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At least 541 records · Page 30

In situ molecular imaging of ion clusters reveals the acid gas capture capacity and mechanism of water-lean ionic liquids

Water-lean solvents are a promising technology for capturing acid gases like carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). In situ liquid time-of-flight secondary ionization mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) is used to study a representative solvent N-(2-ethoxyethyl)-3-morpholinopropan-1-amine (2-EEMPA) with different CO 2 loadings to reveal the complex solvent structure upon CO 2 capture. Characteristic peaks of 2-EEMPA, such as m/z – 215 C 11 H 23 N 2 O 2 – (deprotonated 2-EEMPA) and m/z + 217 C 11 H 25 N 2 O 2 + (protonated 2-EEMPA), are detected due to acid gas uptake. Also, solvent molecules and carboxylate ion pairs, such as m/z – 259 C 12 H 23 N 2 O 4 – [(deprotonated 2-EEMPA∙∙∙CO 2 )] and m/z + 261 C 12 H 25 N 2 O 4 + (protonated 2-EEMPA∙∙∙CO 2 ), are observed. Interestingly, more than one CO 2 molecule can be captured per each solvent molecule as evidenced in SIMS mass spectra, for example, m/z – 321 C 13 H 25 N 2 O 7 – [(deprotonated 2-EEMPA)∙∙∙2CO 2 ∙∙∙H 2 O], m/z + 305 C 13 H 25 N 2 O 4 + [(protonated 2-EEMPA)∙∙∙2CO 2 ], m/z – 389 C 17 H 29 N 2 O 8 – [(deprotonated 2-EEMPA)∙∙∙3CO 2 ∙∙∙3CH 2 ], and m/z + 373 C 16 H 25 N 2 O 8 + [(protonated 2-EEMPA)∙∙∙3CO 2 ∙∙∙2C]. However, the monomer of 2-EEMPA and CO 2 seems to be most prevalent. Furthermore, solvent clusters are detected in loaded solvents, for instance m/z + 433 C 22 H 49 N 4 O 4 + [(2-EEMPA)2∙∙∙H] and m/z + 646 [(2-EEMPA) 3 -2H], while capturing CO 2 at different amounts. Relative abundance of cluster ions provides a semi-qualitative venue to assess the free energies of gas capture energetics, indicating the relative stability trend within the same solvent system, previously impossible. These observed ion clusters are verified with molecular modeling, where dimer, trimer, and cluster ions are validated for their presence either due to weak molecular interactions or hydrogen bonds. In situ molecular imaging of ionic liquids and molecular modeling reveals that the acid gas capture mechanism by ionic liquids includes both physical adsorption and chemical bonding with multiple reaction pathways, engaging cluster formation and alteration of solvent structures.

Acid gas capture↗

Constructing O2/O3 homogeneous hybrid stabilizes Li-rich layered cathodes

With the advantages of high energy density and low manufacture cost, lithium-rich layered oxides (LLOs), typically with a layered O3-type structure, are regarded as promising cathodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but their broad usages are hindered by severe voltage decay over cycling. Although recent progress in O2-type LLOs has aroused interest for their less voltage decay, the critical barrier of unsatisfactory capacity retention has not been overcome yet. In this work, to tackle these handicaps, we design a new type of LLO (O2/O3-type LLO) with a homogeneous hybrid structure, where the O2 and O3 lattice stacking sequences are arranged alternatively. Benefitting from this novel O2/O3 hybrid structure, the designed material shows greatly improved voltage and capacity stability than that of pure O2- and O3-type LLOs. Revealed by in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and operando differential electrochemical mass spectra, the O2/O3-hybrid LLO cathode shows a more reversible structural evolution, smaller volume change and suppressed oxygen loss during the electrochemical processes. Our approach has initiated a new way to reduce the capacity and voltage decay of LLOs, which endows great promise to the development of high-energy-density LIBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Effect of overcharge on Li(Ni 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 )O 2 cathodes: NMP-soluble binder. II — Chemical changes in the anode

For this study, cells based on nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC)/graphite electrodes, which contained polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) binders in the electrodes, were systematically charged to 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, and 250% state of charge (SOC). Characterization of the anodes by inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) showed several extent-of-overcharge-dependent trends. The concentrations (by wt) of nickel, manganese, and cobalt in the negative electrode increased with SOC, but the metals remained in the same ratio as that of the positive. Electrolyte reaction products, such as LiF:LiPO 3 , increased with overcharge, as expected. Three organic products were found by HPLC-ESI-MS. From an analysis of the mass spectra, two of these compounds seem to be organophosphates, which were formed by the reaction of polymerized electrolyte decomposition products and PF 3 or O=PF 3 . Their concentration tended to reach a constant ratio. The third was seen at 250% SOC only.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Sensitive search for near-symmetric and super-asymmetric fusion-fission of the superheavy element Flerovium (Z=114)

Measurements of mass and angular distributions have been made for fission-like outcomes in reactions forming isotopes of flerovium (Z=114), using 48 Ca, 50 Ti, and 54 Cr projectiles. The dominant fast quasifission process, which masks the presence of fusion-fission, has minimum yield at the most backward angles, where the sensitivity to fusion-fission is thus highest. In fitting the backward angle mass spectra, only weak evidence for a component of super-asymmetric fission was found, but a near-symmetric fission component was consistently required for the 48 Ca + 244 Pu reaction, giving upper limit to the fusion probabilities P CN of ~10 -2 , ~5 times lower than previous results. P CN for the 50 Ti reaction was lower than 48 Ca, whilst no evidence of fusion-fission was found for the 54 Cr reaction.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Exposure to tri-o-cresyl phosphate detected in jet airplane passengers

The aircraft cabin and flight deck ventilation are supplied from partially compressed unfiltered bleed air directly from the engine. Worn or defective engine seals can result in the release of engine oil into the cabin air supply. Aircrew and passengers have complained of illness following such 'fume events'. Adverse health effects are hypothesized to result from exposure to tricresyl phosphate mixed esters, a chemical added to jet engine oil and hydraulic fluid for its anti-wear properties. Our goal was to develop a laboratory test for exposure to tricresyl phosphate. The assay was based on the fact that the active-site serine of butyrylcholinesterase reacts with the active metabolite of tri-o-cresyl phosphate, cresyl saligenin phosphate, to make a stable phosphorylated adduct with an added mass of 80 Da. No other organophosphorus agent makes this adduct in vivo on butyrylcholinesterase. Blood samples from jet airplane passengers were obtained 24-48 h after completing a flight. Butyrylcholinesterase was partially purified from 25 ml serum or plasma, digested with pepsin, enriched for phosphorylated peptides by binding to titanium oxide, and analyzed by mass spectrometry. Of 12 jet airplane passengers tested, 6 were positive for exposure to tri-o-cresyl phosphate that is, they had detectable amounts of the phosphorylated peptide FGEpSAGAAS. The level of exposure was very low. No more than 0.05 to 3% of plasma butyrylcholinesterase was modified. None of the subjects had toxic symptoms. Four of the positive subjects were retested 3 to 7 months following their last airplane trip and were found to be negative for phosphorylated butyrylcholinesterase. In conclusion, this is the first report of an assay that detects exposure to tri-o-cresyl phosphate in jet airplane travelers. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Travel on jet airplanes is associated with an illness, aerotoxic syndrome. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A possible cause is exposure to tricresyl phosphate in engine lubricating oil. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A blood test for exposure to tri-o-cresyl phosphate is reported.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Hydrophobic Treatment Enabling Analysis of Wettable Surfaces using a Liquid Microjunction Surface Sampling Probe/Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry System

An aerosol application procedure involving one or more commercially available silicone based products was developed to create hydrophobic surfaces that enable analysis of otherwise wettable, absorbent surfaces using a liquid microjunction surface sampling probe/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry system. The treatment process resulted in a hydrophobic surface that enabled formation of the requisite probe - to - surface liquid microjunction for sampling and allowed efficient extraction of the analytes from the surface, but did not contribute significant chemical background in the mass spectra. The utility of this treatment process was demonstrated with the treatment of wettable high performance thin layer chromatography plates, post plate development, and their subsequent analysis with the sampling probe. The surface treatment process for different surface types was described and explained and the effectiveness of the treatment and subsequent analysis was illustrated using alkaloids from Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) root separated on a normal phase silica gel 60 F254S plate and peptides from protein tryptic digests separated on a Protochrom HPTLC Silica gel 60 F254S plate and a Protochrom HPTLC cellulose sheet. This simple surface treatment process significantly expands the analytical surfaces that can be analyzed with the liquid microjunction surface sampling probe, and therefore, also expands the analytical utility of this liquid extraction based surface sampling approach.

Walworth, Matthew J↗

Molecular Imaging of Microbially Induced Corrosion of Synthetic Archeological Glasses by a Rhizosphere Bacterium

Microbially induced corrosion (MIC) focuses on the degradation of solid materials, such as glass or metal. Soil microbes are often associated with the corrosion of foreign objects in the rhizosphere. Paenibacillus polymyxa SCE2, a facultative anaerobic bacterium in soil, is of the same genus as bacteria found near nuclear waste disposal sites. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was used for imaging surface changes induced by P. polymyxa SCE2 cultured on two synthetic glass coupons to represent natural analogs of materials that were studied in relation to the vitrification of nuclear waste. Multimodal imaging was used to verify bacterial coverage across the glass surface after long-term growth. ToF-SIMS spectral analysis showed detection of glass component ions, such as silicon oxide (m/z – 59.96 SiO 2 – ) and aluminum oxide (m/z – 101.95 Al 2 O 3 – ), and biofilm’s extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) components, such as pentadecanoic acid (m/z – 241.22 C 15 H 29 O 2 – ) and sterol lipids (m/z – 311.16 C 20 H 23 O 3 – ). ToF-SIMS spectral, imaging, and depth profiling analyses showed that the glass rich in silica and other light elements (“granite glass”) had more “corrosion related” peaks than the glass that was less silica-rich and contained more iron (“dike glass”). Furthermore, these surface and interface compositional and spatial differences observed in the mass spectra and imaging were attributed to bacterial metabolism and an electron transfer mechanism influenced by morphological and compositional differences between the two types of glasses. ToF-SIMS is effective in studying microbial effects, bringing new molecular insights into MIC in a broader context of materials degradation.

Amorphous materials↗

Increasing the Scale of the Mass Spectrometry Query Language Compendium with Explainable AI

A significant bottleneck in metabolomics data interpretation is the effective use of domain knowledge to assign structural information based on fragmentation patterns. The mass spectrometry query language (MassQL) aims to make this process accessible and applicable across multiple analysis platforms. While advanced computational methods are capable of predicting compound structures from fragmentation data, AI/ML approaches often rely on complex, opaque criteria that are difficult to interpret or modify. As a result, their predictive patterns cannot be readily translated into human-readable rules, such as those used in MassQL. Here, in this study, we introduce ChemEcho, a machine learning embedding method that converts tandem mass spectrometry data into sparse feature vectors containing peak and neutral mass subformulae to enhance explainable AI/ML-based methods. An advantage of this approach is that decision trees trained using these feature vectors can be directly translated to MassQL. Using a battery of decision trees trained using ChemEcho embeddings to predict molecular attributes, we generated over 1500 MassQL queries for 765 molecular features and evaluated their precision and recall. From these queries, the 50 highest-performing queries were integrated into the MassQL compendium. This set of generated MassQL queries included environmentally and biologically relevant classes such as PFAS and molecules containing phosphate or sulfate substructures. To illustrate the impact these queries would have on a typical metabolomics experiment, these MassQL queries were applied to a public metabolomics data set─resulting in a marked increase in the structural information derived from tandem mass spectra. Access and reuse of these queries is expected to enhance structural annotation in untargeted experiments, leading to more specific claims and advancing many applications in metabolomics.

Harwood, Thomas V. [USDOE Joint Genome Institute (↗

Deep learning to generate in silico chemical property libraries and candidate molecules for small molecule identification in complex samples

Comprehensive and unambiguous identification of small molecules in complex samples will revolutionize our understanding of the role of metabolites in biological systems. Existing and emerging technologies have enabled measurement of chemical properties of molecules in complex mixtures and, in concert, are sensitive enough to resolve even stereoisomers. Despite these experimental advances, small molecule identification is inhibited by (i) chemical reference libraries (e.g. mass spectra, collision cross section, and other measurable property libraries) representing <1% of known molecules, limiting the number of possible identifications, and (ii) the lack of a method to generate candidate matches directly from experimental features (i.e. without a library). To this end, we developed a variational autoencoder (VAE) to learn a continuous numerical, or latent, representation of molecular structure to expand reference libraries for small molecule identification. We extended the VAE to include a chemical property decoder, trained as a multitask network, in order to shape the latent representation such that it assembles according to desired chemical properties. The approach is unique in its application to metabolomics and small molecule identification, with its focus on properties that can be obtained from experimental measurements (m/z, CCS) paired with its training paradigm, which involved a cascade of transfer learning iterations. First, molecular representation is learned from a large dataset of structures with m/z labels. Next, in silico property values are used to continue training, as experimental property data is limited. Finally, the network is further refined by being trained with the experimental data. This allows the network to learn as much as possible at each stage, enabling success with progressively smaller datasets without overfitting. Once trained, the network can be used to predict chemical properties directly from structure, as well as generate candidate structures with desired chemical properties. Our approach is orders of magnitude faster than first-principles simulation for CCS property prediction. Additionally, the ability to generate novel molecules along manifolds, defined by chemical property analogues, positions DarkChem as highly useful in a number of application areas, including metabolomics and small molecule identification, drug discovery and design, chemical forensics, and beyond.

Colby, Sean M.↗

Hydrothermal Liquefaction Biocrude Compositions Compared to Petroleum Crude and Shale Oil

We provide a direct and detailed comparison of the chemical composition of petroleum crude oil (from the Gulf of Mexico), shale oil, and three biocrudes (i.e., clean pine, microalgae Chlorella sp., and sewage sludge feedstocks) generated by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). Ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) reveals that HTL biocrudes are compositionally more similar to shale oil than petroleum crude oil and that only a few heteroatom classes (e.g., N1, N2, N1O1, and O1) are common to organic sediment- and biomass-derived oils. All HTL biocrudes contain a diverse range of oxygen-containing compounds when compared to either petroleum crude or shale oil. Overall, petroleum crude and shale oil are compositionally dissimilar to HTL oils, and >85% of the elemental compositions identified within the positive-ion electrospray (ESI) mass spectra of the HTL biocrudes were not present in either the petroleum crude or shale oil (>43% for negative-ion ESI). Direct comparison of the heteroatom classes that are common to both organic sedimentand biomass-derived oils shows that HTL biocrudes generally contain species with both smaller core structures and a lower degree of alkylation relative to either the petroleum crude or the shale oil. Three-dimensional plots of carbon number versus molecular double bond equivalents (with observed abundance as the third dimension) for abundant molecular classes reveal the specific relationship of the composition of HTL biocrudes to petroleum and shale oils to inform the possible incorporation of these oils into refinery operations as a partial amendment to conventional petroleum feeds.

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗

Multiplexed photoionization mass spectrometry investigation of the O( 3 P) + propyne reaction

Here, the reaction of O( 3 P) + propyne (C 3 H 4 ) was investigated at 298 K and 4 Torr using time-resolved multiplexed photoionization mass spectrometry and a synchrotron-generated tunable vacuum ultraviolet light source. The time-resolved mass spectra of the observed products suggest five major channels under our conditions: C 2 H 3 + HCO, CH 3 + HCCO, H + CH 3 CCO, C 2 H 4 + CO, and C 2 H 2 + H 2 + CO. The relative branching ratios for these channels were found to be 1.00, (0.35 ± 0.11), (0.18 ± 0.10), (0.73 ± 0.27), and (1.31 ± 0.62). In addition, we observed signals consistent with minor production of C 3 H 3 + OH and H 2 + CH 2 CCO, although we cannot conclusively assign them as direct product channels from O( 3 P) + propyne. The direct abstraction mechanism plays only a minor role (≤1%), and we estimate that O( 3 P) addition to the central carbon of propyne accounts for 10% of products, with addition to the terminal carbon accounting for the remaining 89%. The isotopologues observed in experiments using d1-propyne (CH 3 CCD) and analysis of product branching in light of previously computed stationary points on the singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces (PESs) relevant to O( 3 P) + propyne suggest that, under our conditions, (84 ± 14)% of the observed product channels from O( 3 P) + propyne result from intersystem crossing from the initial triplet PES to the lower-lying singlet PES.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Microcarbonation of Naphthalene: An Experimental and Computational Study of Photoionization in Naphthalene-Carbon Dioxide Clusters

The photoionization of naphthalene (N)-carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) clusters was studied using tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation from a synchrotron in the photon range of 8.0 to 13.7 eV, in combination with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Clusters of monomer, dimer, and trimer naphthalene with CO 2 (N­(CO 2 ) 0–6 , N 2 ­(CO 2 ) 0–3 , N3) were observed. The lowest-energy conformers were obtained via a conformer search, followed by geometry optimizations at the ωB97X-V2/aug-cc-pVTZ (monomer) and ωB97X-V2/aug-cc-pVDZ (dimer) levels of theory. Carbon dioxide was found to preferentially cluster on top of the naphthalene molecule (in an out-of-plane configuration). From the mass spectra, photoionization intensity curves (PICs) were constructed, and appearance energies (AEs) were determined. No substantial trend in AE was observed with increasing size of the naphthalene-carbon dioxide clusters; rather, AE oscillations around the value for pure naphthalene were observed. These AE oscillations are also observed in a recently studied naphthalene-water cluster system, though in this system a slight downward trend in AE for pure naphthalene clusters (N1/2/3/4) was observed. The differences between the two systems are attributed to differing interaction strengths. In conclusion, understanding these differences may aid in determining how photoprocessing can proceed differently depending on the dominant matrix component in interstellar ices.

Wannenmacher, Anna [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab↗

X‑ray Coherent Diffractive Imaging of Large Helium Nanodroplets Doped with Small Molecules

We report the first X-ray coherent diffractive imaging experiment on molecule-doped helium nanodroplets. It complements previous work, where we reported single-shot X-ray coherent diffractive imaging studies of Xe dopant clusters formed in 4He and 3He droplets. These noble gas clusters were used to visualize the impact of rotational excitation of the droplets on the spatial distribution of atomic dopants within the droplets, and to study the differences and connections between quantum and classical droplet rotational motion. Here, we expand our studies to the molecular dopants CF4, CHF3, CH3CN, and SF6, imaged with 1.5 keV photons. We find multiple Bragg spots in the diffraction patterns of molecule-doped droplets with radii of approximately 600 nm, which provide evidence that molecules form elongated clusters with preferential alignment along the angular momentum axis of the 4He droplets, in agreement with our previous results on the aggregation of Xe clusters on quantum vortices. Real-space reconstructions of molecular dopant cluster density profiles are obtained for droplets with smaller radii of approximately 300 nm. The diffuse images suggest the formation of low-density, potentially porous, molecular clusters upon aggregation at T = 0.4 K in 4He droplets. In the normal fluid 3He droplets, molecules aggregate into loose clusters on the droplets' equator, similar to previous observations for Xe atoms. Time-of-flight mass spectra reveal that the doped helium nanodroplet moieties fragment extensively into constituent atomic ions, producing only a small fraction of molecular fragment ions. The findings are discussed in the context of previously proposed schemes to use He droplets as potential tamper materials for ultrafast X-ray imaging experiments.

Feinberg, AlexandraJ↗

Importance of Unimolecular HO 2 Elimination in the Heterogeneous OH Reaction of Highly Oxygenated Tartaric Acid Aerosol

Oxygenated organic molecules are abundant in atmospheric aerosols and are transformed by oxidation reactions near the aerosol surface by gas-phase oxidants such as hydroxyl (OH) radicals. To gain better insights into how the structure of an organic molecule, particularly in the presence of hydroxyl groups, controls the heterogeneous reaction mechanisms of oxygenated organic compounds, this paper investigates the OH-radical initiated oxidation of aqueous tartaric acid (C 4 H 6 O 6 ) droplets using an aerosol flow tube reactor. The molecular composition of the aerosols before and after reaction is characterized by a soft atmospheric pressure ionization source (Direct Analysis in Real Time) coupled with a high-resolution mass spectrometer. The aerosol mass spectra reveal that four major reaction products are formed: a single C 4 functionalization product (C 4 H 4 O 6 ) and three C 3 fragmentation products (C 3 H 4 O 4 , C 3 H 2 O 4 , and C 3 H 2 O 5 ). The C 4 functionalization product does not appear to originate from peroxy radical self-reactions but instead forms via an α-hydroxylperoxy radical produced by a hydrogen atom abstraction by OH at the tertiary carbon site. The proximity of a hydroxyl group to peroxy group enhances the unimolecular HO 2 elimination from the α-hydroxylperoxy intermediate. This alcohol-to-ketone conversion yields 2-hydroxy-3-oxosuccinic acid (C 4 H 4 O 6 ), the major reaction product. While in general, C–C bond scission reactions are expected to dominate the chemistry of organic compounds with high average carbon oxidation states (OS C ), our results show that molecular structure can play a larger role in the heterogeneous transformation of tartaric acid (OS C = 1.5). Finally, these results are also compared with two structurally related dicarboxylic acids (succinic acid and 2,3-dimethylsuccinic acid) to elucidate how the identity and location of functional groups (methyl and hydroxyl groups) alter heterogeneous reaction mechanisms.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Operando XPS for Plasma Process Monitoring: A Case Study on the Hydrogenation of Copper Oxide Confined under h-BN

Here, we demonstrate that ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) can be used for in situ studies of dynamic changes in surface chemistry in a plasma environment. This opens a new and vast application space for XPS and greatly complements modern spectroscopy techniques to probe plasma-solid/liquid interactions relevant to process monitoring in the semiconductor industry, bio-medical plasma applications and plasma remediation technologies. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) grown on Cu was used in this study as a well-defined model system for plasma process monitoring and because of its unique chemical, optical and electrical properties that make it a prospective material for advanced electronics. To better understand the stability and surface chemistry of h-BN during plasma assisted processing, we track in real time the plasma-induced chemical state changes of B, N and the underlying Cu substrate using APXPS equipped with an AC discharge plasma source operating at 13 Pa. Residual gas analysis (RGA) mass-spectra were concurrently collected during plasma-XPS to track reaction products formed during plasma exposure. A clear reduction of Cu x O is seen, while an h-BN layer remains intact, suggesting hydrogen radical (H • ) species can attack the exposed and h-BN covered Cu oxide patches and partially reduce the underlying substrate without significantly damaging the overlaying h-BN, which is of practical importance for development of h-BN encapsulated devices and interfaces. In addition to demonstration of plasma-XPS capabilities we discuss the observed challenges (e.g., parasitic plasma-chamber walls reactions and charging effects) and propose potential solutions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗