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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

Reduction of carbon dioxide at a plasmonically active copper–silver cathode

Electrochemically deposited copper nanostructures were coated with silver to create a plasmonically active cathode for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reduction. Illumination with 365 nm light, close to the peak plasmon resonance of silver, selectively enhanced 5 of the 14 typically observed copper CO 2 reduction products while simultaneously suppressing hydrogen evolution. At low overpotentials, carbon monoxide was promoted in the light and at high overpotentials ethylene, methane, formate, and allyl alcohol were enhanced upon illumination; generally C 1 products and C 2 /C 3 products containing a double carbon bond were selectively promoted under illumination. Temperature-dependent product analysis in the dark showed that local heating is not the cause of these selectivity changes. Finally, while the exact plasmonic mechanism is still unknown, these results demonstrate the potential for enhancing CO 2 reduction selectivity at copper electrodes using plasmonics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nanobodies against the metal binding domains of ATP7B as tools to study copper transport in the cell

Abstract Nanobodies are genetically engineered single domain antibodies derived from the unusual heavy-chain only antibodies found in llamas and camels. The small size of the nanobodies and flexible selection schemes make them uniquely versatile tools for protein biochemistry and cell biology. We have developed a panel of nanobodies against the metal binding domains of the human copper transporter ATP7B, a multidomain membrane protein with a complex regulation of enzymatic activity and intracellular localization. To enable the use of the nanobodies as tools to investigate copper transport in the cell, we characterized their binding sites and affinity by isothermal titration calorimetry and NMR. We have identified nanobodies against each of the first four metal binding domains of ATP7B, with a wide affinity range, as evidenced by dissociation constants from below 10−9 to 10−6 M. We found both the inhibitory and activating nanobodies among those tested. The diverse properties of the nanobodies make the panel useful for the structural studies of ATP7B, immunoaffinity purification of the protein, modulation of its activity in the cell, protein dynamics studies, and as mimics of copper chaperone ATOX1, the natural interaction partner of ATP7B.

Uhlemann, Eva-Maria E.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Trinuclear gold chains and octanuclear copper gyrobifastigia stabilized using a fluorinated pyridyl ligand

The fluorinated pyridyl ligand [6-(CF 3 )-2-Py] − with gold( I ) affords trinuclear Au 3 assemblies that further organize into a supramolecular helical column through aurophilic interactions. Its chemistry with copper( I ) is even more remarkable, leading to an unprecedented octanuclear copper–pyridyl cluster complex featuring a central Cu 8 core with an approximate gyrobifastigium geometry. Solid powders of compounds {(6-(CF 3 )-2-Py)Au} 3 and {(6-(CF 3 )-2-Py)Cu} 8 exhibit intense photoluminescence at room temperature, displaying green and yellow colors to the naked eye, respectively. Here, the octanuclear copper complex is also an effective catalyst for azide–alkyne cycloaddition, producing triazoles. Detailed computational analyses confirm the preference for experimental geometries and provide insights into the observed luminescence.

Phan, Vo Quang Huy [University of Texas at Arlingt↗
DOE OSTI2025

Investigating the mechanism of copper–carbon interactions in ultraconductor materials via in situ thermal X-ray and Raman spectroscopy

Improving energy transfer efficiency is critical to advancing technologies for a more sustainable future. Nanoscale materials, specifically metal–carbon composites such as ultraconductors, have shown promise in this field due to their enhanced electrical and thermal conductivities. However, the origin of the enhancement has yet to be determined. Prior research has primarily explored these materials at room temperature in an attempt to explain this phenomenon, but these materials have not yet been examined under enhanced thermal conditions. This study probes ultraconductor materials during the heating process to uncover the origins of their enhanced thermal conductivity. Understanding the mechanism underpinning the enhanced properties of the material could lead to increased property enhancement and therefore improved performance in energy transfer technologies. In this work we employ in situ thermal X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) and Raman spectroscopy to characterize copper-based covetic materials, revealing how thermal conditions influence the bonding environment and interaction between the copper and infused carbon. Our findings suggest that heating the materials does not result in the formation of chemical bonds between the carbon and copper framework of the material but rather points to a primarily physical interaction within the sample. Furthermore, we hypothesize possible mechanisms underlying the nature of the physical interaction leading to enhanced properties. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the material's behavior under relevant thermal conditions and highlight its potential for integration into next-generation energy systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Thermal Conductivity of Graphene Coated Copper Under Uniaxial Tensile Mechanical Strain

Graphene continues to demonstrate promise as a highly effective barrier coating, even at only one atom thick. The thermal properties of this coating are also promising to allow diffusion of heat across the surface, as the isolated graphene is an intrinsically good thermal conductor, yet this and its behavior under mechanical deformation has been less extensively studied. This report demonstrates that the in-plane thermal conductivity and interfacial thermal conductance of graphene coatings on copper are affected by mechanical strain. By inducing a strain in the copper substrate, the Raman-active 2D peak exhibits a change in position as well as a change in laser power dependence as the copper substrate is uniaxially elongated to a maximum of 0.5%. Non-linear trends in thermal conductivity are observed with tensile strain in samples with differing strain transfer rates from the substrate, indicating the close correlation between intrinsic thermal conduction and interfacial properties in atomically thin coatings transferred onto metals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Single layer graphene protective gas barrier for copper photocathodes

Photocathodes can benefit from a thin protection layer and attain long-term stability. Graphene is potentially a good candidate for such application. In this paper, we report direct growth of single-layer graphene on single crystal Cu(110) photocathodes using chemical vapor deposition and the effective protection of copper photocathodes with graphene against degradation under atmospheric conditions. Due to the interaction and charge transfer between graphene and copper, the graphene-protected cathodes have 0.25 eV lower work function and 17% higher quantum efficiency at 250 nm compared with bare Cu cathodes. The graphene coating can protect copper photocathodes from degradation for more than 20 min in an exposure to 200 Torr of air. Finally, the validation of graphene-photocathode compatibility opens a new route to the lifetime-extension for photocathodes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Transport and spatial energy deposition of relativistic electrons in copper-doped fast ignition plasmas

Fast electron transport and spatial energy deposition are investigated in integrated cone-guided Fast Ignition experiments by measuring fast electron induced copper K-shell emission using a copper tracer added to deuterated plastic shells with a geometrically reentrant gold cone. Experiments were carried out at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics on the OMEGA/OMEGA-EP Laser where the plastic shells were imploded using 54 of the 60 OMEGA60 beams (3ω, 20 kJ), while the high intensity OMEGA-EP (BL2) beam (1 ω, 10 ps, 500 J, I peak > 10 19 W/cm 2 ) was focused onto the inner cone tip. Here, a retrograde analysis using the hybrid-PIC electron transport code, ZUMA, is performed to examine the sensitivity of the copper Kα spatial profile on the laser-produced fast electrons, facilitating the optimization of new target point designs and laser configurations to improve the compressed core areal density by a factor of 4 and the fast electron energy coupling by a factor of 3.5.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bridging material models across scales: An integrated approach to equation of state and molecular dynamics modeling of copper

New uncertainty-aware equation of state (EOS) and electrical conductivity (EC) models for copper have been developed. The multiphase EOS/EC models are fit to experimental solid/liquid EC isobar measurements as well as density-functional theory molecular dynamics (DFT-MD) EC calculations in both expanded and compressed regimes (0.1–16 g/ cm 3 ⁠). The liquid and solid EOS phases were fit to available experimental data along with additional DFT-MD data over the same range as the EC. Leveraging the DFT-MD data, a corresponding machine-learned interatomic potential (MLIAP) for copper was trained using genetic-algorithm optimization. The copper MLIAP was constrained by EOS shock points at high compressions. The final EOS bounded MLIAP proves to be stable over a large density range (approximately 0.1–20 g/ cm 3 ) with good agreement to an isothermal compression curve, shock Hugoniot, and liquid speed of sound measurements at high pressures (100s of GPa).

Acoustic measurements and instrumentation↗
DOE OSTI2024

Printed graphene and its composite with copper for electromagnetic interference shielding applications

Abstract Advances in mobile electronics and telecommunication systems along with 5G technologies have been escalating the electromagnetic interference (EMI) problem in recent years. Graphene-based material systems such as pristine graphene, graphene-polymer composites and other graphene-containing candidates have been shown to provide adequate EMI shielding performance. Besides achieving the needed shielding effectiveness (SE), the method of applying the candidate shielding material onto the object in need of protection is of enormous importance due to considerations of ease of application, reduced logistics and infrastructure, rapid prototyping and throughput, versatility to handle both rigid and flexible substrates and cost. Printing readily meets all these criteria and here we demonstrate plasma jet printing of thin films of graphene and its composite with copper to meet the EMI shielding needs. SE over 30 dB is achieved, which represents blocking over 99.9% of the incoming radiation. Graphene and its composite with copper yield higher green index compared to pure copper shields, implying reduced reflection of incoming electromagnetic waves to help reduce secondary pollution.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2024

Superconductor to exciton condensate transition in a model copper-oxide material

Abstract Superconductivity and exciton condensation are fundamental phenomena in condensed matter physics, associated with the condensation of electron–electron and electron–hole pairs, respectively, into coherent quantum states. In this study, we present evidence of a superconductor to exciton condensate transition within the context of the three-band Hubbard model of copper-oxide-like materials. As the electron–electron repulsion increases, the superconducting phase is superseded by exciton condensation. In support of theoretical predictions—not yet realized experimentally—we observe the coexistence of the two condensates in the vicinity of the transition where the quantum states become a superposition of electron–electron and electron–hole condensates. Coexistence is rigorously computed from large eigenvalues and their eigenvectors in both the two-electron reduced density matrix (2-RDM) and the particle-hole RDM, which we obtain from a direct variational ground-state energy minimization with respect to the 2-RDM by semidefinite programming. We further discern that adjacent d orbitals and intervening p orbitals facilitate electron–electron pairing between copper orbitals, thereby supporting the superexchange mechanism for superconductivity. These observations suggest the feasibility of witnessing a superconductor to exciton condensate transition in copper-oxide analogs, bearing significant implications for identifying materials conducive to efficient transport processes.

Schouten, Anna O. (ORCID:0000000264255219)↗
DOE OSTI2018

Spin triplet ground-state in the copper hexamer compounds A 2 C u 3 O ( S O 4 ) 3 ( A = Na , K )

The compounds ${A}_{2}\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{u}}_{3}\mathrm{O}{(\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{O}}_{4})}_{3}(A=\mathrm{Na},\mathrm{K})$ are characterized by copper hexamers which are weakly coupled along the $b$ axis to realize one-dimensional antiferromagnetic chains below ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}{\approx}3\mathrm{K}$, whereas the interchain interactions along the $a$ and $c$ axes are negligible. Here we investigated the energy-level splittings of the copper hexamers by inelastic neutron scattering below and above ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$. The eight lowest-lying hexamer states could be unambiguously assigned and parametrized in terms of a Heisenberg exchange Hamiltonian, providing direct experimental evidence for an $S=1$ triplet ground-state associated with the copper hexamers. Therefore, the compounds ${A}_{2}\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{u}}_{3}\mathrm{O}{(\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{O}}_{4})}_{3}$ serve as cluster-based spin-1 antiferromagnets to support Haldane's conjecture that a gap appears in the excitation spectrum below ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$, which was verified by inelastic neutron scattering.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

X-ray free electron laser studies of electron and phonon dynamics of graphene adsorbed on copper

Here, we report optical pumping and x-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory free electron laser that probes the electron dynamics of a graphene monolayer adsorbed on copper in the femtosecond regime. By analyzing the results with ab initio theory we infer that the excitation of graphene is dominated by indirect excitation from hot electron-hole pairs created in the copper by the optical laser pulse. However, once the excitation is created in graphene, its decay follows a similar path as in many previous studies of graphene adsorbed on semiconductors, i.e., rapid excitation of strongly coupled optical phonons and eventual thermalization. It is likely that the lifetime of the hot electron-hole pairs in copper governs the lifetime of the electronic excitation of the graphene.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

The precursor form of Hansenula polymorpha copper amine oxidase 1 in complex with Cu[superscript I] and Co[superscript II]

Copper amine oxidases (CAOs) catalyze the oxidative deamination of primary amines to their corresponding aldehydes, with the concomitant reduction of O{sub 2} to H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. Catalysis requires two cofactors: a mononuclear copper center and the cofactor 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenylalanine quinone (TPQ). TPQ is synthesized through the post-translational modification of an endogenous tyrosine residue and requires only oxygen and copper to proceed. TPQ biogenesis in CAO can be supported by alternate metals, albeit at decreased rates. A variety of factors are thought to contribute to the degree to which a metal can support TPQ biogenesis, including Lewis acidity, redox potential and electrostatic stabilization capability. The crystal structure has been solved of one of two characterized CAOs from the yeast Hansenula polymorpha (HPAO-1) in its metal-free (apo) form, which contains an unmodified precursor tyrosine residue instead of fully processed TPQ (HPAO-1 was denoted HPAO in the literature prior to 2010). Structures of apoHPAO-1 in complex with Cu{sup I} and Co{sup II} have also been solved, providing structural insight into metal binding prior to biogenesis.

Klema, Valerie J.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Experimental Stress Characterization and Numerical Simulation for Copper Pumping Analysis of Through-Silicon Vias

A 3-D thermomechanical model of through-silicon vias (TSVs) has been analyzed and verified with in situ microscale strain measurements by synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction will be discussed in this paper. Thereafter, a comprehensive stress/strain analysis on copper pumping and back-end-of-line (BEOL) cracking issues has been carried out. In addition, a design-of-experiments-based approach has been used to understand the effect of various parameters on copper pumping and BEOL stress. The results show that the smaller TSV diameter and thinner silicon die help reduce the copper pumping and thus mitigate BEOL stress.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Isolation of bis(copper) key intermediates in Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne “click reaction”

The copper-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of an azide to a terminal alkyne (CuAAC) is one of the most popular chemical transformations, with applications ranging from material to life sciences. However, despite many mechanistic studies, direct observation of key components of the catalytic cycle is still missing. Initially, mononuclear species were thought to be the active catalysts, but later on, dinuclear complexes came to the front. We report the isolation of both a previously postulated π,σ-bis(copper) acetylide and a hitherto never-mentioned bis(metallated) triazole complex. We also demonstrate that although mono- and bis-copper complexes promote the CuAAC reaction, the dinuclear species are involved in the kinetically favored pathway.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Atomic-resolution structural and spectroscopic evidence for the synthetic realization of two-dimensional copper boride

Since the first realization of borophene on Ag(111), two-dimensional (2D) boron nanomaterials have attracted substantial interest because of their polymorphic diversity and potential for hosting solid-state quantum phenomena. Here, we use atomic-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and field-emission resonance (FER) spectroscopy to elucidate the structure and properties of atomically thin boron phases grown on Cu(111). Specifically, FER spectroscopy reveals charge transfer and electronic states that strongly differ from the decoupled borophene phases observed on silver, suggesting that the deposition of boron on copper results in strong covalent bonding characteristic of a 2D copper boride. This conclusion is reinforced by detailed STM characterization of line defects that are consistent with density functional theory calculations for atomically thin Cu8B14. This evidence for 2D copper boride is likely to motivate future synthetic efforts aimed at expanding the relatively unexplored family of atomically thin metal boride materials.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2015

The Allosteric Regulation of Axial/Rhombic Population in a “Type 1” Copper Site: Multi-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopic and Density Functional Studies of Pseudoazurin

The co-existence of "axial" and "rhombic" coordination environments has been demonstrated in a "Type 1" copper site of Pseudoazurin. This observation opens up previously not considered interpretations for the relationship between geometry and electronic structure of the four coordinate copper site. The Met16 variants of pseudoazurin were considered as model systems for investigating the effect of weak interactions from the second coordination sphere. The correlation between geometric and electronic structures of "Type 1" copper site was evaluated by the multi-edge (Cu K-edge and S K-edge) X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) of Met16 variants of pseudoazurin. The co-existing axial and rhombic sites in pseudoazurin were characterized by Culigand distances, effective nuclear charge, and Cu-S( Cys) covalency from XAS. The XAS results were correlated with DFT calculations for investigating the effect of protein environment from the inner-sphere and beyond around the Cu site. The combined experimental and theoretical results support the presence of a close correlation between outer sphere environment and inner sphere coordination environment. This is achieved in pseudoazurin by a previously undisclosed allosteric effect that involves a rearrangement of the protein tertiary structure.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Propagation distance-resolved characteristics of filament-induced copper plasma

Copper plasma generated at different filament-copper interaction points was characterized by spectroscopic, acoustic, and imaging measurements. The longitudinal variation of the filament intensity was qualitatively determined by acoustic measurements in air. The maximum plasma temperature was measured at the location of peak filament intensity, corresponding to the maximum mean electron energy during plasma formation. The highest copper plasma density was measured past the location of the maximum electron density in the filament, where spectral broadening of the filament leads to enhanced ionization. Acoustic measurements in air and on solid target were correlated to reconstructed plasma properties. Lastly, optimal line emission is measured near the geometric focus of the lens used to produce the filament.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗