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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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

All-optical single-shot complete electric field measurement of extreme ultraviolet free electron laser pulses

Recent advances in ultrafast extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and x-ray light sources provide direct access to fundamental time and length scales for biology, chemistry, and materials physics. However, such light pulses are challenging to measure due to the need for femtosecond time resolution at difficult-to-detect wavelengths. Also, single-shot measurements are needed because severe pulse-to-pulse fluctuations are common. Here we demonstrate single-shot, complete field measurements by applying a novel version of frequency resolved optical gating. An EUV free electron laser beam creates a transient grating containing the pulse’s electric field information, which is read out with a 400 nm probe pulse. By varying the time delay between two copies of the EUV pump, rather than between the pump and the probe, we separate the needed coherent wave mixing from the slow incoherent response. Because this approach uses photoionization, it should be applicable from the vacuum ultraviolet to hard x rays.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Thin Film Electrodes for Anodic Stripping Voltammetry: A Mini-Review

Anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) is a powerful electrochemical analytical technique that allows for the detection and quantification of a variety of metal ion species at very low concentrations in aqueous media. While early, traditional ASV measurements relied on macroscopic electrodes like Hg drop electrodes to provide surfaces suitable for plating/stripping, more recent work on the technique has replaced these electrodes with thin film metal electrodes generated in situ . Such electrodes are plated alongside the analyte species onto the surface of a primary electrode, producing a composite metal electrode from which the analyte(s) can then be stripped, identified, and quantified. In this minireview, we will explore the development and use of these unique electrodes in a variety of different applications. A number of metals (e.g., Hg, Bi, Sn, etc.) have shown promise as thin film ASV electrodes in both acidic and alkaline media, and frequently multiple metals in addition to the analyte of interest are deposited together to optimize the plating/stripping behavior, improving sensitivity. Due to the relatively simple nature of the measurement and its suitability for a wide range of pH, it has been used broadly: To measure toxic metals in the environment, characterize battery materials, and enable biological assays, among other applications. We will discuss these applications in greater detail, as well as provide perspective on future development and uses of these thin film electrodes in ASV measurements.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Accelerator Technologies and Science: Progress and Outlook

For over half a century, high-energy particle accelerators play a key role and shape modern nuclear and particle physics, they are also the instruments at the forefront of research for material science and biology. The physics needs continuously push us to invent novel ways to increase energy and improve the performance of accelerators, reduce their cost and make them more power-efficient. Here we briefly overview the most notable accelerator facilities which recently became operational and are now employed for research in nuclear physics, basic energy sciences, neutrinos, high energy particle frontier. We also present upcoming and planned future facilities and outline their main goals, challenges, and required R&D. Focus will be given to the core accelerator technologies such as magnets, RF acceleration, and targets as we as leading beam physics developments such as beam cooling, colliding beams and plasma acceleration.

Shiltsev, Vladimir D.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Environmental and Energy Research at the Texas Center for Advanced Scientific Computing and Modeling (CASCaM)

The funding enabled the creation of the (University of North) Texas Center for Advanced Scientific Computing and Modeling (CASCaM). Due to its success, CASCaM has continued to grow beyond the initial team focused on the biological and environmental research discussed herein, with investments by the University of North Texas in new faculty and researchers who contribute to CASCaM research. CASCaM is now a sustainable effort, with researchers across multiple fields including chemistry, physics, biology, mechanical engineering, materials science, and other fields, with multiple researchers engaged in a broad variety of research, including other DOE projects. Over 20 PI’s and ~100 researchers are engaged in CASCaM research. The overall goal of the research effort was to provide greater understanding about carbon capture, storage, and utilization. As part of this effort, the development of computational methods and identification of novel strategies to support the CO2 and CO studies were necessary. Three primary themes were investigated: carbon dioxide and CO catalysis; protein- and amino acid-based strategies towards carbon dioxide capture, storage, and utilization; and, finally, the methodology improvements for modeling carbon dioxide chemistry

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

PIXEL2020: Tenth International Workshop on Semiconductor Pixel Detectors for Particles and Imaging

This workshop covers various topics related to pixel detector technology. Development and applications will be discussed for charged particle tracking in High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Astrophysics, and X-ray imaging in Astronomy, Biology, Medicine and Material Science. The conference program will also include reports on front and back end electronics, radiation effects, low mass mechanics and construction techniques, and new technologies such as monolithic and 3D integrated detectors.

Sally, Seidel↗
DOE OSTI2026

Synthetic data-driven deep learning for label-free autonomous atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a widely used tool for nanoscale characterization across materials science, energy research, and biology. However, its adoption in high-throughput materials discovery and statistically driven studies remains limited by a strong dependence on expert operator input and by the scarcity of annotated experimental AFM datasets needed to enable data-driven automation. Here, we introduce SimuScan, a synthetic-data–driven framework that enables reliable AFM feature identification, segmentation, and targeted imaging without requiring large manually labeled experimental datasets. SimuScan generates tunable, high-fidelity synthetic AFM images of defined morphologies while incorporating realistic experimental artifacts, including tip–sample convolution, noise, flattening distortions, and surface debris. These datasets are shown to support scalable, label-free training of modern deep learning models for AFM analysis. When integrated into data-driven AFM workflows, SimuScan-trained models can locate and analyze nanoscale structures across large datasets and guide targeted follow-up imaging. We validate this approach on nanostructured surfaces, DNA assemblies, and bacterial cells, demonstrating robust generalization across diverse sample types with minimal operator intervention. More broadly, this work establishes a general strategy for generating explicitly conditioned, task-relevant synthetic data to improve the reliability of downstream models in autonomous microscopy.

Millan-Solsona, Ruben [Oak Ridge National Laborato↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enhancing Nuclear and Radiological Security in Polarized Times: Safeguarding Against Extremist Insider Threats

Domestic violent extremism has been on the rise in recent years, fueled by growing political polarization, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the spread of misinformation online. This concerning trend raises an important question: has this increase in extremist violence manifested in more incidents involving radioactive or nuclear (RN) materials and a corresponding security concern? To explore this question, we analyzed existing data on events involving chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials over time. Specifically, we examined the rate of RN-related incidents, the targets of these events, and the ideologies motivating the perpetrators by using the Violent Non-State Actor Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Event Database from the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. Our analysis aimed to determine whether the broader rise of violent extremism has translated to an elevated risk of attacks involving RN materials. Results of the analysis revealed that there was no clear increase in events involving RN material in the dataset. However, given the rarity of these events, this conclusion does not indicate that such a trend might not appear in coming years if violent extremism continues to rise. To address the potential risk presented by violent extremism, in addition to quantifying the frequency of RN events, we also reviewed traits that could make organizations more susceptible to insider threats from radicalized employees. Focusing on the literature around counterproductive workplace behavior, we identified organizational characteristics that might increase the risk of malicious acts committed by radicalized insiders. These risk factors include abusive leadership, situational constraints, and organizational injustice. Finally, using these organizational risk characteristics, we discuss interventions that organizations with RN material can take to reduce their risk of attacks stemming from violent extremism while still protecting individual rights to privacy and civil liberties. Overall, this article provides an overview of the intersections between rising domestic extremism, insider threats, and risks posed by RN materials. We present current data on trends and patterns in this space as well as practical guidance for organizational resilience.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2024

Deep learning enhanced super-resolution x-ray fluorescence microscopy by a dual-branch network

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) microscopy is a powerful technique for quantifying the distribution of elements in complex materials, which makes it a crucial imaging technique across a wide range of disciplines in physical and biological sciences, including chemistry, materials science, microbiology, and geosciences. However, as a scanning microscopy technique, the spatial resolution of XRF imaging is inherently constrained by the x-ray probe profile and scanning step size. Here we propose a dual-branch machine learning (ML) model, which can extract scale-variant features and bypass abundant low-frequency information separately, to enhance the spatial resolution of the XRF images by mitigating the effects of blurring from the probe profile. The model is trained by simulated natural images, and a two-stage training strategy is used to overcome the domain gap between the natural images and experimental data. The tomography reconstruction from enhanced XRF projections shows an improvement in resolution by a scale factor of four and reveals distinct internal features invisible in low-resolution XRF within a battery sample. This study offers a promising approach for obtaining high-resolution XRF imaging from its low-resolution version, paving the way for future investigations in a broader range of disciplines and materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Resilient Hydrogels from the Nanoscale to the Macroscale

Biological systems illustrate how a material composed of fragile molecular components can collectively be highly resilient. While the average protein, cell, or even tissue may not last more than a few weeks, many animals and plants live for more than a century. Continual component regeneration and multiple systems to resist mechanical and chemical damage together make this longetivity possible. This project sought to develop biomimetic methods to enable a specific type of material, a hydrogel, to resist damage across multiple scales using distinct, modular damage protection mechanisms. Because hydrogels share many features with biological tissues, they are an ideal substrate for exploring biomimetic strategies for designing resilience and self-repair. We specifically focused in this study on DNA-crosslinked hydrogels, which contain DNA strands that can serve as material to link it together or to control its current state or properties. We investigated how new tools from dynamic DNA nanotechnology could make it possible to actively recover from damage by continually growing and forming a materials shape, or by identifying damage and directing an adaptive response to that damage involving chemical synthesis to reconstruct a structure. We developed embedded molecular sensors able to detect and strain of the gel before damage occurred and react to counteract damage. We also developed methods to continually create shapes and patterns using chemical processes that will allow those patterns to reform when they are damaged. The ability to design resilient materials capable of self-repair has important implications for materials engineering. Instead of designing a material to withstand the worst stresses it may encounter, we could instead design a material to survive under average conditions, but self-repair or reconfigure to resist impending damage. Resilient, self-repairing hydrogels will also have diverse applications such as sensors or actuators.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Roadmap for a sustainable circular economy in lithium-ion and future battery technologies

Abstract The market dynamics, and their impact on a future circular economy for lithium-ion batteries (LIB), are presented in this roadmap, with safety as an integral consideration throughout the life cycle. At the point of end-of-life (EOL), there is a range of potential options—remanufacturing, reuse and recycling. Diagnostics play a significant role in evaluating the state-of-health and condition of batteries, and improvements to diagnostic techniques are evaluated. At present, manual disassembly dominates EOL disposal, however, given the volumes of future batteries that are to be anticipated, automated approaches to the dismantling of EOL battery packs will be key. The first stage in recycling after the removal of the cells is the initial cell-breaking or opening step. Approaches to this are reviewed, contrasting shredding and cell disassembly as two alternative approaches. Design for recycling is one approach that could assist in easier disassembly of cells, and new approaches to cell design that could enable the circular economy of LIBs are reviewed. After disassembly, subsequent separation of the black mass is performed before further concentration of components. There are a plethora of alternative approaches for recovering materials; this roadmap sets out the future directions for a range of approaches including pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, short-loop, direct, and the biological recovery of LIB materials. Furthermore, anode, lithium, electrolyte, binder and plastics recovery are considered in order to maximise the proportion of materials recovered, minimise waste and point the way towards zero-waste recycling. The life-cycle implications of a circular economy are discussed considering the overall system of LIB recycling, and also directly investigating the different recycling methods. The legal and regulatory perspectives are also considered. Finally, with a view to the future, approaches for next-generation battery chemistries and recycling are evaluated, identifying gaps for research. This review takes the form of a series of short reviews, with each section written independently by a diverse international authorship of experts on the topic. Collectively, these reviews form a comprehensive picture of the current state of the art in LIB recycling, and how these technologies are expected to develop in the future.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Automated Label‐Free Assay for Viral Detection and Inhibitor Screening via Biomembrane‐Functionalized Microelectrode Arrays

Most virus infection assays have indirect readout such as virus number following entry (e.g., PCR, cell lysis). While effective, these technologies are labor‐intensive, require specialized environments (e.g., sterile or RNA‐free), and detect later‐stage viral events like lysis or cell death, lacking sensitivity to early fusion events. To address these limitations, we present biologically relevant 2D membrane materials, host‐cell‐derived supported lipid bilayers (hcd‐SLBs), integrated with organic microelectrode arrays (OMEAs) for detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) fusion. By overexpressing angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors on the native membranes, the platform functions as a viral sensor capable of detecting virus pseudo particles (VPPs) through the late pathway. Additionally, hcd‐SLBs extracted from human lung epithelium expressing native ACE2 detect fusion events through the early pathway. The platform's utility as a drug‐screening tool is demonstrated by testing antibodies targeting either the ACE2 on the host membrane or the viral spike (S) proteins. To enhance the throughput, microfluidics are integrated for automation and OMEAs are incorporated within each channel, miniaturizing the testing units. This system supports high‐throughput data generation, automation, and scalability, providing an efficient platform for viral fusion detection that advances the study of pathogen‐host interactions and accelerates antiviral drug discovery.

Biology↗
DOE OSTI2020

Laser writing of nitrogen-doped silicon carbide for biological modulation

Conducting or semiconducting materials embedded in insulating polymeric substrates can be useful in biointerface applications; however, attainment of this composite configuration by direct chemical processes is challenging. Laser-assisted synthesis has evolved as a fast and inexpensive technique to prepare various materials, but its utility in the construction of biophysical tools or biomedical devices is less explored. Here, we use laser writing to convert portions of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) into nitrogen-doped cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC). The dense 3C-SiC surface layer is connected to the PDMS matrix via a spongy graphite layer, facilitating electrochemical and photoelectrochemical activity. We demonstrate the fabrication of arbitrary two-dimensional (2D) SiC-based patterns in PDMS and freestanding 3D constructs. To establish the functionality of the laser-produced composite, we apply it as flexible electrodes for pacing isolated hearts and as photoelectrodes for local peroxide delivery to smooth muscle sheets.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

40th Eastern Regional Photosynthesis Conference

Photosynthesis has shaped global biochemistry and geochemistry in its production of almost all atmospheric oxygen, and almost every electron that supports the processes of life on Earth was extracted from water by the light-dependent reactions, many of which were then used to fix carbon in the dark reactions. To humans, that fixed carbon is the originator of all fossil fuels and a critical step in conversion of solar photons to human-usable energy. The Eastern Regional Photosynthesis Conference (ERPC) serves as a forum for advancement of science in this field. As a regional-level conference, it specializes in providing developmental opportunities for early-career researchers from undergraduates to pre-tenure professors, as well as broadening the field in terms of participating scholars and research approaches to produce new interdisciplinary collaborations. Funding from the Department of Energy is used to mitigate registration and attendance costs for junior (non-PI) researchers. The ERPC is one of the three regional conferences in the field of photosynthesis research in the United States, alongside the Western Photosynthesis Conference (currently in California) and the Midwestern Photosynthesis Conference (Turkey Run, Indiana). A longstanding incubator for scientific discourse, discovery, and collaborations, this conference has spawned many collaborations which led to Department of Energy-funded projects and brought two full generations of scientists into the field. In 2023 the landmark 40th such conference was held at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts. The conference was held April 14th-16th, 2023. The majority of the total attendees are traditionally undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, whose scientific development greatly benefits from conferences like these. Almost all talks besides the ones given by invited speakers were given by young scientists who benefited from this award. Many posters presented at this conference were also the work of junior scientists. This conference is many young scientists' first exposure to the photosynthesis research community and its primary goal is to provide a positive atmosphere for those attendees, as exemplified by the three poster sessions and dedicated interactions between senior and junior scientists. Additionally, this was the first year of a successful equitable outreach and speaker recruitment plan to provide fair representation at the conference in line with Department of Energy policies and mission. The central focus of the ERPC is the understanding of energy flow from photons to usable chemical products in both natural and artificial photosynthesis. We support the DOE-BES aim of understanding of the biochemical/biophysical processes of photosynthesis to inform new technology development and field applications. This year’s theme, “Photosynthesis Across Scales,” reflected the scope of work being done from the individual exciton to the crop scale. This research encompasses applied biology, chemistry, physics, and materials engineering. The aim of this conference is to present new discoveries, techniques, and questions which can be sourced from any of these disciplines and provide an audience which is broadly qualified to use or respond to these developments.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2022

Combining Spatial and Temporal Resolution in Cryo-TEM of Device Materials: Preprint

Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) has been instrumental to reducing the effects of electron-beam sample interactions and enabling higher spatial resolution studies of beam sensitive materials. However, the process of thinning and freezing samples for cryo-TEM characterization is often complex and frequently involves removing materials from their environment or stimuli of interest for extended times. This can allow for structural relaxation, diffusion, and other dynamic processes to occur prior to characterization; for energy materials like battery electrodes, this makes it difficult to precisely correlate the imaged structure with native structures that evolve in-situ during device processing, operation, or aging. Here, we present methods to prepare cryo-TEM samples from energy materials during these critical processes in the relevant device lifetimes. This offers insights into improving the temporal resolution of cryo-TEM, while still exploiting its ability to achieve high spatial resolutions in characterizing beam sensitive materials.

BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES,MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Controlled patterning of crystalline domains by frontal polymerization

Materials with hierarchical architectures that combine soft and hard material domains with coalesced interfaces possess superior properties compared with their homogeneous counterparts. These architectures in synthetic materials have been achieved through deterministic manufacturing strategies such as 3D printing, which require an a priori design and active intervention throughout the process to achieve architectures spanning multiple length scales. Here we harness frontal polymerization spin mode dynamics to autonomously fabricate patterned crystalline domains in poly(cyclooctadiene) with multiscale organization. This rapid, dissipative processing method leads to the formation of amorphous and semi-crystalline domains emerging from the internal interfaces generated between the solid polymer and the propagating cure front. The size, spacing and arrangement of the domains are controlled by the interplay between the reaction kinetics, thermochemistry and boundary conditions. Small perturbations in the fabrication conditions reproducibly lead to remarkable changes in the patterned microstructure and the resulting strength, elastic modulus and toughness of the polymer. Furthermore, this ability to control mechanical properties and performance solely through the initial conditions and the mode of front propagation represents a marked advancement in the design and manufacturing of advanced multiscale materials. Drawing inspiration from biological systems in which structural complexity develops through dissipative reaction–diffusion processes, this study explores a transformative synthetic manufacturing strategy aimed at harnessing the principles underpinning morphogenic growth, unlocking new avenues for advanced materials design and fabrication. Synthetic coupled reaction-transport processes offer a versatile yet relatively underexplored method to manipulate the spatial attributes of synthetic materials10. Here we introduce an innovative manufacturing approach based on frontal ring-opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP) that draws parallels with morphogenic growth and development, enabling the formation of patterned microstructures within polymeric materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗