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DOE OSTI2022

Heat and mass transfer in hygroscopic hydrogels

Sorption and desorption with hygroscopic hydrogels hold significant promise for thermal management, passive cooling, thermal energy storage, and atmospheric water harvesting. However, a comprehensive understanding of the energy and mass transport mechanisms in hygroscopic hydrogels remains missing, impeding accurate modeling and optimization. In this paper, we develop a model for the simultaneous vapor, water, and heat transfer in hygroscopic hydrogels during sorption and desorption processes. We show that by considering vapor diffusion in the hydrogel micropores, water diffusion in the polymer mesh, and heat transfer in the porous hydrogel, we can accurately capture experimentally observed thermally-driven desorption rates in these hydrogels. Furthermore, we consider three typical operating configurations of hydrogels and elucidate the differences in the transport mechanisms depending on the configuration. Finally, for each of these configurations, we identify key design parameters, including hydrogel thickness, hydrogel shear modulus, heat transfer coefficient, and thermal conductivity, and we parametrically show that by varying these parameters, a hygroscopic hydrogel can desorb up to 128.5%, 14.9%, 69.7%, and 9.6% more water, respectively, relative to the initial water content. This work provides a generic framework to model sorption and desorption processes in hygroscopic hydrogels which can guide the design and optimization in applications of thermal management, passive cooling, thermal energy storage, and atmospheric water harvesting with hydrogels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Kinetics and transport of hydrogen in graphite at high temperature and the effects of oxidation, irradiation and isotopics

The kinetics of uptake and desorption impact the performance of graphite as a vector for tritium in high-temperature fission reactors and in the blanket of fusion reactors. Graphite components in these reactors are exposed to temperatures > 500 °C and H 2 partial pressures of few Pa and desorption temperatures are limited to < 1600 °C; limited data is available at these conditions. Here we review the mechanisms for uptake in, transport and desorption of hydrogen from graphite at high temperature, compiling data on uptake rates, diffusion coefficients and activation energies and providing a discussion of the impact of irradiation, pre-oxidation and isotope. At FHR conditions, trapping impacts uptake rates, leading to a reduction in apparent diffusivity by 35 to 80% compared to higher partial-pressure uptake. Timelines for desorption are not clearly defined; extrapolating from available data, at 1150 °C desorbing 80% of tritium uptaken at FHR conditions may take from 100 to 10,000 h.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2017

Infusion of hydrogen into nanostructured bainitic steel

Highlights: • Results show that austenite is more effective in trapping hydrogen than α/γ interfaces. • The H desorption behaviour was accurately reproduced with local equilibrium model. • The trapping capacity of retained austenite originates from the austenite lattice sites. - Abstract: The trapping of hydrogen in nanostructured bainitic steel has been investigated using thermal desorption analysis, in order to determine the potency of the ferrite-retained austenite (α/γ) interfaces and retained austenite as trapping sites. Thermal desorption data showed that the volume of retained austenite is more effective in trapping hydrogen than the interfaces. There is a close correlation between the quantity of hydrogen and the retained austenite content rather than the density of interfaces. A local equilibrium model was able to reproduce the hydrogen desorption behaviour of saturated and unsaturated samples considering both retained austenite and α/γ interfaces as the trapping sites. A trap binding energy ranging from 47 to 52 kJ/mol was estimated for retained austenite, suggesting that the observed trapping capacity originates from the austenite lattice sites.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2014

Development of TRPN dendrimer-modified disordered mesoporous silica for CO{sub 2} capture

Highlights: • A novel series of TRPN dendrimers are synthesized. • Structurally disordered mesoporous silica was used to develop the CO{sub 2} adsorbent. • The CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity is relatively high. • The sorbent exhibits a high stability after 12 cycling runs. • The sorbent achieves complete desorption at low temperature (60 °C). - Abstract: A novel series of tri(3-aminopropyl) amine (TRPN) dendrimers were synthesized and impregnated on structurally disordered mesoporous silica (DMS) to generate CO{sub 2} adsorbents (TS). The physicochemical and adsorption properties of the adsorbents before and after dendrimer modification were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption (N{sub 2}-BET) techniques. CO{sub 2} adsorption–desorption tests indicated that the sorbent demonstrates high CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity (138.1 mg g{sup −1} for G1 sample TS-G1-3CN-50 and 91.7 mg g{sup −1} for G2 sample TS-G2-6CN-50), and can completely desorb CO{sub 2} under vacuum at 60 °C. Its CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity at 25 °C increases with the amine loading, achieving the highest adsorption capacity (140.6 mg g{sup −1} for TS-G1-3CN) at 60%. The developed TS materials exhibited excellent cycling stability. After 12 consecutive adsorption–desorption runs, TS-G1-3CN-50 shows an adsorption capacity of 136.0 mg g{sup −1}, retaining 98.5% of its original value.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Tritium generation, release, and retention from in-core fluoride salt irradiations

Further understanding of tritium transport mechanisms in the combined molten fluoride salt and graphite environment is necessary for the design and licensing of a Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (FHR). The three in-core fluoride salt irradiations completed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR) are a useful parallel for studying transport phenomena expected in a FHR environment. During the irradiations, evolution of tritium from the flibe salt was monitored and compared to the calculated total generation rate. A difference of 22 ± 10% between the integrated calculated tritium generation rate and the total release was measured for the third MITR irradiation (FS-3). The fraction of tritium which was not released from the salt could be explained by tritium retention in graphite. Additionally, for post irradiation examination, a thermal desorption furnace was used to heat nuclear graphite samples in order to release and measure retained tritium. The desorption analysis in this work utilized seven subsections of graphite from the second salt irradiation (FS-2); three from a disc of IG-110U and four from ARB matrix graphite. Observed desorption versus temperature as well as total tritium content in the samples after irradiation indicate that the graphites were not volumetrically saturated with tritium, but rather tritium retention was likely limited to the near-surface region. Measurements of the samples resulted in 2.90 ± 0.29 μCi/mm 2 of tritium retained by IG-110U and 1.83 ± 0.31 μCi/mm 2 for ARB during the 300 h FS-2 in-core irradiation. Based on the desorption measurements, the estimated total tritium retention in graphite from the FS-2 samples is consistent with the tritium release measurements from the FS-3 experiment.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

Degradation of soil-sorbed trichloroethylene by stabilized zero valent iron nanoparticles: Effects of sorption, surfactants, and natural organic matter

Zero valent iron (ZVI) nanoparticles have been studied extensively for degradation of chlorinated solvents in the aqueous phase, and have been tested for in-situ remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater. However, little is known about its effectiveness for degrading soil-sorbed contaminants. This work studied reductive dechlorination of trichloroethylene (TCE) sorbed in two model soils (a potting soil and Smith Farm soil) using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) stabilized Fe-Pd bimetallic nanoparticles. Effects of sorption, surfactants and dissolved organic matter (DOC) were determined through batch kinetic experiments. While the nanoparticles can effectively degrade soil-sorbed TCE, the TCE degradation rate was strongly limited by desorption kinetics, especially for the potting soil which has a higher organic matter content of 8.2%. Under otherwise identical conditions, {approx}44% of TCE sorbed in the potting soil was degraded in 30 h, compared to {approx}82% for Smith Farm soil (organic matter content = 0.7%). DOC from the potting soil was found to inhibit TCE degradation. The presence of the extracted SOM at 40 ppm and 350 ppm as TOC reduced the degradation rate by 34% and 67%, respectively. Four prototype surfactants were tested for their effects on TCE desorption and degradation rates, including two anionic surfactants known as SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) and SDBS (sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate), a cationic surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) bromide, and a non-ionic surfactant Tween 80. All four surfactants were observed to enhance TCE desorption at concentrations below or above the critical micelle concentration (cmc), with the anionic surfactant SDS being most effective. Based on the pseudo-first-order reaction rate law, the presence of 1 x cmc SDS increased the reaction rate by a factor of 2.5 when the nanoparticles were used for degrading TCE in a water solution. SDS was effective for enhancing degradation of TCE sorbed in Smith Farm soil, the presence of SDS at sub-cmc increased TCE degraded by {approx}10%. However, effect of SDS on degradation of TCE in the potting soil was more complex. The presence of SDS at sub-cmc decreased TCE degradation by 5%, but increased degradation by 5% when SDS dosage was raised to 5 x cmc. The opposing effects were attributed to combined effects of SDS on TCE desorption and degradation, release of soil organic matter and nanoparticle aggregation. The findings strongly suggest that effect of soil sorption on the effectiveness of Fe-Pd nanoparticles must be taken into account in process design, and soil organic content plays an important role in the overall degradation rate and in the effectiveness of surfactant uses.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2020

Arsenic Fate in Peat Controlled by the pH-Dependent Role of Reduced Sulfur

Reduced sulfur (S) has a contrasting role in the fate of arsenic (As) in peatlands. Sulfur bridges provide efficient binding of As to organic carbon (C), but the formation of aqueous As–S species, so-called thioarsenates, leads to a low to no sorption tendency to organic C functional groups. Here, we studied how pH changes the role of reduced S in desorption and retention of presorbed As in model peat. Control desorption experiments without S addition revealed that As was mobilized, predominantly as arsenite, in all treatments with relative mobilization increasing with pH (4.5 < 7.0 < 8.5). Addition of sulfide or polysulfide caused substantial As retention at acidic conditions but significantly enhanced As desorption compared to controls at neutral to alkaline pH. Thioarsenates dominated As speciation at pH 7.0 and 8.5 (maximum, 79%) and remained in solution without (re)sorption to peat. Predominance of arsenite in control experiments and no evidence of surface-bound thioarsenates at pH 7.0 suggest mobilization to proceed via arsenite desorption, reaction with dissolved or surface-bound reduced S, and formation of thioarsenates. Our results suggest that natural or management-related increases in pH or increases in reduced S in near-neutral pH environments can turn organic matter from an As sink into a source.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2011

Crystallization Kinetics and Excess Free Energy of H2O and D2O Nanoscale Films of Amorphous Solid Water

Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) are used to investigate the crystallization kinetics and measure the excess free energy of metastable amorphous solid water films (ASW) of H2O and D2O grown using molecular beams. The desorption rates from the amorphous and crystalline phases of ASW are distinct, and as such, crystallization manifests can be observed in the TPD spectrum. The crystallization kinetics were studied by varying the TPD heating rate from 0.001 to 3 K/s. A coupled desorptioncrystallization kinetic model accurately simulates the desorption spectra and accurately predicts the observed temperature shifts in the crystallization. Isothermal crystallization studies using RAIRS are in agreement with the TPD results. Furthermore, highly sensitive measurements of the desorption rates were used to determine the excess free energy of ASW near 150 K. The excess entropy obtained from these data are consistent with there being a thermodynamic continuity between ASW and supercooled liquid water.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2014

Conversion of 1,3-Propylene Glycol on Rutile TiO2(110)

The adsorption of 1,3-propylene glycol (1,3-PG) on partially reduced TiO2(110) and its conversion to products have been studied by a combination of molecular beam dosing and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). When the Ti surface sites are saturated by 1,3-PG, ~80% of the molecules undergo further reactions to yield products that are liberated during the TPD ramp. In contrast to ethylene glycol (EG) and 1,2- propylene glycol (1,2-PG) that yield only alkenes and water at very low coverages (< 0.05 ML), two additional products, HCHO and C2H4, along with propylene (CH3CHCH2) and water are observed for 1,3-PG. Identical TPD line shapes and desorption yields for HCHO and C2H4 suggest that these products result from C-C bond cleavage and are coupled. At higher 1,3-PG coverages (> 0.1 ML), propanal (CH3CH2CHO) and two additional products, 1-propanol (CH3CH2CH2OH) and acrolein (CH2CHCHO), are observed. The desorption of 1-propanol is found to be coupled with the desorption of acrolein, suggesting that these products are formed by the disproportionation of two 1,3-PG molecules. The coverage dependent TPD results further show that propylene formation dominates at low coverages (< 0.3 ML), while the decomposition and disproportionation channels increase rapidly at higher coverages and reach yields comparable to that of propylene at the 1,3-PG saturation coverage of 0.5 ML. The observed surface chemistry clearly shows how the molecular structure of glycols influences their reaction pathways on oxide surfaces.

biomass↗

DOE OSTI2012

The effect of oxygen vacancies on the binding interactions of NH3 with rutile TiO2(110) -1×1

A series of NH3 temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) spectra was taken after the NH3 dose at 70 K on rutile TiO2(110)-1×1 surfaces with the oxygen vacancy (VO) concentrations of ~0% (p-TiO2) and 5% (r-TiO2), respectively, to study the effect of VO’s on the desorption energy of NH3 as a function of the coverage, θ. Our results show that at zero coverage limit, the desorption energy of NH3 on r-TiO2 is 115 kJ/mol, which is 10 kJ/mol less than that on p-TiO2. The desorption energy from the Ti4+ sites decreases with increasing θ due to the repulsive NH3 - NH3 interactions and approaches ~ 55 kJ/mol upon the saturation of Ti4+ sites (θ = 1 monolayer, ML) on both p- and r-TiO2. The absolute saturation coverage is determined to be about 10% smaller on r-TiO2 than that on p-TiO2. Further, the trailing edges of the NH3 TPD spectra on the hydroxylated TiO2(110) (h-TiO2) appear to be the same as that on r-TiO2 while those on oxidized TiO2(110) (o-TiO2) shift to higher temperatures. We present the detailed analysis of the results and reconcile the observed differences based on the repulsive adsorbate-adsorbate interactions between neighboring NH3 molecules and the surface charge associated with the presence of VO’s. Besides NH3, no other reaction products are observed in the TPD spectra.

(110)↗

DOE OSTI2024

Spectroelectrochemical determination of thiolate self-assembled monolayer adsorptive stability in aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes

Self-assembled monolayers (SAM) are ubiquitous in studies of modified electrodes for sensing, electrocatalysis, and environmental and energy applications. However, determining their adsorptive stability is crucial to ensure robust experiments. Here, in this work, the stable potential window (SPW) in which a SAM-covered electrode can function without inducing SAM desorption was determined for aromatic SAMs on gold electrodes in aqueous and non-aqueous solvents. The SPWs were determined by employing cyclic voltammetry, attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS), and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The electrochemical and spectroscopic findings concluded that all the aromatic SAMs used displayed similar trends and SPWs. In aqueous systems, the SPW lies between the reductive desorption and oxidative desorption, with pH being the decisive factor affecting the range of the SPW, with the widest SPW observed at pH 1. In the non-aqueous electrolytes, the desorption of SAMs was observed to be slow and progressive. The polarity of the solvent was the main factor in determining the SPW. The lower the polarity of the solvent, the larger the SPW, with 1-butanol displaying the widest SPW. This work showcases the power of spectroelectrochemical analysis and provides ample future directions for the use of non-polar solvents to increase SAM stability in electrochemical applications.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2014

The use of nanomaterials for mass spectrometry can be uplifting for analyte detection

Surface-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (SALDI) involves desorbing and ionizing analyte molecules from a nanoporous substrate by laser irradiation for detection in a mass spectrometer. In this work experiments were designed to better understand the mechanisms governing desorption and ionization for Desorption Ionization On Silicon (DIOS), a variant of SALDI which uses porous silicon (pSi) as a substrate. Experiments are also reported for other nanoporous semiconducting materials (WO{sub 3}, TiO{sub 2}) which exhibit very similar behaviors; specifically, that both protonated analyte ions and analyte radical cations can be generated with relative intensities that depend on the position of the incident laser focus relative to substrate surface. While thermal desorption appears to be important, preliminary evidence suggests that the ionization mechanism leading to protonated analytes involves in part electrons and holes formed when photoexciting the substrate above its electronic band gap, and the presence of defect states within the band gap. Radical cation formation appears to be driven in part by electron transfer due to the large electron affinity of each substrate used in this work.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2014

Turning things downside up: Adsorbate induced water flipping on Pt(111)

We have examined the adsorption of the weakly bound species N{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, CO, and Kr on the (√(37)×√(37))R25.3{sup ∘} water monolayer on Pt(111) using a combination of molecular beam dosing, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, and temperature programmed desorption. In contrast to multilayer crystalline ice, the adsorbate-free water monolayer is characterized by a lack of dangling OH bonds protruding into the vacuum (H-up). Instead, the non-hydrogen-bonded OH groups are oriented downward (H-down) to maximize their interaction with the underlying Pt(111) substrate. Adsorption of Kr and O{sub 2} have little effect on the structure and vibrational spectrum of the “√(37)” water monolayer while adsorption of both N{sub 2}, and CO are effective in “flipping” H-down water molecules into an H-up configuration. This “flipping” occurs readily upon adsorption at temperatures as low as 20 K and the water monolayer transforms back to the H-down, “√(37)” structure upon adsorbate desorption above 35 K, indicating small energy differences and barriers between the H-down and H-up configurations. The results suggest that converting water in the first layer from H-down to H-up is mediated by the electrostatic interactions between the water and the adsorbates.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2015

IMPULSIVE SPOT HEATING AND THERMAL EXPLOSION OF INTERSTELLAR GRAINS REVISITED

The problem of the impulsive heating of dust grains in cold, dense interstellar clouds is revisited theoretically with the aim of better understanding the leading mechanisms of the explosive desorption of icy mantles. We rigorously show that if the heating of a reactive medium occurs within a sufficiently localized spot (e.g., the heating of mantles by cosmic rays (CRs)), then the subsequent thermal evolution is characterized by a single dimensionless number λ. This number identifies a bifurcation between two distinct regimes: when λ exceeds a critical value (threshold), the heat equation exhibits the explosive solution, i.e., the thermal (chemical) explosion is triggered. Otherwise, thermal diffusion causes the deposited heat to spread over the entire grain—this regime is commonly known as whole-grain heating. The theory allows us to find a critical combination of physical parameters that govern the explosion of icy mantles due to impulsive spot heating. In particular, our calculations suggest that heavy CR species (e.g., iron ions) colliding with dust are able to trigger the explosion. Based on recently calculated local CR spectra, we estimate the expected rate of explosive desorption. The efficiency of the desorption, which in principle affects all solid species independent of their binding energy, is shown to be comparable to other CR desorption mechanisms typically considered in the literature. Also, the theory allows us to estimate the maximum abundances of reactive species that may be stored in the mantles, which provides important constraints on the available astrochemical models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

Use of Mass spectrometry for imaging metabolites in plants

We discuss and illustrate recent advances that have been made to image the distribution of metabolites among cells and tissues of plants using different mass spectrometry technologies. These technologies include matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization, desorption electrospray ionization, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. These are relatively new technological applications of mass spectrometry and they are providing highly spatially resolved data concerning the cellular distribution of metabolites. We discuss the advantages and limitations of each of these mass spectrometric methods, and provide a description of the technical barriers that are currently limiting the technology to the level of single-cell resolution. However, we anticipate that advances in the next few years will increase the resolving power of the technology to provide unprecedented data on the distribution of metabolites at the subcellular level, which will increase our ability to decipher new knowledge concerning the spatial organization of metabolic processes in plants.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2011

Critical review: Plasma-surface reactions and the spinning wall method

This article reviews methods for studying reactions of atoms and small molecules on substrates and chamber walls that are immersed in a plasma, a relatively unexplored, yet very important area of plasma science and technology. Emphasis is placed on the ''spinning wall'' technique. With this method, a cylindrical section of the wall of the plasma reactor is rotated, and the surface is periodically exposed to the plasma and then to a differentially pumped mass spectrometer, to an Auger electron spectrometer, and, optionally, to a beam of additional reactants or surface coatings. Reactants impinging on the surface can stick and react over time scales that are comparable to the substrate rotation period, which can be varied from {approx}0.5 to 40 ms. Langmuir-Hinshelwood reaction probabilities can be derived from a measurement of the absolute desorption product yields as a function of the substrate rotation frequency. Auger electron spectroscopy allows the plasma-immersed surface to be monitored during plasma operation. This measurement is critical, since wall ''conditioning'' in the plasma changes the reaction probabilities. Mass spectrometer cracking patterns are used to identify simple desorption products such as Cl{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, ClO, and ClO{sub 2}. Desorption products also produce a measurable pressure rise in the second differentially pumped chamber that can be used to obtain absolute desorption yields. The surface can also be coated with films that can be deposited by sputtering a target in the plasma or by evaporating material from a Knudsen cell in the differentially pumped wall chamber. Here, the authors review this new spinning wall technique in detail, describing both experimental issues and data analysis methods and interpretations. The authors have used the spinning wall method to study the recombination of Cl and O on plasma-conditioned anodized aluminum and stainless steel surfaces. In oxygen or chlorine plasmas, these surfaces become coated with a layer containing Si, Al, and O, due to slow erosion of the reactor materials, in addition to Cl in chlorine plasmas. Similar, low recombination probabilities were found for Cl and O on anodized Al versus stainless steel surfaces, consistent with the similar chemical composition of the layer that forms on these surfaces after long exposure to the plasma. In chlorine plasmas, weakly adsorbed Cl{sub 2} was found to inhibit Cl recombination, hence the Cl recombination probability decreases with increasing Cl{sub 2}-to-Cl number density ratios in the plasma. In mixed Cl{sub 2}/O{sub 2} plasmas, Cl and O recombine to form Cl{sub 2} and O{sub 2} with probabilities that are similar to those in pure chlorine or oxygen plasmas, but in addition, ClO and ClO{sub 2} form on the surface and desorb from the wall. These and other results, including the catalytic enhancement of O recombination by monolayer amounts of Cu, are reviewed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2017

Thermal stability of hydrogenated small-diameter carbon nanotubes

The initial stage of hydrogen desorption from fully hydrogenated carbon nanotubes (3.0) and (2.2) is numerically studied by the molecular dynamics method. The temperature dependence of the desorption rate is directly determined at T = 1800–2500 K. The characteristic desorption times are determined at temperatures outside this range by extrapolation. It is shown that hydrogen desorption leads to the appearance of electronic states in the band gap.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2017

CO Depletion: A Microscopic Perspective

In regions where stars form, variations in density and temperature can cause gas to freeze out onto dust grains forming ice mantles, which influences the chemical composition of a cloud. The aim of this paper is to understand in detail the depletion (and desorption) of CO on (from) interstellar dust grains. Experimental simulations were performed under two different (astrophysically relevant) conditions. In parallel, Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations were used to mimic the experimental conditions. In our experiments, CO molecules accrete onto water ice at temperatures below 27 K, with a deposition rate that does not depend on the substrate temperature. During the warm-up phase, the desorption processes do exhibit subtle differences, indicating the presence of weakly bound CO molecules, therefore highlighting a low diffusion efficiency. IR measurements following the ice thickness during the TPD confirm that diffusion occurs at temperatures close to the desorption. Applied to astrophysical conditions, in a pre-stellar core, the binding energies of CO molecules, ranging between 300 and 850 K, depend on the conditions at which CO has been deposited. Because of this wide range of binding energies, the depletion of CO as a function of A{sub V} is much less important than initially thought. The weakly bound molecules, easily released into the gas phase through evaporation, change the balance between accretion and desorption, which result in a larger abundance of CO at high extinctions. In addition, weakly bound CO molecules are also more mobile, and this could increase the reactivity within interstellar ices.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗