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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 559 records · Page 31

Porosity Development at Li-Rich Layered Cathodes in All-Solid-State Battery during In Situ Delithiation

Structural evolutions are crucial for determining the performance of high-voltage lithium, manganese-rich layered cathodes. Moreover, interface between electrode and electrolyte plays a critical role in governing ionic transfer in all-solid-state batteries. In this work, we unveil two different types of porous structure in Li 1.2 Ni 0.2 Mn 0.6 O 2 cathode with LiPON solid-state electrolyte. Na-nopores are found near the cathode/electrolyte interface at pristine state, where cation mixing, phase transformation, oxygen loss and Mn reduction are also found. In situ Li + extraction induces the evolution of nanovoids, initially formed near the inter-face then propagated into the bulk. Despite the development of nanovoids, layered structure is conserved, suggesting the nature of nanopores and nanovoids are different and their impact would be divergent. This work demonstrates the intrinsic interfacial layer, as well as the dynamic scenario of nanovoid formation inside high-capacity layered cathode, which help understanding the performance fading in cathodes and offer insights into the all-solid-state battery design.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Tunable Porosity in Fused Filament 3D-Printed Blends of Intrinsically Porous Polymer and Thermoplastic Aliphatic Polyesters Polycaprolactone and Polylactic Acid

Future advances and usage of all-organic polymeric materials with permanent void spaces and high surface areas, in applications such as separations or as supports, depends heavily on the development of processing techniques to produce complex geometry objects. Here, the high free volume glassy microporous polymer PIM-1 was fabricated, as a major component in a polymer blend, into complex and customizable 3D objects by fused filament fabrication (FFF). PIM-1 was found to be compatible with polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic acid (PLA) and thus could be processed by extrusion into filaments with high loadings of PIM-1 (50% by mass). Ternary PCL/PLA/PIM-1 composite filaments provided an optimal balance of durability and melt flow characteristics for consistent FFF 3D printing of intricate structures. As printed, the micropores of PIM-1 were blocked and inaccessible to N2 during sorption experiments; however, the ternary composite structures displayed significant meso- and macroporosity and nanostructured phase separation. Postprinting immersion in 3-chloro-1-propanol was identified to selectively remove PCL within the composites, re-expose the characteristic micropores of PIM-1, and retain the macrostructure of the printed object. After postprinting treatments, specific surface areas by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method (as high as 460 m2 g–1) were found to directly correlate with the PCL content originally present. In conclusion, the extrusion-based processing methodology provides a new approach for production of intrinsically porous polymer objects in custom and complex shapes by reinforcement with thermoplastics (PCL and PLA).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Kinetic Control of Angstrom-Scale Porosity in 2D Lattices for Direct Scalable Synthesis of Atomically Thin Proton Exchange Membranes

Angstrom-scale pores introduced into atomically thin 2D materials offer transformative advances for proton exchange membranes in several energy applications. Here, we show that facile kinetic control of scalable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) can allow for direct formation of angstrom-scale proton-selective pores in monolayer graphene with significant hindrance to even small, hydrated ions (K + diameter ~6.6 Å) and gas molecules (H 2 kinetic diameter ~2.9 Å). We demonstrate centimeter-scale Nafion|Graphene|Nafion membranes with proton conductance ~3.3–3.8 S cm –2 (graphene ~12.7–24.6 S cm –2 ) and H + /K + selectivity ~6.2–44.2 with liquid electrolytes. The same membranes show proton conductance ~4.6–4.8 S cm –2 (graphene ~39.9–57.5 S cm –2 ) and extremely low H 2 crossover ~1.7 × 10 –1 – 2.2 × 10 –1 mA cm –2 (~0.4 V, ~25 °C) with H 2 gas feed. We rationalize our findings via a resistance-based transport model and introduce a stacking approach that leverages combinatorial effects of interdefect distance and interlayer transport to allow for Nafion|Graphene|Graphene|Nafion membranes with H + /K + selectivity ~86.1 (at 1 M) and record low H 2 crossover current density ~2.5 × 10 –2 mA cm –2 , up to ~90% lower than state-of-the-art ionomer Nafion membranes ~2.7 × 10 –1 mA cm –2 under identical conditions, while still maintaining proton conductance ~4.2 S cm –2 (graphene stack ~20.8 S cm –2 ) comparable to that for Nafion of ~5.2 S cm –2 . Furthermore, our experimental insights enable functional atomically thin high flux proton exchange membranes with minimal crossover.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Porosity Dependence of Compression and Lattice Rigidity in Metal–Organic Framework Series

Porous materials, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), are known to undergo structural changes when subjected to applied hydrostatic pressures that are both fundamentally interesting and practically relevant. With the rich structural diversity of MOFs, the development of design rules to better understand and enhance the mechanical stability of MOFs is of paramount importance. In this work, the compressibilities of seven MOFs belonging to two topological families (representing the most comprehensive study of this type to date) were evaluated using in situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction of samples within a diamond anvil cell. The judicious selection of these materials, representing widely studied classes of MOFs, provides broadly applicable insight into the rigidity and compression of hybrid materials. An analysis of these data reveals that the bulk modulus depends on several structural parameters (e.g., void fraction and linker length). Furthermore, we find that lattice distortions play a major role in the compression of MOFs. As a result, this study is an important step toward developing a predictive model of the structural variables that dictate the compressibility of porous materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Tomography and High-Resolution Electron Microscopy Study of Surfaces and Porosity in a Plate-Like γ-Al 2 O 3

Morphological and surface characteristics of gamma-Al 2 O 3 are topics of high relevance in the field of catalysis. Using tomography and high-resolution S/TEM imaging, we have studied the surface characteristics of a model gamma-Al 2 O 3 synthesized in the shape of platelets and macroscopically defined by (110)Al 2 O 3 and (111)Al 2 O 3 surface facets. We show that the dominant (110)Al 2 O 3 surface of the synthesized gamma-Al 2 O 3 is not atomically flat but undergoes a significant reconstruction, forming nanoscale (111)Al 2 O 3 terraces. In addition to high resolution imaging, tomographic analysis was carried out, enabling an examination of the pores/voids, which were found to be mostly enclosed within the bulk and inaccessible to gasses or metals. Tomographic analysis shows that the surfaces of the pores are defined exclusively by (100)Al 2 O 3 and (111)Al 2 O 3 facets. The importance of these findings is discussed in the context of relative surface energies of low index surfaces and ethanol desorption characteristics.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗