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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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Water‐Restructuring Mutations Can Reverse the Thermodynamic Signature of Ligand Binding to Human Carbonic Anhydrase

Abstract This study uses mutants of human carbonic anhydrase (HCAII) to examine how changes in the organization of water within a binding pocket can alter the thermodynamics of protein–ligand association. Results from calorimetric, crystallographic, and theoretical analyses suggest that most mutations strengthen networks of water‐mediated hydrogen bonds and reduce binding affinity by increasing the enthalpic cost and, to a lesser extent, the entropic benefit of rearranging those networks during binding. The organization of water within a binding pocket can thus determine whether the hydrophobic interactions in which it engages are enthalpy‐driven or entropy‐driven. Our findings highlight a possible asymmetry in protein–ligand association by suggesting that, within the confines of the binding pocket of HCAII, binding events associated with enthalpically favorable rearrangements of water are stronger than those associated with entropically favorable ones.

Fox, Jerome M.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Water-Restructuring Mutations Can Reverse the Thermodynamic Signature of Ligand Binding to Human Carbonic Anhydrase

In this study we use mutants of human carbonic anhydrase (HCAII) to examine how changes in the organization of water within a binding pocket can alter the thermodynamics of protein–ligand association. Results from calorimetric, crystallographic, and theoretical analyses suggest that most mutations strengthen networks of water-mediated hydrogen bonds and reduce binding affinity by increasing the enthalpic cost and, to a lesser extent, the entropic benefit of rearranging those networks during binding. The organization of water within a binding pocket can thus determine whether the hydrophobic interactions in which it engages are enthalpy-driven or entropy-driven. Our findings highlight a possible asymmetry in protein–ligand association by suggesting that, within the confines of the binding pocket of HCAII, binding events associated with enthalpically favorable rearrangements of water are stronger than those associated with entropically favorable ones.

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

Impacts of A‐Site Composition on the Cation Dissolution‐Mediated Surface Restructuring of Layered Nickelate Oxide Electrocatalysts During Alkaline Oxygen Evolution Reaction

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key anodic counter‐reaction for electrochemical production of fuels and chemicals. It is hindered by sluggish four‐electron transfer kinetics requiring highly oxidative operating potentials to achieve commercially relevant rates. NiFeO x H y electrocatalysts are among the most promising for OER in alkaline electrolytes. The Ni(OH) 2 /NiOOH redox couple has been reported as the active phase in Ni‐based electrocatalysts; however, its activity is often hindered by deactivation arising from the formation of OER‐inactive insulating species. Limited strategies exist for mitigating this deactivation. This study aims to address this by interrogating the evolution of OER active sites as a function of precatalyst composition and structural properties using a series of layered, crystalline Ni‐based Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) oxides (A 2 NiO 4+δ ). In situ evolution of the active NiO x H y surface is probed through Ni‐site OER turnover frequency analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy coupled with scanning transmission electron microscopy. We show that the stability of layered nickelate oxide electrocatalysts is governed by the dynamic competition between cation dissolution and Ni‐site reversibility, which can be tuned through the A‐site composition of RP oxides. These findings yield insights toward engineering OER oxide precatalysts that optimize the stability of in situ‐generated OER active phases.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Crystallography Reveals Metal‐Triggered Restructuring of β‐Hairpins

Abstract Metal binding to β‐sheets occurs in many metalloproteins and is also implicated in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease. De novo designed metallo‐β‐sheets have been pursued as models and mimics of these proteins. However, no crystal structures of canonical β‐sheet metallopeptides have yet been obtained, in stark contrast to many examples for ɑ‐helical metallopeptides, leading to a poor understanding for their chemistry. To address this, we have engineered tryptophan zippers, stable 12‐residue β‐sheet peptides, to bind Cu(II) ions and obtained crystal structures through single crystal X‐ray diffraction (SC‐XRD). We find that metal binding triggers several unexpected supramolecular assemblies that demonstrate the range of higher‐order structures available to metallo‐β‐sheets. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of crystallography in elucidating the rich structural landscape of metallo‐β‐sheet peptides.

Thuc Dang, Viet↗
DOE OSTI2018

Promotion of catalytic selectivity on transition metal oxide through restructuring surface lattice

Pursuit of high catalytic selectivity is paramount in the design of catalysts for green chemical processes towards minimizing the production of undesired products. We demonstrated that catalytic selectivity for production of alkene through oxidative dehydrogenation of alkane on transition metal oxides can be promoted through tailoring the surface lattice of the oxide catalyst. Selectivity for production of ethylene through oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethane on Co 3 O 4 nanocrystals can be substantially increased by 30%–35% via temperature-mediated reconstruction of surface lattice of Co 3 O 4 . Co 3 O 4 nanocrystals formed at 800 °C leads to smooth, flat crystal plane with predominantly exposed (111) facet in contrast to high Miller index (311) facet of Co 3 O 4 formed at ≤700 °C, revealed by environmental transmission electron microscopy. Isotope-labelled experiments suggest that the higher catalytic selectivity on the (111) facet results from the lower activity of its surface lattice oxygen atoms. Consistent with these experimental results, DFT calculations suggest low activity of surface lattice oxygen atoms and high activation barriers for adsorption and dissociation of C—H bond on the (111) surface in contrast to (311). Upon the activation of C—H on (311), the stronger binding of ethylene on more active, under-coordinated surface lattice oxygen atoms of (311) forms a robust “deprotonated ethylene glycol”-like intermediate on (311) with a rate-limiting desorption barrier to the formation of ethylene. Compared to (311), the kinetically favorable desorption of bound ethylene species from (111) surface well rationalized the higher selectivity for production of ethylene on (111) than (311). Here these findings demonstrate that temperature-mediated tailoring of the surface lattice for a transition metal oxide nanocatalyst is a promising approach in pursuing high selectivity in oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons.

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

Cancer cells recovering from damage exhibit mitochondrial restructuring and increased aerobic glycolysis

Highlights: • Some cancer cells recover from severe damage that causes cell death in majority of cells. • Damage-Recovered (DR) cancer cells show reduced mitochondria, mDNA and mitochondrial enzymes. • DR cells show increased aerobic glycolysis, ATP, cell proliferation, and resistance to damage. • DR cells recovered from in vivo damage also show increased glycolysis and proliferation rate. - Abstract: Instead of relying on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, most cancer cells rely heavily on aerobic glycolysis, a phenomenon termed as “the Warburg effect”. We considered that this effect is a direct consequence of damage which persists in cancer cells that recover from damage. To this end, we studied glycolysis and rate of cell proliferation in cancer cells that recovered from severe damage. We show that in vitro Damage-Recovered (DR) cells exhibit mitochondrial structural remodeling, display Warburg effect, and show increased in vitro and in vivo proliferation and tolerance to damage. To test whether cancer cells derived from tumor microenvironment can show similar properties, we isolated Damage-Recovered (T{sup DR}) cells from tumors. We demonstrate that T{sup DR} cells also show increased aerobic glycolysis and a high proliferation rate. These findings show that Warburg effect and its consequences are induced in cancer cells that survive severe damage.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improving dairy manure hydrolysis and acidification through microbial community restructuring by adaptation to hyperthermophilic conditions

Dairy manure (DM) contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and ecosystem degradation, yet its resistance to biodegradation hinders widespread bioprocessing applications. Lignocellulosic materials in DM pose a particular challenge because of their recalcitrance. Bioprocessing under hyperthermophilic (≥70 °C) conditions potentially offers an advantage over traditional fermentation temperatures due to enhanced activity of enzymes and the kinetics of enzymatic reactions. This can lead to a higher conversion rate and a greater extent of biomass hydrolysis and acidification. To test the validity of this hypothesis, the current study evaluated the efficacy of anaerobic hydrolysis and acidogenic fermentation of DM under mesophilic, thermophilic, and hyperthermophilic conditions. All inocula were adapted to corresponding temperatures but were derived from the same mesophilic source. Hyperthermophilic conditions resulted in superior DM hydrolysis efficiency (53%) compared to mesophilic (34%) and thermophilic (42%) conditions. The hyperthermophilic environment was particularly favorable to the decomposition of crude proteins and hemicellulose, which were reduced by 64% and 54%, respectively. Furthermore, hyperthermophilic fermentation also yielded the highest volatile fatty acid (VFA) production rate of 460 mg/L/day during the first four days, representing improvements of 50% and 90% over mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. In part, this was attributed to the enhanced production of branched-chain VFAs, including an increase of 6–10% in isobutyric acid and 12–13% in isovaleric acid. At hyperthermophilic conditions, however, there was no accumulation of VFAs during the days 5–8 of fermentation, which could be due to acetate conversion by the syntrophic acetate-oxidizing bacteria. A considerable gain in hydrolysis efficiency and VFA production rate were accompanied by a reduction in microbial diversity, which suggests that hyperthermophilic temperature is a favorable environment for the selection of organisms with enhanced DM hydrolysis and fermentation capabilities. A significantly increased relative abundance of xylanolytic Caldicoprobacter (23% of population) and proteolytic Thermovirga (9% of population) could be the major contributors to improved decomposition of hemicellulose and protein. As revealed by the techno-economic analysis, acidogenic fermentation of DM at 70 °C and a retention period of 4 days provides the greatest positive net present value, highest internal rate of return of 9.2%, and shortest investment payback period of 9 years. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that hyperthermophilic conditions enable superior deconstruction and bioconversion of lignocellulose-containing biomass into VFAs under reduced retention times, offering a promising approach for improving DM management and generating bioproducts.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Elucidation of Anchoring and Restructuring Steps during Synthesis of Silica-Supported Vanadium Oxide Catalysts

We investigate the chemical reactions involved during the synthesis of supported vanadium oxide catalysts using chemical grafting of vanadium oxytriisopropoxide (VO(O i Pr) 3 ) to thermally pretreated silica under solvent-free conditions. VO(O i Pr) 3 is found to react with both site-isolated silanol (Si–OH) groups and strained siloxane (≡Si–O–Si≡) bridges at the silica surface. Solid-state 51 V and 13 C MAS NMR confirms the formation of two slightly different vanadium species associated with the two anchoring mechanisms. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), in situ Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry-mass spectrometry (TGA-DSC-MS) were used to study the subsequent calcination, revealing the formation of a transient V—OH intermediate upon the release of propene, followed by the formation of isolated VO 4 surface species upon elimination of water. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and 51 V MAS NMR of the calcined material confirm the conversion of the two original vanadium sites to a species with a single isotropic shift, confirming the formation of isolated, tetrahedral VO 4 sites.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗