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At least 631 records · Page 35

High Selectivity Reactive Carbon Dioxide Capture over Zeolite Dual-Functional Materials

Reactive carbon dioxide capture (RCC) is a process where carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is captured from a mixed gas stream (such as air) and converted to products without first performing a separation step to concentrate the CO 2 . Here, in this work, zeolite dual-functional materials (ZFMs) are introduced and evaluated for simulated RCC. The studied ZFMs feature high surface area, crystalline, microporous zeolite faujasite (FAU) as the support. Sodium oxide (“Na 2 O”) is impregnated as an effective capture agent capable of scavenging low concentration CO 2 (1,000 ppm). Exchanged and impregnated sodium on FAU chemisorbs CO 2 as carbonates and bicarbonates but does not promote the conversion of sorbed CO 2 to products when heated in hydrogen. The addition of Ru promotes the formation of formates, while the addition of Pt generates carbonyl surface species when heated in hydrogen. The active metal then promotes extremely high selectivity for CO 2 hydrogenation to either methane on Ru catalyst (~150 °C) or carbon monoxide on Pt catalyst (~200 °C) when heated in reducing atmospheres.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

N -Arylimide Molecular Balances: A Comprehensive Platform for Studying Aromatic Interactions in Solution

Noncovalent interactions of aromatic surfaces play a key role in many biological processes and in determining the properties and utility of synthetic materials, sensors, and catalysts. However, the study of aromatic interactions has been challenging because these interactions are usually very weak and their trends are modulated by many factors such as structural, electronic, steric, and solvent effects. Recently, N-arylimide molecular balances have emerged as highly versatile and effective platforms for studying aromatic interactions in solution. These molecular balances can accurately measure weak noncovalent interactions in solution via their influence on the folded–unfolded conformational equilibrium. The structure (i.e., size, shape, π-conjugation, and substitution) and nature (i.e., element, charge, and polarity) of the π-surfaces and interacting groups can be readily varied, enabling the study of a wide range of aromatic interactions. These include aromatic stacking, heterocyclic aromatic stacking, and alkyl–π, chalcogen–π, silver–π, halogen–π, substituent–π, and solvent–π interactions. The ability to measure a diverse array of aromatic interactions within a single model system provides a unique perspective and insights as the interaction energies, stability trends, and solvent effects for different types of interactions can be directly compared. Some broad conclusions that have emerged from this comprehensive analysis include: (1) The strongest aromatic interactions involve groups with positive charges such as pyridinium and metal ions which interact with the electrostatically negative π-face of the aromatic surface via cation–π or metal–π interactions. Attractive electrostatic interactions can also form between aromatic surfaces and groups with partial positive charges. (2) Electrostatic interactions involving aromatic surfaces can be switched from repulsive to attractive using electron-withdrawing substituents or heterocycles. These electrostatic trends appear to span many types of aromatic interactions involving a polar group interacting with a π-surface such as halogen–π, chalcogen–π, and carbonyl–π. (3) Nonpolar groups form weak but measurable stabilizing interactions with aromatic surfaces in organic solvents due to favorable dispersion and/or solvophobic effects. Furthermore, a good predictor of the interaction strength is provided by the change in solvent-accessible surface area. (4) Solvent effects modulate the aromatic interactions in the forms of solvophobic effects and competitive solvation, which can be modeled using solvent cohesion density and specific solvent–solute interactions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

SPRUCE: Shrub Leaf and Stem Functional Traits from 10-year Shrub Layer Biomass Harvests (August 2025)

This data set contains Leaf Mass Area (LMA), Specific Leaf Area (SLA), Leaf Area Index (LAI), and Huber value (Hv) measurements from the 10-year Shrub-layer Biomass harvests in the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Environmental Change (SPRUCE) experiment in August 2025. The total ground-level cross-sectional sapwood area of Chamaedaphne calyculata (CHCA), Rhododendron groenlandicum (RHGR), and Vaccinium angustifolium (VAAN) were calculated for each of the three shrub-layer community survey plots located in each experimental enclosure. Representative current-year leaves were removed, scanned, dried, and weighed to derive SLA. Grab-samples for VAAN were used to calculate SLA when no biomass was harvested in the shrub-layer community plots. These SLA values were used to infer total one-sided leave surface area from the total species lead dry mass for calculation of LAI and Hv.

Birkebak, Joshua [ORNL] (ORCID:0009000955611494)↗

Technoeconomic Benefits of Film-Forming Amine Products Applied to Steam Surface Condensers

In a conventional Rankine cycle, the majority of power plants employ surface condensers that use pumped cooling water to reject heat from the cycle. In such cases, heat rejection occurs in a shell and tube heat exchanger by film-wise condensation of low-pressure steam on stainless steel, titanium, brass, or copper-nickel tubing. To improve the thermal performance of steam surface condensers, a replenishable film-forming substance (FFS) can be ap-plied to the condenser tubing to promote efficient dropwise condensation. Conventionally, film-forming amine prod-uct (FFAP) coatings protect boiler surfaces from oxidative corrosion, which substantially reduces the operation and maintenance costs. To quantify the technical and economic benefits of FFAP coatings applied to condenser tubing due to the promotion of dropwise condensation, a thermal resistance network model was established. Using a rep-resentative steam surface condenser, the improvements in thermal performance (overall heat transfer coefficient) and process parameters (net plant efficiency, cooling water flowrate, and turbine backpressure) were determined due to the enhancement in the condensation heat transfer coefficient. Experimentally measured condensation heat transfer coefficients for common condenser materials were compared with the modeling results and were found to be within attainable bounds. Lastly, the trend in total heat exchanger cost reduction is generalized to understand the trade-off between reduced surface area for heat rejection and increase in coating application costs for a re-plenishable coating system.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Non-Solvent Induced Phase Separation Enables Designer Redox Flow Battery Electrodes

Porous carbonaceous electrodes are performance-defining components in redox flow batteries (RFBs), where their properties impact the efficiency, cost, and durability of the system. The overarching challenge is to simultaneously fulfill multiple seemingly contradictory requirements—i.e., high surface area, low pressure drop, and facile mass transport—without sacrificing scalability or manufacturability. Here, non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) is proposed as a versatile method to synthesize tunable porous structures suitable for use as RFB electrodes. The variation of the relative concentration of scaffold-forming polyacrylonitrile to pore-forming poly(vinylpyrrolidone) is demonstrated to result in electrodes with distinct microstructure and porosity. Tomographic microscopy, porosimetry, and spectroscopy are used to characterize the 3D structure and surface chemistry. Flow cell studies with two common redox species (i.e., all-vanadium and Fe2+/3+) reveal that the novel electrodes can outperform traditional carbon fiber electrodes. It is posited that the bimodal porous structure, with interconnected large (>50 µm) macrovoids in the through-plane direction and smaller (<5 µm) pores throughout, provides a favorable balance between offsetting traits. Although nascent, the NIPS synthesis approach has the potential to serve as a technology platform for the development of porous electrodes specifically designed to enable electrochemical flow technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A comparative study of Bi, Sb, and BiSb for electrochemical nitrogen reduction leading to a new catalyst design strategy

Recent studies identified Bi as one of the most promising non-noble metal elements that can promote the electrochemical N 2 reduction reaction (ENRR) to produce NH 3 . The electronic features that make Bi a promising ENRR catalyst may also be owned by Sb that belongs to the same group as Bi. Thus, the ENRR properties of Bi, Sb, and a BiSb alloy were investigated comparatively to identify common characteristics that facilitate the ENRR. These catalysts were prepared as uniform coating layers on high surface area carbon felt electrodes, which could serve as both regular electrodes and pseudo-gas diffusion electrodes. The experimental results demonstrated that while Bi and Sb show comparable ENRR performances, the formation of a BiSb alloy distinctively increases the faradic efficiency for NH 3 production. Additionally, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results revealed that Bi in BiSb possesses a partial positive charge while Sb in BiSb possesses a partial negative charge, which can impact the way the catalyst surface interacts with the reactants and reaction intermediates of the ENRR and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the major competing reaction with the ENRR. Computational investigations including the Bader charge analysis and Gibbs free energy calculations for the elemental steps of the ENRR and HER provided an explanation of how the formation of a BiSb alloy can change the selectivity for the ENRR. The combined experimental and theoretical results and discussion contained in this study lead to a new strategy for designing efficient metal catalysts for the ENRR. Additionally, this study investigated how the use of gas phase and dissolved N 2 affected the ENRR performances of the Bi, Sb, and BiSb catalysts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Biomass-Derived Carbon and Their Composites for Supercapacitor Applications: Sources, Functions, and Mechanisms

Biomass-derived carbons are eco-friendly and sustainable materials, making them ideal for supercapacitors due to their high surface area, excellent conductivity, cost-effectiveness, and environmental benefits. This review provides valuable insights into biomass-derived carbon and modified carbon for supercapacitors, integrating both experimental results and theoretical calculations. This review begins by discussing the origins of biomass-derived carbon in supercapacitors, including plant-based, food waste-derived, animal-origin, and microorganism-generated sources. Then, this review presents strategies to improve the performance of biomass-derived carbon in supercapacitors, including heteroatom doping, surface functionalization, and hybrid composite construction. Furthermore, this review analyzes the functions of biomass-derived carbon in supercapacitors both in its pure form and as modified materials. The review also explores composites derived from biomass-based carbon, including carbon/MXenes, carbon/MOFs, carbon/graphene, carbon/conductive polymers, carbon/transition metal oxides, and carbon/hydroxides, providing a thorough investigation. Most importantly, this review offers an innovative summary and analysis of the role of biomass-derived carbon in supercapacitors through theoretical calculations, concentrating on four key aspects: energy band structure, density of states, electron cloud density, and adsorption energy. Finally, the review concludes the future research directions for biomass carbon-based supercapacitors, including the discovery of novel biomass materials, tailoring surface functional groups, fabricating high-performance composite materials, exploring ion transfer mechanisms, and enhancing practical applications. In summary, this review offers a thorough exploration of the sources, functions, and mechanisms of biomass-derived carbon in supercapacitors, providing valuable insights for future research.

biomass-derived carbon↗

MXene Nanosheets Functionalized with Cu Atoms for Urea Adsorption in Aqueous Media

Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene is an emerging family of two-dimensional materials, and because of its large specific surface area, it has potential for many applications. Herein, a new application using Cu-doped MILD (minimally intensive layer delamination) synthesized Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene for urea removal is demonstrated. The doping of Cu on MXene results in an increase in its affinity for urea adsorption as compared to the pristine MILD synthesized MXene due to the formation of the Cu–urea complex. Previous computational studies have shown that the adsorption energies of urea on the MXene surface can be improved in the presence of Cu. The valence state of Cu in the doped MILD synthesized MXene, which binds on to the surface via Ti–O–Cu linkage, is between 0 and +1 as verified by XAS and XPS. As the optimal urea adsorption occurs on Cu as a single atom site, an increase in Cu doping on MXene does not increase urea removal due to Cu agglomeration. Furthermore, looking at the adsorption behaviour, it seems that Cu-doped MXene follows the monolayer adsorption on homogenous surface model.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Catalytic Upgrading of Ethanol to C8+ Distillate Range Ethers via Guerbet Coupling and Etherification

Guerbet coupling followed by etherification is a two step process for conversion of ethanol into distillate range molecules. This involves first alcohol oligomerization, followed by acid-catalyzed dehydration. As we will show in this presentation, ethanol can be converted to higher linear and α-branched alcohols by C-C coupling reactions (ethanol oligomerization) as well as to high molecular weight esters by C-O coupling reactions with Cu/MgxAlOy (CuHT) catalysts. Alcohols may be converted to ethers via bimolecular dehydration in a subsequent step. We have identified more than 160 number of species in the products including alcohols, esters, aldehydes, ketonces, and olefins. Alcohols range from C4 to C10. Both alcohols and esters follow a Schulz-Flory chain growth model. We show the relationship between the catalyst properties (BET surface area, acid and base site count and Cu loading and synthesis method) and the performance in the reactions. We also show that physical mixtures of CuHT and HT can have similar product selectivity of low loading CuHT catalysts. The selectivity towards diesel fuel precursor compounds (hereafter ‘DFPC’) increased with conversion until reaching a plateau at high ethanol conversion (~70%). Alcohol selectivity follows a Schultz-Flory distribution at all studied conversions, and that adsorbed ethanol-derived species may undergo surface oligomerization into 1-butanol and higher alcohols before desorbing in a chain-growth mechanism. Zeolite catalysts convert the C4+ alcohols into C8+ ethers in both batch and continuous flow reactors. Selectivities of up to 80% to C8+ ethers at around 70% conversion using a single pass continuous flow system are able to be achieved. The final product feedstocks obtained from etherification have been used in technoeconomic (TEA) and lifecycle analysis (LCA), which indicate a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 50% relative to conventional diesel. These final feedstocks are undergoing engine testing to elucidate the physiochemical properties and will be compared to diesel #2 ASTM standards as a reference and will serve as a basis to improve the final bio-diesel blendstocks from etherification.

Huber, George↗

Catalytic upgrading of ethanol to C8+ distillate range ethers via Guerbet coupling and etherification

In this presentation we describe the catalytic approaches for conversion of ethanol into diesel fuel ethers. This involves first alcohol oligomerization, followed by acid-catalyzed dehydration. As we will show in this presentation, ethanol can be converted to higher linear and α-branched alcohols by C-C coupling reactions (ethanol oligomerization) as well as to high molecular weight esters by C-O coupling reactions with Cu/MgxAlOy (CuHT) catalysts. Alcohols may be converted to ethers via bimolecular dehydration in a subsequent step. We have identified more than 160 number of species in the products including alcohols, esters, aldehydes, ketones, and olefins. Alcohols range from C4 to C10. Both alcohols and esters follow a Schulz-Flory chain growth model. We show the relationship between the catalyst properties (BET surface area, acid and base site count and Cu loading and synthesis method) and the performance in the reactions. We also show that physical mixtures of CuHT and HT can have similar product selectivity of low loading CuHT catalysts. The selectivity towards diesel fuel precursor compounds (hereafter ‘DFPC’) increased with conversion until reaching a plateau at high ethanol conversion (~70%). Alcohol selectivity follows a Schultz-Flory distribution at all studied conversions, and that adsorbed ethanol-derived species may undergo surface oligomerization into 1-butanol and higher alcohols before desorbing in a chain-growth mechanism. Zeolite catalysts convert the C4+ alcohols into C8+ ethers in both batch and continuous flow reactors. Selectivities of up to 80% to C8+ ethers at around 70% conversion using a single pass continuous flow system are achieved. The final product feedstocks obtained from etherification have been used in technoeconomic (TEA) and lifecycle analysis (LCA), which indicate a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 50% relative to conventional diesel and diesel fuel prices that are lower than biodiesel. These final feedstocks are undergoing engine testing to elucidate the physiochemical properties and compare well to diesel #2 ASTM standards.

Huber, George↗

Inductively Coupled Nonthermal Plasma Synthesis of Size-Controlled γ-Al 2 O 3 Nanocrystals

Gamma alumina (γ-Al 2 O 3 ) is widely used as a catalyst and catalytic support due to its high specific surface area and porosity. However, synthesis of γ-Al 2 O 3 nanocrystals is often a complicated process requiring high temperatures or additional post-synthetic steps. Here, we report a single-step synthesis of size-controlled and monodisperse, facetted γ-Al 2 O 3 nanocrystals in an inductively coupled nonthermal plasma reactor using trimethylaluminum and oxygen as precursors. Under optimized conditions, we observed phase-pure, cuboctahedral γ-Al 2 O 3 nanocrystals with defined surface facets. Nuclear magnetic resonance studies revealed that nanocrystal surfaces are populated with AlO 6 , AlO 5 and AlO 4 units with clusters of hydroxyl groups. Nanocrystal size tuning was achieved by varying the total reactor pressure yielding particles as small as 3.5 nm, below the predicted thermodynamic stability limit for γ-Al 2 O 3 .

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

MOFX-DB: An Online Database of Computational Adsorption Data for Nanoporous Materials

Machine learning and data mining coupled with molecular modeling have become powerful tools for materials discovery. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a rich area for this due to their modular construction and numerous applications. Here, we make data from several previous large-scale studies in MOFs and zeolites from our groups (and new data for N 2 and Ar adsorption in MOFs) easily accessible in one place. The database includes over 3 million simulated adsorption data points for H 2 , CH 4 , CO 2 , Xe, Kr, Ar, and N 2 in over 160 000 MOFs and zeolites, textural properties like pore sizes and surface areas, and the structure file for each material. We include metadata about the Monte Carlo simulations to enable reproducibility. The database is searchable by MOF properties, and the data are stored in a standardized JSON format that that is interoperable with the NIST adsorption database. We also identify several MOFs that meet high performance targets for multiple applications, such as high storage capacity for both hydrogen and methane or high CO 2 capacity plus good Xe/Kr selectivity. Here, by providing this data publicly, we hope to facilitate machine learning studies on these materials, leading to new insights on adsorption in MOFs and zeolites.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Observation of Road Salt Aerosol Driving Inland Wintertime Atmospheric Chlorine Chemistry

Inland sources of particulate chloride for atmospheric nitryl chloride (ClNO2) formation remain unknown and unquantified, hindering air quality assessments. Globally each winter, tens of millions of tons of road salt are spread on roadways for deicing. Here, we identify road salt aerosol as the primary chloride aerosol source, accounting for 80–100% of ClNO 2 formation, at an inland urban area in the wintertime. This study provides experimental evidence of the connection between road salt and air quality through the production of this important reservoir for nitrogen oxides and chlorine radicals, which significantly impact atmospheric composition and pollutant fates. A numerical model was employed to quantify the contributions of chloride sources to ClNO 2 production. The traditional method for simulating ClNO 2 considers chloride to be homogeneously distributed across the atmospheric particle population; yet, we show that only a fraction of the particulate surface area contains chloride. Our new single-particle parametrization considers this heterogeneity, dramatically lowering overestimations of ClNO 2 levels that have been routinely reported using the prevailing methods. The identification of road salt as a ClNO 2 source links this common deicing practice to atmospheric composition and air quality in the urban wintertime environment.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Loaded with Pt Catalysts

Coating the catalyst with a nanoporous layer has been demonstrated to be an effective approach to improve catalyst stability. Herein, we systematically investigate two types of core-shell mesoporous silica nanoparticles with a platinum nanocatalyst using a variety of characterization methods. One of the mesoporous particles has a unique amine ring structure in the middle of a shell (Ring-mSiO 2 /Pt-5.0/SiO 2 ), and the other one has no ring structure (mSiO 2 /Pt-5.0/SiO 2 ). Brunauer–Emmett–Teller/Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BET/BJH) presented a similar surface area for both particles, and the pore size was 2.4 nm. Ultra-Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (USAXS)/ Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) showed the size of mSiO 2 /Pt-5.0/SiO 2 and Ring-mSiO 2 /Pt-5.0/SiO 2 were 420 nm and 272 nm, respectively. It also showed that the ring structure was 30 nm above the silica core. Using high-resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), it was found that the platinum nanoparticles are loaded evenly on the surface of the silica. In situ SAXS heating experiments and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) indicated that the mSiO 2 /Pt-5.0/SiO 2 were more stable during the high temperature, while the Ring-mSiO 2 /Pt-5.0/SiO 2 had more change in the particle.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Bidentate N‐based Ligands for Highly Reusable, Ligand‐coordinated, Supported Pt Hydrosilylation Catalysts

Abstract A significant challenge in designing supported metal‐ligand catalysts for solution‐phase reactions is the stabilization of the metal active sites against leaching into solution. Here, we examine alkene hydrosilylation reactions as model systems to improve the stability of highly dispersed Pt using a metal‐ligand coordination strategy on high surface area oxide supports. By evaluating a series of bidentate N‐based ligands, we demonstrate several design strategies to improve stability of the highly dispersed Pt 2+ centers against leaching, while maintaining a high level of catalytic activity, selectivity, and recyclability for alkene hydrosilylation batch reactions under mild conditions. These involve a bi‐functional approach to ligand design, which considers interaction to the support and a well‐defined coordination environment for the metal active site. Three strategies are reported: modifying ligands for stronger interaction with oxide surfaces, mixing ligands, and pre‐depositing an “anchoring ligand” to the support before loading the metal‐ligand catalyst. Each of these is successful in enhancing Pt recyclability. Particularly, two Pt‐phenanthroline catalysts exhibit excellent reusability for multiple batch reaction cycles, due to high stability of the active Pt species. Addressing the active site leaching problem significantly enhances the utility of ligand‐coordinated supported metal catalysts as highly stable and selective catalysts for solution‐phase reactions.

Chen, Linxiao↗

Search for Fast Magnetic Monopoles with NOvA Far Detector

The NOvA experiment at Fermilab consists of two functionally identical liquid scintillator detectors called near detector and far detector to study neutrino oscillations using GeV-scale neutrinos from the Fermilab NuMI beam. Due to its location close to the earth’s surface, surface area of over 4,000 $(m^{2})$, and little overburden, the NOvA far detector is sensitive to an extensive range of magnetic monopole masses and velocities. With the help of the far detector, we are looking for signals of relic monopoles in the cosmic rays flux that might have been produced in the early universe. We have developed the data-driven trigger(DDT), a robust trigger algorithm optimized for continuously searching the magnetic monopole-like patterns in the live data. Due to the surface proximity of the far detector, the major challenge for this analysis at the offline level is the rejection of cosmic ray background in the collected data. In this talk, I will present the status of the search for fast-moving magnetic monopoles using the data collected by the NOvA far detector.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Effect of amine type on acidic toxic gas adsorption at ambient conditions on modified CuBTC

We report two amine-modified copper-based Metal Organic Frameworks (MOF (CuBTC)) of different surface chemical and textural features were synthesized and used as adsorbents of acidic toxic gases (NO 2 and H 2 S) in both moist (71% relative humidity (R.H.)) and dry conditions. The initial and exhausted samples were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The addition of melamine prevented full growth of CuBTC crystals and resulted in amorphous-like particles with sizes less than 200 nm. The material was non-porous with a small surface area. When urea was used as an amine source, the resulting particles maintained the overall octahedral shape of the parent CuBTC MOF and the material was more porous than the parent MOF. While the urea-modified CuBTC sample performed well as an NO 2 adsorbent in the presence of moisture, the reactivity of the melamine-modified sample and its physical properties provided a favorable environment for the removal of H 2 S. The incorporation of amines into the MOF structure also resulted in surface defects /open copper sites that favored the removal of toxic gases in dry conditions. The reactivity of the adsorbents with toxic gases was demonstrated by the changes in the adsorbent colors, in texture, and in surface chemistry (organic salts, complexes, sulfides and nitrates were formed).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗