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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 1,801 records · Page 100
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Unravelling chemical pathways of H 2 on Ga 2 O 3 surfaces with spectro-electrochemistry

This work highlights the capability of coupled spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques to probe dynamic surface processes under realistic operating conditions. By simultaneously employing in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), we elucidate the mechanistic interaction between Ga 2 O 3 and hydrogen under elevated temperatures in a low-oxygen environment. This novel spectro-electrochemical approach allows chemistry to be correlated with the surface charge density of Ga 2 O 3 . Our results reveal a concentration-dependent transition in reaction pathway. At low concentrations, hydrogen reacts with ambient oxygen to form surface hydroxyls. At intermediate concentrations, hydrogen interacts with surface adsorbed oxygen to generate hydroxyl groups along with reducing the surface. Finally, at high H 2 concentrations, hydrogen reduces both hydroxyls and surface oxygen, leading to a highly conductive grain surface. As a result, hydrides form on the reduced Ga 2 O 3 surface. The gained insights are relevant for heterogeneous catalysis and gas sensing.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Sulfide electrolyte additive enables multi-ionic transfer pathways in alkaline iron redox

Traditional alkaline iron (Fe) batteries rely on the conversion reaction between Fe and Fe(OH) 2 but suffer from hydrogen generation upon Fe formation on charging. Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox is a promising anode reaction for alkaline Fe batteries, as it alleviates the formation of hydrogen gas during charging. However, achieving complete Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox with a one-electron transfer reaction is challenging due to the formation of electrochemically inert Fe 3 O 4 materials. Here, we demonstrate that an alkaline sulfide-containing electrolyte facilitates the reversible multi-ion transfer and transport pathways within (and beyond) the Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox system, including Fe(OH) 2 /Fe 3 O 4 conversion, intercalation of hydrosulfide into layered Fe(OH) 2 , and hydrogen deposition, mediated by hydroxyl ions, hydrosulfide anions, and protons, respectively. This multi-ionic charge storage mechanism delivers a compelling discharge capacity of up to 330 mA h g −1 , as determined by chronopotentiometry measurements at a current density of 0.1 A g −1 , exceeding the theoretical iron redox capacity solely relying on Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox (∼299 mA h g −1 ). Our study will highlight the potential of alkaline iron redox as a green anode reaction for various aqueous energy storage systems by utilizing a scalable and low-concentration hydrosulfide electrolyte additive.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Global reaction route mapping of isomerization pathways of exotic C{sub 6}H molecular species

C{sub 6}H radical is known to exist in the astrophysical environment in linear form; however, it may originate from nonlinear isomeric forms. Potential energy surface of C{sub 6}H is explored to search isomers of C{sub 6}H and transition states connecting them. This work reports first-ever identification of reaction pathways for isomerization of C{sub 6}H. The reaction route search is performed through global reaction route mapping method, which utilizes an uphill walking technique based on an anharmonic downward distortion following approach to search intermediates and transition states. The computations performed at the CASSCF/aug-cc-pVTZ, CCSD(T)/6-311++G(d,p)//DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p), and DFT/B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ levels of the theory identified 14 isomers (including 8 new isomeric forms of C{sub 6}H) and 28 transition states. Most of the identified isomers are found to have significant multireference character. The kinetic stability and natural bond orbital analysis of the identified isomers is also investigated. The isomeric forms are further characterized using spectral analysis involving rotational constants, vibrational frequencies, and Raman scattering activities as well as analyzing the effect of isotopic substitution of hydrogen on the spectral features. This study proposes that the linear-C{sub 6}H can readily isomerize to a six-member ring isomer.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Excitation transfer pathways in excitonic aggregates revealed by the stochastic Schrödinger equation

We derive the stochastic Schrödinger equation for the system wave vector and use it to describe the excitation energy transfer dynamics in molecular aggregates. We suggest a quantum-measurement based method of estimating the excitation transfer time. Adequacy of the proposed approach is demonstrated by performing calculations on a model system. The theory is then applied to study the excitation transfer dynamics in a photosynthetic pigment-protein Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) aggregate using both the Debye spectral density and the spectral density obtained from earlier molecular dynamics simulations containing strong vibrational high-frequency modes. The obtained results show that the excitation transfer times in the FMO system are affected by the presence of the vibrational modes; however, the transfer pathways remain the same.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Predictions of an alternative pathway for grain-boundary driven twinning

The exceptional strength of nanoscale metallic grains is due to strain-accommodation mechanisms that are uncommon in their coarse-grained counterparts, such as deformation twinning. Using an $ab initio$ density functional theory-phase field dislocation dynamics model, we provide evidence of an unconventional kinetic pathway for twin formation in nano-sized crystals involving two grain boundaries. It corresponds to greater favorability because it accommodates strain yet removes debilitating backstresses. A simple map is presented to relate the associated kinetics of nucleation and propagation to intrinsic material defect formation energies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Complete active space second order perturbation theory (CASPT2) study of N({sup 2}D) + H{sub 2}O reaction paths on D{sub 1} and D{sub 0} potential energy surfaces: Direct and roaming pathways

We report reaction paths starting from N({sup 2}D) + H{sub 2}O for doublet spin states, D{sub 0} and D{sub 1}. The potential energy surfaces are explored in an automated fashion using the global reaction route mapping strategy. The critical points and reaction paths have been fully optimized at the complete active space second order perturbation theory level taking all valence electrons in the active space. In addition to direct dissociation pathways that would be dominant, three roaming processes, two roaming dissociation, and one roaming isomerization: (1) H{sub 2}ON → H–O(H)N → H–HON → NO({sup 2}Π) + H{sub 2}, (2) cis-HNOH → HNO–H → H–HNO → NO + H{sub 2}, (3) H{sub 2}NO → H–HNO → HNO–H → trans-HNOH, are confirmed on the D{sub 0} surface.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Multistage reaction pathways in detonating high explosives

Atomistic mechanisms underlying the reaction time and intermediate reaction products of detonating high explosives far from equilibrium have been elusive. This is because detonation is one of the hardest multiscale physics problems, in which diverse length and time scales play important roles. Here, large spatiotemporal-scale reactive molecular dynamics simulations validated by quantum molecular dynamics simulations reveal a two-stage reaction mechanism during the detonation of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine crystal. Rapid production of N{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O within ∼10 ps is followed by delayed production of CO molecules beyond ns. We found that further decomposition towards the final products is inhibited by the formation of large metastable carbon- and oxygen-rich clusters with fractal geometry. In addition, we found distinct unimolecular and intermolecular reaction pathways, respectively, for the rapid N{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O productions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Multiple product pathways in photodissociation of nitromethane at 213 nm

In this paper, we present a photodissociation dynamics study of nitromethane at 213 nm in the π → π{sup *} transition. Resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization spectroscopy and ion-imaging were applied to measure the internal state distributions and state-resolved scattering distributions of the CH{sub 3}, NO(X {sup 2}Π, A {sup 2}Σ{sup +}), and O({sup 3}P{sub J}) photofragments. The rotationally state-resolved scattering distribution of the CH{sub 3} fragment showed two velocity components, of which the slower one decreased the relative intensity as the rotational and vibrational excitations. The translational energy distribution of the faster CH{sub 3} fragment indicated the production of the NO{sub 2} counter-product in the electronic excited state, wherein 1 {sup 2}B{sub 2} was the most probable. The NO(v = 0) fragment exhibited a bimodal translational energy distribution, whereas the NO(v = 1 and 2) fragment exhibited a single translational energy component with a relatively larger internal energy. The translational energy of a portion of the O({sup 3}P{sub J}) photofragment was found to be higher than the one-photon dissociation threshold, indicating the two-photon process involved. The NO(A {sup 2}Σ{sup +}) fragment, which was detected by ionization spectroscopy via the Rydberg ←A {sup 2}Σ{sup +} transition, also required two-photon energy. These experimental data corroborate the existence of competing photodissociation product pathways, CH{sub 3} + NO{sub 2},CH{sub 3} + NO + O,CH{sub 3}O + NO, and CH{sub 3}NO + O, following the π → π{sup *} transition. The origins of the observed photofragments are discussed in this report along with recent theoretical studies and previous dynamics experiments performed at 193 nm.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

A new structural relaxation pathway of low-density amorphous ice

Low-density amorphous (LDA) ice is involved in critical cosmological processes and has gained prominence as one of the at least two distinct amorphous forms of ice. Despite these accolades, we still have an incomplete understanding of the structural diversity that is encompassed within the LDA state and the dynamic processes that take place upon heating LDA. Heating the high-pressure ice VIII phase at ambient pressure is a remarkable example of temperature-induced amorphisation yielding LDA. We investigate this process in detail using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy and show that the LDA obtained from ice VIII is structurally different from the more “traditional” states of LDA which are approached upon thermal annealing. This new structural relaxation pathway involves an increase of structural order on the intermediate range length scale. In contrast with other LDA materials the local structure is more ordered initially and becomes slightly more disordered upon annealing. We also show that the cascade of phase transitions upon heating ice VIII at ambient pressure includes the formation of ice IX which may be connected with the structural peculiarities of LDA from ice VIII. Overall, this study shows that LDA is a structurally more diverse material than previously appreciated.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Dynamic colloidal assembly pathways via low dimensional models

Here we construct a low-dimensional Smoluchowski model for electric field mediated colloidal crystallization using Brownian dynamic simulations, which were previously matched to experiments. Diffusion mapping is used to infer dimensionality and confirm the use of two order parameters, one for degree of condensation and one for global crystallinity. Free energy and diffusivity landscapes are obtained as the coefficients of a low-dimensional Smoluchowski equation to capture the thermodynamics and kinetics of microstructure evolution. The resulting low-dimensional model quantitatively captures the dynamics of different assembly pathways between fluid, polycrystal, and single crystals states, in agreement with the full N-dimensional data as characterized by first passage time distributions. Numerical solution of the low-dimensional Smoluchowski equation reveals statistical properties of the dynamic evolution of states vs. applied field amplitude and system size. The low-dimensional Smoluchowski equation and associated landscapes calculated here can serve as models for predictive control of electric field mediated assembly of colloidal ensembles into two-dimensional crystalline objects.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Metastable phase transformation and hcp-ω transformation pathways in Ti and Zr under high hydrostatic pressures

The energy landscape of Zr at high hydrostatic pressure suggests that its transformation behavior is strongly pressure dependent. This is in contrast to the known transition mechanism in Ti, which is essentially independent of hydrostatic pressure. Generalized solid-state nudged elastic band calculations at constant pressure shows that α-Zr transforms like Ti only at the lowest pressure inside the stability field of ω-phase. Different pathways apply at higher pressures where the energy landscape contains several high barriers so that metastable states are expected, including the appearance of a transient bcc phase at ca. 23 GPa. The global driving force for the hcp-ω transition increases strongly with increasing pressure and reaches 23.7 meV/atom at 23 GPa. Much of this energy relates to the excess volume of the hcp phase compared with its ω phase.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Efficiently sampling conformations and pathways using the concurrent adaptive sampling (CAS) algorithm

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are useful in obtaining thermodynamic and kinetic properties of bio-molecules but are limited by the timescale barrier, i.e., we may be unable to efficiently obtain properties because we need to run microseconds or longer simulations using femtoseconds time steps. While there are several existing methods to overcome this timescale barrier and efficiently sample thermodynamic and/or kinetic properties, problems remain in regard to being able to sample un- known systems, deal with high-dimensional space of collective variables, and focus the computational effort on slow timescales. Hence, in this work, a new sampling method, called the “Concurrent Adaptive Sampling (CAS) algorithm,” has been developed to tackle these three issues and efficiently obtain conformations and pathways. The method is not constrained to use only one or two collective variables, unlike most reaction coordinate-dependent methods. Instead, it can use a large number of collective vari- ables and uses macrostates (a partition of the collective variable space) to enhance the sampling. The exploration is done by running a large number of short simula- tions, and a clustering technique is used to accelerate the sampling. In this paper, we introduce the new methodology and show results from two-dimensional models and bio-molecules, such as penta-alanine and triazine polymer

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Non-equilibrium phenomena and kinetic pathways in self-assembled polyelectrolyte complexes

Polyelectrolyte complexation has been conventionally focused on the thermodynamic states, where assemblies have equilibrated in solutions. Far less attention has been given to complex systems that are kinetically trapped at non-equilibrium states. A combination of time-resolved dynamic light scattering, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM) was employed here to investigate the internal structures and morphological evolution of non-equilibrium aggregates forming from a pair of two strong block polyelectrolytes over wide time and length scales. The role of formation pathways of electrostatically driven aggregates was assessed using two processing protocols: direct dissolution and salt annealing. The former led to thermodynamically stable products, while the latter resulted in kinetically trapped transient structures. After adding salt, the metastable structures gradually transformed into stable products. Cryo-TEM images showed the interconnected irregular morphologies of the aggregates, and SAXS data revealed the presence of fuzzy globular complexes with R-g similar to 10 nm within them. A two-step process in the time-dependent structural transformation was found and characterized by a fast breakdown of interconnected transient aggregates followed by a slow redistribution of the incipient individual electrostatic assemblies. Furthermore, the prolonged aggregate disintegration process fitting to a stretched exponential function unveiled the broad relaxation distribution and significant structural heterogeneity in these polyelectrolyte complex nanoaggregates. This work brings new insight into the comprehension of non-equilibrium phenomena in self-assembled electrostatic assemblies and represents a first step toward constructing far-from-equilibrium polyelectrolyte complexes de novo for future applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Photoinduced non-adiabatic energy transfer pathways in dendrimer building blocks

The efficiency of the intramolecular energy transfer in light harvesting dendrimers is determined by their well-defined architecture with high degree of order. After photoexcitation, through-space and through-bond energy transfer mechanisms can take place, involving vectorial exciton migration among different chromophores within dendrimer highly branched structures. Their inherent intramolecular energy gradient depends on how the multiple chromophoric units have been assembled, subject to their inter-connects, spatial distances, and orientations. Herein, we compare the photoinduced nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations performed on a set of different combinations of a chain of linked dendrimer building blocks composed of two-, three-, and four-ring linear polyphenylene chromophoric units. The calculations are performed with the recently developed ab initio multiple cloning-time dependent diabatic basis implementation of the Multiconfigurational Ehrenfest (MCE) approach. Despite differences in short time relaxation pathways and different initial exciton localization, at longer time scales, electronic relaxation rates and exciton final redistributions are very similar for all combinations. Unlike the systems composed of two building blocks, considered previously, for the larger 3 block systems here we observe that bifurcation of the wave function accounted by cloning is important. In all the systems considered in this work, at the time scale of few hundreds of femtoseconds, cloning enhances the electronic energy relaxation by ~13% compared to that of the MCE method without cloning. Thus, accurate description of quantum effects is essential for understanding of the energy exchange in dendrimers both at short and long time scales.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ultrafast disruptive probing: Simultaneously keeping track of tens of reaction pathways

Ultrafast science depends on different implementations of the well-known pump–probe method. Here, we provide a formal description of ultrafast disruptive probing, a method in which the probe pulse disrupts a transient species that may be a metastable ion or a transient state of matter. Disruptive probing has the advantage of allowing for simultaneous tracking of the yield of tens of different processes. Our presentation includes a numerical model and experimental data on multiple products resulting from the strong-field ionization of two different molecules, partially deuterated methanol and norbornene. The correlated enhancement and depletion signals between all the different fragmentation channels offer comprehensive information on photochemical reaction pathways. In combination with ion imaging and/or coincidence momentum imaging or as complementary to atom-specific probing or ultrafast diffraction methods, disruptive probing is a particularly powerful tool for the study of strong-field laser–matter interactions.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Distinct vibrational motions promote disparate excited-state decay pathways in cofacial perylenediimide dimers

A complex interplay of structural, electronic, and vibrational degrees of freedom underpins the fate of molecular excited states. Organic assemblies exhibit a myriad of excited-state decay processes, such as symmetry-breaking charge separation (SB-CS), excimer (EX) formation, singlet fission, and energy transfer. Recent studies of cofacial and slip-stacked perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PDI) multimers demonstrate that slight variations in core substituents and H- or J-type aggregation can determine whether the system follows an SB-CS pathway or an EX one. However, questions regarding the relative importance of structural properties and molecular vibrations in driving the excited-state dynamics remain. Here, we use a combination of two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy, femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy, and quantum chemistry computations to compare the photophysics of two PDI dimers. The dimer with 1,7-bis(pyrrolidin-1′-yl) substituents (5PDI2) undergoes ultrafast SB-CS from a photoexcited mixed state, while the dimer with bis-1,7-(3′,5′-di-t-butylphenoxy) substituents (PPDI2) rapidly forms an EX state. Examination of their quantum beating features reveals that SB-CS in 5PDI2 is driven by the collective vibronic coupling of two or more excited-state vibrations. In contrast, we observe signatures of low-frequency vibrational coherence transfer during EX formation by PPDI2, which aligns with several previous studies. We conclude that key electronic and structural differences between 5PDI2 and PPDI2 determine their markedly different photophysics.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2026

General framework for quantifying dissipation pathways in open quantum systems. III. Off-diagonal subsystem–bath couplings

This paper extends the previously reported theory of dissipation pathways [C. W. Kim and I. Franco, J. Chem. Phys. 160, 214111 (2024)] to incorporate off-diagonal subsystem–bath coupling, which is often required to model molecular systems where the environment directly influences transitions and couplings between subsystem states. We systematically derive master equations for both population transfer and dissipation into individual bath components, for which we also rigorously prove energy conservation and detailed balance. The approach is based on second-order perturbation theory with respect to the subsystem–bath couplings, whose form is not limited to any specific model. The accuracy of the developed method is tested by applying it to diverse model Hamiltonians involving linearly coupled harmonic oscillator baths and comparing the outcomes against the hierarchical equations of motion (HEOM) method. Overall, our method accurately quantifies the contributions of specific bath components to the overall dissipation while significantly reducing the computational cost compared to numerically exact methods such as HEOM, thus offering a path to examine how vibronic interactions steer non-adiabatic processes in realistic chemical systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Molecular pathways for defect annihilation in directed self-assembly.

Over the last few years, the directed self-assembly of block copolymers by surface patterns has transitioned from academic curiosity to viable contender for commercial fabrication of next-generation nanocircuits by lithography. Recently, it has become apparent that kinetics, and not only thermodynamics, plays a key role for the ability of a polymeric material to self-assemble into a perfect, defect-free ordered state. Perfection, in this context, implies not more than one defect, with characteristic dimensions on the order of 5 nm, over a sample area as large as 100 cm2. In this work, we identify the key pathways and the corresponding free-energy barriers for eliminating defects, and we demonstrate that an extraordinarily large thermodynamic driving force is not necessarily sufficient for their removal. By adopting a concerted computational and experimental approach, we explain the molecular origins of these barriers, how they depend on material characteristics, and we propose strategies designed to over-come them. The validity of our conclusions for industrially-relevant patterning processes is established by relying on instruments and assembly lines that are only available at state-of-the-art fabrication facilities and, through this confluence of fundamental and applied research, we are able to discern the evolution of morphology at the smallest relevant length scales - a handful of nanometers -, and present a view of defect annihilation in directed self-assembly at an unprecedented level of detail.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

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