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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 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Exact sum rules for inhomogeneous systems containing a zero mode

We show that the formulas for the sum rules for the eigenvalues of inhomogeneous systems that we have obtained in two recent papers are incomplete when the system contains a zero mode. We prove that there are finite contributions of the zero mode to the sum rules and we explicitly calculate the expressions for the sum rules of order one and two. The previous results for systems that do not contain a zero mode are unaffected. - Highlights: • We discuss the sum rules of the eigenvalues of inhomogeneous systems containing a zero mode. • We derive the explicit expressions for sum rules of order one and two. • We perform accurate numerical tests of these results for three examples.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

HMGB1-containing nucleosome mediates chemotherapy-induced metastasis of human lung cancer

Highlights: • Chemotherapy induces invasion and metastasis of human lung cancer. • HMGB1-containing nucleosome drives lung cancer invasion and metastasis. • TLR4 and TLR9 license HMGB1/nucleosome-induced cancer metastasis. • Circulating HMGB1/nucleosome reflects cancer cell invasion in lung cancer patients. While chemotherapy is an important and widely used therapeutic for cancer, it may facilitate cancer metastasis. Herein, we report that human lung cancer cells exert higher invasion and metastasis after chemotherapy. In a human lung cancer xenograft model, chemotherapy promotes the cancer invasion and metastasis in HMGB1-dependent manner. Further studies identify HMGB1-containing nucleosome from chemotherapy-induced apoptotic cancer cells as an effective factor. Such nucleosome functions through TLR4 and TLR9 to drive cancer invasion and metastasis. In lung cancer patients, circulating HMGB1-containing nucleosome is higher in those under chemotherapy, predicting poorly cancer cell differentiation state, enhanced cancer invasion and advanced TNM stages. These findings provide a novel mechanism by which the tumor metastasis is propagated in lung cancer patients, especially in those under chemotherapy, and a clue for developing therapeutic strategies against chemotherapy-induced metastasis.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Minocycline prevents peroxidative permeabilization of cardiolipin-containing bilayer lipid membranes mediated by cytochrome c

Highlights: • Minocycline blocked cytochrome c-mediated peroxidative permeabilization of liposomes. • Minocycline prevented cytochrome c binding to cardiolipin-containing liposomes. • Minocycline suppressed cardiolipin-stimulated peroxidase activity of cytochrome c. • This could be relevant to minocycline inhibition of cyt c release from mitochondria. Peroxidase activity of cytochrome c stimulated by interaction of the protein with cardiolipin is considered to be involved in the induction of mitochondrial apoptosis associated with cytochrome c release from mitochondria. In model systems, this activity has been previously shown to cause permeabilization of cardiolipin-containing membranes. Here, we found that the antibiotic minocycline, known to have neuroprotective properties, inhibited both the binding of cyt c to cardiolipin-containing membranes and the cyt c/H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-induced liposome permeabilization. The results could be relevant to inhibition of cyt c release from mitochondria exerted by minocycline.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Continuous recovery of phosphoric acid and Rare-Earths containing particles from phosphoric acid sludge using a decanter centrifuge

Recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from various industrial and natural streams currently draws significant attention in efforts to meet the demands of the manufacturing industry. Among many industrial byproducts and waste streams, phosphoric acid sludge could be one of the most economically feasible resources for the recovery of REEs because solid particles in the sludge contain relatively concentrated REEs, up to 3,000 ppm, while the liquid component of the sludge is valuable phosphoric acid (P 2 O 5 ) that can be recovered and returned to the main product. Due to high viscosity and large solids content (e.g., 30–40 %), however, this byproduct stream requires multistep separation and purification processes. In this study, a single-step process involving a continuous-flow decanter centrifuge (CFDC) was employed to investigate its feasibility for continuous solid/liquid separation from real phosphoric acid sludge. High centrifugal forces generated from up to 1500 G gravity acceleration separate solid particles from the sludge, generating a liquid-rich stream and a solids-rich stream at the exit of the CFDC. A single pass of phosphoric-acid sludge through the CFDC yielded 95 % liquid recovery and 90 % recovery of REEs-containing solids from 20 to 34 wt% solids-containing sludge. Finally, a reduced order model developed for the CFDC operation showed good agreement with experimental data, and preliminary technoeconomic analysis revealed potential process feasibility.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Interactions between fluoride ions and cement paste containing superplasticizer

Fluoride compounds are used as fluxes in the low-temperature calcination of cement. Elution of fluoride ions after calcination decreases the fluidity of cement paste containing superplasticizers, but the mechanism of fluidity decrease is unclear. Authors investigated the effects of fluoride on cement pastes containing superplasticizers and the fluidity decrease mechanism. KF addition to cement paste containing a polycarboxylate- or naphthalenesulfonate-based superplasticizer increased the yield stress, the amount of adsorbed superplasticizer, and the solid-phase specific surface area. KF addition increased the amount of adsorbed superplasticizer for alite paste but not for Ca{sub 3}Al{sub 2}O{sub 6}-CaSO{sub 4} paste. Transmission electron microscopy found SiO{sub 2} fine particles after KF addition. In the absence of water, the increase in specific surface area with fluoride was larger in hydrated than in unhydrated cement. It is supposed that the fluidity decrease results from the preferential adsorption of superplasticizer on SiO{sub 2} particles generated by reactions between hydrated calcium silicate and fluoride ions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Microstructural refinement of cement paste internally cured by polyacrylamide composite hydrogel particles containing silica fume and nanosilica

Supplementary cementitious materials were incorporated into hydrogel-based internal curing agents to improve the hydration, microstructure, and ultimately strength of internally cured high-performance cement paste. Polyacrylamide composite hydrogel particles containing amorphous silica – either silica fume or nanosilica – and two different polymer network crosslink densities were synthesized and incorporated into cement paste. The presence of silica and low crosslink density increased the absorption capacity of the particles in pore solution. Micrographs of internally cured paste indicated a significant improvement in hydrogel-related void-filling ability and an increase in void size for low crosslink density particles containing silica. Compressive strength and electrical resistivity increased at later ages for paste samples containing particles with higher silica dosage. The relationship between extent of hydration, void size, and void-filling activity was found to strongly influence the paste's long-term strength and is thus an important structure-property relationship to consider when selecting hydrogels for internal curing purposes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Silicate Carbonation in Supercritical CO2 Containing Dissolved H2O: An in situ High Pressure X-Ray Diffraction Study

Technological advances have been significant in recent years for managing environmentally harmful emissions (mostly CO2) resulting from combustion of fossil fuels. Deep underground geologic formations are emerging as reasonable options for long term storage of CO2 but mechanisms controlling rock and mineral stability in contact with injected supercritical fluids containing water are relatively unknown. In this paper, we discuss mineral transformation reactions occurring between supercritical CO2 containing water and the silicate minerals forsterite (Mg2SiO4), wollastonite (CaSiO3), and enstatite (MgSiO3). This study utilizes newly developed in situ high pressure x-ray diffraction (HXRD) and in situ infra red (IR) to examine mineral transformation reactions. Forsterite and enstatite were selected as they are important minerals present in igneous and mafic rocks and have been the subject of a large number of aqueous dissolution studies that can be compared with non-aqueous fluid tests in this study. Wollastonite, classified as a pyroxenoid (similar to a pyroxene), was chosen as a suitably fast reacting proxy for examining silicate carbonation processes associated with a wet scCO2 fluid as related to geologic carbon sequestration. The experiments were conducted under modest pressures (90 to 160 bar), temperatures between 35° to 70° C, and varying concentrations of dissolved water. Under these conditions scCO2 contains up to 3,500 ppm dissolved water.

carbon sequestration↗
DOE OSTI2020

Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of actinyl(VI) tetrahalide coordination compounds containing 2, 2'-bipyridine

A series of three new actinide tetrahalide coordination compounds containing 2,2'-bipyridinium (H 2 bpy) have been synthesized by room temperature evaporation and characterized via single crystal X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. The solid-state compounds (Np1, U1, and U2) contain the AnO 2 2+ cation coordinated to four halide (chloride or bromide) atoms to form the anionic tetrahalide molecular unit [AnO 2 X 4 ] 2– (X = Cl, Br) and are charge balanced by the 2,2'-bipyridinium cations that engage in electrostatic interactions with the actinyl complex. Np1 (N 2 C 10 H 10 )[NpO 2 Cl 4 ] contains 2,2'-bipyridine in the cis conformation where both the nitrogen atoms are directed towards the [NpO 2 Cl 4 ] 2– monomer. Within U1 (N 2 C 10 H 9 )[UO 2 Cl 4 ], the 2,2'-bipyridine is in a trans conformation, and found in the same orientation in the isomorphous structure U2 (N 2 C 10 H 9 )[UO 2 Br 4 ]. The compounds were further characterized by vibrational spectroscopy with specific interest in the actinyl cation. Raman spectroscopy provided information on the actinyl symmetric stretch (ν 1 ) whereas IR spectroscopy is used to determine the location of the asymmetric stretch (ν 3 ). Here, spectral similarities are observed between the two isomorphous structures, but slight variations across the series of structures are found to be associated with bipyridine bands in the various conformations. Additional analysis of these vibrational features in U1 and U2 provided information on the actinyl force constants, allowing insight into the relative uranyl bond strength that was compared to similar tetrahalide compounds.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Natural Oil-Based Emulsion Containing Allantoin Versus Aqueous Cream for Managing Radiation-Induced Skin Reactions in Patients With Cancer: A Phase 3, Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Purpose: To investigate the effects of a natural oil-based emulsion containing allantoin versus aqueous cream for preventing and managing radiation-induced skin reactions. Methods and Materials: A total of 174 patients were randomized and participated in the study. Patients received either cream 1 (the natural oil-based emulsion containing allantoin) or cream 2 (aqueous cream). Skin toxicity, pain, itching, and skin-related quality of life scores were collected for up to 4 weeks after radiation treatment. Results: Patients who received cream 1 had a significantly lower average level of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events at week 3 (P<.05) but had statistically higher average levels of skin toxicity at weeks 7, 8, and 9 (all P<.001). Similar results were observed when skin toxicity was analyzed by grades. With regards to pain, patients in the cream 2 group had a significantly higher average level of worst pain (P<.05) and itching (P=.046) compared with the cream 1 group at week 3; however, these differences were not observed at other weeks. In addition, there was a strong trend for cream 2 to reduce the incidence of grade 2 or more skin toxicity in comparison with cream 1 (P=.056). Overall, more participants in the cream 1 group were required to use another topical treatment at weeks 8 (P=.049) and 9 (P=.01). Conclusion: The natural oil-based emulsion containing allantoin seems to have similar effects for managing skin toxicity compared with aqueous cream up to week 5; however, it becomes significantly less effective at later weeks into the radiation treatment and beyond treatment completion (week 6 and beyond). There were no major differences in pain, itching, and skin-related quality of life. In light of these results, clinicians and patients can base their decision on costs and preferences. Overall, aqueous cream seems to be a more preferred option.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2024

De-risking fault leakage risk and containment integrity for subsurface storage applications

The subsurface is pivotal in the energy transition, for the sequestration of CO 2 and energy storage. It is crucial to understand to what extent geological faults may form leakage pathways that threaten the containment integrity of these projects. Fault flow behavior has been studied in the context of hydrocarbon development, supported by observations from wells drilled through faults, but such observations are rare in geoenergy projects. Focusing on mechanical behavior as early indicator of potential leakage risks, a probabilistic Coulomb Failure Stress workflow is developed and demonstrated using data from the Decatur CO 2 sequestration project to rank faults based on their containment risk. The analysis emphasizes the importance of fault throw relative to reservoir thickness and pore pressure change in assessing reactivation risks. Integrating this mechanical assessment with geological and dynamic fault analyses contributes to derisking fault containment for geoenergy applications, providing valuable insights for the successful development of subsurface storage projects.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Toward sustainable production of N-containing products via nonthermal plasma-enhanced conversion of natural gas resources

Nonthermal plasmas can directly activate and cleave the strong chemical bonds in molecular nitrogen and methane to facilitate the transformation of these inherently stable molecules through the application of electrical energy. Here, we report a low temperature, atmospheric pressure, nonthermal plasma for the “one-pot” synthesis of olefins, alkynes, higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, ammonia, and nitrogen-containing liquids from a representative shale gas feed enriched with nitrogen. Furthermore, we reproducibly observe a wide range of valuable and synthetically challenging gas-phase and liquid-phase products containing C-N, C-C, and N-H bonding by controlling the N 2 concentration in the inlet feed stream. In nitrogen-lean regimes, hydrocarbon products dominate (e.g., ethylene, acetylene, etc.), while nitrogen-rich regimes promote incorporation of nitrogen into the products, leading to the formation of ammonia and liquid products containing a variety of functionalities (e.g., nitriles, amines, heterocycles). High resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was used to measure molecular weights and identify the chemical formulas of the liquid products. Van Krevelen diagrams were created and showed many products with compositions around H/C = 2 and N/C = 0.5, indicating the potential importance of intermediate species with these ratios for liquid formation (e.g., CH 3 CN + H).

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Getters for improved technetium containment in cementitious waste forms

A cementitious waste form, Cast Stone, is a possible candidate technology for the immobilization of low activity nuclear waste (LAW) at the Hanford site. This paper focuses on the addition of getter materials to Cast Stone that can sequester Tc from the LAW, and in turn, lower Tc release from the Cast Stone. Two getters which produce different products upon sequestering Tc from LAW were tested: Sn(II) apatite (Sn-A) that removes Tc as a Tc(IV)-oxide and potassium metal sulfide (KMS-2) that removes Tc as a Tc(IV)-sulfide species, allowing for a comparison of stability of the form of Tc upon entering the waste form. The Cast Stone with KMS-2 getter had the best performance with addition equivalent to ~0.08 wt% of the total waste form mass. The observed diffusion (D obs ) of Tc decreased from 4.6 ± 0.2 × 10 -12 cm 2 /s for Cast Stone that did not contain a getter to 5.4 ± 0.4 × 10 -13 cm 2 /s for KMS-2 containing Cast Stone. Finally, it was found that Tc-sulfide species are more stable against re-oxidation within getter containing Cast Stone compared with Tc-oxide and is the origin of the decrease in Tc D obs when using the KMS-2.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Microbial interactions with phosphorus containing glasses representative of vitrified radioactive waste

The presence of phosphorous in borosilicate glass (at 0.1 – 1.3 mol % P 2 O 5 ) and in iron-phosphate glass (at 53 mol % P 2 O 5 ) stimulated the growth and metabolic activity of anaerobic bacteria in model systems. Dissolution of these phosphorous containing glasses was either inhibited or accelerated by microbial metabolic activity, depending on the solution chemistry and the glass composition. The breakdown of organic carbon to volatile fatty acids increased glass dissolution. The interaction of microbially reduced Fe(II) with phosphorus-containing glass under anoxic conditions decreased dissolution rates, whereas the interaction of Fe(III) with phosphorous-containing glass under oxic conditions increased glass dissolution. Phosphorous addition to borosilicate glasses did not significantly affect the microbial species present, however, the diversity of the microbial community was enhanced on the surface of the iron phosphate glass. Results demonstrate the potential for microbes to influence the geochemistry of radioactive waste disposal environments with implication for wasteform durability.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2026

Effects of Composition and Oxidation States on the Structures of Chromium-Containing Sodium Silicate Glasses: Molecular Dynamics Simulations using Machine Learning Interatomic Potentials

Chromium represents a significant challenge for the vitrification of high-level nuclear waste into silicate and borosilicate glasses due to its low solubility and variable oxidation states, which can limit the waste loading due to promotion of crystallization or phase separation during processing. In this study, we modeled chromium containing silicate glasses using molecular dynamics simulations with three machine learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs), MACE, CHGNet, and PFP were employed, to gain insights on glass composition and oxidation states on the structures of these glasses. One of the goals is to evaluate their ability of these MLIPs to accurately represent the general structure of silicate glasses and chromium local environments as a function of chromium oxidation states. Density Functional Theory (DFT) based calculations and experimental data such as neutron structure factors were used to validate the structural models. It was found that the foundation models of all three MLIPs are able to reproduce general structural features of the sodium silicate glass structure consistent with experimental and DFT data, but only CHGNet and PFP can accurately capture the oxidation states and local environment of chromium: tetrahedral for Cr6+ and octahedral for Cr3+. Furthermore, we studied the effect of varying Cr3+/ Cr6+ (Cr3+/Crtotal) ratio and total chromium content using PFP. Our results show that Cr6+ enhances network polymerization by reducing non-bridging oxygens through Na? charge compensation required due to the formation of chromate (CrO42-) species, while Cr³? acts as a network modifier that disrupts connectivity. System size effects on the structural characteristics and chromium environments were also tested using the PFP potential. This work highlights the importance of careful validation on the precision, transferability, and potential of MLIPs for modeling glasses containing transition metal elements that can exist in multiple oxidation states. It is also encouraging to see the foundational models are all three MLFFs are able to reproduce the basic sodium silicate glass structures, while suggesting additional training or refining is needed to improve the description of more complex systems containing transition metals.

Puga, Christina L.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Structural and spectroscopic characterization of photoactive yellow protein and photoswitchable fluorescent protein constructs containing heavy atoms

Photo-induced structural rearrangements of chromophore-containing proteins are essential for various light-dependent signaling pathways and optogenetic applications. Ultrafast structural and spectroscopic methods have offered insights into these structural rearrangements across many timescales. However, questions still remain about exact mechanistic details, especially regarding photoisomerization of the chromophore within these proteins femtoseconds to picoseconds after photoexcitation. Instrumentation advancements for time-resolved crystallography and ultrafast electron diffraction provide a promising opportunity to study these reactions, but achieving enough signal-to-noise is a constant challenge. In this work, we present four new photoactive yellow protein constructs and one new fluorescent protein construct that contain heavy atoms either within or around the chromophore and can be expressed with high yields. Structural characterization of these constructs, most at atomic resolution, show minimal perturbation caused by the heavy atoms compared to wild-type structures. Spectroscopic studies report the effects of the heavy atom identity and location on the chromophore’s photophysical properties. None of the substitutions prevent photoisomerization, although certain rates within the photocycle may be affected. Overall, these new proteins containing heavy atoms are ideal samples for state-of-the-art time-resolved crystallography and electron diffraction experiments to elucidate crucial mechanistic information of photoisomerization.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Synthesis and characterization of three-layered zinc phosphites containing tert-octylamine molecules with template and ligand roles

Three-layered zinc phosphites containing single monoamine molecules with different roles have been synthesized using hydro(solvo)thermal methods and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and infrared spectroscopy. Compound 1, (C{sub 8}H{sub 17}NH{sub 3}){sub 4}Zn{sub 3}(HPO{sub 3}){sub 5}·3H{sub 2}O, consists of 20-ring layer structures sandwiched by water molecules and protonated tert-octylamine molecules. The structure of Zn(C{sub 8}H{sub 17}NH{sub 2})(HPO{sub 3}) (compound 2) is composed of 4.8{sup 2} network structures, wherein the tert-octylamines are coordinated to the Zn atom as pendant groups. Compound 3, (C{sub 8}H{sub 17}NH{sub 3}){sub 2}Zn{sub 4}(C{sub 8}H{sub 17}NH{sub 2})(HPO{sub 3}){sub 5}, was prepared in which the amine plays a dual role as both a ligand and a countercation. In addition, compound 1 is the first layered metal phosphite with large 20-ring windows. This group of substances represents the first example of the preparation of compounds in which the reactivity of incorporated single amine molecules is varied by adjusting the synthesis conditions. - Graphical abstract: The first layered metal phosphite with large 20-ring windows, (C8H17NH3)4Zn3(HPO3)5·3H{sub 2}O (1), sandwiched by water molecules and protonated tert-octylamine molecules. Highlights: • The first example of zinc phosphites contains amine molecules with template and ligand roles. • The reactivity of single amine molecules is varied by adjusting the synthesis conditions. • Compound 1 contains the largest pore opening of 20-rings in known layered metal phosphites. • Compound 3 has dual roles of amine molecules in its structure.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

A new 3D Co(II)–organic framework with acylamide-containing tetracarboxylate ligand: Solvothermal synthesis, crystal structure, gas adsorption and magnetic property

A new cobalt(II)–organic framework, [Co{sub 2}(L)(py){sub 2}(DMSO)]{sub n}• 0.5nDMF• 2nDMSO (1) [H{sub 4}L=5,5'-((naphthalene-2,6-dicarbonyl)bis(azanediyl))diisophthalic acid, py=pyridine, DMSO=dimethyl sulfoxide, DMF=N,N-dimethylformamide], has been solvothermally synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, TGA, PXRD and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The structural analysis reveals that complex 1 is a 3D framework built from nanosized acylamide-containing tetracarboxylate ligands (L{sup 4−}) and dinuclear [Co{sub 2}(CO{sub 2}){sub 4}] secondary building units (SBUs), exhibiting a uninodal (4,4)-connected crb topology with the Schläfli symbol of (4• 6{sup 5}). The desolvated complex (1a) displays higher adsorption capability for CO{sub 2} than N{sub 2}, which may be due to the relatively strong binding affinity between the CO{sub 2} molecules and acylamide groups in the framework. The magnetic investigation shows that the dominant antiferromagnetic interaction is observed in complex 1. - Graphical abstract: A new 3D Co(II)–organic framework with nanosized acylamide-containing tetracarboxylate ligand was solvothermally synthesized and structurally characterized, its thermal stability, gas adsorption and magnetic property were studied. - Highlights: • A new 3D Co(II)–organic framework with nanosized acylamide-containing tetracarboxylate ligand has been solvothermally synthesized and characterized. • Complex 1 exhibits a uninodal (4,4)-connected crb topology. • The thermal stability, gas adsorption and magnetic property were studied.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Isolation and characterization of nanosheets containing few layers of the Aurivillius family of oxides and metal-organic compounds

Nanosheets containing few-layers of ferroelectric Aurivillius family of oxides, Bi{sub 2}A{sub n−1}B{sub n}O{sub 3n+3} (where A=Bi{sup 3+}, Ba{sup 2+} etc. and B=Ti{sup 4+}, Fe{sup 3+} etc.) with n=3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 have been prepared by reaction with n-butyllithium, followed by exfoliation in water. The few-layer samples have been characterized by Tyndall cones, atomic force microscopy, optical spectroscopy and other techniques. The few-layer species have a thickness corresponding to a fraction of the c-parameter along which axis the perovskite layers are stacked. Magnetization measurements have been carried out on the few-layer samples containing iron. Few-layer species of a few layered metal-organic compounds have been obtained by ultrasonication and characterized by Tyndall cones, atomic force microscopy, optical spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. Significant changes in the optical spectra and magnetic properties are found in the few-layer species compared to the bulk samples. Few-layer species of the Aurivillius family of oxides may find uses as thin layer dielectrics in photovoltaics and other applications. - Graphical abstract: Exfoliation of the layered Aurivillius oxides into few-layer nanosheets by chemical Li intercalation using n-BuLi followed by reaction in water. Exfoliation of the layered metal-organic compounds into few-layer nanosheets by ultrasonication. - Highlights: • Few-layer nanosheets of Aurivillius family of oxides with perovskite layers have been generated by lithium intercalation. • Few-layer nanosheets of few layered metal-organic compounds have been generated by ultrasonication. • Few-layer nanosheets of the Aurivillius oxides have been characterized by AFM, TEM and optical spectroscopy. • Aurivillius oxides containing Fe show layer dependent magnetic properties. • Exfoliated few-layer metal-organic compounds show changes in spectroscopic and magnetic properties compared with bulk materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗