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PCP consensus protein/peptide alphavirus antigens stimulate broad spectrum neutralizing antibodies

Vaccines based on proteins and peptides may be safer and if calculated based on many sequences, more broad-spectrum than those designed based on single strains. Physicochemical Property Consensus (PCP con ) alphavirus (AV) antigens from the B-domain of the E2 envelope protein were designed, synthesized recombinantly and shown to be immunogenic (i.e. sera after inoculation detected the antigen in dotspots and ELISA). Antibodies in sera after inoculation with B-region antigens based on individual AV species (eastern or Venezuelan equine encephalitis (EEEV con , VEEV con ), or chikungunya (CHIKV con ) bound only their cognate protein, while those designed against multiple species (Mosaik con and EVC con ) recognized all three serotype specific antigens. The VEEV con and EEEV con sera only showed antiviral activity against their related strains (in plaque reduction neutralization assays (PRNT 50/80 ). Peptides designed to surface exposed areas of the E2-A-domain of CHIKV con were added to CHIKV con inocula to provide anti-CHIKV antibodies. EVC con , based on three different alphavirus species, combined with E2-A-domain peptides from AllAV con , a PCPcon of 24 diverse AV, generated broad spectrum, antiviral antibodies against VEEV, EEEV and CHIKV, AV with less than 35% amino acid identity to each other (>65% diversity). This is a promising start to a molecularly defined vaccine against all AV. A further study with these antigens can illuminate what areas are most important for a robust immune response, resistant to mutations in rapidly evolving viruses. The validated computational methods can also be used to design broad spectrum antigens against many other pathogen families.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

The Influence of Nonlocal Metal–Dielectric Environments on Physical and Chemical Processes

Plasmonic nanolayers and laminar metallic/dielectric multilayers were originally developed for optical cloaking applications and lensing applications that could potentially image objects whose size was below the diffraction limit. These assemblies were initially formed from gold or silver nanorods grown within an alumina mesh. However, more recently, assemblies with similar properties have also been prepared by sequential thin-layer deposition of alternating layers of gold and magnesium fluoride (MgF 2 ). These metal/dielectric composite materials enable control of the dielectric constant in the directions perpendicular to the layers and balance the real and imaginary dielectric constants of the assembly such that the speed and the amplitude of the waves traveling through the assembly are not attenuated. In this Account, we will also focus on a few of the applications ranging from surface wetting to fluorescence quenching to enhancement of photochemical reactions. First, we will share an introduction to processes used to create these materials, which are combinations of low refractive index metals and transparent higher index materials arranged in a scalable repeating fashion. Two fabrication methods were employed: an electrochemical deposition of Ag nanorods into an anodized alumina matrix which produced materials with an anisotropic negative refractive index material within the plane of the film and lamellar metal/dielectric layers in which the negative index perpendicular to the growth direction. These alternating layers of plasmonic metals and dielectric materials were ultimately chosen to prepare films for further testing, because of their relative ease of fabrication. We will continue with a discussion of a few of the applications of both of these nonlocal dielectric composite materials including more specialized plasmonic, composite, and hyperbolic metamaterials including fluorescence quenching, photochemical reactions, and surface wetting. In each of these applications, the unique response caused by the enhancement of the electric field and the interface between hyperbolic materials and plasmonic materials as they interact photophysically with their near neighbors is presented. In each of the applications, the enhanced electric field extends from the composite substrate layer to interact with its near neighbors and beyond. Furthermore, the presence of this extended interaction can be observed in the form of decreased emission lifetime, enhancement of photochemical reaction rates, and changes in the surface energies measured by contact angle goniometry. In this Account, all of these situations will be addressed. Finally, we will conclude with a summary and vision for the future as well as a discussion of the unique challenges and opportunities available as research active faculty at an HBCU.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

BISON validation of FeCrAl cladding mechanical failure during simulated reactivity-initiated accident conditions*

Here, a reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) is a postulated design basis accident in light water reactors (LWRs) in which a rapid reactivity insertion induces a fission rate increase and a fuel pellet temperature rise. During RIA, the fuel pellet thermally expands and may cause pellet-cladding mechanical interaction (PCMI). Separate effects PCMI tests were performed on C26M FeCrAl cladding tube samples, introducing biaxial stress via a well understood modified burst test (MBT) system. A high-speed camera in the MBT system captured the projections, covering a 360° view of the cladding deformation and enabling a digital image correlation (DIC) method to quantify the surface strains with high fidelity. Representative hot zero-power RIA mechanical loading conditions were applied to the sample, and the test duration ranged from 20 to 500 ms at an average temperature of 573 K. BISON finite element–based fuel performance code modeling was performed against the high-fidelity DIC data produced from the MBTs. Validation calculations were conducted with 2D models and systematically compared with test data of the burst time, burst pressure, burst hoop strains, and hoop strain rates. Based on the behaviors from the separate effects test, BISON calculations satisfactorily predicted the cladding deformation behaviors. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify highly influential mechanical properties responsible for the cladding failure behavior during the MBT experiments. The results highlight the significance of the cladding's mechanical strength in governing cladding strain, followed by the significance of the mechanical interactions between the pellet and the cladding.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Exploring Approaches for Accelerated Mass Spectrometric Detection of Fluorochemicals from Aqueous Solutions Using Indirect, Adsorbent-Facilitated Desorption Ionization

There is a growing need for rapid, low-cost analytical tools to screen water supplies for persistent contaminants. Due to their ubiquitous presence in the environment and their detrimental effects on human health, there is a public interest in widespread testing for perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, the most common methods for PFAS analysis can be time-intensive, requiring a preconcentration step followed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), and are cost-prohibitive for most members of the public. To address these challenges, this study explores a novel method for rapid analysis of aqueous analytes by concentrating analytes on solid adsorbents and detecting them using mass spectrometric analysis via desorption ionization directly from the adsorbent surface. We demonstrate this general approach of indirect solution analysis (ISA) with desorption electrospray ionization (ISA-DESI) and laser desorption ionization (ISA-LDI). Various adsorbent materials were screened, including commercial mesoporous carbons, alumina, and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Using ISA-DESI, we consistently detect concentrations as low as 5–100 parts per trillion (ppt) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 10–100 ppt for perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA). This approach enables rapid detection in under 5 min, making it suitable for applications requiring trace detection with fast response times. We further demonstrate the use of ISA-DESI on a range of environmentally relevant contaminants. Advantages of this indirect solution analysis approach include simplified sample preparation, accelerated analysis, and low cost with readily available materials, making it a promising tool to accelerate mass spectrometric PFAS detection for identifying contaminated sites, performing laboratory studies, and monitoring industrial waste streams.

Bays, Nathan Robert [Sandia National Laboratories ↗

On the importance of species immiscibility in mixing-layer dynamics at supercritical pressures

The mixing dynamics of injected propellants is a key factor in determining the ignition performance and combustion-instability response of rocket engines, internal combustion engines, and gas turbines. A key source of uncertainty in the prediction of phase-exchange dynamics is the immiscibility of the injected propellants at supercritical pressure conditions, which induces liquid/vapor phase separation and surface-tension dynamics. While experimental observations indicate the presence of liquid/vapor interfacial structures, this interfacial dynamics is typically neglected in numerical analyses. To address this issue, the objective of the present study is to systematically evaluate the importance of species immiscibility on the phase-exchange dynamics of cryogenic LOX/GH2 mixing layers at typical rocket engine injection conditions. This is accomplished by comparing simulations of (i) a recently developed interface-capturing Regularized-Interface Method (RIM) formulation, and (ii) the commonly employed Diffuse-Interface Method (DIM) formulation. Analysis shows that the interfacial dynamics significantly impact the atomization and mixing of the propellants in the near-injector region, which is not captured by the DIM formulation. The findings of this study extend to other immiscible injection systems, such as LOX/kerosene and hydrocarbon-fuel/air, thereby highlighting the importance of resolving species immiscibility in simulating high-pressure combustion engines.

diffused-interface method↗

Simulated effect of defect volume and location on very high cycle fatigue of laser beam powder bed fused AlSi10Mg

This study quantifies the interaction between volumetric defect location and size on the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) of laser beam powder bed fused (LB-PBF) AlSi10Mg. Crystal plasticity finite element method (CPFEM) simulations were used to investigate the effects of defect location and size on the driving force for crack initiation. The CPFEM model was calibrated against uniaxial and cyclic experimental data of LB-PBF AlSi10Mg. Defect characteristics were informed by experimental data from the specimens produced in various geometries to create realistic representative volume elements (RVEs) with equivalent volume fractions of defects. By embedding defects of varying sizes and locations within the RVEs, fatigue indicator parameters (FIPs) were calculated to analyze the impact of defects’ characteristics on fatigue performance. Different combinations of defect volume and locations were generated for various microstructure instantiations, providing insight into extreme value fatigue responses. Larger defect volumes located on free surfaces consistently generated the highest FIPs, suggesting defect size and boundary proximity intensify stress concentration effects. RVEs with multiple smaller defects produced lower FIPs than those with single large critical defects. These findings underscore the critical role of defect characteristics on fatigue life, providing a foundation for future predictive modeling in fatigue-sensitive AM applications.

AlSi10Mg↗

A Partial Coupling Method to Isolate the Roles of the Atmosphere and Ocean in Coupled Climate Simulations

This study describes the formulation and application of a partial coupling method that disentangles the coupling between the atmosphere and ocean and isolates the atmosphere- and ocean-driven components of the coupled climate interactions. In contrast to strategies using stand-alone simulations with prescribed atmosphere or ocean states, the climate components in the partially coupled method remain coupled, but the impact of ocean circulation changes is removed from the air-sea interaction using temperature-like tracers. The partially coupled simulation thereby suppresses the ocean-driven interaction and isolates an atmosphere-driven interaction only. The ocean-driven component can be inferred by comparing climate response in the partially coupled simulation with that of a standard fully coupled one. The partial coupling approach is applied to decompose the fully coupled climate response to CO 2 quadrupling into atmosphere- and ocean-driven components. The linearity of the decomposition is validated by simulating the ocean-driven response using another complimentary partially coupled simulation forced only with the atmosphere-driven anomalous surface fluxes. A comparison of the two partially coupled simulations with the fully coupled simulation indicates that the sum of the atmosphere- and ocean-driven components accurately describes the fully coupled response. The decomposition identifies several robust atmosphere- and ocean-driven features of the global warming and provides new insights into the impacts of atmospheric feedbacks on the Atlantic overturning circulation and sea ice response to CO 2 increase.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Colorimetric Detection and Surface Decontamination of Metal Ions by Using Strippable Polymers - 20024

Strippable coating is a low cost and efficient decontamination method far more compatible for the cleaning of surfaces. This method allows contaminant entrapment and removal from different types of surfaces and also characterized by low-secondary waste generation after decontamination. The present work deals with the elaboration and testing of a new composition of Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) aqueous solutions utilize the TTA (Thenoyl trifluoroacetone) ligand, employed as a strippable coating for the removal of metal ions e.g., UO{sub 2}{sup +2}, Ni{sup +2}, Cu{sup +2}, Fe{sup +3}, V{sup +5}, Eu{sup +3} and Cs{sup +} from 'contaminated' surfaces. The study aims at developing contaminant-sensing and decontaminating coatings for the detection and removal of metal ions from non porous surfaces. This 'smart' coating is shown to exhibit a clear contaminant dependent response in the form of color variation, and a detection sensitivity less than 0.5 μg per cm{sup 2}. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Stability evaluation and mitigation strategies in advanced tokamaks using 3D MHD spectroscopy

Multi-modal, active 3D MHD spectroscopy is applied in high-performance advanced tokamak scenarios to study their stability time evolution, revealing an intriguing dependence on both and . A tailored applied 3D field provides a 3D plasma response to extract the growth rate of the least stable mode. The estimated growth rate finds a decrease in stability when the minimum in the safety factor (q) passes through 2.0 and reveals inherent risks of crossing an additional rational surface at integer q min , even above the usual q = 1 sawtooth condition. Based on this result, the potential scenario in which q min ~ 2 can be safely crossed during a more stable lower β N phase was investigated, and the improved stability of this scenario is confirmed by the estimated growth rate. This shows that 3D MHD spectroscopy can offer insights into strategies for improving stability by identifying the vulnerable aspects of such scenarios. In addition, the method highlights its potential for instability avoidance by enabling early detection of multiple modes, even before magnetic coils can measure them. The measured growth rate by the 3D MHD spectroscopy shows its reliability by exhibiting a correlation with the programmed rises in plasma beta across various high β N and high q min discharges. In addition, this method is successfully applied during rapidly evolving I p ramp-up phases, a key part of the scenario development. By achieving reasonable growth rate measurements at high-performance scenario developments, this technique contributes to the development of advanced diagnostic tools for tokamak scenario stability, which will help identify an effective pathway to stable, high-performance scenarios.

Yang, S. M. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (↗

Multiscale and multiphysics FEA simulation and materials optimization for laser ultrasound transducers

In this study, the relationship between the nanocomposite design and the laser ultrasound transducer (LUT) characteristics was investigated through simulations in multiple scale levels for material behavior, device response, and acoustic wave propagation in media. First, the effects of the nanoparticle size and concentration on the effective properties of composites were quantitatively investigated with the finite element analysis (FEA) method. Second, the effective properties of the nanocomposite were assigned to the layer, which is modeled as a homogeneous material, in the FEA for the LUT simulating the energy conversion from the incident laser to the acoustic wave. Finally, the ultrasound propagation in the water was calculated by a theoretical wave propagation model. The FEA-based prediction was compared with the experimental data in the literature and a theoretical analysis for LUT based on Thermal-Acoustic coupling. As a result, the ultrasound waves on the transducer surface and at a distance in the water could be predicted. Based on the hierarchically integrated prediction procedure, the optimal conditions of the photoacoustic nanocomposites were investigated through the parametric study with the particle size and concentration as variables. The results guide the material designs optimized for different device characteristics, such as high pressure and broad bandwidth.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

ORNL_AISD-Ex: Quantum chemical prediction of UV/Vis absorption spectra for over 10 million organic molecules

We performed calculations of electronic excitation energies and associated oscillator strengths based on the time-dependent density-functional tight-binding (TD-DFTB) method [1]. The SMILES (Simplified molecular-input line-entry system) strings of the molecules from the AISD HOMO-LUMO database [2] were converted to a 3D atomistic structure and stored in a PDB file after preliminary geometry optimization using the Merck Molecular Force Field (MMFF94) in RDKit [3,4]. The primary information stored in the PDB file archive consists of Cartesian coordinates for each atom of the molecule in their 3D location in space, along with summary information about the structure, sequence, and experiment. We then performed molecular geometry optimization using the density-functional tight-binding (DFTB) method [5] in the electronic ground state, followed by single-point excited states calculations, as described below. We note that, since RDKit employs a random choice for the generation of molecular conformers, the molecular geometries obtained in this dataset could be different from the ones that were generated when the AISD HOMO-LUMO dataset was generated. The computed excitation energies and associated oscillator strengths can be converted to predict UV/Vis absorption spectra, where excitation energies correspond to absorption peak positions, and oscillator strengths are a good measure of the probability of absorption of visible or UV light in transitions between electronic ground and excited states. The conversion of SMILES strings to 3D Cartesian coordinates of fully DFTB-optimized molecules was successful for 10,502,904 out of 10,502,917 molecules. For these molecules, both geometry optimizations and excited states calculations were successful. The DFTB calculations did not complete for 13 molecules of the original AISD HOMO-LUMO dataset. We still provide information about the geometry of these molecules. The molecules are diverse for chemical compositions (which span 5 non-hydrogen elements: oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, fluorine, sulfur) and molecular size (the smallest molecule contains 5 non-hydrogen atoms, and the largest molecule contains 71 non-hydrogen atoms). The DFTB method [5] is an approximation to density functional theory (DFT), utilizing a minimal basis set in conjunction with a two-center approximation to the electronic Hamiltonian and overlap matrix elements. The DFTB total energy is the sum of an electronic and a repulsive energy contribution, and their calculation requires optimized electronic parameters and diatomic repulsive potential energy functions. All DFTB calculations were performed using the DFTB+ code [6] (version 21.2) and the wrapper for DFTB+ in the Atomic Simulation Environment (ASE) (version 3.22.1) [7], which performed an internal conversion of Cartesian coordinates from PDB to the .gen file format. For the geometry optimizations on the electronic ground state potential energy surface of the molecules, we have chosen the third-order DFTB (DFTB3) method [5c] and employed the matching 3ob set of electronic parameters and repulsive potentials [8]. The empirical γ-damping for hydrogen bond correction, and Grimme's D3 empirical dispersion correction with Becke-Johnson damping (D3(BJ)) [9] dispersion correction was included to improve the description of non-covalent interactions. For excited states single-point energy calculations, we employed the TD-DFTB method in conjunction with the DFTB2 method [5b] and the matching mio [5b,10] and halorg [11] parameter sets. We opted to request the simultaneous calculation of 50 excited states for singlet transition to investigate sufficient number of excited states, based on linear response theory using the Casida equation [Ref: T. A. Niehaus, S. Suhai, F. Della Sala, P Lugli, M. Elstner, G. Seifert, and Th. Frauenheim. Tight-binding approach to time-dependent density-functional response theory. Phys. Rev. B, 63:085108, 2001] and the ARPACK diagonalizer [R. B. Lehoucq, D. C. Sorensen, and C. Yang. Arpack users guide: Solution of large-scale eigenvalue problems by implicitly restarted arnoldi methods, 1997. 46, 51]. The dataset contains 1001 tar.gz files. Tar files are named as “ornl_aisd_ex_1.tar.gz†through “ornl_aisd_ex_1000.tar.gzâ€. Additionally, the 13 failed molecules are in “ornl_aisd_ex_unprocessed.tar.gzâ€. Except for the tar files listed below, each tar file contains 10,500 molecules. Tar files numbered 34, 121, 128, 352, 360, 429, 495, 509, 518, 627, 676, 668, and 862 contain 10,499 molecules each. The last tar file numbered 1000 contains 13,417 molecules. The total size of the uncompressed dataset is over 283 Gigabytes. The code for calculating the electronic excitation energies and statistical analysis of the dataset is provided at the following GitLab repository: https://github.com/ORNL/Analysis-of-Large-Scale-Molecular-Datasets-with-Python Calculating the UV spectrum of a molecule requires performing 3 main operations: 1. Converting the smiles string representation of a molecule into a geometric structure where each atom is assigned XYZ coordinates. The geometric structure is written to the file smiles.pdb. 2. Using smiles.pdb to compute the relaxed geometry of the molecule, which corresponds with the position of the atoms at the position of equilibrium at the ground state. This generates the files band.out, detailed.out, and geo_end.gen. 3. Using geo_end.gen to calculate the UV spectrum of the molecule which is written into the file EXC.DAT. Every molecule in the dataset has its own directory. The files contained in each molecule directory are as follows: 1. geo_end.gen 2. detailed.out 3. band.out 4. EXC.DAT 5. smiles.pdb REFERENCES [1] Niehaus, T. A.; Suhai, S.; Della Salla, F.; Lugli, P.; Elstner, M.; Seifert, G.; Frauenheim, Th. Tight-binding approach to time-dependent density-functional response theory. Phys. Rev. B, 2001, 63, 085108/1-9. [2] Blanchard, A.; Gounley, J.; Metha, K.; Yoo, P.; Irle, S. AISD HOMO-LUMO. DOI: 10.13139/ORNLNCCS/1869409 [3] RDKit: Cheminformatics and Machine Learning Software. 2013, [http://www.rdkit.org] [4] Tosco, P.; Stiefl, N. and Landrum, G. Bringing the MMFF force field to the RDKit: implementation and validation. J Cheminform. 2014, 6, 1–4. [5] a) Porezag, D.; Frauenheim, T.; Kohler, T.; Seifert, G.; Kaschner, Construction of tight-binding-like potentials on the basis of density-functional theory: Application to carbon, R. Phys. Rev. B 1995, 51, 12947-12957; b) Elstner, M.; Porezag, D.; Jungnickel, G.; Elsner, J.; Haugk, M.; Frauenheim, Th.; Suhai, S.; Seifert, G.; Phys. Rev. B 1998, 58, 7260-7268; c) Gaus, M.; Cui, Q.; Elstner, M. DFTB3: Extension of the Self-Consistent-Charge Density-Functional Tight-Binding Method (SCC-DFTB), J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2011, 7, 931-948; d) Cui, Q.; Elstner, M. Density functional tight binding: values of semi-empirical methods in an ab initio era, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2014, 16, 14368-14377. [6] Hourahine, B. et al. DFTB+, a software package for efficient approximate density functional theory based atomistic simulations, J. Chem. Phys. 2020, 152, 124101/1-19. [7] Larsen, A. H. et al. The atomic simulation environment—a Python library for working with atoms. J. Phys.: Cond. Matter 2017, 29, 273002. [8] Kubillus, M.; Kubar, T.; Gaus, M.; Rezac, J.; Elstner, M. Parameterization of the DFTB3 Method for Br, Ca, Cl, F, I, K, and Na in Organic and Biological Systems, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2015, 11, 332-342. [9] Brandenburg, J. G.; Grimme, S. Accurate Modeling of Organic Molecular Crystals by Dispersion-Corrected Density Functional Tight Binding (DFTB), J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2014, 5, 1785−1789. [10] a) Niehaus, T. A.; Elstner, M.; Frauenheim, Th.; Suhai, S. Application of an approximate density-functional method to sulfur containing compounds. J. Mol. Struct.: THEOCHEM 2001, 541, 185-94; b) Elstner, M.; Hobza, P.; Frauenheim, Th.; Suhai, S.; Kaxiras, E. Hydrogen bonding and stacking interactions of nucleic acid base pairs: A density-functional-theory based treatment. J. Chem. Phys. 2001, 114, 5149-55. [11] Kubar, T.; Bodrog, Z.; Gaus, M.; Köhler, C.; Aradi, B.; Frauenheim, Th.; Elstner, M. Parametrization of the SCC-DFTB Method for Halogens. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2013, 9, 2939-49.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light

Wind energy producers need deployable devices for wind turbines that prevent bat fatalities. Based on the speculation that bats approach turbines after visually mistaking them for trees, we tested a potential light-based deterrence method. It is likely that the affected bats see ultraviolet (UV) light at low intensities. Here, we present the results of a multi-month experiment to cast dim, flickering UV light across wind turbine surfaces at night. Our objectives were to refine and test a practical system for dimly UV-illuminating turbines while testing whether the experimental UV treatment influenced the activity of bats, birds, and insects. We mounted upward-facing UV light arrays on turbines and used thermal-imaging cameras to quantify the presence and activity of night-flying animals. The results demonstrated that the turbines can be lit to the highest reaches of the blades with “invisible” UV light, and the animal responses to such experimental treatment can be concurrently monitored. The UV treatment did not significantly change nighttime bat, insect, or bird activity at the wind turbine. Our findings show how observing flying animals with thermal cameras at night can help test emerging technologies intended to variably affect their behaviors around wind turbines.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Recent Advances toward Efficient Calculation of Higher Nuclear Derivatives in Quantum Chemistry

In this article, we provide an overview of state-of-the-art techniques that are being developed for efficient calculation of second and higher nuclear derivatives of quantum mechanical (QM) energy. Calculations of nuclear Hessians and anharmonic terms incur high costs and memory and scale poorly with system size. Three emerging classes of methods—machine learning (ML), automatic differentiation (AD), and matrix completion (MC)—have demonstrated promise in overcoming these challenges. We illustrate studies that employ unsupervised ML methods to reduce the need for multiple Hessian calculations in dynamics simulations and those that utilize supervised ML to construct approximate potential energy surfaces and estimate Hessians and anharmonic terms at reduced cost. By extension, if electronic structure operations could be written in a manner similar to functions underlying ML methods, rapid differentiation or AD routines can be employed to inexpensively calculate higher arbitrary-order derivatives. While ML approaches are typically black-box, we describe methods such as compressed sensing (CS) and MC, which explicitly leverage problem-specific mathematical properties of higher derivatives such as sparsity and low-rank, to complete higher derivative information using only a small, incomplete sample. The three classes of methods facilitate reliable predictions of observables ranging from infrared spectra to thermal conductivity and constitute a promising way forward in accurately capturing otherwise intractable higher-order responses of QM energy to nuclear perturbations.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Printable Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites – Feasibility Study

Additive manufacturing is enabling the manufacturability of structures with previously unattainable complexity or functionality, and there is growing interest in additive manufacturing of “printed” concrete structures. The focus of this Phase 1 Technical Collaboration (TC) project was to evaluate feasibility of printing hybrid cement composite structures reinforced with textile carbon fibers (tCF). This project leverages other (non-IACMI) projects on cement formulation and printing process development, as well as on the production process for tCF. This project’s primary focus was to explore cement composite mix design with textile carbon fibers to be manufactured by MonteFibre (TC partner) and evaluate suitable fiber-matrix interface or sizing for cement composites working with Michelman (TC Partner). This project supports IACMI’s goal of reducing the cost and embodied energy of carbon fiber composites. Cost is one of the fundamental challenges to carbon fiber reinforced cement composites. Cement is an extremely inexpensive material (approximately $\$$0.05/lb). Adding 1 wt% of conventional carbon fiber to cement quadruples its cost. Therefore, the need to use low-cost carbon fiber and ensure that the additional cost of the carbon fiber has a greater cost benefit to the final product. This was the first preliminary evaluation to integrate tCF reinforcement in cement composites, and such potential tCF utilization should significantly reduce materials cost. Cement composite production is energy and emissions intensive, thus by strengthening it less material will be required. Hence, the embodied energy and production time of the resulting structures will be reduced. Additionally, integrating these new materials into additive processes can enable selective use of the material in high load or stress areas. It is noteworthy that past work in this field of fiber reinforced cement composites did not consider the optimization of fiber-matrix interface using suitable sizing. Carbon fiber reinforcement offers potential added benefits of thermal conductivity (which affects cure rate) and flow behavior that could provide opportunities for site specific utilization of carbon fiber on hybrid cement structures (e.g. use the fiber reinforcement on outer surfaces to enhance strength and modulus and then infiltrating the internal structures with conventional concrete). MonteFibre was the industry lead and planned on supplying the tCF for this project. However, during the short Phase-1 duration of this project, MonteFibre was unable to produce tCF for this project due to manufacturing plant being off-line throughout the course of the project. The project team decided to pursue an alternate option which involved demonstrating printable concrete with steel fibers by the ORNL lead, Dr. Brian Post. The University of Tennessee collaboration team focused on evaluating the suitable chemical sizing for carbon fibers working with Michelman and also developed methods for material characterization of cement-based composites to evaluate the material response for compression, shear, flexure, and tension. The two milestones for University of Tennessee, Knoxville were realized related to identification of one sizing suitable for carbon fiber reinforced cement composite and developing data associated with mechanical behavior of unreinforced (neat) and carbon fiber reinforced cement composites. ORNL could not complete the task of carbon fiber reinforced printed cement composites due to the reasons mentioned earlier, but was able to replace tCF with steel fibers to demonstrate the feasibility of printing with fiber reinforced cement composites. The Project team reviewed possible sizing chemistry available in collaboration with Michelman for use on carbon fiber reinforcement in cement composites and concrete applications. Our initial goal was to identify a sizing most promising for formulation with textile carbon fibers (tCF) to deliver excellent mechanical properties in composite material state. Since tCF was not available for this project as originally envisioned, the team continued this task to identify a suitable sizing for carbon fiber applications by applying such sizing to lower cost carbon fibers currently available commercially from Zoltek called Panex fibers. At a future time this can be optimized for textile carbon fibers from Montefibre. The bulk of previous work on carbon fiber reinforced cement has neglected the importance of fiber-matrix adhesion on mechanical properties of the cement composite and identifying this missing link was an important accomplishment for future research. Tensile behavior of fiber reinforced concrete is important to evaluate in order to realize the dream of concrete products that do not need reinforcing steel. Important sample preparation and testing procedures were addressed in this study and it was concluded that substantial improvements in tensile behavior, without compromising compressive strength, and improved ductility can result from the use of carbon fiber reinforcement.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Solar enhanced oxygen evolution reaction with transition metal telluride

The photo-enhanced electrocatalytic method of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) shows promise for enhancing the effectiveness of clear energy generation through water splitting by using renewable and sustainable source of energy. However, despite benefits of photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) water splitting, its uses are constrained by its low efficiency as a result of charge carrier recombination, a large overpotential, and sluggish reaction kinetics. Here, we illustrate that Nickel telluride (NiTe) synthesized by hydrothermal methods can function as an extremely effective photo-coupled electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (POER) catalyst. In this study, NiTe was synthesized by hydrothermal method at 145°C within just an hour of reaction time. In dark conditions, the NiTe deposited on carbon cloth substrate shows a small oxygen evolution reaction overpotential (261 mV) at a current density of 10 mA cm –2 , a reduced Tafel slope (65.4 mV dec -1 ), and negligible activity decay after 12 h of chronoamperometry. By virtue of its enhanced photo response, excellent light harvesting ability, and increased interfacial kinetics of charge separation, the NiTe electrode under simulated solar illumination displays exceptional photoelectrochemical performance exhibiting overpotential of 165 mV at current density of 10 mA cm -2 , which is about 96 mV less than on dark conditions. In addition, Density Functional Theory investigations have been carried out on the NiTe surface, the results of which demonstrated a greater adsorption energy for intermediate -OH on the catalyst site. Since the -OH adsorption on the catalyst site correlates to catalyst activation, it indicates the facile electrocatalytic activity of NiTe owing to favorable catalyst activation. DFT calculations also revealed the facile charge density redistribution following intermediate -OH adsorption on the NiTe surface. This work demonstrates that arrays of NiTe elongated nanostructure are a promising option for both electrochemical and photoelectrocatalytic water oxidation and offers broad suggestions for developing effective PEC devices.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Thermal Response of a Lithium Vapor Divertor to Cyclical Operation

The lithium vapor divertor concept is being developed as a method to achieve detached divertor conditions in a tokamak while minimizing impurity radiation losses from the core plasma. SOLPS-ITER modeling has previously been used to identify some of the geometric constraints and required lithium evaporation rate of a lithium vapor divertor in a medium-sized tokamak during steady-state operation. Here an updated conceptual design based on these operating requirements is introduced and the thermal response of the system is modeled during cyclical operation, consistent with operation in a short-pulse tokamak. Controllability of the temperature of the lithium capillary porous system (CPS) is achieved by adopting a design where there is no line-of-sight for radiation from the plasma to reach the heated CPS surface. Operational strategies to minimize the amount of lithium evaporated between plasma discharges while achieving steady evaporation rates during plasma discharges are discussed and modeled here. The optimal feedforward control strategy demonstrated in this work is to ramp up the temperature of the evaporator as quickly as possible immediately before a plasma discharge and then reduce the heating to match the desired steady-state net evaporation rate just before the plasma discharge begins, allowing the thermal inertia of the system to stabilize the evaporation rate during the first second of the plasma discharge.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Broadband optical modulation and control at millikelvin temperatures

A universal experimental challenge in studying radiation effects on cryogenic devices is precisely and accurately characterizing the position-dependent device response near the energy detection threshold. Here, we have developed a compact cryogenic optical beam steering system that can be used to generate O (μs) pulses of small numbers of photons over the energy range of 1.3–3.4 eV at room temperature, and deliver those photons via fiber optic to any specified location on the surface of a detector operating at cryogenic temperatures. This new system will allow for robust calibration of any photon-sensitive detector, including superconducting devices. The system can be used efficiently to explore the physics of target materials, quantify the position sensitivity of different sensor designs, measure phonon transport, and study the effects of quasiparticle poisoning on detector operation. We describe the design of this pulsed calibration method and present first results obtained with a second-generation system operated at room temperature and sub-Kelvin temperatures.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Synthesis and Characterization of Polymeric Pore Former Microspheres using Modified Polymer Resin

Porosity in polymer parts is often desired to improve mechanical properties. Individual pores must be small enough that bulk mechanical properties are retained but significant enough to reduce the density of the material. Filler materials can be incorporated into polymer matrices and subsequently removed to create voids. The materials used to create the voids are known as pore-formers. The present research aims to create spherical pores in a silicone matrix by inserting and removing core materials or fillers post-cure. A method was developed to incorporate pore formers into an uncured polymer resin and remove the materials from the matrix. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) and Polylactic Acid (PLA) microspheres are created and incorporated into silicone matrices as pore formers. Microspheres with controllable size distributions are formed via ultrasonic spray pyrolysis and emulsion formation. Microspheres are removed from the matrix by solvent extraction and calcination. PLA microspheres were modified by hydroxyl addition to the surface to study their solubility in water. PEG-PLA block copolymers are also synthesized and investigated, comparing their physical and chemical properties to the monomers to identify whether the block copolymer microspheres will be more easily removable than their monomeric microspheres. Moreover, other properties including thermal stability, rheology, and mechanical response are studied. The present dissertation provides a comprehensive understanding of the synthesis and characterization of PEG and PLA-based pore formers, toward the future development of feedstock for additive manufacturing porous structures.

Damptey, Ransford↗