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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 631 records · Page 35
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Effect of synthesis temperature on the phase formation of NiTiAlFeCr compositionally complex alloy thin films

Here, the synthesis temperature dependent phase formation of Ni 10 Ti 10 Al 25 Fe 35 Cr 20 thin films is compared to a bulk processed sample of identical composition. The as-cast alloy exhibits a dual-phase microstructure which is composed of a disordered BCC phase and AlNiTi-based B2- and/or L2 1 -ordered phase(s). Formation of the BCC phase as well as an ordered AlNi-based B2 phase is observed for a thin film synthesised at 500 °C (ratio of synthesis temperature of thin film to melting temperature of bulk alloy: T/T m = 0.49), which is attributed to both surface and bulk diffusion mediated growth. Post deposition annealing at 900 °C (T/T m = 0.75) of a thin film deposited without intentional heating results in the formation of NiAlTi-based B2 and/or L2 1 -phase(s) similar to the bulk sample, which is attributed to bulk diffusion. Depositions conducted at room temperature without intentional substrate heating (T/T m = 0.20) resulted in the formation of an X-ray amorphous phase, while a substrate temperature increase to 175 °C (T/T m = 0.28) causes the formation of a BCC phase. Atom probe tomography of the thin films deposited without intentional substrate heating and at 175 °C indicates the formation of ~5 nm and ~10 nm FeAl-rich domains, respectively. This can be rationalized based on the activation energy for surface diffusion, as Ti and Ni exhibt 2.5 to 4 times larger activation energy barriers than Al, Fe and Cr. It is evident from the homologous temperature that the phase formation observed at 500 °C (T/T m = 0.49) is a result of both surface and bulk diffusion. As the temperature is reduced, the formation of FeAl-rich domains can be understood based on the differences in activation energy for surface diffusion and is consistent with kinetically limited thin film growth.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Quantitative nanoscale tracking of oxygen vacancy diffusion inside single ceria grains by in situ transmission electron microscopy

Oxygen vacancy formation and migration in ceria is critical to its electrochemical and catalytic properties in systems for chemical and energy transformation, but its quantification is rather challenging especially at atomic-scale because of disordered distribution. Here we report a rational approach to track oxygen vacancy diffusion in single grains of pure and Sm-doped ceria at -20 °C to 160 °C using in situ (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM). To create a gradient in oxygen vacancy concentration, a small region (~30 nm in diameter) inside a ceria grain is reduced to the C-type CeO 1.68 phase by the ionization or radiolysis effect of a high-energy electron beam. The evolution in oxygen vacancy concentration is then mapped through lattice expansion measurement using scanning nano-beam diffraction or 4D STEM at a spatial resolution better than 2 nm; this allows direct determination of local oxygen vacancy diffusion coefficients in a very small domain inside pure and Sm-doped ceria at different temperatures. Further, the activation energies for oxygen transport are determined to be 0.59, 0.66, 1.12, and 1.27 eV for pure CeO 2 , Ce 0.94 Sm 0.06 O 1.97 , Ce 0.89 Sm 0.11 O 1.945 , and Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 1.9 , respectively, implying that activation energy increases due to impurity scattering. The results are qualitatively supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In addition, our in situ TEM investigation reveals that dislocations impede oxygen vacancy diffusion by absorbing oxygen vacancies from the surrounding areas and pinning them locally. With more oxygen vacancies absorbed, dislocations show extended strain fields with local tensile zone sandwiched between the compressed ones. Therefore, dislocation density should be reduced in order to minimize the resistance to oxygen vacancy diffusion at low temperatures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Zinc chloride affects chondrogenesis via VEGF signaling

Highlights: • ZnCl2 increases expression of various chondrogenic signaling intermediates. • VEGF/VEGFR play a key role in modulating levels of chondrogenesis. • Insulin mimetics are an appealing option for improvement of fracture healing. • Axitinib + ZnCl2 treatment results in decreased transcription of chondrogenic genes. Insulin mimetics, including zinc containing compounds, have previously been shown to influence chondrogenesis as it relates to healing of fractures in various preclinical models. However, the mechanism by which these compounds drive chondrogenic differentiation is yet undefined. Here, via next-generation sequencing (NGS) and in vitro functional validation, we show that Zinc Chloride (ZnCl{sub 2}) induces expression of both chondrogenic genes (Sox9, Runx1, collagen) as well as genes associated with VEGF-mediated signal transduction, including VEGF receptors 1 and 2 and their ligands; VEGF-A and VEGF-B. Noticeably, although insulin was able to also induce expression of these pro-angiogenic and pro-chondrogenic genes, the impact of insulin on expression of VEGF receptor and ligand genes was marginal when compared to that of ZnCl{sub 2.} Furthermore, while the VEGFR antagonist, Axitinib, was able to attenuate the pro-chondrogenic effects of both insulin and ZnCl{sub 2}; a reduction in gene and protein expression was most profoundly observed when the antagonist was applied to cells treated with ZnCl{sub 2.} Taken together, these data suggest an important role for the VEGF-mediated signal transduction pathways in the positive effects observed when applying zinc-based compounds as adjuvants for chondrogenesis-mediated fracture healing. In this regard, further mechanistic evaluation of ZnCl{sub 2} and other zinc-containing insulin mimetics may support rational design of therapies targeted for disease indications associated with impaired fracture healing.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Microwave-Based Synthesis of Functional Morphological Variants and Carbon Nanotube-Based Composites of VS 4 for Electrochemical Applications

A novel facile, fast, and efficient microwave-assisted method was developed to synthesize a number of diverse nanostructured motifs (ranging from nanorods to nanoflowers) of VS 4 along with its associated composite heterostructures, VS 4 /multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT; i.e., multi-walled carbon nanotubes). Specifically, we have probed and correlated the effects of a number of specific experimental variables, including primarily precursor, solvent, temperature, and time. We noted that nanorods formed more readily with VO(acac) 2 as the vanadium precursor and n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a polar reaction solvent. By contrast, we determined that hierarchical three-dimensional (3D) nanoflower-like assemblies, ranging in size from 100 to 200 nm in average diameter, could be controllably synthesized by using Na 3 VO 4 as the vanadium precursor and an aqueous water: polar solvent mixture as the reaction medium. We also observed that VS 4 disintegrates, when in the presence of either air, solution, or a combination of these environments, and established that the extent of VS4 nanorod decomposition could be almost fully prevented by storage under nitrogen. From an application’s perspective, our VS 4 is electrochemically active and shows behavior, consistent with the literature. In particular, as compared with pristine VS 4 nanorods alone, we observed enhanced electrochemical activity with (i) 3D hierarchical flower-like motifs, (ii) unique necklace-like VS 4 nanorod–MWNT composites, and (iii) samples in which as-prepared VS4 nanorods had been annealed. Moreover, we found that the rational application of specific physical and chemical processing treatments, such as (i) thermal annealing to improve crystallinity, (ii) the addition of MWNTs to form conductive composites, and (iii) the evolution of morphology from one-dimensional (1D) nanorods to more complex 3D nanoflowers, was favorable to the resulting electrochemical performance with respect to increasing stability and reversibility.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Origin of Electrochemical Activation Leading to Enhanced Cycling Stability of Li‐ and Mn‐Rich Cathodes

Electrochemical activation is a critical step for optimal functioning of Li- and Mn-rich (LMR) cathodes, yet the underlying mechanism for such activation remains elusive. Here, by using scanning/transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM) combined with the associated energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), we decipher the origin of the activation enhanced electrochemical properties. We reveal that activation induces the formation of a spinel-like phase within the C2/m domains of the LMR cathode, where the transition-metal ions partially occupy both the tetrahedral (8a) and octahedral (16c) sites of the $Fd\bar{3}m$ spinel lattice, distinguishing the spinel-like phase from the conventional high-voltage spinel. Systematic varying the cycling voltage reveals a critical activation voltage above which this spinel-like phase forms, while lower voltages preserve the layered bulk structure. As the spinel-like phase is a stable structure for electrochemical cycling, the present findings provide direct mechanistic insight into the voltage-dependent activation process and explain how the C2/m to spinel-like transformation upon activation contributes to the electrochemical performance of LMR cathodes, providing guidance for the rational design of Li-rich cathodes with enhanced cycling durability.

Li-rich and Mn-rich cathode↗
DOE OSTI2021

Assessing the Effects of Temperature and Oxygen Vacancy on Band Gap Renormalization in LaCrO 3-δ : First-Principles and Experimental Corroboration [plus supplemental information]

Understanding the temperature dependence of functional properties in high-temperature gas sensors is vital for applications in combustion environments. Temperature effect on the electronic structure due to electron-phonon coupling is a key property of interest as this influences other responses of sensors. In this work, we assess the impact of temperature on band gap renormalization of pristine and oxygen-vacant LaCrO 3–δ perovskite employing Allen–Heine–Cardona theory with first-principles simulations and corroborate with experimental observation. Antiferromagnetic cubic LaCrO 3 shows a direct ground-state band gap of 2.62 eV that is reduced by over 1 eV due to the presence of oxygen vacancies, which can form endothermically. We find excellent agreement in temperature-dependent band gap shift in LaCrO 3 between theory and an in-house experiment, proving that the theory can adequately predict renormalization on the band gap in a magnetic system. Band gaps in cubic LaCrO 3–δ are found to monotonically narrow by 1.13 eV in pristine and by around 0.62 eV in oxygen-vacant structures as temperature increases from 0 to 1500 K. The predicted band gap variations are rationalized using an analytical model. Furthermore, the experimental zero-temperature band gaps are extracted from the model fits that can provide useful insights on the simulated band gaps.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Exploring the mobility of Cu in bimetallic nanocrystals to promote atomic-scale transformations under a reactive gas environment

Bimetallic nanocrystals (NCs) often show improved catalytic activities compared to their monometallic counterparts, but to optimize the performance it is crucial to understand how they behave under actual reaction conditions, i.e. in gas environments. Here, in this study, we use powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), total scattering (TS) with pair distribution function (PDF) analysis and in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) to provide new insights into the atomic-scale behaviour of NC catalysts under a reactive gas environment. By investigating Au, Cu, Pd, PdCu, AuPd and AuCu NCs, we observe that the properties of bimetallic NCs differ significantly from their monometallic counterparts. While metal oxide phases formed for monometallic Pd and Cu under O 2 -exposure, bimetallic PdCu and AuCu NCs showed loss of metallic Cu in the crystalline phases after exposure to O 2 . However, upon introducing the bimetallic NCs to a reducing atmosphere, the Cu was found to reappear and reincorporate into a crystalline phase, forming the initial bimetallic structures. By combining TS, PDF analysis and in situ HR-TEM, we saw that Cu segregates to the NC surfaces or forms small CuO domains under O 2 -exposure. Our results thus indicate that the Cu mobility promotes segregation and formation of CuO along with the formation of a monometallic phase, which ultimately changes the resulting active surface sites of the nanocatalyst. Understanding the dynamical structure–property relations of nanocatalysts is key to enable rational design of efficient and robust catalysts for controlled catalytic reactions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Multiple Mechanisms Mapped in Aryl Alkyl Ether Cleavage via Aqueous Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation over Skeletal Nickel

We present here detailed mechanistic studies of electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH) in aqueous solution over skeletal nickel cathodes to probe the various paths of reductive catalytic C–O bond cleavage among functionalized aryl ethers relevant to energy science. Heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenolysis of aryl ethers is important both in hydrodeoxygenation of fossil fuels and in upgrading of lignin from biomass. The presence or absence of simple functionalities such as carbonyl, hydroxyl, methyl, or methoxyl groups is known to cause dramatic shifts in reactivity and cleavage selectivity between sp3 C–O and sp2 C–O bonds. Specifically, reported hydrogenolysis studies with Ni and other catalysts have hinted at different cleavage mechanisms for the C–O ether bonds in α-keto and α-hydroxy β-O-4 type aryl ether linkages of lignin. Our new rate, selectivity, and isotopic labeling results from ECH reactions confirm that these aryl ethers undergo C–O cleavage via distinct paths. For the simple 2-phenoxy-1-phenylethane or its alcohol congener, 2-phenoxy-1-phenylethanol, the benzylic site is activated via Ni C–H insertion, followed by beta elimination of the phenoxide leaving group. But in the case of the ketone, 2-phenoxyacetophenone, the polarized carbonyl π system apparently binds directly with the electron rich Ni cathode surface without breaking the aromaticity of the neighboring phenyl ring, leading to rapid cleavage. Substituent steric and electronic perturbations across a broad range of β-O-4 type ethers create a hierarchy of cleavage rates that supports these mechanistic ideas while offering guidance to allow rational design of the catalytic method. Furthermore, on the basis of the new insights, the usage of cosolvent acetone is shown to enable control of product selectivity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Decoupling plasma, catalyst, and gaseous mechanisms for non-oxidative methane conversion

Direct non-oxidative methane (CH 4 ) conversion to value-added hydrogen (H 2 ) and C 2 products remains hindered by fundamental catalytic scaling constraints and rapid surface deactivation at elevated temperatures. Plasma-enabled catalysis offers a promising route to overcome the thermodynamic and kinetic barriers of direct non-oxidative methane upgrading at mild conditions, yet control over C–C product selectivity and catalyst stability remains elusive. Here, we establish a unified mechanistic framework including Langmuir–Hinshelwood (L–H) and Langmuir–Rideal (L–R) mechanisms that disentangles the roles of plasma excitation (including vibrationally activated species and radicals), surface temperature (T sur ), and catalyst binding energy in steering CH 4 conversion to H 2 and C 2 hydrocarbons. Through a combination of density functional theory (DFT) informed microkinetic modeling, in situ and ex situ surface characterization, and product quantification under dielectric barrier discharge conditions, we show that vibrationally excited CH 4 lowers activation barriers selectively for dissociative chemisorption, enabling surface activation across a wide range of transition metal catalysts at low thermal energy input. We find that once CH 4 is dissociatively chemisorbed, the branching between C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 4 , and C 2 H 6 is governed by surface properties (carbon binding energy, T sur , etc), regardless of plasma excitation. The DFT informed microkinetic model decouples the effects of molecular activation from surface properties and indentifies operating windows that maximize target yields while suppressing carbon accumulation and subsequent catalytic inactivation. Experiments on polycrystalline Cu/Al 2 O 3 , Ni/Al 2 O 3 , and Pt/Al 2 O 3 validate these predictions, revealing catalyst-dependent branching toward ethane or ethylene and distinct deactivation profiles. We unify these trends into a generalized three-dimensional plasma-thermal-catalytic design space, from which reduced descriptors such as T vib /T sur in the limit of vibrationally excited L–H pathways emerge as predictive metrics. These results enable rational tuning of methane conversion pathways and unlock selective C 2 formation using earth-abundant metals under mild plasma conditions.

catalyst inactivation↗
DOE OSTI2023

Rationally Engineered Vertically Aligned β ‐Ga 2− x W x O 3 Nanocomposites for Self‐Biased Solar‐Blind Ultraviolet Photodetectors with Ultrafast Response

Abstract With the astonishing advancement of present technology and increasing energy consumption, there is an ever‐increasing demand for energy‐efficient multifunctional sensors or transducers based on low‐cost, eco‐friendly material systems. In this context, self‐assembled vertically aligned β ‐Ga 2− x W x O 3 nanocomposite (GWO‐VAN) architecture‐assisted self‐biased solar‐blind UV photodetection on a silicon platform, which is the heart of traditional electronics is presented. Utilizing precisely controlled growth parameters, the formation of W‐enriched vertical β ‐Ga 2− x W x O 3 nanocolumns embedded into the W‐deficient β ‐Ga 2− x W x O 3 matrix is reached. Detailed structural and morphological analyses evidently confirm the presence of β ‐Ga 2− x W x O 3 nanocomposite with a high structural and chemical quality. Furthermore, absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy explains photo‐absorption dynamics and the recombination through possible donor–acceptor energy states. The proposed GWO‐VAN framework facilitates evenly dispersed nanoregions with asymmetric donor energy state distribution and thus forms build‐in potential at the vertical β ‐Ga 2− x W x O 3 interfaces. As a result, the overall heterostructure evinces photovoltaic nature under the UV irradiation. A responsivity of ≈30 A/W is observed with an ultrafast response time (≈350 µs) under transient triggering conditions. Corresponding detectivity and external quantum efficiency are 7.9 × 10 12 Jones and 1.4 × 10 4 %, respectively. It is believed that, while this is the first report exploiting GWO‐VAN architecture to manifest self‐biased solar‐blind UV photodetection, the implication of the approach is enormous in designing electronics for extreme environment functionality and has immense potential to demonstrate drastic improvement in low‐cost UV photodetector technology.

Das, Debabrata↗
DOE OSTI2020

Catalytic C 2 H 2 synthesis via low temperature CO hydrogenation on defect-rich 2D-MoS 2 and 2D-MoS 2 decorated with Mo clusters

Rational design of novel catalytic materials used to synthesize storable fuels via the CO hydrogenation reaction has recently received considerable attention. In this work, defect poor and defect rich 2D-MoS 2 as well as 2D-MoS 2 decorated with Mo clusters are employed as catalysts for the generation of acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) via the CO hydrogenation reaction. Temperature programmed desorption is used to study the interaction of CO and H2 molecules with the MoS 2 surface as well as the formation of reaction products. The experiments indicate the presence of four CO adsorption sites below room temperature and a competitive adsorption between the CO and H 2 molecules. The investigations show that CO hydrogenation is not possible on defect poor MoS 2 at low temperatures. However, on defect rich 2D-MoS 2 , small amounts of C 2 H 2 are produced, which desorb from the surface at temperatures between 170 K and 250 K. A similar C 2 H 2 signal is detected from defect poor 2D-MoS 2 decorated with Mo clusters, which indicates that low coordinated Mo atoms on 2D-MoS 2 are responsible for the formation of C 2 H 2 . Density functional theory investigations are performed to explore possible adsorption sites of CO and understand the formation mechanism of C 2 H 2 on MoS 2 and Mo 7 /MoS 2 . The theoretical investigation indicates a strong binding of C 2 H 2 on the Mo sites of MoS 2 preventing the direct desorption of C 2 H 2 at low temperatures as observed experimentally. Instead, the theoretical results suggest that the experimental data are consistent with a mechanism in which CHO radical dimers lead to the formation of C 2 H 2 that presents an exothermic desorption.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Towards Realistic Models of Heterogeneous Catalysis: Simulations of Oxidation Catalysis from First Principles

Among the most significant developments in heterogeneous catalysis in the last 20 years is the emergence of microkinetic models, often parameterized from density functional theory (DFT) calculations, used to quantify observed catalyst performance and to guide the discovery of new catalytic materials. While DFT directly reports binding energies and elementary step activation energies, the free energies that enter into microkinetic models must be computed from additional approximations. Frequently these free energy approximations assume ideal behavior—that adsorbates do not interact with one another, or that adsorbates are immobile or vibrate harmonically about a binding site. These assumptions can and do have an impact on predicted catalyst performance and potentially even on predicted trends. Our work relates to three categories of non-idealities, explored in the context of nitrogen oxidation and reduction catalysis on metal surfaces. One component relates to adsorbate translational free energy, the contribution least well described by conventional models, in which we develop modeling approaches that improve accuracy with limited increase in computational expense. A second component relates adsorbate-adsorbate interactions, in which we develop benchmark on-lattice interaction models and compare kinetic predictions with conventional mean-field models, in an effort to develop more robust coverage-dependent mean field modeling approaches. The last relates the most fundamental assumption of all—that of energy equipartition—in an effort to rationalize and guide plasma-enhanced catalysis.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Uncovering the True Active Sites in Ni–N–C Catalysts for CO 2 Electroreduction

Understanding and designing active sites in single-atom catalysts (SACs) requires going beyond static models to capture their dynamic evolution under realistic electrochemical conditions. Here, in this work, we develop an integrated theoretical framework that accounts for operational conditions, by combining grand canonical density functional theory (GC-DFT) with machine-learning-accelerated sampling, to uncover structure–activity–stability relationships in Ni–N–C SACs for the CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). A library of NiN x C 4–x (x = 0–4) motifs─representing coordination defects likely formed during high-temperature synthesis─was systematically evaluated. Under working conditions, these sites were found to undergo hydrogenation, and NiN 3 C 1_ H 1 was identified as the most probable active site. At reducing potentials, hydrogen adsorbs spontaneously at C–Ni bridge sites rather than Ni top sites, while subsurface hydrogen facilitates bent CO 2 adsorption crucial for activation. High CO 2 RR selectivity toward CO arises from site separation: Ni centers drive CO2RR, while the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) occurs at the C–Ni bridge or N sites and from thermodynamic suppression of HER at moderate hydrogen coverage. At more negative potentials, a shift in the CO 2 RR rate-determining process (RDP) and Ni out-of-surface displacement induced by coadsorption of H and H 2 O jointly reduce activity and selectivity. Thus, both the high CO2RR selectivity of Ni–N–C catalysts and its reversal with more negative potentials can be rationalized by accounting for hydrogenated surfaces. This highlights the necessity of modeling realistic; in situ conditions. This framework provides generalizable insights into the dynamic behavior of active sites in SACs, offering guidance for the rational design of active and robust catalysts for a wide range of electrochemical reactions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Bond clusters control rupture force limit in shear loaded histidine-Ni 2+ metal-coordinated proteins

Dynamic noncovalent interactions are pivotal to the structure and function of biological proteins and have been used in bioinspired materials for similar roles. Metal-coordination bonds, in particular, are especially tunable and enable control over static and dynamic properties when incorporated into synthetic materials. Despite growing efforts to engineer metal-coordination bonds to produce strong, tough, and self-healing materials, the systematic characterization of the exact contribution of these bonds towards mechanical strength and the effect of geometric arrangements is missing, limiting the full design potential of these bonds. In this work, we engineer the cooperative rupture of metal-coordination bonds to increase the rupture strength of metal-coordinated peptide dimers. Utilizing all-atom steered molecular dynamics simulations on idealized bidentate histidine-Ni 2+ coordinated peptides, we show that histidine-Ni 2+ bonds can rupture cooperatively in groups of two to three bonds. We find that there is a strength limit, where adding additional coordination bonds does not contribute to the additional increase in the protein rupture strength, likely due to the highly heterogeneous rupture behavior exhibited by the coordination bonds. Further, we show that this coordination bond limit is also found natural metal-coordinated biological proteins. Using these insights, we quantitatively suggest how other proteins can be rationally designed with dynamic noncovalent interactions to exhibit cooperative bond breaking behavior. Altogether, this work provides a quantitative analysis of the cooperativity and intrinsic strength limit for metal-coordination bonds with the aim of advancing clear guiding molecular principles for the mechanical design of metal-coordinated materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Atomic-Level Structure of Mesoporous Hexagonal Boron Nitride Determined by High-Resolution Solid-State Multinuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Calculations

Mesoporous hexagonal boron nitride (p-BN) has received significant attention over the last decade as a promising candidate for water cleaning/pollutant removal and hydrogen storage applications. In this work, high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy and plane-wave density-functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to obtain an atomic-level description of p-BN. 1 H– 15 N or 1 H– 14 N heteronuclear (HETCOR) correlation experiments recorded with either conventional NMR at room temperature or dynamic nuclear polarization surface-enhanced spectroscopy (DNP-SENS) at ca. 100 K reveal NB 2 H, NBH 2 , NBH 3 + species residing on the edges of BN sheets. Ultra-high field 35.2 T 11 B NMR spectroscopy was used to resolve 11 B NMR signals from BN 3 , BN 2 O x (OH) 1–x (x = 0–1), BNO x (OH) 2–x (x = 0–2), BO x (OH) 3–x (x = 0–3), and BO x (OH) 4–x – (x = 0–4). Importantly, 2D 11 B dipolar double-quantum–single-quantum homonuclear correlation spectra reveal that many pore/defect sites are composed of boron oxide/hydroxide clusters connected to the BN framework through BN 2 O units. 1D and 2D 11 B{ 15 N} HETCOR NMR experiments, in addition to plane-wave DFT calculations of nine different structural models, further confirm the assignment of all NMR signals. The detailed structure determination of the pore and edge/defect sites within p-BN should further enable the rational design and development of next-generation p-BN-based materials. In addition, the techniques outlined here should be applicable to determine structure within other porous and/or boron-based materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Adhesion of impure ice on surfaces

The undesirable buildup of ice can compromise the operational safety of ships in the Arctic to high-flying airplanes, thereby having a detrimental impact on modern life in cold climates. The obstinately strong adhesion between ice and most functional surfaces makes ice removal an energetically expensive and dangerous affair. Hence, over the past few decades, substantial efforts have been directed toward the development of passive ice-shedding surfaces. Conventionally, such research on ice adhesion has almost always been based on ice solidified from pure water. However, in all practical situations, freezing water has dissolved contaminants; ice adhesion studies of which have remained elusive thus far. Here, in this work, we cast light on the fundamental role played by various impurities (salt, surfactant, and solvent) commonly found in natural water bodies on the adhesion of ice on common structural materials. We elucidate how varying freezing temperature & contaminant concentration can significantly alter the resultant ice adhesion strength making it either super-slippery or fiercely adherent. The entrapment of impurities in ice changes with the rate of freezing and ensuing adhesion strength increases as the cooling temperature decreases. We discuss the possible role played by the in situ generated solute enriched liquid layer and the nanometric water-like disordered ice layer sandwiched between ice and the substrate behind these observations. Our work provides useful insights into the elementary nature of impure water-to-ice transformation and contributes to the knowledge base of various natural phenomena and rational design of a broad spectrum of anti-icing technologies for transportation, infrastructure, and energy systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Combining Chemistry, Material Science, Inspiration from nature, and Serendipity to Develop Stimuli-responsive Polymeric Materials

Neither of us can remember people talking about stimuli-responsive polymers when we were students. Even though this was still in the last century, it was almost 70 years after Staudinger's seminal paper "uber Polymerisation"![1] By the time we entered graduate school in the early 1990 s, the first papers on polymer light emitting diodes appeared, while research on electrically conducting, nonlinear optical, and other "functional" polymers was already in full swing. Looking back, there were some stimuli-responsive materials that were around at the time, but it took the better part of the last 30 years until the field had developed into what we think is one of the most vibrant areas of polymer science. Before the potential usefulness of this class of materials was recognized, researchers were focused on developing polymeric materials that would not respond to external influences, and in fact maintain (in particular) their mechanical properties in a wide range of environments. This has led to the development of many environmentally robust polymers, which have come to impact basically every aspect of our daily life. Ironically, this long-sought stability now comes back to haunt us in the form of plastic pollution, but this is another story. The concept of materials that adapt their properties in response to changing environmental conditions might appear like a complete reversal with respect to the original goals of creating stable materials. However, eventually a) it was recognized that materials that respond to a specific stimulus in a predictable and useful manner would significantly broaden the potential usefulness of polymers, and b) the field of polymer science had developed to the point where the rational design, preparation, and characterization of such materials became possible. The expression 'stimuli-responsive polymer' had been first used in the 1980's, however its use really only gained popularity a few decades later. In the early days, terms such as environmentally-sensitive or environmentally-responsive polymers, stimuli-reversible or stimuli-sensitive polymers, or polymers with phase transitions have also been used.

Rowan, Stuart J.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Self-Assembly Interactions in Magnetite-Coated Cellulose Nanocrystals: Implications for Magnetic Hyperthermia Applications

Magnetic cellulose nanocrystal (MCNC) nanocomposites are promising sustainable and biocompatible platforms for magnetic hyperthermia; however, the molecular mechanisms governing Fe 3 O 4 adsorption and deposition onto CNCs remain poorly understood. Here, sulfated (S-CNC) and TEMPO-oxidized CNCs (T-CNC) were used to prepare nanocomposites at 1:2 and 1:4 CNC:Fe 3 O 4 mass ratios, enabling a systematic evaluation of how surface chemistry and nanoparticle loading dictate interfacial interactions and magneto-colloidal behavior. Bare magnetite nanoparticles were 21 ± 5 nm by TEM but grew to 144 ± 18 in the DLS measurement at pH 7. The S-CNC nanocomposites had hydrodynamic sizes between 144 and 210 nm, not much larger than the 140 nm long CNC rods, suggesting an enhanced dispersion stability compared to Fe3O4 alone. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy combined with density functional theory revealed that −OH and −COOH groups drive electrostatic adsorption with charge transfer from Fe 3 O 4 to the CNC surface, while T-CNCs showed more favorable adsorption energies and evidence of covalent Fe−O bonding. Vibrating sample magnetometry demonstrated superparamagnetic behavior for all samples, with S-CNC/Fe 3 O 4 1:4 and 1:2 displaying saturation magnetizations of 78 and 77 emu/g-Fe 3 O 4 , close to the 83 emu/g of bare magnetite. The T-CNC composites showed lower (60 and 66 emu/g-Fe3O4) saturation magnetizations. Zero-field-cooled/field-cooled measurements resulted in a blocking temperature of 112 K for all samples, except T-CNC/Fe 3 O 4 1:2 (100 K). Magnetic hyperthermia studies revealed that specific absorption rate (SAR) increased with field strength and Fe 3 O 4 content; however, S-CNC/Fe 3 O 4 (1:2) achieved the highest intrinsic SAR per gram of Fe 3 O 4 (649 W/g-Fe 3 O 4 ) likely due to its anisotropy and fast magnetic relaxation. Cytotoxicity assays confirmed that all nanocomposites were nontoxic toward mammalian cells. These results establish quantitative structure−property relationships between CNC surface chemistry, interfacial bonding mechanisms, and magnetic heating performance, providing a foundation for rational design of biocompatible magnetic nanocomposites for hyperthermia and related applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗