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At least 199 records · Page 11

Survey of Technologies to Meet PAG limits for Detection of Cesium-137 in Water

The goal of this report is to evaluate the process of adding a sorbent to the sampling process to preconcentrate Cs-137 and then analyze the sorbent to provide a rapid assessment of results to guide decisions on drinking water sources and the protection of the public. Multiple unit design variables were considered: sample configuration/geometry, sorbent efficiency, sample volume. Model simulations demonstrated through these unit design efficiencies that 10 L of sample volume processed through a sorbent provides nearly two orders of magnitude improvement in sample counting time to provide results to a decision maker than the current process. Over 60 publications and reports concerning Cs-137 and sorbents were evaluated. The key attributes were readiness of sorbent to be deployed in a mobile laboratory environment, and minimum sample preparation and conditioning. Examples of sorbents not considered further included nanomaterials, which have not been evaluated at a commercial scale and are limited in availability. The recommended sorbents for further consideration include: ferrocyanide salts, zeolite, and chemically modified granular activated carbon.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Electronic tuning of confined sub-nanometer cobalt oxide clusters boosting oxygen catalysis and rechargeable Zn–air batteries.

Reasonable design of robust bifunctional oxygen catalysts from an electronic structure perspective is intriguing and challenging for the development of high active rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs). In this study, the favorable regulation of the electronic structure of the cobalt oxide nanoclusters was firstly predicted by density functional theory (DFT) simulation, and then experimentally verified by confining sub-nanometer CoOx clusters (0.86 nm) into the small pore of ZIF-8 derived N-doped nanomaterials (PNC) using a microporous MOFs confinement strategy. The confined effect of the MOF micropores not only enhanced the stability of the subnanometer cobalt oxide clusters, but also make it coupled with Co-Nx to further regulate the electronic structure of the former, synergistic resulting in enhanced ORR/OER actives. As a result, the optimized 0.05CoOx@PNC catalyst demonstrates outstanding bifunctional oxygen performance with a smaller potential gap of 0.67 V. Moreover, the rechargeable Zn-air batteries integrated 0.05CoOx@PNC air cathode displays encouraging performance with a peak power density of 157.1 mW cm(-2), a specific capacity of 887 mAh g(Zn)(-1)at 10 mA cm(-2) and long-term cyclability for over 200 h, significantly outperforming the benchmark electrode couple consisted of Pt/C/RuO2. DFT calculation further revealed that reducing particle size and coupling with Co-N could effectively regulate the charge distribution of CoOx nanoclusters and downshift the D-band center of Co adsorption sites in CoOx nanoclusters, which reduced the reaction barrier of intermediate O-2* and OH* and ORR/ OER over potential, thus accelerating the overall ORR/OER kinetic process. This work offers a novel reference for the construction of a robust sub-nanometer cluster catalysts in the field of ZABs.

Bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts↗

Advanced Electron Microscopy of Nanophased Synthetic Polymers and Soft Complexes for Energy and Medicine Applications

After decades of developments, electron microscopy has become a powerful and irreplaceable tool in understanding the ionic, electrical, mechanical, chemical, and other functional performances of next-generation polymers and soft complexes. The recent progress in electron microscopy of nanostructured polymers and soft assemblies is important for applications in many different fields, including, but not limited to, mesoporous and nanoporous materials, absorbents, membranes, solid electrolytes, battery electrodes, ion- and electron-transporting materials, organic semiconductors, soft robotics, optoelectronic devices, biomass, soft magnetic materials, and pharmaceutical drug design. For synthetic polymers and soft complexes, there are four main characteristics that differentiate them from their inorganic or biomacromolecular counterparts in electron microscopy studies: (1) lower contrast, (2) abundance of light elements, (3) polydispersity or nanomorphological variations, and (4) large changes induced by electron beams. Since 2011, the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been working with numerous facility users on nanostructured polymer composites, block copolymers, polymer brushes, conjugated molecules, organic–inorganic hybrid nanomaterials, organic–inorganic interfaces, organic crystals, and other soft complexes. This review crystalizes some of the essential challenges, successes, failures, and techniques during the process in the past ten years. It also presents some outlooks and future expectations on the basis of these works at the intersection of electron microscopy, soft matter, and artificial intelligence. Machine learning is expected to automate and facilitate image processing and information extraction of polymer and soft hybrid nanostructures in aspects such as dose-controlled imaging and structure analysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Opportunities in the Synthesis and Design of Radioactive Thin Films and Nanoparticles

Studies of radioactive isotopes at the liquid-solid or gas-solid interface are enabling a detailed mechanistic understanding the effects of radioactive decay on physical, biological, and chemical systems. In recent years, there has been a burgeoning interest in using radioactive isotopes for both imaging and therapeutic purposes by attaching them to the surface of colloidal nanoparticles. By merging the field of nanomedicine with the more mature field of internal radiation therapy, researchers are discovering new ways to diagnose and treat cancer. In this perspective, we discuss state-of-the-art radioactive thin films as applied to both well-defined surfaces and more complex nanoparticles. Here, we highlight the design considerations that are unique to radioactive films, which originate from the damaging and potentially self-destructive emissions produced during radioactive decay and highlight future opportunities in the largely underexplored area between radioisotope chemistry and nanoscience.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Nanoparticle cellular internalization is not required for RNA delivery to mature plant leaves

Rapidly growing interest in the nanoparticle-mediated delivery of DNA and RNA to plants requires a better understanding of how nanoparticles and their cargoes translocate in plant tissues and into plant cells. However, little is known about how the size and shape of nanoparticles influence transport in plants and the delivery efficiency of their cargoes, limiting the development of nanotechnology in plant systems. In this study we employed non-biolistically delivered DNA-modified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) of various sizes (5-20 nm) and shapes (spheres and rods) to systematically investigate their transport following infiltration into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Generally, smaller AuNPs demonstrated more rapid, higher and longer-lasting levels of association with plant cell walls compared with larger AuNPs. We observed internalization of rod-shaped but not spherical AuNPs into plant cells, yet, surprisingly, 10 nm spherical AuNPs functionalized with small-interfering RNA (siRNA) were the most efficient at siRNA delivery and inducing gene silencing in mature plant leaves. These results indicate the importance of nanoparticle size in efficient biomolecule delivery and, counterintuitively, demonstrate that efficient cargo delivery is possible and potentially optimal in the absence of nanoparticle cellular internalization. Additionally, our results highlight nanoparticle features of importance for transport within plant tissues, providing a mechanistic overview of how nanoparticles can be designed to achieve efficacious biocargo delivery for future developments in plant nanobiotechnology.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

An Overview of Nanomaterials for Environmental Remediation Applications

The environmental remediation capabilities of nanoparticles were reviewed and evaluated. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been used to remediate various forms of environmental contamination. Various materials, morphologies, and conditions are required to remediate different contaminants. Nanoparticles may have benefits and/or limitations compared with traditional remediation methods. New techniques are being applied to mitigate the limitations of NPs. Nanomaterials are a promising technology for the environmental remediation. NPs have been used for the remediation of aqueous and atmospheric contaminants. Nanoparticles have been used to sequester contaminants toxic to human and environmental health. Various materials, morphologies, and conditions are necessary for the remediation of different contaminants. The remediation of heavy metals is of significant concern. Contaminants may be remediated by means of sorption or reduction. The remediation capability of nanoparticles is promising due to their high surface area and reactivity. Reaction kinetics are, therefore, notably fast. These characteristics make NPs attractive for environmental remediation. Various NPs have been used as sequestering agents for environmental contaminants. NPs have been used to remediate heavy metals as well as organic contaminants. Technical Objectives: Assess viability of nanoparticles (NPs) for environmental remediation; Review benefits and limitations of NPs; Design future experiments to test remediation capabilities of NPs. Future Plans: Create NP filters for remediation - Grow Au NPs on Stainless Steel Wool: Stainless steel wool has many defects and crevices allowing the Au NPs to grow on the surface; Stainless steel wool will not react with the heavy metal contaminants tested; NPs are embedded, so they do not have to be removed from solution. Test sorption capabilities with heavy metal contaminants in aqueous solution. Benefits of Gold NPs: Corrosion/oxidation resistant; Exhibit visible/near IR plasmon resonance; Can be synthesized by solution chemistry: cost efficient and easily scalable. Surfactants: Used to lower surface energy and prevent aggregation; Sodium citrate: anionic surfactant (-); Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB): cationic surfactant (+); Ionic surfactants create charged NPs; Charged NPs can be used to sequester ionic contaminants (eg. heavy metals)

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Covalent Linkage and Macrocylization Preserve and Enhance Synergistic Interactions in Catalytic Amyloids

The self-assembly of short peptides into catalytic amyloid-like nanomaterials has proven to be a powerful tool in both understanding the evolution of early proteins and identifying new catalysts for practically useful chemical reactions. Here we demonstrate that both parallel and antiparallel arrangements of beta-sheets can accommodate metal ions in catalytically productive coordination environments. Moreover, synergistic relationships, identified in catalytic amyloid mixtures, can be captured in macrocyclic and sheet-loop-sheet species, that offer faster rates of assembly and provide more complex asymmetric arrangements of functional groups, thus paving the way for future designs of amyloid-like catalytic proteins. Finally, our findings show how initial catalytic activity in amyloid assemblies can be propagated and improved in more-complex molecules, providing another link in a complex evolutionary chain between short, potentially abiotically produced peptides and modern-day enzymes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Two-Stage Assembly of Nanoparticle Superlattices with Multiscale Organization

Self-assembly processes, while promising for enabling the fabrication of complexly organized nanomaterials from nanoparticles, are often limited in creating structures with multiscale order. These limitations are due to difficulties in practically realizing the assembly processes required to achieve such complex organizations. For a long time, a hierarchical assembly attracted interest as a potentially powerful approach. However, due to the experimental limitations, intermediate-level structures are often heterogeneous in composition and structure, which significantly impacts the formation of large-scale organizations. Here, we introduce a two-stage assembly strategy: DNA origami frames scaffold a coordination of nanoparticles into designed 3D nanoclusters, and then these clusters are assembled into ordered lattices whose types are determined by the clusters’ valence. Through modulating the nanocluster architectures and intercluster bindings, we demonstrate the successful formation of complexly organized nanoparticle crystals. To conclude, the presented two-stage assembly method provides a powerful fabrication strategy for creating nanoparticle superlattices with prescribed unit cells.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Investigating Kinetic Mechanisms of Soot Formation in Plasma Pyrolysis of Methane via Active Learning (Final Technical Report)

Plasma pyrolysis of methane is an effective route for zero-carbon hydrogen production. Yet, soot generated from pyrolysis of hydrocarbons is detrimental to the climate and human health. There is ample experimental and theoretical evidence that suggests polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the molecular precursors to soot particles. The reaction pathways of PAH formation are intricately dependent on a multitude of process parameters, whose kinetic mechanisms are not well-understood in plasma pyrolysis. This project aims to leverage advances in the kinetic modeling of soot formation in combustion, as well as in surrogate modeling and active learning, to systematically investigate the effects of process parameter on the kinetics of PAH formation in plasma pyrolysis of methane. To this end, we propose to use the PAH formation kinetics model developed by the PPPL/PU group based on the well-established ABF and HACA mechanisms, coupled with low-temperature plasma models. We will develop an active learning (AL) framework based on Bayesian optimization to systematically and data-efficiently explore the complex and multivariable parameter space of plasma pyrolysis in order to quantify the effects of plasma and feed parameters on the ABF and HACA kinetic pathways. AL is the branch of machine learning concerned with systematically querying samples from a system (experimental or computational) to train a data-driven model that maps design parameters to a performance criterion. We will use the data generated via AL to perform global sensitivity analysis, combined with uncertainty quantification, to elucidate the impact of different reaction pathways on minimizing formation of soot precursors. This study will result in an improved understanding of kinetics of PAH formation in plasma pyrolysis and can pave the way for more advanced mechanistic studies (e.g., soot nucleation mechanisms). Additionally, the findings will be useful for establishing practical strategies for increasing the pyrolysis efficiency and producing high-grade carbon for synthesis of nanomaterials.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Electronic coherence evolution at the nearly commensurate-incommensurate CDW boundary of 1⁢T−TaS 2

Transition-metal dichalcogenides host a variety of charge-density-wave phases that couple lattice, charge, and correlation effects. In 1⁢𝑇−TaS 2 , the commensurate and nearly commensurate states are well characterized, yet the transition near 350 K into the incommensurate phase has lacked direct momentum-resolved insight. In this work, we use temperature-dependent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to track the electronic structure across this transition. We observe a suppression of quasiparticle spectral weight at the Brillouin-zone center, coincident with the transport anomaly, but without clear evidence of a full band-gap opening. The transition appears to involve momentum-dependent redistribution of spectral weight, consistent with a loss of coherence that reshapes the Fermi surface while leaving conduction dispersions largely intact. These results suggest that the nearly commensurate–incommensurate transition may not align with a conventional metal-insulator transition picture, but rather as an electronic reconstruction driven by loss of coherence. Our work provides new microscopic insight into the resistivity anomaly near room temperature and may guide design principles for collective electronic switching in transition-metal dichalcogenides.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Synthesis of nanograined zirconium diboride microsphere powder feedstock via emulsification of suspensions

Ceramic nanograined materials have desirable characteristics compared to their macroparticle counterparts but are rarely used in industrial applications due to issues with poor handleability and health hazards. Due to interparticle forces that become more dominant as the particle size decreases, it is difficult to use nanomaterials to fill dies, spread on surfaces, or flow through hoppers found in various manufacturing processes. In this work, we report a scalable gelcasting solution and unique emulsification process to create microspheres composed of nanoscale powders to enhance the flowability and handleability of nanomaterials. The gelcasting solution and emulsification process can be used with any nanoparticle composition that can be suspended in a liquid phase. This paper reports the effects of various parameters on zirconium diboride microsphere formation, such as surfactant content and mixing conditions. The microspheres maintain the nano-scale characteristics of the powder but improve its flowability by using cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol to combine irregularly shaped zirconium diboride nanoparticles with a particle diameter of 60 nm into larger spherical particles with a d 50 ~25 μm. This hierarchical feedstock engineering design combine the positive characteristics of materials across both length scales and improve the flowability of the feedstock from a Hausner Ratio of 1.56 to 1.19. The materials produced using this technique can be used in thermal plasma spray, die filling for hot pressing or spark plasma sintering, and binder jet printing applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Compact Peptoid Molecular Brushes for Nanoparticle Stabilization

Controlling the interfaces and interactions of colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) via tethered molecular moieties is crucial for NP applications in engineered nanomaterials, optics, catalysis, and nanomedicine. Despite a broad range of molecular types explored, there is a need for a flexible approach to rationally vary the chemistry and structure of these interfacial molecules for controlling NP stability in diverse environments, while maintaining a small size of the NP molecular shell. Here, we demonstrate that low-molecular-weight, bifunctional comb-shaped, and sequence-defined peptoids can effectively stabilize gold NPs (AuNPs). The generality of this robust functionalization strategy was also demonstrated by coating of silver, platinum, and iron oxide NPs with designed peptoids. Each peptoid (PE) is designed with varied arrangements of a multivalent AuNP-binding domain and a solvation domain consisting of oligo-ethylene glycol (EG) branches. Among designs, a peptoid (PE5) with a diblock structure is demonstrated to provide a superior nanocolloidal stability in diverse aqueous solutions while forming a compact shell (similar to 1.5 nm) on the AuNP surface. We demonstrate by experiments and molecular dynamics simulations that PE5-coated AuNPs (PE5/AuNPs) are stable in select organic solvents owing to the strong PE5 (amine)-Au binding and solubility of the oligo-EG motifs. At the vapor-aqueous interface, we show that PE5/AuNPs remain stable and can self-assemble into ordered 2D lattices. The NP films exhibit strong near-field plasmonic coupling when transferred to solid substrates.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Elucidating the Structural and Electronic Effects of Ni and Mn Cationic Incorporation on CoOOH for Efficient Benzyl Alcohol Electrooxidation

Transition-metal oxyhydroxides such as CoOOH are promising low-cost electrocatalysts for the selective electrooxidation of organic molecules, yet the influence of ubiquitous transition-metal impurities on their performance and durability remains poorly understood. Here, we experimentally probed the individual and synergistic electrochemical and structural effects of Ni and Mn incorporations into model CoOOH electrocatalysts toward an efficient benzyl alcohol oxidation reaction (BAOR). Comprehensive electrochemical, microscopic, and spectroscopic analyses reveal that Ni incorporation enhances charge-transfer kinetics and overall activity through the formation of catalytically active Ni 3+ sites, whereas Mn exhibited a more complex but interesting role. At the early stages of operation, Mn 4+ acts as a stabilizing surface layer that mitigates catalyst degradation but partially blocks Co sites before they undergo gradual leaching. The concurrent incorporation of both Ni and Mn yields a trimetallic 2NMC@NF electrocatalyst that integrates the activity benefits of Ni with the stability conferred by Mn, achieving 92.9% benzyl alcohol conversion and 91.4% Faradaic efficiency after 24 h at 1.5 V vs RHE. These findings elucidate how trace Ni and Mn impurities, often introduced from electrolytes or external sources, can modulate the lattice and electronic structure of CoOOH, offering a design strategy for enhancing both activity and long-term stability in electrocatalytic organic oxidation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Super-expansive thermo-reversible interstitial solid solution of nanocrystal superlattices with mesogens

Designing superlattices of nanocrystals to mimic and extend the properties of atomic crystals has been a long-standing motivation in materials chemistry. Interstitial solid solutions, such as steel, are well-studied atomic lattices in which mobile components move among the interstices. These materials exhibit unique properties, including reversible structural changes and phase transitions. Interstitial solid solutions possess unique dynamic structures and reversible responses, which motivate the creation of their colloidal equivalents. Here, in this study, we report a fully thermo-reversible colloidal interstitial solid solution by combining liquid crystals and nanocrystals functionalized with promesogenic ligands. Mesogen molecules fill and diffuse among the interstices of a superlattice, resulting in a super-large thermal expansivity. The approach uses a modular design of interparticle interactions, allowing control of interparticle distance, microstructure and transition between crystallographic forms.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Diffraction-quality, ultraflexible protein single crystals engineered with DNA

DNA-functionalized colloidal nanoparticles assemble through flexible, nanoscale DNA hybridization interactions that limit atomic-level structural order. Here, we report a valence-centric strategy that enables DNA-bonded, protein single crystals with unconventional mechanical properties. An octameric enzyme, glutarate L-2-hydroxylase, was site- and number-selectively conjugated with eight self-complementary single-stranded DNA, yielding octavalent molecular bonds. The resulting conjugate assembled into the designed body-centered tetragonal crystals that diffracted to 1.42- to 2.61-angstrom resolution, with contacts mediated by B-form DNA helices spanning 17 to 25 angstroms. Increasing oligonucleotide length induces anisotropic lattice expansion while preserving atomic periodicity, even with partial DNA occupancy. Mechanistic studies suggest that the dynamic motion of unhybridized DNA facilitates crystallization, analogous to fluctuating electron clouds in atomic bonding. Compared with native protein crystals, DNA-hybridized crystals are 23-fold softer. These results challenge the assumption that flexibility is incompatible with structural order and establish a programmable framework for biomolecular crystallization and nanomaterials engineering with atomic precision.

Han, Zhenyu [Department of Chemistry, Northwestern↗

Hierarchical Polyelemental Nanoparticles as Bifunctional Catalysts for Oxygen Evolution and Reduction Reactions

Efficient electrocatalysts are critical in various clean energy conversion and storage systems. Polyelemental nanomaterials are attractive as multi-functional catalysts due to their wide compositions and synergistic properties. However, controlled synthesis of polyelemental nanomaterials is difficult due to their complex composition. Herein, we present a one-step synthetic strategy to fabricate a hierarchical polyelemental nanomaterial, which contains ultrasmall precious metal nanoparticles (IrPt, ~5 nm) anchored on spinel-structure transition metal oxide nanoparticles. The polyelemental nanoparticles serve as excellent bifunctional catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The mass catalytic activity of the polyelemental nanoparticles is 7-times higher than that of Pt in ORR and 28-times that of Ir in OER at the same overpotentials, demonstrating the high activity of the bifunctional electrocatalyst. We attribute this outstanding performance to the controlled multiple elemental composition, mixed chemical states, and large electroactive surface area. The hierarchical nanostructure and polyelemental design of these nanoparticles offers a general and powerful alternative material for catalysis, solar cells, and more.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

3D printing of metal-based materials for renewable energy applications

Large-scale renewable energy must overcome conversion and storage challenges before it can replace fossil fuels due to its intermittent nature. However, current sustainable energy devices still suffer from high cost, low efficiency, and poor service life problems. Recently, porous metal-based materials have been widely used as desirable cross-functional platforms for electrochemical and photochemical energy systems for their unique electrical conductivity, catalytic activity, and chemical stability. To tailor the porosity length scale, ordering, and compositions, 3D printing has been applied as a disruptive manufacturing revolution to create complex architected components by directly joining sequential layers into designed structures. In conclusion, this article intends to summarize cutting-edge advances of metal-based materials for renewable energy devices (e.g., fuel cells, solar cells, supercapacitors, and batteries) over the past decade.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Mitigating Cyclable Li‐Ion Inventory Loss in Full Cells with Mn‐Rich Disordered Rocksalt Cathodes

Lithium (Li)- and manganese (Mn)-rich disordered rock salt (DRX) materials are promising cathode materials for next-generation Li-ion batteries. Although these cathode materials are Li-ions rich in their pristine state, their incorporation into full cells results in challenges with maintaining Li-ion inventory during cycling. Herein, the degradation mechanisms of DRX materials in different DRX||Graphite full cells are reported. It is found that DRX electrodes contain Li impurities, primarily due to the environmental sensitivity of mechanochemically synthesized DRX materials during sample transfer and storage. In addition, the structural instability of DRX triggers Mn dissolution. Dissolved Mn ions react with exposed Li x C y compounds and induce electrolyte decomposition on the anode, further depleting Li-ion inventory. Control experiments involving the pre-addition of Mn 2+ provide clear evidence of the impact of Mn dissolution on Li-ion inventory. The electrochemical activation process can stabilize DRX, alleviate Mn dissolution and thus mitigate the loss of Li-ion inventory. These mechanistic insights inform the development of chemical pre-lithiation and electrolyte additive strategies to collectively passivate interfaces, mitigate the effects of trace dissolved Mn ions, and preserve Li-ion inventory. Ultimately, the DRX||Graphite full cell achieves highly reversible electrochemical reactions with a high capacity retention. This study fills a research gap in DRX-based full cells and provides insights into degradation mechanisms and optimization strategies for their practical use.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗