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At least 307 records · Page 17

Aerosol Composition, Mixing State, and Phase State of Free Tropospheric Particles and Their Role in Ice Cloud Formation

The prediction of ice cloud formation in the atmosphere remains challenging. Free tropospheric aerosols can act as ice nucleating particles (INPs), affecting cloud properties and precipitation. The physicochemical properties of free tropospheric particles are modified upon long-range transport by different atmospheric processes. These modifications affect the ice formation potential of individual particles. We investigated free tropospheric particles collected at the remote Pico Mountain Observatory at 2225m a.s.l. in the North Atlantic Ocean using multimodal microspectroscopy and chemical imaging techniques. We probed their ice nucleation activity using an ice nucleation stage interfaced with an environmental scanning electron microscope. Retroplume analysis, chemical imaging, and micro-spectroscopy analysis indicated that the size-resolved chemical composition, mixing state, and phase state of the articles with similar aging times but different transport patterns were substantially different. Relative humidity-dependent glass transition temperatures estimated from meteorological conditions were consistent with the observed organic component of the particles' phase. More viscous (solid and semi-solid-like) particles are more ice active in deposition mode at temperature ranging from 205-220 K than those less viscous particles. Finally, this study provides a better understanding of the phase and mixing state of long range transported free tropospheric aerosols and their role in ice cloud formation.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Novel Amorphous Carbons for the Adsorption of Phosphate: Part I. Elucidation of Chemical Structure of N-Metal-Doped Chars

Due to phosphate’s necessity in agriculture and its danger to the environment, the development of adsorbents for its removal has been the subject of intensive research activity. Although the introduction of nitrogen functionality to chars and modification of biochar with metals have proven to change the character of the char structure, making it more active toward nutrients, there is no study regarding the doping of biochar with metals and nitrogen simultaneously for the adsorption of phosphates. This paper is the first of two in which we report the production, characterization, and evaluation of N-metal-doped biochars from cellulose for phosphate removal from liquid effluents. In this part, we describe the production and characterization of N-Ca-, N-Fe-, and N-Mg-doped biochars. The elemental composition and surface area of each of the materials produced is reported. Elemental and surface characterization of the chars are reported with the largest N content appearing at a temperature of 800 °C (12.5 wt %) and a maximum surface area for biochar produced at 900 °C (1314 m2/g). All of the adsorbents were visualized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), confirming that although there are some crystals on the surface of the biochar produced, most of the N, Mg, and Ca are part of the polyaromatic ring structure. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images clearly show the formation of nanoclusters with the metals in the case of N-Fe and N-Ca biochars. The N-Mg biochars show a uniform distribution of the Mg through the carbon surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies of the biochars produced with metals and varying nitrogen levels clearly show Mg and Ca peaks shifting their position in the presence of N, suggesting the formation of stable structures between metals and N in the carbon polyaromatic ring system. To elucidate the nature of these structures, we conducted DFT-based calculations on different configurations of the nitrogenated structures. The calculated binding energy shifts were found to closely match the XPS experimental binding energy, confirming the likelihood of these structures in biochar. Finally, based on our experimental and modeling results, we hypothesize that an important fraction of the Mg and Ca is introduced to these biochars at the edges. Another fraction of Mg and Ca is in the form of phthalocyanine-like internal structures. More experimental studies are needed to confirm the formation of these very interesting structures and their potential use as adsorbents or catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Hardening in Au-Ag nanoboxes from stacking fault-dislocation interactions

Porous, nano-architected metals with dimensions down to ~10 nm are predicted to have extraordinarily high strength and stiffness per weight, but have been challenging to fabricate and test experimentally. Here, we use colloidal synthesis to make ~140 nm length and ~15 nm wall thickness hollow Au-Ag nanoboxes with smooth and rough surfaces. In situ scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope testing of the smooth and rough nanoboxes show them to yield at 130 ± 45 MPa and 96 ± 31 MPa respectively, with significant strain hardening. A higher strain hardening rate is seen in rough nanoboxes than smooth nanoboxes. Finite element modeling is used to show that the structure of the nanoboxes is not responsible for the hardening behavior suggesting that material mechanisms are the source of observed hardening. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that hardening is a result of interactions between dislocations and the associated increase in dislocation density.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Mapping the pathways of photo-induced ion migration in organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites

Abstract Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites exhibiting exceptional photovoltaic and optoelectronic properties are of fundamental and practical interest, owing to their tunability and low manufacturing cost. For practical applications, however, challenges such as material instability and the photocurrent hysteresis occurring in perovskite solar cells under light exposure need to be understood and addressed. While extensive investigations have suggested that ion migration is a plausible origin of these detrimental effects, detailed understanding of the ion migration pathways remains elusive. Here, we report the characterization of photo-induced ion migration in perovskites using in situ laser illumination inside a scanning electron microscope, coupled with secondary electron imaging, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence with varying primary electron energies. Using methylammonium lead iodide and formamidinium lead iodide as model systems, we observed photo-induced long-range migration of halide ions over hundreds of micrometers and elucidated the transport pathways of various ions both near the surface and inside the bulk of the samples, including a surprising finding of the vertical migration of lead ions. Our study provides insights into ion migration processes in perovskites that can aid perovskite material design and processing in future applications.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Leveraging unlabeled SEM datasets with self-supervised learning for enhanced particle segmentation

Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEMs) are widely used in experimental science laboratories, often requiring cumbersome and repetitive user analysis. Automating SEM image analysis processes is highly desirable to address this challenge. In particle sample analysis, Machine Learning (ML) has emerged as the most effective approach for particle segmentation. However, the time-intensive process of manually annotating thousands of SEM images limits the applicability of supervised learning approaches. Self-Supervised Learning (SSL) offers a promising alternative by enabling knowledge extraction from raw, unlabeled data. This study presents a framework for evaluating SSL techniques in SEM image analysis, focusing on novel methods leveraging the ConvNeXtV2 architecture for particle detection. A dataset comprising 25,000 SEM images is curated to benchmark these proposed SSL methods. The results demonstrate that ConvNeXtV2 models, with varying parameter counts, consistently outperform other techniques in particle detection across different length scales, achieving up to a 34% reduction in relative error compared to established SSL methods. Furthermore, an ablation study explores the relationship between dataset size and SSL performance, providing actionable insights for practitioners regarding model selection and resource efficiency. This research advances the integration of SSL into autonomous analysis pipelines and supports its application in accelerating materials science discovery.

Rettenberger, Luca↗

Synthesis of a novel multifunctional organic–inorganic nanocomposite for metal ions and organic dye removals

In this study, we used solvent assisted mechano-synthesis strategies to form multifunctional organic–inorganic nanocomposites capable of removing both organic and inorganic contaminants. A zeolite X (Ze) and activated carbon (AC) composite was synthesized via state-of-the-art mechanical mixing in the presence of few drops of water to form Ze/AC. The second composite (Ze/L/AC) was synthesized in a similar fashion, however this composite had the addition of disodium terephthalate as a linker. Both materials, Ze/AC and Ze/L/AC, were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Powdered X-ray diffraction (P-XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), Accelerated Surface Area and Porosimetry System (ASAP), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The SEM–EDS displayed the surface structure and composition of each material. The sodium, oxygen and carbon contents increased after linker connected Ze and AC. The P-XRD confirmed the crystallinity of each material as well as the composites, while FTIR indicated the function groups (C=C, O–H) in Ze/L/AC. The contaminant adsorption experiments investigated the effects of pH, temperature, and ionic strength on the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) and Co(II) for each material. In MB adsorption, the first-order reaction rate of Ze/L/AC (0.02 h -1 ) was double that of Ze/AC (0.01 h -1 ). The reaction rate of Ze/L/AC (4.8 h -1 ) was also extraordinarily higher than that of Ze/AC (0.6 h -1 ) in the adsorption of Co(II). Ze/L/AC composite achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 44.8 mg/g for MB and 66.6 mg/g for Co(II) ions. The MB adsorption of Ze/AC and Ze/L/AC was best fit in Freundlich model with R 2 of 0.96 and 0.97, respectively, which indicated the multilayer adsorption. In the Co(II) adsorption, the data was highly fit in Langmuir model with R 2 of 0.94 and 0.92 which indicated the monolayer adsorption. These results indicated both materials exhibited chemisorption. The activation energy of Ze/L/AC in MB adsorption (34.9 kJ mol -1 ) was higher than that of Ze/L/AC in Co (II) adsorption (26 kJ mol -1 ).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A fine pore-preserved deep neural network for porosity analytics of a high burnup U-10Zr metallic fuel

Abstract U-10 wt.% Zr (U-10Zr) metallic fuel is the leading candidate for next-generation sodium-cooled fast reactors. Porosity is one of the most important factors that impacts the performance of U-10Zr metallic fuel. The pores generated by the fission gas accumulation can lead to changes in thermal conductivity, fuel swelling, Fuel-Cladding Chemical Interaction (FCCI) and Fuel-Cladding Mechanical Interaction (FCMI). Therefore, it is crucial to accurately segment and analyze porosity to understand the U-10Zr fuel system to design future fast reactors. To address the above issues, we introduce a workflow to process and analyze multi-source Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image data. Moreover, an encoder-decoder-based, deep fully convolutional network is proposed to segment pores accurately by integrating the residual unit and the densely-connected units. Two SEM 250 × field of view image datasets with different formats are utilized to evaluate the new proposed model’s performance. Sufficient comparison results demonstrate that our method quantitatively outperforms two popular deep fully convolutional networks. Furthermore, we conducted experiments on the third SEM 2500 × field of view image dataset, and the transfer learning results show the potential capability to transfer the knowledge from low-magnification images to high-magnification images. Finally, we use a pre-trained network to predict the pores of SEM images in the whole cross-sectional image and obtain quantitative porosity analysis. Our findings will guide the SEM microscopy data collection efficiently, provide a mechanistic understanding of the U-10Zr fuel system and bridge the gap between advanced characterization to fuel system design.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Correlative Surface Imaging Reveals Chemical Signatures for Bacterial Hotspots on Plant Roots

The rhizosphere is arguably the most complex microbial habitat on earth, comprising an integrated network of plant roots, soil and a highly diverse microbial community (the rhizosphere microbiome)1. Understanding, predicting and controlling plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere will allow us to harness the plant microbiome as a means to increase or restore plant ecosystem productivity, improve plant responses to a wide range of environmental perturbations, and mitigate effects of climate change by designing ecosystems for long-term soil carbon storage1. To this end, it is imperative to develop new molecular approaches with high spatial resolution to capture interactions at the plant-microbe, microbe-microbe, and plant-plant interfaces. In this work, we designed an imaging sample holder that allows integrated surface imaging tools to map the same locations of a plant root-microbe interface with submicron lateral resolutions, providing novel in vivo analysis of root-microbe interactions. Specifically, confocal fluorescence microscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used for the first time for correlative imaging of the Brachypodium distachyon root and its interaction with Pseudomonas SW25, a typical plant growth-promoting soil bacterium. Imaging data suggest that the root surface is inhomogeneous and that the interaction between Pseudomonas and Brachypodium roots was confined to only few spots along the sampled root segments and that the bacterial attachment spots were enriched in Na- and S-related and high-mass organic species. We conclude that attachment of the Pseudomonas cells to the root surface is outcompeted by strong root-soil mineral interactions but facilitated by formation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS).

Plant root, Plant growth-promoting bacteria, soil,↗

Exploring cycling induced crystallographic change in NMC with X-ray diffraction computed tomography

This study presents the application of X-ray diffraction computed tomography for the first time to analyze the crystal dimensions of LiNi 0.33 Mn 0.33 Co 0.33 O 2 electrodes cycled to 4.2 and 4.7 V in full cells with graphite as negative electrodes at 1 μm spatial resolution to determine the change in unit cell dimensions as a result of electrochemical cycling. The nature of the technique permits the spatial localization of the diffraction information in 3D and mapping of heterogeneities from the electrode to the particle level. An overall decrease of 0.4% and 0.6% was observed for the unit cell volume after 100 cycles for the electrodes cycled to 4.2 and 4.7 V. Additionally, focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope cross-sections indicate extensive particle cracking as a function of upper cut-off voltage, further confirming that severe cycling stresses exacerbate degradation. Finally, the technique facilitates the detection of parts of the electrode that have inhomogeneous lattice parameters that deviate from the bulk of the sample, further highlighting the effectiveness of the technique as a diagnostic tool, bridging the gap between crystal structure and electrochemical performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Analysis of silica fouling on nonwetting surfaces

Ground water sources used as coolant fluids in a variety of thermal systems such as heat exchangers and power plant condensers contain silica particles that accrete on heat transfer surfaces over time leading to reduction in thermal performance, a problem that is particularly exacerbated with temperature. Nonwetting superhydrophobic, lubricant-infused, and a new class of solid-infused surfaces introduced in this work are candidates for fouling mitigation, by virtue of their water repellency, but little is known about fouling of silica on the surfaces, especially under dynamic flow conditions and as a function of temperature. This article presents, for the first time, a systematic study of dynamic flow fouling of silica on nonwetting surfaces vis-à-vis conventional copper surface over a temperature range 20–50°C. The mechanism of silica aggregate formation and its adherence to the different surfaces is elucidated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging. Sigmoidal growth model is used to describe the time evolution of fouling thermal resistance and an Arrhenius model is presented for the temperature-dependent increase in the asymptotic fouling resistance on nonwetting and conventional surfaces alike. Lubricant-infused and solid-infused surfaces are shown to reduce fouling thermal resistance by up to 25% and 13%, respectively, compared to a conventional surface, whereas superhydrophobic surfaces lose their non-wettability under flow conditions, leading to an adverse increase in the fouling resistance by up to 13%. Considering the possible lubricant depletion in lubricant-infused surfaces over prolonged exposure to a flowing fluid, solid-infused surfaces present a robust alternative.

42 ENGINEERING↗

SAXS-guided unbiased coarse-grained Monte Carlo simulation for identification of self-assembly nanostructures and dimensions

Recent studies have shown that solvated amphiphiles can form nanostructured self-assemblies called dynamic binary complexes (DBCs) in the presence of ions. Since the nanostructures of DBCs are directly related to their viscoelastic properties, it is important to understand how the nanostructures change under different solution conditions. However, it is challenging to obtain a three-dimensional molecular description of these nanostructures by utilizing conventional experimental characterization techniques or thermodynamic models. To this end, we combined the structural data from small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments and thermodynamic knowledge from coarse-grained Monte Carlo (CGMC) simulations to identify the detailed three-dimensional nanostructure of DBCs. Specifically, unbiased CGMC simulations are performed with SAXS-guided initial conditions, which aids us to sample accurate nanostructures in a computationally efficient fashion. As a result, an elliptical bilayer nanostructure is obtained as the most probable nanostructure of DBCs whose dimensions are validated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. Then, utilizing the obtained molecular model of DBCs, here we could also explain the pH tunability of the system. Overall, our results from SAXS-guided unbiased CGMC simulations highlight that using potential energy combined with SAXS data, we can distinguish otherwise degenerate nanostructures resulting from the inherent ambiguity of SAXS patterns.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Light-enhanced oxygen degradation of MAPbBr 3 single crystal

Organometal halide perovskites are promising materials for optoelectronic applications, whose commercial realization depends critically on their stability under multiple environmental factors. In this study, a methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr 3 ) single crystal was cleaved and exposed to simultaneous oxygen and light illumination under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). The exposure process was monitored using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) with precise control of the exposure time and oxygen pressure. It was found that the combination of oxygen and light accelerated the degradation of MAPbBr 3 , which could not be viewed as a simple addition of that by oxygen-only and light-only exposures. The XPS spectra showed significant loss of carbon, bromine, and nitrogen at an oxygen exposure of 10 10 Langmuir with light illumination, approximately 17 times of the additive effects of oxygen-only and light-only exposures. It was also found that the photoluminescence (PL) emission was much weakened by oxygen and light co-exposure, while previous reports had shown that PL was substantially enhanced by oxygen-only exposure. Measurements using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and focused ion beam (FIB) demonstrated that the crystal surface was much roughened by the co-exposure. Furthermore, Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed the formation of superoxide and oxygen induced gap state, suggesting the creation of oxygen radicals by light illumination as a possible microscopic driving force for enhanced degradation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Microstructure characterization of electric field assisted sintering (EFAS) sintered metallic and ceramic materials using local thermal diffusivity measurement

Electric Field Assisted Sintering (EFAS, also referred to as spark plasma sintering) is a powerful technology for the consolidation of powder materials. The high heating rate during the sintering process is critical for minimizing energy consumption, but it can also cause microstructure heterogeneities in sintered parts, such as spatially varied porosity. The examination of localized porosity usually requires the use of a scanning electron microscope with a carefully prepared surface. In this paper, photothermal radiometry is used to measure local thermal diffusivity and extract localized porosity of EFAS-sintered parts by using a percolation-threshold model. Applying this approach, we identified the radial position-dependent porosity variation in EFAS parts, which is likely formed due to the large temperature gradient during the sintering process. This approach has a unique advantage because it can measure samples with minimal or no surface preparation, enabling the possibility of in situ characterization in EFAS with proper system modification. Necessary modifications on the measurement approach for EFAS deployment and in situ characterization are also discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Experimental Investigation of FCCI Using Diffusion Couple Test Between UZr Fuel with Sb Additive and Cladding

Alloying additions are introduced into U-Zr fuel in order to bind lanthanides (e.g., cerium) and prevent their migration to the fuel-cladding interface. Antimony (Sb) is being investigated as a candidate additive. The present study focuses on the diffusion couple behavior of U-10Zr (wt%) alloy with Sb against cladding (iron or HT9) at 640°C. The diffusion cross sections were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. Zr-rind was found at the interface of the fuel alloy, Sb was found to be bound in Sb-Zr precipitates or Sb-Ce precipitates, and no reaction was found between Sb precipitates and the cladding materials.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Aerotaxy: gas-phase epitaxy of quasi 1D nanostructures

Cost- and resource-efficient growth is necessary for many applications of semiconductor nanowires. We here present the design, operational details and theory behind Aerotaxy, a scalable alternative technology for producing quality crystalline nanowires at a remarkably high growth rate and throughput. Using size-controlled Au seed particles and organometallic precursors, Aerotaxy can produce nanowires with perfect crystallinity and controllable dimensions, and the method is suitable to meet industrial production requirements. Here, we explain why Aerotaxy is an efficient method for fabricating semiconductor nanowires and explain the technical aspects of our custom-built Aerotaxy system. Investigations using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope)and other characterization methods are used to support the claim that Aerotaxy is indeed a scalable method capable of producing nanowires with reproducible properties. We have investigated both binary and ternary III–V semiconductor material systems like GaAs and GaAsP. In addition, common aspects of Aerotaxy nanowires deduced from experimental observations are used to validate the Aerotaxy growth model, based on a computational flow dynamics (CFD) approach. We compare the experimental results with the model behaviour to better understand Aerotaxy growth.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Fabrication and field emission properties of vertical, tapered GaN nanowires etched via phosphoric acid

The controlled fabrication of vertical, tapered, and high-aspect ratio GaN nanowires via a two-step top-down process consisting of an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etch followed by a hot, 85% H 3 PO 4 crystallographic wet etch is explored. The vertical nanowires are oriented in the $[0001]$ direction and are bound by sidewalls comprising of $\{33\bar{6}2\}$ semipolar planes which are at a 12° angle from the [0001] axis. High temperature H3PO4 etching between 60 °C and 95 °C result in smooth semipolar faceting with no visible micro-faceting, whereas a 50 °C etch reveals a micro-faceted etch evolution. High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging confirms nanowire tip dimensions down to 8–12 nanometers. The activation energy associated with the etch process is 0.90 ± 0.09 eV, which is consistent with a reaction-rate limited dissolution process. The exposure of the $\{33\bar{6}2\}$ type planes is consistent with etching barrier index calculations. The field emission properties of the nanowires were investigated via a nanoprobe in a scanning electron microscope as well as by a vacuum field emission electron microscope. Finally, the measurements show a gap size dependent turn-on voltage, with a maximum current of 33 nA and turn-on field of 1.92 V nm -1 for a 50 nm gap, and uniform emission across the array.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Foundations of machine learning for low-temperature plasmas: methods and case studies

Abstract Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence have proven to be an invaluable tool in tackling a vast array of scientific, engineering, and societal problems. The main drivers behind the recent proliferation of ML in practically all aspects of science and technology can be attributed to: (a) improved data acquisition and inexpensive data storage; (b) exponential growth in computing power; and (c) availability of open-source software and resources that have made the use of state-of-the-art ML algorithms widely accessible. The impact of ML on the field of low-temperature plasmas (LTPs) could be particularly significant in the emerging applications that involve plasma treatment of complex interfaces in areas ranging from the manufacture of microelectronics and processing of quantum materials, to the LTP-driven electrification of the chemical industry, and to medicine and biotechnology. This is primarily due to the complex and poorly-understood nature of the plasma-surface interactions in these applications that pose unique challenges to the modeling, diagnostics, and predictive control of LTPs. As the use of ML is becoming more prevalent, it is increasingly paramount for the LTP community to be able to critically analyze and assess the concepts and techniques behind data-driven approaches. To this end, the goal of this paper is to provide a tutorial overview of some of the widely-used ML methods that can be useful, amongst others, for discovering and correlating patterns in the data that may be otherwise impractical to decipher by human intuition alone, for learning multivariable nonlinear data-driven prediction models that are capable of describing the complex behavior of plasma interacting with interfaces, and for guiding the design of experiments to explore the parameter space of plasma-assisted processes in a systematic and resource-efficient manner. We illustrate the utility of various supervised, unsupervised and active learning methods using LTP datasets consisting of commonly-available, information-rich measurements (e.g. optical emission spectra, current–voltage characteristics, scanning electron microscope images, infrared surface temperature measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectra). All the ML demonstrations presented in this paper are carried out using open-source software; the datasets and codes are made publicly available. The FAIR guiding principles for scientific data management and stewardship can accelerate the adoption and development of ML in the LTP community.

Physics↗