Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “TUNE”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 559 records · Page 31

Tuning oxidation level, electrical conductance and band gap structure on graphene sheets by cyclic atomic layer reduction technique

The present work develops an atomic layer reduction (ALR) method to accurately tune oxidation level, electrical conductance, band-gap structure, and photoluminescence (PL) response of graphene oxide (GO) sheets. The ALR route is carried out at 200 °C within ALR cycle number of 10–100. The ALR treatment is capable of striping surface functionalities (e.g., hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxylic groups), producing thermally-reduced GO sheets. The ALR cycle number serves as a controlling factor in adjusting the crystalline, surface chemistry, electrical, optical properties of GO sheets. With increasing the ALR cycle number, ALR-GO sheets display a high crystallinity, a low oxidation level, an improved electrical conductivity, a narrow band gap, and a tunable PL response. Finally, on the basis of the results, the ALR technique offers a great potential for accurately tune electrical and optical properties of carbon materials through the cyclic removal of oxygen functionalities, without any complicated thermal and chemical desorption processes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Fine-tuning catalytic selectivity by modulating catalyst-environment interactions: CO 2 hydrogenation over Pd-based catalysts

Capturing catalytic behaviors under operational conditions is pivotal to gaining a mechanistic understanding and promoting the design of robust catalysts. The challenge lies in the difficulty of monitoring real-time surface dynamics driven by catalyst-environment interactions. Here, in this work, we introduce a framework based on density functional calculations and kinetic modeling. This framework significantly improves the accuracy of theoretical models’ descriptions of experimental observations by quantifying environmental impacts on surface phases and active sites. CO 2 hydrogenation over Pd-based catalysts is taken as a showcase. The observed selectivity variations of Pd and Pd-M bimetallic catalysts strongly correlate with hydrogen coverage maintained under typical CO 2 hydrogenation conditions. By reducing the amount of surface hydrogen, the selectivity tuned effectively from formic acid toward CO and methanol. This study not only deepens the comprehension of dynamics of active sites under active chemical conditions but also introduces an alternative opportunity for catalytic tuning by modulating catalyst-environment interactions.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Agentic framework for programmatic crystal structure generation using a fine-tuned worker–supervisor large language model

Platinum group metals (PGMs) underpin many catalytic technologies but face severe supply constraints, motivating the search for alternative materials and computational methods to accelerate discovery. While atomistic simulation tools such as Pymatgen and ASE have streamlined structure manipulation, they require detailed inputs, limiting accessibility for experimentalists and slowing early-stage exploration. Here, in this study, we present an AI-driven agentic framework that orchestrates worker–supervisor large language models (LLMs). The worker translates natural-language prompts of varying abstraction into valid crystallographic structures using a compact LLM fine-tuned with low-rank adaptation on a curated text–code–CIF dataset, emphasizing energy-efficient training. Benchmarking against the baseline CodeGen-350M-mono model shows that fine-tuning reduces hallucination rates from 100% to as low as 5% and improves structural match accuracy to up to 82% for fully specified inputs. Accuracy declines with decreasing prompt detail but remains nontrivial even when only stoichiometry and space group are provided, underscoring the LLM’s capacity for crystallographic inference. The supervisor Claude LLM evaluates the outputs and triggers iterative refinement through the worker’s built-in structure manipulation capabilities (e.g., supercell scaling, strain, vacancy, and substitution operations). We further demonstrate use cases for technologically relevant catalysts, including IrO 2 , pyrochlore Pb 2 Ir 2 O 7 , Ni 2 FeO 4 , and Ni 3 Mo, where the framework generates physically consistent structures that can be refined via geometry optimization. This work introduces a low-energy, language-driven pathway for integrating human and machine intelligence in materials design, paving the way for AI-assisted synthesis planning and high-throughput screening of complex oxides.

AI agent↗

Tuning transport in graphene oxide membrane with single-site copper ($\mathrm{II}$) cations

Controlling the ion transport through graphene oxide (GO) membrane is challenging, particularly in the aqueous environment due to its strong swelling tendency. Fine-tuning the interlayer spacing and chemistry is critical to create highly selective membranes. We investigate the effect of single-site divalent cations in tuning GO membrane properties. Competitive ionic permeation test indicates that Cu 2+ cations dominate the transport through the 2D channels of GO membrane over other cations (Mg 2+ /Ca 2+ /Co 2+ ). Without/With the single-site M 2+ modifications, pristine GO, Mg-GO, Ca-GO, and Cu-GO membranes show interlayer spacings of ~13.6, 15.6, 14.5, and 12.3 Å in wet state, respectively. The Cu-GO membrane shows a two-fold decrease of NaCl (1 M) permeation rate comparing to pristine GO, Mg-GO, and Ca-GO membranes. In reverse osmosis tests using 1000 ppm NaCl and Na 2 SO 4 as feeds, Cu-GO membrane shows rejection of ~78% and ~94%, respectively, which are 5%–10% higher than its counterpart membranes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Topological evolution and photoluminescent properties of a series of divalent zinc-based metal–organic frameworks tuned via ancillary ligating spacers

The combination of divalent zinc ions, 4-(4-carboxybenzamido)benzoic acid and exo-bidendate bipyridine ligands gave rise to a series of new MOFs: [ZnL(bipy)]·DMF·H{sub 2}O (1), [ZnL(bpe)]·1.5H{sub 2}O (2), [ZnL(bpa)]·4H{sub 2}O (3) and [ZnL(bpp)]·1.75H{sub 2}O (4) (MOF=metal-organic framework, bipy=4,4′-bipyridine, bpe=trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene, bpa=1,2-bis(4-pyridinyl)ethane, bpp=1,3-bis(4-pyridinyl)propane, H{sub 2}L=4,4′-(carbonylimino)dibenzoic acid). Fine tune over the topology of the MOFs was achieved via systematically varying the geometric length of the second ligating bipyridine ligands. Single-crystal X-ray analysis reveals that complex 1 has a triply interpenetrated three-dimensional (3D) framework with elongated primitive cubic topology, whereas isostructural complexes 2 and 3 each possesses a 6-fold interpenetrated diamondiod 3D framework. Further expansion of the length of the bipyridine ligand to bpp leads to the formation of 4, which features an interesting entangled architecture of 2D→3D parallel polycatenation. In addition, the thermogravimetric analyses and solid-state photoluminescent properties of the selected complexes are investigated. - Graphical abstract: The incorporation of exo-bidendate bipyridine spacers into the Zn–H{sub 2}L system has yielded a series of new MOFs exhibiting topological evolution from 3-fold interpenetration to 6-fold interpenetration and 2D→3D parallel polycatenation. Highlights: ► The effect of the pyridyl-based spacers on the formation of MOFs was explored. ► Fine tune over the topology of the MOFs was achieved. ► An interesting structure of 2D→3D parallel polycatenation is reported.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Dimensional modulation and magnetic properties of triazole- and bis(triazole)-based copper(II) coordination polymers tuned by aromatic polycarboxylates

Five new metal–organic coordination polymers ([Cu{sub 3}(μ{sub 2}-OH){sub 2}(atrz){sub 2}(nph){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}]·2H{sub 2}O){sub n} (1), ([Cu{sub 2}(μ{sub 3}-OH)(atrz)(1,2,4-btc)]·2H{sub 2}O){sub n} (2), ([Cu{sub 2}(μ{sub 3}-OH)(atrz)(1,2,4-btc)(H{sub 2}O)]·H{sub 2}O){sub n} (3), [Cu(dth){sub 0.5}(nph)(H{sub 2}O)]{sub n} (4) and [Cu(dth)(Hnip){sub 2}]{sub n} (5) [atrz=4-amino-1,2,4-triazole, dth=N,N'-di(4H-1,2,4-triazole)hexanamide, H{sub 2}nph=3-nitrophthalic acid, 1,2,4-H{sub 3}btc=1,2,4-benzenetricarboxylic acid and H{sub 2}nip=5-nitroisophthalic acid] were hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. Polymer 1 shows a one-dimensional (1D) chain. Polymers 2 and 3 exhibit similar tetranuclear Cu{sup II}{sub 4} cluster-based three-dimensional (3D) frameworks with the same components. Polymer 4 possesses a 3D framework with a 4{sup 12}·6{sup 3}-pcu topology. Polymer 5 displays a 3D framework with a 4{sup 4}·6{sup 10}·8-mab topology. The magnetic properties of 1–4 were investigated. - Graphical abstract: Five triazole-based copper(II) polymers modulated by polycarboxylates were synthesized. Bis-triazole-bis-amide ligand and polycarboxylates play important roles in tuning dimensionality of polymers. Magnetic properties of polymers were investigated. - Highlights: • Five triazole- and bis(triazole)-based copper(II) coordination polymers tuned by aromatic polycarboxylates were obtained. • The aromatic polycarboxylates have an important influence on the dimensionality of five polymers. • The magnetic properties of four polymers were investigated.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Importance of the tuning of band position in optimizing the electronic coupling and photocatalytic activity of nanocomposite

The electronic coupling and photocatalytic activity of Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}–TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite can be optimized by the fine-tuning of the band position of titanium oxide with nitrogen doping. The increase of the valence band energy of TiO{sub 2} by N-doping leads not only to the enhanced absorption of visible light but also to the promoted hole transfer from Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} to TiO{sub 2}, resulting in the efficient spatial separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. While the undoped Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}–TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite shows an inferior photocatalytic activity to the pure Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}, the photocatalyst performance of N-doped nanocomposite is better than those of Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} and undoped Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}–TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite. This observation underscores a significant enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of nanocomposite upon N-doping, a result of enhanced electronic coupling between the hybridized species. The present results clearly demonstrate the importance of the fine-tuning of band position in optimizing the photocatalytic activity of hybrid-type photocatalysts. - Highlights: • The band position of Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}–TiO{sub 2} can be effectively tailored by nitrogen doping. • The N-doping leads to the improvement of charge separation. • The N-doped Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}–TiO{sub 2} shows high photocatalytic activity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Tuning the morphology, stability and photocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal colloids by tungsten doping

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • W{sup 6+}-doped TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal colloids were prepared by hydrothermal methods. • The properties of TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal colloids can be tuned by tungsten doping. • W{sup 6+}-doped TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal colloids show higher stability and dispersity. • W{sup 6+}-doped TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal colloids show higher photocatalytic activity. - Abstract: The effects of tungsten doping on the morphology, stability and photocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal colloids were investigated. The nanostructure, chemical state of Ti, W, O, and the properties of tungsten doped TiO{sub 2} samples were investigated carefully by TEM, XRD, XPS, UV–vis, PL and photocatalytic degradation experiments. And the structure–activity relationship was discussed according to the analysis and measurement results. The analysis results reveal that the morphology, zeta potential and photocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals can be easily tuned by changing the tungsten doping concentration. The tungsten doped TiO{sub 2} colloid combines the characters of high dispersity and high photocatalytic activity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Simultaneously optimizing fluorescent and paramagnetic properties of bifunctional NaGdF{sub 4}:Yb{sup 3+}/Er{sup 3+} nanocrystals by crystal field tuning

Graphical abstract: Crystal field tuning is a powerful approach for simultaneously enhancing the optical and magnetic properties of lanthanide-doped NaGdF{sub 4} bi-functional nanocrystals. - Abstract: Here, we show the simultaneous enhancement of fluorescent and paramagnetic properties in bifunctional NaGdF{sub 4}:Yb{sup 3+}/Er{sup 3+} nanocrystals by crystal field tuning. The energy level splitting calculation indicates, that lanthanide ionic pairs La{sup 3+}/Lu{sup 3+} introduced into the NaGdF{sub 4} host can modify the crystal field around emitters (e.g., Er{sup 3+} and Tm{sup 3+}) and sensitizers (e.g., Yb{sup 3+}) that result in the broadening of crystal field splitting of energy levels and the abundant multi-site distribution of upconversion luminescence. The optimization of the paramagnetic properties in NaGdF{sub 4} doped with emitters and sensitizers is ascribed to the lowering of anti-ferromagnetic coupling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tuning of carrier type, enhancement of Linear magnetoresistance and inducing ferromagnetism at room temperature with Cu doping in Bi2Te3 Topological Insulators

Highlights: • With Cu doping in Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}, resistivity increases as Fermi level is shifted into valence band with extra scattering centers. • Cu doping tunes the carrier from n to p type, which is attributed to the presence of Te{sub Bi} and Bi{sub Te} antisites. • The observed Linear Magneto resistance is believed to be associated with gapless linear energy spectrum of surface Dirac Fermions. • Cu doping induces room temperature ferromagnetism. - Abstract: Structural, resistivity, thermoelectric power, magneto-transport and magnetic properties of Cu doped Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} topological insulators have been investigated. The tuning of charge carriers from n to p type by Cu doping at Te sites of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} is observed both from Hall effect and thermoelectric power measurements. Carrier mobility decreases with the doping of Cu which provides evidence of the movement of Fermi level from bulk conduction band to the bulk valence band. Thermoelectric power also increases with doping of Cu. Moreover, linear magnetoresistance (LMR) is observed at high magnetic field in pure Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} which is associated to the gapless topological surface states protected by time reversal symmetry (TRS). Furthermore, doping of non-magnetic Cu induces ferromagnetism at room temperature and also enhances the magnetoresistance.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Fabrication, mechanism, formic acid−tuned degradation and photocatalytic hydrogen production of novel modified ZnO spheres by L−TA−DMF assisted hydrothermal method

Highlights: • Many novel ZnO microspheres and building blocks were obtained. • It is first time that DMF and TA were used to fabricate ZnO simultaneously. • Five visible emissions are generated simultaneously and their PL intensities are tunable. • Formic acid induced photocatalytic efficiency was obtained. The H{sub 2} generation rate of S6 is 4.15 mL h{sup −1} g{sup −1} under simulated sunlight irradiation. • Photocatalytic mechanism and self-assembly modes were proposed. - Abstract: Many ZnO microspheres were fabricated by hydrothermal method using l−TA and DMF as double capping agents. These spheres possess many novel nanostructures and exhibit unique and flexible self−assemblies and building units. For example, diverse pattern−like spheres, core/shell spheres, and semispheres were obtained. FTIR spectra of S1−S9 show TA and HCOOH modified ZnO spheres, which agree with those of XPS analysis. PL spectra show that violet, blue, green, yellow and orange emissions generated simultaneously can be tuned. E{sub g} and ε are influenced by c. TA and DMF lead to diverse and novel ZnO growth, while DMF can tune the number of surface active sites of exposed (002) facet of ZnO, which determines final photocatalytic efficiency. TOC results show most of MB are mineralized rather than being partially degraded. The photocatalytic H{sub 2} generation rate is 4.15 ml h{sup −1}g{sup −1} under simulated sunlight irradiation. In addition, DMF−induced photocatalytic mechanisms and two self−assemblies were proposed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Realizing continuous cation order-to-disorder tuning in a class of high-energy spinel-type Li-ion cathodes

Conventional Li-ion cathode materials are dominated by well-ordered structures, in which Li and transition metals occupy distinct crystallographic sites. Here, we show in this paper that profoundly new degrees of freedom for the optimization of electrochemical properties may be accessed if controllable cation disorder is introduced. In a class of high-capacity spinel-type cathode materials, we identify cation to anion ratio in synthesis as a key parameter for tuning the structure continuously from a well-ordered spinel, through a partially ordered spinel, to rocksalt. We find that the varying degree of cation disorder modifies the voltage profile, rate capability, and charge-compensation mechanism in a rational and predictable way. Our results indicate that spinel-type order is most beneficial for achieving high-rate performance as long as the cooperative 8a to 16c phase transition is suppressed, while more rocksalt-like disorder facilitates O redox, which can increase capacity. Our findings reveal an important tuning handle for achieving high energy and power in the vast space of partially ordered cathode materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

A sub-5 ps jitter time-to-digital converter ASIC with back-gate delay tuning in 22 nm CMOS

We present the design of a Time-to-Digital Converter (TDC) ASIC together with performance characterization results at cryogenic temperature (6-8 K), and at room temperature using emulated Low-Gain Avalanche Detector (LGAD) signals. The TDC design uses a two-step architecture with a ring-oscillator based counter and a Vernier delay line fine TDC. The TDC is implemented in an FD-SOI process, and back-gate tuning is used not only to correct threshold variation due to cryogenic operation, but also as a novel way to tune TDC delay elements with very little overhead. Using this technique, we demonstrate a design with very low power (0.5 mW) and area (0.003 mm 2 ). We present test results using the Fermilab Constant Fraction Discriminator (FCFD) ASIC to produce discriminated signals from an internal charge injection mechanism that mimics the waveform and signal amplitude of minimum ionizing particles impinging on LGAD sensors. We characterize the time precision of the full system and verify that the TDC ASIC contributes a negligible amount to the total system time precision, fully consistent with the expected jitter contribution of less than 5 ps. In conclusion, the results presented here demonstrate the utility of our TDC for applications in physics and quantum communications.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A quenched study of the Schroedinger functional with chirally rotated boundary conditions: non-perturbative tuning

The use of chirally rotated boundary conditions provides a formulation of the Schroedinger functional that is compatible with automatic O(a) improvement of Wilson fermions up to O(a) boundary contributions. The elimination of bulk O(a) effects requires the non-perturbative tuning of the critical mass and one additional boundary counterterm. We present the results of such a tuning in a quenched setup for several values of the renormalized gauge coupling, from perturbative to non-perturbative regimes, and for a range of lattice spacings. We also check that the correct boundary conditions and symmetries are restored in the continuum limit.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Tuning Point Defects by Elastic Strain Modulates Nanoparticle Exsolution on Perovskite Oxides

Exsolution generates stable and catalytically active metal nanoparticles via phase precipitation out of a host oxide. An ability to control the size and dispersion of the exsolution particles is desirable for design of nanostructured (electro)catalysts. In this work, we demonstrate that tuning point defects by lattice strain affects both the thermodynamics and the kinetics of iron (Fe 0 ) exsolution on La 0.6 Sr 0.4 FeO 3 (LSF) thin film model. By combining in situ surface characterization and ab initio defect modeling, we show oxygen vacancy and Schottky defects to be the primary point defects formed upon Fe0 exsolution. Lattice strain tunes the formation energy, and thus the abundance of these defects, and alters the amount and size of the resulting exsolution particles. In addition, we find that the density of exsolved nanoparticles matches the concentration of oxygen vacancy pairs, thus pointing to the surface oxygen vacancy pairs as preferential nucleation sites for exsolution. The tensile-strained LSF with a facile formation of these critical point defects results in a higher Fe 0 metal concentration, a larger density of nanoparticles, and a reduced particle size at its surfaces. These results provide important mechanistic insights and highlight the role of point-defect engineering in designing nanostructured catalysts in energy and fuel conversion technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Understanding and Tuning the Electronic Properties of Prussian Blue Analogues

Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) have attracted increasing interest owing to their potential applications in various fields such as energy storage and conversion, neuromorphic computing, and magnetic switching. With a general formula of A x M N [M C (CN) 6 ], they feature an open framework that provides abundant channels for diffusion of alkali metal ions A and allows flexible compositional control of transition metal ions M N and M C . The oxidation states of transition metal ions can be tuned by adjusting the amount (x) of alkali ions A. Here, we carried out density functional theory calculations combined with experimental measurements to investigate the effects of transition metal ions, alkali ions, and oxidation states on the electronic properties of PBAs. Our calculations found that the band gaps of PBAs can be tuned from close to 0 eV to more than 4 eV. Experimentally, we introduced the synthesis/characterization of five previously unreported PBAs (M N = Ru, Os; M C = Fe, Ru, and Os) to complete the nine stable M N :M C transition metal combinations in group VIII of the periodic table. The optically measured intervalence charge transfer excitation energies of group VIII PBAs are consistent with calculated band gaps. They demonstrate wide band gap tunability by adjusting transition metals and oxidation states, enabling semiconductor-to-metal transitions for memristor applications and enhancing electronic conductivity for battery applications. In conclusion, this work provides a computational/experimental database of electronic properties versus structural compositions for PBAs.

Electrical conductivity↗

Accurate Electron Affinities and Orbital Energies of Anions from a Nonempirically Tuned Range-Separated Density Functional Theory Approach

The treatment of atomic anions with Kohn–Sham density functional theory (DFT) has long been controversial because the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy, E HOMO , is often calculated to be positive with most approximate density functionals. We assess the accuracy of orbital energies and electron affinities for all three rows of elements in the periodic table (H–Ar) using a variety of theoretical approaches and customized basis sets. Among all of the theoretical methods studied here, we find that a nonempirically tuned range-separated approach (constructed to satisfy DFT-Koopmans’ theorem for the anionic electron system) provides the best accuracy for a variety of basis sets, even for small basis sets where most functionals typically fail. Previous approaches to solve this conundrum of positive E HOMO values have utilized non-self-consistent methods; however, electronic properties, such as electronic couplings/gradients (which require a self-consistent potential and energy), become ill-defined with these approaches. In contrast, the nonempirically tuned range-separated procedure used here yields well-defined electronic couplings/gradients and correct E HOMO values because both the potential and resulting electronic energy are computed self-consistently. Orbital energies and electron affinities are further analyzed in the context of the electronic energy as a function of electronic number (including fractional numbers of electrons) to provide a stringent assessment of self-interaction errors for these complex anion systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Quantitative Prediction of Optical Absorption in Molecular Solids from an Optimally Tuned Screened Range-Separated Hybrid Functional

In this work, we show that fundamental gaps and optical spectra of molecular solids can be predicted quantitatively and nonempirically within the framework of time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) using the recently developed optimally tuned screened range-separated hybrid (OT-SRSH) functional approach. In this scheme, the electronic structure of the gas-phase molecule is determined by optimal tuning of the range-separation parameter in a range-separated hybrid functional. Screening and polarization in the solid state are taken into account by adding long-range dielectric screening to the functional form, with the modified functional used to perform self-consistent periodic-boundary calculations for the crystalline solid. We provide a comprehensive benchmark for the accuracy of our approach by considering the X23 set of molecular solids and comparing results obtained from TDDFT with those obtained from many-body perturbation theory in the GW-BSE approximation. We additionally compare results obtained from dielectric screening computed within the random-phase approximation to those obtained from the computationally more efficient many-body dispersion approach and find that this influences the fundamental gap but has little effect on the optical spectra. Our approach is therefore robust and can be used for studies of molecular solids that are typically beyond the reach of computationally more intensive methods.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗