Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “structural disorder”

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 631 records · Page 35
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Structural Characterization of TRAF6 N-Terminal for Therapeutic Uses and Computational Studies on New Derivatives

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors (TRAFs) are a protein family with a wide variety of roles and binding partners. Among them, TRAF6, a ubiquitin ligase, possesses unique receptor binding specificity and shows diverse functions in immune system regulation, cellular signaling, central nervous system, and tumor formation. TRAF6 consists of an N-terminal Really Interesting New Gene (RING) domain, multiple zinc fingers, and a C-terminal TRAF domain. TRAF6 is an important therapeutic target for various disorders and structural studies of this protein are crucial for the development of next-generation therapeutics. Here, we presented a TRAF6 N-terminal structure determined at the Turkish light source “Turkish DeLight” to be 3.2 Å resolution at cryogenic temperature (PDB ID: 8HZ2). This structure offers insight into the domain organization and zinc-binding, which are critical for protein function. Since the RING domain and the zinc fingers are key targets for TRAF6 therapeutics, structural insights are crucial for future research. Separately, we rationally designed numerous new compounds and performed molecular docking studies using this template (PDB ID:8HZ2). According to the results, 10 new compounds formed key interactions with essential residues and zinc ion in the N-terminal region of TRAF6. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were performed for 300 ns to evaluate the stability of three docked complexes (compounds 256, 322, and 489). Compounds 256 and 489 was found to possess favorable bindings with TRAF6. These new compounds also showed moderate to good pharmacokinetic profiles, making them potential future drug candidates as TRAF6 inhibitors.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Exploring the Origin of Anionic Redox Activity in Super Li-Rich Iron Oxide-Based High-Energy-Density Cathode Materials

Super alkali-rich materials (alkali:transition metal ratio of ≥2:1), such as Li 5 FeO 4 , exhibit the potential to realize anionic redox upon deep delithiation. Li 5 FeO 4 was shown to undergo reversible cycling between Li 4 FeO 3.5 and Li 3 FeO 3.5 with combined cation/anion redox, a remarkable capacity of 189 mAh/g, and no O 2 release. However, the impact of phase transformations on the reaction thermodynamics and the correlation between the structural changes and reaction reversibility remain unclear. In this study, we use first-principles calculations to examine the delithiation and (re)lithiation reactions of Li 5 FeO 4 . We show that the experimentally observed charge and discharge processes go through non-equilibrium pathways. Upon delithiation, the compound undergoes a phase transformation from Li 5 FeO 4 , with tetrahedrally coordinated (T d ) Fe ions, to a delithiated disordered rocksalt structure, with octahedral (O h ) Fe ions. Fe-ion migration has an asymmetric kinetic barrier that makes T d → O h migration facile, whereas the reverse process has a much larger barrier, explaining the difficulties in reaction reversibility. We further elucidate the transition metal and O redox sequences during the charge cycle and identify the complex electrochemistry associated with the dual participation of cationic redox (Fe 3+ /Fe 4+ ) and anionic redox (O 2– /O – /O o ). Armed with this knowledge, we conduct high-throughput screening of known alkali-rich transition metal oxides by evaluating their potential to enable reversible anionic redox, with multiple candidates proposed for further experimental trials. Furthermore, our work provides a useful guide for the further development of super alkali-rich anionic-redox-active electrodes for high-energy-density batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Structure and migration of heavily irradiated grain boundaries and dislocations in Ni in the athermal limit

The microstructural evolution at and near preexisting grain boundaries (GBs) and dislocations in materials under high radiation doses is still poorly understood. In this work, we use the creation relaxation algorithm (CRA) developed for atomistic modeling of high-dose irradiation in bulk materials to probe the athermal limit of saturation of GB and dislocation core regions under irradiation in fcc Ni. We find that, upon continuously subjecting a single dislocation or GB to Frenkel pair creation in the athermal limit, a local steady-state disordered defect structure is reached with excess properties that fluctuate around constant values. Case studies are given for a straight screw dislocation which elongates into a helix under irradiation and several types of low- and high-angle GBs, which exhibit coupled responses such as absorption of extrinsic dislocations, roughening, and migration. A positive correlation is found between the initial GB energy and the local steady-state GB energy under irradiation across a wide variety of GB types. Metastable GB structures with similar density in the defect core region but different initial configurations are found to converge to the same limiting structure under CRA. The mechanical responses of pristine and irradiated dislocations and GB structures are compared under an applied shear stress. Irradiated screw and edge dislocations are found to exhibit a hardening response, migrating at larger flow stresses than their pristine counterparts. Mobile GBs are found to exhibit softening or hardening responses depending on GB character. Although some GBs recover their initial pristine structures upon migration outside of the radiation zone, many GBs sustain different flow stresses corresponding to altered mobile core structures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Evolution of superconductivity in K 2–x Fe 4+y Se 5 : Spectroscopic studies of X-ray absorption and emission

We investigate the evolution of superconductivity in K 2–x Fe 4+y Se 5 using temperature-dependent X-ray absorption and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering techniques. Magnetization measurements show that polycrystalline superconducting (SC) K 1.9 Fe 4.2 Se 5 has a critical temperature ( T c ) of ~31 K with a varying superconducting volume fraction, which significantly depends on its synthesis temperature. An increase in Fe-structural/vacancy disorder in SC samples with more Fe atoms occupying vacant 4d sites is found to be closely related to the decrease in the spin magnetic moment of Fe. Moreover, the nearest-neighbor Fe–Se bond length in SC samples exceeds that in the non-SC (NS) sample, K 2 Fe 4 Se 5 , which indicates a weaker hybridization between the Fe 3 d and Se 4 p states in SC samples. These results clearly demonstrate the correlations among the local electronic and atomic structures and the magnetic properties of K 2–x Fe 4+y Se 5 superconductors, providing deeper insight into the electron pairing mechanisms of superconductivity.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Interplay between electron localization, magnetic order, and Jahn-Teller distortion dictates LiMnO2 phase stability

The development of manganese (Mn)-rich cathodes for Li-ion batteries promises to alleviate potential supply chain bottlenecks in battery manufacturing. Fundamental challenges in Mn-rich cathodes arise from phenomena such as structural changes due to cooperative Jahn-Teller (JT) distortions of in octahedral environments, Mn migration, and phase transformations to spinel-like order, all of which affect the electrochemical performance. These physically complex phenomena motivate an re-examination of the Li-Mn-O rock-salt space, with a focus on the thermodynamics of the prototypical, polymorphs. It is found that the generalized gradient approximation (GGA-PBEsol) and meta-GGA ( ) density functionals with empirically fitted on-site Hubbard corrections yield spurious stable phases for , such as predicting a phase with -like order ( ) to be the ground state instead of the orthorhombic (Pmmn) phase, which is the experimentally known ground state. Accounting for antiferromagnetic order in each structure is shown to have a substantial effect on the total energies and resulting phase stability. By using hybrid-GGA (HSE06) and GGA with self-consistent Hubbard parameters (on-site and inter-site ) calculated from linear response theory, the experimentally observed phase stability trends are recovered. The calculated on-site between Mn- states in the experimentally observed orthorhombic, layered, and spinel phases are significantly smaller than in and disordered layered structures, by within GGA. The smaller values of are shown to be correlated with a collinear ordering of JT distortions, in which all orbitals are oriented in the same direction. This cooperative JT effect can lead to greater electron delocalization from Mn along the states due to increased Mn-O covalency, which contributes to the greater electronic stability compared to the phases with noncollinear JT arrangements. The structures with collinear ordering of JT distortions also generate greater vibrational entropy, which helps stabilize these phases at high temperature. These phases are shown to be strongly insulating with large calculated band gaps , which are computed using HSE06 and .

Kam, Ronald L↗
DOE OSTI2021

Impact of Solution Chemistry on Growth and Structural Features of Mo-Substituted Spinel Iron Oxides

The effect of crystallizing solution chemistry on the chemistry of subsequently as-grown materials was investigated for Mo-substituted iron oxides prepared by thermally activated co-precipitation. In the presence of Mo ions, we find that varying the oxidation state of the iron precursor from Fe(II) to Fe(III) causes a progressive loss of atomic long-range order with the stabilization of 2-4 nm particles for the sample prepared with Fe(III). The oxidation state of the Fe precursor also affects the distribution of Fe and Mo cations within the spinel structure. Increasing the Fe precursor oxidation state gives decreased Fe-ion occupation and increased Mo-ion occupation of tetrahedral sites, as revealed by the extended X-ray absorption fine structure. The stabilization of Mo within tetrahedral sites appears to be unexpected, considering the octahedral preferred coordination number of Mo(VI). The analysis of the atomic structure of the sample prepared with Fe(III) indicates a local ordering of vacancies and that the occupation of tetrahedral sites by Mo induces a contraction of the interatomic distances within the polyhedra as compared to Fe atoms. Moreover, the occupancy of Mo into the thermodynamic site preference of a Mo dopant in Fe 2 O 3 assessed by density functional theory calculations points to a stronger preference for Mo substitution at octahedral sites. Hence, we suggest that the synthetized compound is thermodynamically metastable, that is, kinetically trapped. Such a state is suggested to be a consequence of the tetrahedral site occupation by Mo ions. The population of these sites, known to be reactive sites enabling particle growth, is concomitant with the stabilization of very small particles. Furthermore, we confirmed our hypothesis by using a blank experiment without Mo ions, further supporting the impact of tetrahedral Mo ions on the growth of iron oxide nanoparticles. Our findings provide new insights into the relationships between the Fechemistry of the crystallizing solution and the structural features of the as-grown Mo-substituted Fe-oxide materials.

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

Synthesis of kerosene based nanocarbons by a nebulized spray pyrolysis method

In this work, kerosene oil based nanocarbons were synthesized by a nebulized spray pyrolysis method. This method was conducted at temperature of 700°C under a nitrogen inert atmospheric condition. Activated carbon and ferrocene were used as substrate and catalyst, respectively. Initially, ferrocene was dissolved in the oil with fixed concentration of 0.02 g/ml. The pyrolysis reaction was carried out by varying the operating time of 15, 30 and 45 minutes. The main aim of this work was to investigate the effect of varying the operation time on the morphology and structural characteristics of as-prepared carbon products. The morphology and structural characteristics of synthesized nanocarbons were examined by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Raman Spectroscopy, respectively. SEM and TEM observations showed that nano carbons were formed as agglomerated carbon nanospheres (CNSs) and graphene for all variation of operating time. Furthermore, it was observed that the size of agglomerated CNSs was proportional with the operating time from 15 to 45 minutes. Raman analysis showed that the ratio between graphite like and disorder carbon structure (I{sub G}/I{sub D})of carbon samples increased from operating time of 15 to 30 minutes, however the ratio decreased from 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Process Controlled Multiscale Morphologies in Metal-containing Block Copolymer Thin Films

Poly(styrene-block-ferrocenyldimethylsilane) (PS-b-PFS) is a metal-containing block copolymer that exhibits certain advantages as a mask for lithographic applications. These advantages include compatibility with a wide range of substrates, ease of control over domain morphologies and robust stability to etch plasma, which aid in the development of high-aspect-ratio patterns. An asymmetric cylinder-forming PS-b-PFS copolymer is subjected to different processing to manipulate the morphology of the phase-separated domains. Control of film structure and domain morphology is achieved by adjusting the film thickness, mode of annealing, and/or annealing time. Changing the process from thermal or solvent annealing to hybrid annealing (thermal and then solvent annealing in sequence) leads to the formation of mesoscale spherulitic and dendritic morphologies. In this communication, we show that reversing the order of the hybrid annealing (solvent annealing first and then thermal annealing) of relatively thick films (>100 nm) on homogeneously thick substrates develops disordered lamellar structure. Furthermore, the same processing applied on a substrate with a thin, mechanically flexible window in the center leads to the formation of sub-micron scale concentric ring patterns. Enhanced material mobility in the thick film during hybrid annealing along with dynamic rippling effects that may arise from the vibration of the thin window during spin casting are likely causes for these morphologies.

Block copolymer↗
DOE OSTI2016

Growth of L1{sub 0}-ordered crystal in FePt and FePd thin films on MgO(001) substrate

Formation of L1{sub 0}-oredered structure from disordered A1 phase has been investigated for FePt and FePd films on MgO(001) substrates employing a two-step method consisting of low temperature deposition at 200 °C followed by high-temperature annealing at 600 °C. L1{sub 0}-(001) variant crystal with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate grows preferentially in FePd films whereas L1{sub 0}-(100), (010) variants tend to be mixed with the L1{sub 0}-(001) variant in FePt films. The structure analysis by X-ray diffraction indicates that a difference in A1 lattice strain is the influential factor that determines the resulting L1{sub 0}-variant structure in ordered thin films. Misfit dislocations and anti-phase boundaries are observed in high-resolution transmission electron micrographs of 10 nm-thick Fe(Pt, Pd) film consisting of L1{sub 0}-(001) variants which are formed through atomic diffusion at 600 °C in a laterally strained FePt/PeFd epitaxial thin film. Based on the experimental results, a nucleation and growth model for explaining L1{sub 0}-variant formation is proposed, which suggests a possibility in tailoring the L1{sub 0} variant structure in ordered magnetic thin films by controlling the alloy composition, the layer structure, and the substrate material.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Bi{sub 1−x}Nb{sub x}O{sub 1.5+x} (x=0.0625, 0.12) fast ion conductors: Structures, stability and oxide ion migration pathways

A combined experimental and computational study of Bi{sub 1−x}Nb{sub x}O{sub 1.5+x} (x=0.0625 and 0.12) has been carried out using laboratory X-ray, neutron and electron diffraction, impedance measurements and ab-initio molecular dynamics. We demonstrate that Bi{sub 0.9375}Nb{sub 0.0625}O{sub 1.5625}, previously reported to adopt a cubic fluorite-type superstructure, can form two different polymorphs depending on the synthetic method: a metastable cubic phase is produced by quenching; while slower cooling yields a stable material with a tetragonal √2×√2×1 superstructure, which undergoes a reversible phase transition into the cubic form at ~680 °C on subsequent reheating. Neutron diffraction reveals that the tetragonal superstructure arises mainly from ordering in the oxygen sublattice, with Bi and Nb remaining disordered, although structured diffuse scattering observed in the electron diffraction patterns suggests a degree of short-range ordering. Both materials are oxide ion conductors. On thermal cycling, Bi{sub 0.88}Nb{sub 0.12}O{sub 1.62} exhibits a decrease in conductivity of approximately an order of magnitude due to partial transformation into the tetragonal phase, but still exhibits conductivity comparable to yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ). Ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations performed on Bi{sub 0.9375}Nb{sub 0.0625}O{sub 1.5625} show that oxide ion diffusion occurs by O{sup 2−} jumps between edge- and corner-sharing OM{sub 4} groups (M=Bi, Nb) via tetrahedral □M{sub 4} and octahedral □M{sub 6} vacancies. - Graphical abstract: Oxide ion migration in tetragonal Bi{sub 0.9375}Nb{sub 0.0625}O{sub 1.5625} occurs by O{sup 2−} jumps between edge- and corner-sharing OM{sub 4} groups (M=Bi, Nb) via tetrahedral M{sub 4} and octahedral M{sub 6} vacancies. - Highlights: • Bi{sub 0.9375}Nb{sub 0.0625}O{sub 1.5625} adopts a tetragonal √2×√2×1 fluorite superstructure. • Superstructure is due to ordering in the O-sublattice, with Bi/Nb disordered. • Bi{sub 0.9375}Nb{sub 0.0625}O{sub 1.5625} is a good oxide ion conductor. • O{sup 2−} jump between OM{sub 4} groups (M=Bi, Nb) via tetrahedral and octahedral vacancies.

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

Pressure-induced spin crossover in a Fe 78 Si 9 B 13 metallic glass

The pressure effect on structures and properties of a Fe 78 Si 9 B 13 metallic glass was investigated by in situ high-pressure synchrotron Fe Kβ x-ray emission spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction, and electrical resistivity measurements up to ~51 GPa. The study reveals a reversible and continuous pressure-induced high- to low-spin crossover of Fe atoms in an amorphous structure. The changes of the local spin moment can be scaled to match its average atomic distance shrinkage very well during compression. The crossover of electronic spin states in the Fe 78 Si 9 B 13 metallic glass resembles that of typical crystalline Fe-bearing materials but without a sharp atomic volume collapse and an abrupt electrical resistivity jump. Furthermore, these findings could help guide applications of Fe-based metallic glasses as a soft ferromagnetic material at extreme conditions and also improve our understanding of magnetism and coupling of its changes with disordered atomic structures and other properties in metallic glasses.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Theory of the electronic structure of substitutional semiconductor alloys: Analytical approaches

Methods of predicting the electronic structure of disordered semiconductor alloys involving mainly isoelectronic substitution are reviewed. Special emphasis is placed on analytical methods of studying currently available models of alloys. An approximate equation for the localization threshold of electronic states in the Lifshitz model is considered, and the inaccuracy of this equation is estimated. The contributions of the perturbation potential of an individual impurity and of crystal-lattice distortions in the vicinity of the impurity center are analyzed on the basis of the Faddeev equations. The contributions of intrinsic impurity potentials and volume effects to the formation of the electronic structure of semiconductor alloys are esti- mated. Methods of calculating matrix elements of the perturbation potentials of isoelectronic impurities in alloys with consideration for deformation effects are considered. The procedure of calculating the compositional dependence of the band gap of multicomponent alloys is described. A comparative analysis of various methods for predicting the formation of electronic states bound at individual isoelectronic impurities in semiconductors is conducted. The theory of the energy spectrum of charged impurities in isoelectronic alloys is presented.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cryo-EM structure of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rpd3L histone deacetylase complex

The Rpd3L histone deacetylase (HDAC) complex is an ancient 12-subunit complex conserved in a broad range of eukaryotes that performs localized deacetylation at or near sites of recruitment by DNA-bound factors. Here we describe the cryo-EM structure of this prototypical HDAC complex that is characterized by as many as seven subunits performing scaffolding roles for the tight integration of the only catalytic subunit, Rpd3. The principal scaffolding protein, Sin3, along with Rpd3 and the histone chaperone, Ume1, are present in two copies, with each copy organized into separate lobes of an asymmetric dimeric molecular assembly. The active site of one Rpd3 is completely occluded by a leucine side chain of Rxt2, while the tips of the two lobes and the more peripherally associated subunits exhibit varying levels of flexibility and positional disorder. The structure reveals unexpected structural homology/analogy between unrelated subunits in the fungal and mammalian complexes and provides a foundation for deeper interrogations of structure, biology, and mechanism of these complexes, as well as for the discovery of HDAC complex-specific inhibitors.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Temperature-dependence of current-perpendicular-to-the-plane giant magnetoresistance spin-valves using Co{sub 2}(Mn{sub 1−x}Fe{sub x})Ge Heusler alloys

The properties of Co{sub 2}(Mn{sub 1−x}Fe{sub x})Ge (CMFG) (x = 0–0.4) Heusler alloy magnetic layers within polycrystalline current-perpendicular-to-the plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) spin-valves are investigated. CMFG films annealed at 220–320 °C exhibit partly ordered B2 structure with an order parameter S{sub B2} = 0.3–0.4, and a lower S{sub B2} was found for a higher Fe content. Nevertheless, CPP-GMR spin-valve devices exhibit a relatively high magnetoresistance ratio of ∼13% and a magnetoresistance-area product (ΔRA) of ∼6 mΩ μm{sup 2} at room temperature, which is almost independent of the Fe content in the CMFG films. By contrast, at low temperatures, ΔRA clearly increases with higher Fe content, despite the lower B2 ordering for increasing the Fe content. Indeed, first-principles calculations reveal that the CMFG alloy with a partially disordered B2 structure has a greater density of d-state at the Fermi level in the minority band compared to the Fe-free (Co{sub 2}MnGe) alloy. This could explain the larger ΔRA measured on CMFG at low temperatures by assuming that s-d scattering mainly determines the spin asymmetry of resistivity as described in Mott's theory.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

In situ study of aggregate topology during growth of pyrolytic silica

Ramified aggregates are formed in many kinetically-limited growth processes such as in sooting flames. The structures are disordered and present a challenge to quantification. The topology of such nanomaterials is important in understanding their formation and properties. Recently, a method has been developed for the quantification of branching in aggregates using small-angle scattering. The method allows for determination of the average number of branches, branch length, short circuit path through an aggregate, aggregate total mass, aggregate polydispersity, primary particle coordination number, Sauter mean diameter, primary particle polydispersity, particle size distribution, and surface to volume ratio. Here in this report the new topological method is applied to in situ measurements previously published from a flame aerosol as a function of height above the burner. The topological evolution of primary and fractal structures is observed. Lastly, this facilitates the understanding of growth dynamics and the structural rearrangements that occur during flame synthesis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of CoMoFeAl and related compounds

We have carried out joint theoretical and experimental investigations of three Heusler compounds CoMoFeAl, CoMo 0.5 Fe 1.5 Al, and Co 1.5 Mo 0.5 FeAl. Our first-principle calculations show that all three compounds show either ferro- or ferrimagnetic order with CoMoFeAl and CoMo 0.5 Fe 1.5 Al exhibiting high spin polarization of almost 80%. The investigated samples were prepared using arc melting and high vacuum annealing. All the samples show cubic crystal structure with disorder. The parent compound CoMoFeAl shows a small saturation magnetization of 12 emu/g, and a Curie temperature of 440 K. The other two compounds, namely, Co 1.5 Mo 0.5 FeAl and CoMo 0.5 Fe 1.5 Al, show much higher saturation magnetizations of 62 emu/g and 59 emu/g, and substantially higher Curie temperatures of 950 K and 780 K, respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Photoluminescence as a probe of phosphorene properties

Abstract Here, we provide a detailed evaluation of photoluminescence (PL) as a comprehensive tool for phosphorene characterization with the emphasis on a prominent quantitative role of PL in providing fingerprint-like features due to its extreme sensitivity to the band structure details, anisotropy, disorder, external fields, etc. Factors such as number of layers, dimensionality, structural and chemical disorder, and environmental factors and their effect on phosphorene’s PL signal are reviewed and discussed. Applications of PL in monitoring phosphorene and its modifications, as well as potential impacts on the fields of chemical and biosensing, nanomedicine, and solar energy harvesting, are also elaborated.

2D materials↗