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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 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Green solvent-processable poly(3-hexylthiophene) derivative maintains high hole mobility in diodes

The development of environmentally sustainable fabrication methods for organic solar cells (OSCs) is critical to enable their large-scale adoption. Conventional solution-processed OSCs often rely on halogenated, toxic solvents that pose health and environmental risks, limiting their scalability. This is because π-conjugated polymers tend to have a low solubility in non-halogenated solvents. A common strategy to enhance solubility in alternative solvents is through the incorporation of polar solubilizing groups, often on every repeat unit of at least one monomer. However, too many polar side chains tend to disrupt favorable morphology and decrease charge transport properties. In this study, we demonstrate that a minimal degree of side chain functionalization can improve green solvent processability while preserving electrical performance. We tested this hypothesis using our previously reported random copolymer derivative of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) where ∼10 mol% of the side chains are 6-pentanoatehexyl side chains. We find that this low-level functionalization significantly broadens the solvents that can be used to process P3HT to less toxic solvents such as o-xylene and anisole. Furthermore, the copolymer processed from greener solvents showed high hole mobilities (∼10⁻ 3 cm 2 /Vs by the Space-Charge Limiting Current method in diodes), comparable to P3HT films cast from toxic chloroform. These findings suggest that minimal side-chain modification is a viable strategy for expanding green solvent compatibility while preserving electrical performance, paving the way toward more sustainable organic semiconductor designs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Genome‐wide CRISPR‐Cas9 screen reveals a persistent null‐hyphal phenotype that maintains high carotenoid production in Yarrowia lipolytica

Abstract Yarrowia lipolytica is a metabolic engineering host of growing industrial interest due to its ability to metabolize hydrocarbons, fatty acids, glycerol, and other renewable carbon sources. This dimorphic yeast undergoes a stress‐induced transition to a multicellular hyphal state, which can negatively impact biosynthetic activity, reduce oxygen and nutrient mass transfer in cell cultures, and increase culture viscosity. Identifying mutations that prevent the formation of hyphae would help alleviate the bioprocess challenges that they create. To this end, we conducted a genome‐wide CRISPR screen to identify genetic knockouts that prevent the transition to hyphal morphology. The screen identified five mutants with a null‐hyphal phenotype— ΔRAS2 , ΔRHO5 , ΔSFL1 , ΔSNF2 , and ΔPAXIP1 . Of these hits, only ΔRAS2 suppressed hyphal formation in an engineered lycopene production strain over a multiday culture. The RAS2 knockout was also the only genetic disruption characterized that did not affect lycopene production, producing more than 5 mg L −1 OD −1 from a heterologous pathway with enhanced carbon flux through the mevalonate pathway. These data suggest that a ΔRAS2 mutant of Y. lipolytica could prove useful in engineering a metabolic engineering host of the production of carotenoids and other biochemicals.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Minimally disruptive optical control of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B

Protein tyrosine phosphatases regulate a myriad of essential subcellular signaling events, yet they remain difficult to study in their native biophysical context. Here we develop a minimally disruptive optical approach to control protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B)—an important regulator of receptor tyrosine kinases and a therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetes, obesity, and cancer—and we use that approach to probe the intracellular function of this enzyme. Our conservative architecture for photocontrol, which consists of a protein-based light switch fused to an allosteric regulatory element, preserves the native structure, activity, and subcellular localization of PTP1B, affords changes in activity that match those elicited by post-translational modifications inside the cell, and permits experimental analyses of the molecular basis of optical modulation. Findings indicate, most strikingly, that small changes in the activity of PTP1B can cause large shifts in the phosphorylation states of its regulatory targets.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Shear Strength and Release of Large Cryogenic Pellets from the Barrel of a Shattered Pellet Injector for Disruption Mitigation

Shattered pellet injection (SPI) has been chosen as the baseline disruption mitigation system on ITER due to its ability to rapidly inject material deep into the plasma to greatly increase the plasma density and radiate the thermal energy. SPI utilizes a mechanical punch or high-pressure gas to release and accelerate a pellet that has been cryogenically desublimated in the barrel of a pipe gun. Various material injection combinations could possibly be implemented during different phases of a disruption event to radiate plasma energy, reduce electromagnetic loads on machine components, avoid the formation of runaway electrons, or to dissipate runaway electrons that form. Each injection phase could possibly utilize combinations of deuterium, neon, or argon. In this paper we outline experimental measurements of pellet material shear strength at SPI operating temperatures to understand the force needed to release SPI pellets. Deuterium, neon, argon, and deuterium-neon mixture pellets with diameters of 8.5, 12.5, and 15.7 mm are formed at a range of relevant gas pressures and temperatures and dislodged from the cold zone with a slow-moving piston driven by a motor. The slow-moving piston is kept above the triple point temperature of the material while the pellet is forming, then cooled to below the triple point temperature before contacting the pellet to minimize any thermal conduction to the pellet. The piston incorporates a load cell to measure the force applied when the pellet breaks away from the cold zone in the barrel.The ability of the gas and punch methods to exceed the shear strength of the studied pellet materials for release has been analyzed. High pressure gas delivered by fast opening valves produce pressure shock to the pellet due to supersonic expansion of the propellant gas. Pressure (and therefore, force) oscillations are present due to transverse density propagation throughout the breech volume. Mechanical punches deliver an impact force through a high-kinetic energy impact. The effect of the mechanical shock on the pellet has been explored and will be presented in this paper. Scaling to larger ITER size SPI pellets will be described.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Towards Quantum-Chemical Level Calculations of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Variants of Concern by First Principles Density Functional Theory

The spike protein (S-protein) is a crucial part of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with its many domains responsible for binding, fusion, and host cell entry. In this review we use the density functional theory (DFT) calculations to analyze the atomic-scale interactions and investigate the consequences of mutations in S-protein domains. We specifically describe the key amino acids and functions of each domain, which are essential for structural stability as well as recognition and fusion processes with the host cell; in addition, we speculate on how mutations affect these properties. Such unprecedented large-scale ab initio calculations, with up to 5000 atoms in the system, are based on the novel concept of amino acid–amino acid-bond pair unit (AABPU) that allows for an alternative description of proteins, providing valuable information on partial charge, interatomic bonding and hydrogen bond (HB) formation. In general, our results show that the S-protein mutations for different variants foster an increased positive partial charge, alter the interatomic interactions, and disrupt the HB networks. We conclude by outlining a roadmap for future computational research of biomolecular virus-related systems.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

The F-box protein gene exo-1 is a target for reverse engineering enzyme hypersecretion in filamentous fungi

Carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) are vital for the lignocellulose-based biorefinery. The development of hypersecreting fungal protein production hosts is therefore a major aim for both academia and industry. However, despite advances in our understanding of their regulation, the number of promising candidate genes for targeted strain engineering remains limited. Here, we resequenced the genome of the classical hypersecreting Neurospora crassa mutant exo-1 and identified the causative point of mutation to reside in the F-box protein–encoding gene, NCU09899. The corresponding deletion strain displayed amylase and invertase activities exceeding those of the carbon catabolite derepressed strain ?cre-1, while glucose repression was still mostly functional in ?exo-1. Surprisingly, RNA sequencing revealed that while plant cell wall degradation genes are broadly misexpressed in ?exo-1, only a small fraction of CAZyme genes and sugar transporters are up-regulated, indicating that EXO-1 affects specific regulatory factors. Aiming to elucidate the underlying mechanism of enzyme hypersecretion, we found the high secretion of amylases and invertase in ?exo-1 to be completely dependent on the transcriptional regulator COL-26. Furthermore, misregulation of COL-26, CRE-1, and cellular carbon and nitrogen metabolism was confirmed by proteomics. Finally, we successfully transferred the hypersecretion trait of the exo-1 disruption by reverse engineering into the industrially deployed fungus Myceliophthora thermophila using CRISPR-Cas9. Our identification of an important F-box protein demonstrates the strength of classical mutants combined with next-generation sequencing to uncover unanticipated candidates for engineering. These data contribute to a more complete understanding of CAZyme regulation and will facilitate targeted engineering of hypersecretion in further organisms of interest.

Gabriel, Raphael↗
DOE OSTI2022

Enabling Technology - Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Demands in the Meat Production Industry via Scaling Advanced 3D Culture Bioreactors

The project “Enabling Technology - Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Demands in the Meat Production Industry via Scaling Advanced 3D Culture Bioreactors” focuses on developing transformational and disruptive food technologies, specifically in the area of alternative protein and meat production techniques. The impetus for developing alternative protein technologies include reducing intensive greenhouse gas emissions and energy/land/water usages associated with conventional meat production (animal agriculture). Additional rationales include providing alternatives to livestock rearing as a means of reducing antimicrobial resistance (most antibiotic and antimicrobial use occurs in food-producing animals), as well as the transmission of zoonotic diseases. The goal of this ARPA-E project was to research and develop novel and effective technologies to produce cell-cultured meat (also named in vitro meat, cultivated meat). Cell-cultured meat is an alternative protein or meat technology that involves directly growing muscle and fat tissues (which comprise meat) without using the full animal. This offers benefits in terms of animal welfare (elimination of animal slaughter), while also being projected to be more resource efficient in terms of metrics such as land use and greenhouse gas emissions, especially when compared to beef and lamb. Cell cultured meat additionally offers greater control over the cultivated cells, enabling more precise control over nutrition and taste. For example, cultured cells could be tuned to produce antioxidants such as carotenoids to improve human health. However, to date there are no scalable methods of producing cell-cultured meat cheaply at a large scale.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Synthetic active liquid crystals powered by acoustic waves.

Active nematic materials combine orientational order with activity at the microscopic level. Current experimental realizations of active nematics include vibrating elongated particles, cell layers, suspensions of elongated bacteria, and a mixture of bio-filaments with molecular motors. The majority of active nematics are of biological origin. The realization of a fully synthetic active liquid crystal comprised of a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal energized by ultrasonic waves, is reported. This synthetic active liquid crystal is free from biological degradation and variability, exhibits phenomenology associated with active nematics, and enables precise and rapid activity control over a significantly extended range. It is demonstrated that the energy of the acoustic field is converted into microscopic extensile stresses disrupting long-range nematic order and giving rise to an undulation instability and proliferation of topological defects. The emergence of unconventional free-standing persistent vortices in the nematic director field at high activity levels is revealed. The results provide a foundation for the design of externally energized active liquid crystals with stable material properties and tunable topological defect dynamics crucial for the realization of reconfigurable microfluidic systems.

active matter↗
DOE OSTI2020

Base pairing, structural and functional insights into N 4 -methylcytidine (m 4 C) and N 4 ,N 4 -dimethylcytidine (m 4 2 C) modified RNA

The N 4 -methylation of cytidine (m 4 C and m 4 2 C) in RNA plays important roles in both bacterial and eukaryotic cells. In this work, we synthesized a series of m 4 C and m 4 2 C modified RNA oligonucleotides, conducted their base pairing and bioactivity studies, and solved three new crystal structures of the RNA duplexes containing these two modifications. Our thermostability and X-ray crystallography studies, together with the molecular dynamic simulation studies, demonstrated that m 4 C retains a regular C:G base pairing pattern in RNA duplex and has a relatively small effect on its base pairing stability and specificity. By contrast, the m 4 2 C modification disrupts the C:G pair and significantly decreases the duplex stability through a conformational shift of native Watson-Crick pair to a wobble-like pattern with the formation of two hydrogen bonds. This double-methylated m 4 2 C also results in the loss of base pairing discrimination between C:G and other mismatched pairs like C:A, C:T and C:C. The biochemical investigation of these two modified residues in the reverse transcription model shows that both mono- or di-methylated cytosine bases could specify the C:T pair and induce the G to T mutation using HIV-1 RT. In the presence of other reverse transcriptases with higher fidelity like AMV-RT, the methylation could either retain the normal nucleotide incorporation or completely inhibit the DNA synthesis. These results indicate the methylation at N 4 -position of cytidine is a molecular mechanism to fine tune base pairing specificity and affect the coding efficiency and fidelity during gene replication.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Non-coding structural variants disrupt FOXG1 transcriptional regulation in early neurodevelopment

The FOXG1 transcription factor is a crucial regulator of embryonic brain development. Pathogenic FOXG1 variants cause FOXG1 syndrome. Although structural variants in the non-coding region downstream of FOXG1 have been reported in 38 individuals with similar characteristics, the regulatory pathomechanisms remain unknown. Here, we identify two non-coding structural variants in individuals with FOXG1 syndrome-like features, allowing us to delineate a ~ 124 kb commonly affected regulatory region. Using epigenomic profiling and in vivo enhancer assays, we characterize and validate regulatory elements within the commonly affected regulatory region and wider FOXG1 TAD. We see strong activation of previously validated forebrain enhancers, and identify an enhancer cluster and progenitor-specific enhancer region that are strongly activated during forebrain-directed neural progenitor cell differentiation, a process in which FOXG1 is an important regulator. Perturbation of these elements results in varying degrees of reduced FOXG1 transcription in forebrain neural progenitor cells and in population shifts within these cells, while removal of the TAD boundary leads to aberrant expression of the neighbouring PRKD1 gene. Our findings characterize enhancer and architectural elements essential for proper FOXG1 transcription during neurodevelopment, therefore improving variant interpretation in this region.

Hamerlinck, Lisa↗
DOE OSTI2023

DNA-caged nanoparticles via electrostatic self-assembly

DNA-modified nanoparticles enable DNA sensing and therapeutics in nanomedicine and are also crucial for nanoparticle self-assembly with DNA-based materials. However, methods to conjugate DNA to nanoparticle surfaces are limited, inefficient, and lack control. Inspired by DNA tile nanotechnology, we demonstrate a new approach to nanoparticle modification based on electrostatic attraction between negatively charged DNA tiles and positively charged nanoparticles. This approach does not disrupt nanoparticle surfaces and leverages the programmability of DNA nanotechnology to control DNA presentation. We demonstrated this approach using a variety of nanoparticles, including polymeric micelles, polystyrene beads, gold nanoparticles, and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 5–20 nm in diameter. DNA cage formation was confirmed through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), neutralization of zeta potential, and a series of fluorescence experiments. DNA cages present “handle” sequences that can be used for reversible target attachment or self-assembly. Handle functionality was verified in solution, at the solid–liquid interface, and inside fixed cells, corresponding to applications in biosensing, DNA microarrays, and erasable immunocytochemistry. Finally, these experiments demonstrate the versatility of the electrostatic DNA caging approach and provide a new pathway to nanoparticle modification with DNA that will empower further applications of these materials in medicine and materials science.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Radiocarbon analysis of soil microbial biomass via direct chloroform extraction

Microbial processing of soil organic matter is a significant driver of C cycling, yet we lack an understanding of what shapes the turnover of this large terrestrial pool. In part, this is due to limited options for accurately identifying the source of C assimilated by microbial communities. Laboratory incubations are the most common method for this; however, they can introduce artifacts due to sample disruption and processing and can take months to produce sufficient CO 2 for analysis. We present a biomass extraction method which allows for the direct 14 C analysis of microbial biomolecules and compare the results to laboratory incubations. In the upper 50 cm soil depths, the Δ 14 C from incubations was indistinguishable from that of extracted microbial biomass. Below 50 cm, the Δ 14 C of the biomass was more depleted than that of the incubations, either due to the stimulation of labile C decomposition in the incubations, the inclusion of biomolecules from non-living cells in the biomass extractions, or differences in C used for assimilation versus respiration. Our results suggest that measurement of Δ 14 C of microbial biomass extracts can be a useful alternative to soil incubations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Nanoscale Amorphization of Poly(Triarylamine) for Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Photovoltaics

Perovskite solar modules require hole-selective layers that combine efficient charge extraction, interfacial uniformity and scalable processing. Poly(triarylamine) (PTAA) is widely used in high-performance inverted perovskite photovoltaics, but its nanoscale crystallization and aggregation on indium tin oxide can disrupt film continuity, increase interfacial recombination and limit module stability. Here we show that 4-fluorobenzylphosphonic acid (4FBPA) modifies the surface of indium tin oxide to induce nanoscale amorphization of PTAA, forming a uniform sub-10-nm hole-selective layer. The molecule binds to indium tin oxide through a dehydration reaction, tunes the work function and surface free energy of the photoanode, and improves energy-level alignment with PTAA. The resulting amorphous PTAA film shows enhanced conductivity and hole extraction, suppresses non-radiative recombination at the buried interface and promotes more uniform perovskite growth. Inverted perovskite solar cells reach a power conversion efficiency of 26.63%, while blade-coated modules achieve a certified quasi-steady-state efficiency of 23.01%. The modules retain 95.9% of their initial efficiency after 2,600 hours of maximum-power-point operation under 1-sun illumination at 65 +- 5 degrees C in nitrogen. These results identify nanoscale amorphization of polymeric hole-selective layers as a route to efficient and stable inverted perovskite photovoltaics.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

TDP-43 α-helical structure tunes liquid–liquid phase separation and function

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) is involved in the formation of membraneless organelles (MLOs) associated with RNA processing. The RNA-binding protein TDP-43 is present in several MLOs, undergoes LLPS, and has been linked to the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While some ALS-associated mutations in TDP-43 disrupt self-interaction and function, here we show that designed single mutations can enhance TDP-43 assembly and function via modulating helical structure. Using molecular simulation and NMR spectroscopy, we observe large structural changes upon dimerization of TDP-43. Two conserved glycine residues (G335 and G338) are potent inhibitors of helical extension and helix–helix interaction, which are removed in part by variants at these positions, including the ALS-associated G335D. Substitution to helix-enhancing alanine at either of these positions dramatically enhances phase separation in vitro and decreases fluidity of phase-separated TDP-43 reporter compartments in cells. Furthermore, G335A increases TDP-43 splicing function in a minigene assay. Therefore, the TDP-43 helical region serves as a short but uniquely tunable module where application of biophysical principles can precisely control assembly and function in cellular and synthetic biology applications of LLPS.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Drug discovery efforts at George Mason University

With over 39,000 students, and research expenditures in excess of $200 million, George Mason University (GMU) is the largest R1 (Carnegie Classification of very high research activity) university in Virginia. Mason scientists have been involved in the discovery and development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics in areas as diverse as infectious diseases and cancer. Below are highlights of the efforts being led by Mason researchers in the drug discovery arena. To enable targeted cellular delivery, and non-biomedical applications, Veneziano and colleagues have developed a synthesis strategy that enables the design of self-assembling DNA nanoparticles (DNA origami) with prescribed shape and size in the 10 to 100 nm range. The nanoparticles can be loaded with molecules of interest such as drugs, proteins and peptides, and are a promising new addition to the drug delivery platforms currently in use. The investigators also recently used the DNA origami nanoparticles to fine tune the spatial presentation of immunogens to study the impact on B cell activation. These studies are an important step towards the rational design of vaccines for a variety of infectious agents. To elucidate the parameters for optimizing the delivery efficiency of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), Buschmann, Paige and colleagues have devised methods for predicting and experimentally validating the pKa of LNPs based on the structure of the ionizable lipids used to formulate the LNPs. These studies may pave the way for the development of new LNP delivery vehicles that have reduced systemic distribution and improved endosomal release of their cargo post administration. To better understand protein-protein interactions and identify potential drug targets that disrupt such interactions, Luchini and colleagues have developed a methodology that identifies contact points between proteins using small molecule dyes. The dye molecules noncovalently bind to the accessible surfaces of a protein complex with very high affinity, but are excluded from contact regions. When the complex is denatured and digested with trypsin, the exposed regions covered by the dye do not get cleaved by the enzyme, whereas the contact points are digested. The resulting fragments can then be identified using mass spectrometry. The data generated can serve as the basis for designing small molecules and peptides that can disrupt the formation of protein complexes involved in disease processes. For example, using peptides based on the interleukin 1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAcP), Luchini, Liotta, Paige and colleagues disrupted the formation of IL-1/IL-R/IL-1RAcP complex and demonstrated that the inhibition of complex formation reduced the inflammatory response to IL-1B. Working on the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents, Bishop, van Hoek and colleagues have discovered a number of antimicrobial peptides from reptiles and other species. DRGN-1, is a synthetic peptide based on a histone H1-derived peptide that they had identified from Komodo Dragon plasma. DRGN-1 was shown to disrupt bacterial biofilms and promote wound healing in an animal model. The peptide, along with others, is being developed and tested in preclinical studies. Other research by van Hoek and colleagues focuses on in silico antimicrobial peptide discovery, screening of small molecules for antibacterial properties, as well as assessment of diffusible signal factors (DFS) as future therapeutics. The above examples provide insight into the cutting-edge studies undertaken by GMU scientists to develop novel methodologies and platform technologies important to drug discovery.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Data for Construction of a Compact Array of Microplasma Jet Devices and Its Application for Random Mutagenesis of Rhodosporidium toruloides

A small and efficient DNA mutation-inducing machine was constructed with an array of microplasma jet devices (7 × 1) that can be operated at atmospheric pressure for microbial mutagenesis. Using this machine, we report disruption of a plasmid DNA and generation of mutants of an oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides . Specifically, a compact-sized microplasma channel (25 × 20 × 2 mm3) capable of generating an electron density of greater than 1013 cm–3 was constructed to produce reactive species (N2*, N2+, O, OH, and Hα) under helium atmospheric conditions to induce DNA mutagenesis. The length of microplasma channels in the device played a critical role in augmenting both the volume of plasma and the concentration of reactive species. First, we confirmed that microplasma treatment can linearize a plasmid by creating nicks in vitro. Second, we treated R. toruloides cells with a jet device containing 7 microchannels for 5 min; 94.8% of the treated cells were killed, and 0.44% of surviving cells showed different colony colors as compared to their parental colony. Microplasma-based DNA mutation is energy-efficient and can be a safe alternative for inducing mutations compared to conventional methods using toxic mutagens. This compact and scalable device is amenable for industrial strain improvement involving large-scale mutagenesis.

Conversion↗
DOE OSTI2025

Woody Plant Transformation: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Woody plants, comprising forest and fruit tree species, provide essential ecological and economic benefits to society. Their genetic improvement is challenging due to long generation intervals and high heterozygosity. Genetic transformation, which combines targeted DNA delivery with plant regeneration from transformed cells, offers a powerful alternative to accelerating their domestication and improvement. Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Rhizobium rhizogenes, and particle bombardment have been widely used for DNA delivery into a wide variety of explants, including leaves, stems, hypocotyls, roots, and embryos, with regeneration occurring via direct organogenesis, callus-mediated organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis, or hairy root formation. Despite successes, conventional approaches are hampered by low efficiency, genotype dependency, and a reliance on challenging tissue culture. This review provides a critical analysis of the current landscape in woody plant transformation, moving beyond a simple summary of techniques to evaluate the co-evolution of established platforms with disruptive technologies. Key advances among these include the use of developmental regulators to engineer regeneration, the rise in in planta systems to bypass tissue culture, and the imperative for DNA-free genome editing to meet regulatory and public expectations. By examining species-specific breakthroughs in key genera, including Populus, Malus, Citrus, and Pinus, this review highlights a paradigm shift from empirical optimization towards rational, predictable engineering of woody plants for a sustainable future.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens↗
DOE OSTI2023

Purification of Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass through Tailored Alkaline Corrosion

Obtaining high-purity material outputs is crucial to the viability of novel process aimed at direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries. Metallic impurities in recycled cathodes have been shown to inhibit performance, thereby threatening mainstream acceptance of recycled battery products. Thus, shredded black mass (BM) must be purified to remove metallic contaminants, and specifically Al and Cu originating from the electrode current collectors. We herein explore a process to ionize solid copper and aluminum to ionic form based on tailored alkaline chemistry, without incurring damage to the target cathode material (Li(NixMnyCo1-x-y)O2; NMC). Al and Cu corrosion may be enhanced through the addition of chloride salt, elevated temperatures, and the use of ultrasonication - all of which disrupt the formation of passivating films on the metallic surface, and thereby increase corrosion rate. We demonstrate optimized parameters for Al and Cu corrosion both from a kinetic and overall process cost perspective. Further, we analyze the impact of these conditions on the structural (XRD, SEM), chemical (EDS, ICP), and electrochemical (impedance, cycling, dQ/dV) properties of NMC, and suggest that the present purification method does not significantly disrupt NMC performance. Finally, we present preliminary results from a promising bench-scale demonstration of this purification process applied to a simulated black mass.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY STORAGE↗