electron population to provide a net energy return in combustion-driven MHD power generators. We determined that a high energy return is feasible for targeting electrode boundary layers with ultraviolet photoionization. We also found that photoionization could potentially lower the required temperature of the bulk gas flow.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Intrinsic mechanical properties and seeding effect of tobermorite synthesized in supercritical water

This publication reports for the first time the physiochemical, the intrinsic mechanical properties and the seed effect of anomalous Al-substituted 11 Å tobermorite synthesized via the innovative supercritical hydrothermal flow process at 400 °C and 25 MPa. This approach allows synthesizing highly crystalline tobermorite fibers in only 8 s, with characteristics very close to the natural tobermorite. The anomalous 11 Å tobermorite exhibits aluminosilicate chains with a high polymerisation degree and a less defective structure compared to materials produced via the conventional hydrothermal method. Furthermore, the intrinsic mechanical properties of Al-tobermorite synthesized in supercritical water are investigated for the first time by High-Pressure XRD. This Al-substituted 11 Å tobermorite is characterised by higher incompressibility along the b-axis and bulk modulus K0 in comparison with what is commonly observed for other synthetic tobermorite. The tobermorite acts as nucleation points to trigger the quick formation of the hydration product in Portland cement paste.

Calcium silicate hydrate↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evidence that Maackia amurensis seed lectin (MASL) exerts pleiotropic actions on oral squamous cells with potential to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease progression

COVID-19 was declared an international public health emergency in January, and a pandemic in March of 2020. There are over 125 million confirmed COVID-19 cases that have caused over 2.7 million deaths worldwide as of March 2021. COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. SARS-CoV-2 presents a surface “spike” protein that binds to the ACE2 receptor to infect host cells. In addition to the respiratory tract, SARS-Cov-2 can also infect cells of the oral mucosa, which also express the ACE2 receptor. The spike and ACE2 proteins are highly glycosylated with sialic acid modifications that direct viral-host interactions and infection. Maackia amurensis seed lectin (MASL) has a strong affinity for sialic acid modified proteins and can be used as an antiviral agent. Here, we report that MASL targets the ACE2 receptor, decreases ACE2 expression and glycosylation, suppresses binding of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, and decreases expression of inflammatory mediators by oral epithelial cells that cause ARDS in COVID-19 patients. In addition, we report that MASL also inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection of kidney epithelial cells in culture. This work identifies MASL as an agent with potential to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 related inflammatory syndromes.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Sterols are required for the coordinated assembly of lipid droplets in developing seeds

Abstract Lipid droplets (LDs) are intracellular organelles critical for energy storage and lipid metabolism. They are typically composed of an oil core coated by a monolayer of phospholipids and proteins such as oleosins. The mechanistic details of LD biogenesis remain poorly defined. However, emerging evidence suggest that their formation is a spatiotemporally regulated process, occurring at specific sites of the endoplasmic reticulum defined by a specific set of lipids and proteins. Here, we show that sterols are required for formation of oleosin-coated LDs in Arabidopsis. Analysis of sterol pathway mutants revealed that deficiency in several ∆ 5 -sterols accounts for the phenotype. Importantly, mutants deficient in these sterols also display reduced LD number, increased LD size and reduced oil content in seeds. Collectively, our data reveal a role of sterols in coordinating the synthesis of oil and oleosins and their assembly into LDs, highlighting the importance of membrane lipids in regulating LD biogenesis.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Pinhole-seeded lateral epitaxy and exfoliation of GaSb films on graphene-terminated surfaces

Abstract Remote epitaxy is a promising approach for synthesizing exfoliatable crystalline membranes and enabling epitaxy of materials with large lattice mismatch. However, the atomic scale mechanisms for remote epitaxy remain unclear. Here we experimentally demonstrate that GaSb films grow on graphene-terminated GaSb (001) via a seeded lateral epitaxy mechanism, in which pinhole defects in the graphene serve as selective nucleation sites, followed by lateral epitaxy and coalescence into a continuous film. Remote interactions are not necessary in order to explain the growth. Importantly, the small size of the pinholes permits exfoliation of continuous, free-standing GaSb membranes. Due to the chemical similarity between GaSb and other III-V materials, we anticipate this mechanism to apply more generally to other materials. By combining molecular beam epitaxy with in-situ electron diffraction and photoemission, plus ex-situ atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, we track the graphene defect generation and GaSb growth evolution a few monolayers at a time. Our results show that the controlled introduction of nanoscale openings in graphene provides an alternative route towards tuning the growth and properties of 3D epitaxial films and membranes on 2D material masks.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

All-optical seeding of a light-induced phase transition with correlated disorder

Ultrafast manipulation of vibrational coherence is an emergent route to control the structure of solids. However, this strategy can only induce long-range correlations and cannot modify atomic structure locally, which is required in many technologically-relevant phase transitions. Here, we demonstrate that ultrafast lasers can generate incoherent structural fluctuations which are more efficient for material control than coherent vibrations, extending optical control to a wider range of materials. We observe that local, non-equilibrium lattice distortions generated by a weak laser pulse reduce the energy barrier to switch between insulating and metallic states in vanadium dioxide by 6%. In conclusion, seeding inhomogeneous structural-fluctuations presents an alternative, more energy efficient, route for controlling materials that may be applicable to all solids, including those used in data and energy storage devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Attosecond pulse shaping using a seeded free-electron laser

Attosecond pulses are central to the investigation of valence- and core-electron dynamics on their natural timescales. The reproducible generation and characterization of attosecond waveforms has been demonstrated so far only through the process of high-order harmonic generation. Several methods for shaping attosecond waveforms have been proposed, including the use of metallic filters, multilayer mirrors and manipulation of the driving field. However, none of these approaches allows the flexible manipulation of the temporal characteristics of the attosecond waveforms, and they suffer from the low conversion efficiency of the high-order harmonic generation process. Free-electron lasers, by contrast, deliver femtosecond, extreme-ultraviolet and X-ray pulses with energies ranging from tens of microjoules to a few millijoules. Recent experiments have shown that they can generate subfemtosecond spikes, but with temporal characteristics that change shot-to-shot. In this paper we report reproducible generation of high-energy (microjoule level) attosecond waveforms using a seeded free-electron laser. We demonstrate amplitude and phase manipulation of the harmonic components of an attosecond pulse train in combination with an approach for its temporal reconstruction. The results presented here open the way to performing attosecond time-resolved experiments with free-electron lasers.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗