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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

Extraction, Scrub, and Strip Test Results for the Salt Waste Processing Facility Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Solvent Sample

An Extraction, Scrub, and Strip (ESS) test was performed on a sample of Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) solvent and salt simulant to determine cesium distribution ratios (D( Cs )), and cesium concentration in the strip effluent (SE) and decontaminated salt solution (DSS) streams; this data will be used by Parsons to help determine if the solvent is qualified for use at the SWPF. The ESS test showed acceptable performance of the solvent for extraction, scrub, and strip operations. The extraction D( Cs ) measured 12.5, exceeding the required value of 8. This value is consistent with results from previous ESS tests using similar solvent formulations. Similarly, scrub and strip cesium distribution ratios fell within acceptable ranges. This revision was created to correct an error. The previous revision used an incorrect set of temperature correction coefficients which resulted in slight deviations from the correct D( Cs ) results.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2019

Ultrafast Intercalation Enabled by Strong Solvent–Host Interactions: Understanding Solvent Effect at the Atomic Level

Abstract Solvents play an essential role in many areas of chemistry and is the cornerstone of understanding reactivity in solution‐phase reactions. Solvent effects have been widely observed in intercalation reactions; however, understanding of the influence of solvents on the thermodynamics and kinetics remains largely elusive in intercalation chemistry. Now, the solvent‐dependent kinetics of ferrocene intercalation into a layered vanadyl phosphate (VOPO 4 ⋅2 H 2 O) host is presented, with a special focus on primary alcohols. From methanol to 1‐hexnaol, the intercalation rate peaks in 1‐propanol (80 times faster than the slowest case in methanol). Similar kinetics of exfoliation are also found in these solvents without ferrocene. The correlation between intercalation and exfoliation is understood at atomic level by DFT calculations, which reveal the role of pre‐intercalated solvent molecules play in intralayer interactions, interlayer expansion, and layer sliding.

Zhu, Yue↗
DOE OSTI2021

Enhancing the Solubility of Semiconducting Polymers in Eco-Friendly Solvents with Carbohydrate-Containing Side Chains

Semiconducting polymers are at the forefront of next-generation organic electronics due to their robust mechanical and optoelectronic properties. However, their extended π-conjugation often leads to materials with low solubilities in common organic solvents, thus requiring processing in high-boiling-point and toxic halogenated solvents to generate thin-film devices. To address this environmental concern, a natural product-inspired side-chain engineering approach was used to incorporate galactose-containing moieties into semiconducting polymers toward improved processability in greener solvents. Novel isoindigo-based polymers with different ratios of galactose-containing side chains were synthesized to improve the solubilities of the organic semiconductors in alcohol-based solvents. The addition of carbohydrate-containing side chains to π-conjugated polymers was found to considerably impact the intermolecular aggregation of the materials and their microstructures in the solid state as confirmed by atomic force microscopy and grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering. The charge transport characteristics of the new semiconductors were evaluated by the fabrication of organic field-effect transistors prepared from both toxic halogenated and greener alcohol-based solvents. Importantly, the incorporation of carbohydrate-containing side chains was shown to have very little detrimental impact on the electronic properties of the polymer when processed from green solvents.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Directed Hydrogen Bond Placement: Low Viscosity Amine Solvents for CO2 Capture

Capture of CO2 from power generation is required for its conversion or sequestration. Toward this goal, numerous CO2 capture processes have been developed, with the most widely deployed technology utilizing aqueous solutions of amines. Our group has focused on the design of several classes of water-lean solvents in order to identify molecular-level descriptors to control materials properties such as viscosity and regeneration energy. Large scale molecular simulations have shown that strategic placement of hydrogen bonding and tuning of the acid/base equilibria are critical for controlling viscosity at CO2-rich loadings. Here, we extend these principles to a new class of pyridine-based molecules with a secondary amine functionality for binding CO2. The result is a class of water-lean amines that retain high gravimetric capacity (20%) while exhibiting the lowest CO2-rich viscosities (<150 cP, 40 °C) of any 100% concentrated amine currently known. Additionally, these newly identified solvents exhibit regeneration temperatures as low as 60 °C when applying a polarity swing assisted regeneration, resulting in a solvent that can conceptually absorb and desorb CO2 with only a 20 °C temperature swing.

Malhotra, Deepika↗
DOE OSTI2019

Solvent-mediated charge separation drives alternative hydrogenation path of furanics in liquid water

Compared to the vapour phase, liquid-phase heterogeneous catalysis provides additional degrees of freedom for reaction engineering, but the multifaceted solvent effects complicate analysis of the reaction mechanism. Here, using furfural as an example, we reveal the important role of water-mediated protonation in a typical hydrogenation reaction over a supported Pd catalyst. Depending on the solvent, we have observed different reaction orders with respect to the partial pressure of H 2 , as well as distinct selectivity towards hydrogenation of the conjugated C=O and C=C double bonds. Free energy calculations show that H 2 O participates directly in the kinetically relevant reaction step and provides an additional channel for hydrogenation of the aldehyde group, in which hydrogen bypasses the direct surface reaction via a hydrogen-bonded water network. In conclusion, this solution-mediated reaction pathway shows the potential role of the solvent for tuning the selectivity of metal-catalysed hydrogenation when charge separation on the metal surface is feasible.

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

Solvent effects on extractant conformational energetics in liquid–liquid extraction: a simulation study of molecular solvents and ionic liquids

Extractant design in liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) is a research frontier of metal ion separations that typically focuses on the direct extractant–metal interactions. However, a more detailed understanding of energetic drivers of separations beyond primary metal coordination is often lacking, including the role of solvent in the extractant phase. In this work, we propose a new mechanism for enhancing metal-complexant energetics with nanostructured solvents. Using molecular dynamics simulations with umbrella sampling, we find that the organic solvent can reshape the energetics of the extractant's intramolecular conformational landscape. Here, we calculate free energy profiles of different conformations of a representative bidentate extractant, n-octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutyl carbamoyl methyl phosphinoxide (CMPO), in four different solvents: dodecane, tributyl phosphate (TBP), and dry and wet ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][Tf 2 N]). By promoting reorganization of the extractant molecule into its binding conformation, our findings reveal how particular solvents can ameliorate this unfavorable step of the metal separation process. In particular, the charge alternating nanodomains formed in ILs substantially reduce the free energy penalty associated with extractant reorganization. Importantly, using alchemical free energy calculations, we find that this stabilization persists even when we explicitly include the extracted cation. These findings provide insight into the energetic drivers of metal ion separations and potentially suggest a new approach to designing effective separations using a molecular-level understanding of solvent effects.

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

Manipulating meso-scale solvent structure from Pd nanoparticle deposits in deep eutectic solvents

Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) are complex solutions that present unique challenges compared to traditional electrolytes. Unlike most electrolytes and ionic liquids, DESs have delicate hydrogen bond networks that are responsible for their highly sensitive compositional dependence on the melting point. Prior work has demonstrated unique nanoscale structure both experimentally and theoretically that brings both challenges and opportunities to their adoption in traditional electrochemical processes. In this study, we use in-situ sample-rotated ultra-small angle X-ray scattering to resolve the near-interface solvent structure after electrodepositing Pd nanoparticles onto a glassy carbon electrode in choline chloride:urea and choline chloride:ethylene glycol DESs. Our results indicate that solvent structure can be observed on the meso-scale in the choline chloride:urea and choline chloride:ethylene glycol systems. Importantly, this extended solvent structure peaks at -0.5 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) and decreases slightly with higher overpotentials during Pd electrodeposition. Experimentally, the nature of this structure is more pronounced in the ethylene glycol system, as evidenced by both the X-ray scattering as well as the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Here, molecular dynamics simulations and dipolar orientation analysis reveal that chloride delocalization near the Pd interface and long-range interactions between the choline and each hydrogen bond donor are very different and qualitatively consistent with the experimental data. These results show how the long-range solvent-deposit interactions can be tuned by changing the hydrogen bond donor in the DES and the applied potential.

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

Extraction, scrub, and strip test results for the salt waste processing facility caustic side solvent extraction solvent example

An Extraction, Scrub, and Strip (ESS) test was performed on a sample of Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) solvent and salt simulant to determine cesium distribution ratios (D(Cs)), and cesium concentration in the strip effluent (SE) and decontaminated salt solution (DSS) streams; this data will be used by Parsons to help determine if the solvent is qualified for use at the SWPF. The ESS test showed acceptable performance of the solvent for extraction, scrub, and strip operations. The extraction D(Cs) measured 12.9, exceeding the required value of 8. This value is consistent with results from previous ESS tests using similar solvent formulations. Similarly, scrub and strip cesium distribution ratios fell within acceptable ranges.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

High solvent-resistant and integrally crosslinked polyimide-based composite membranes for organic solvent nanofiltration

This study reports a new class of integral polyimide (PI)-based thin film composite (TFC) membranes (with improved solvent resistance in both the skin layer and the substrate) for organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN). The OSN membrane was prepared via interfacial polymerization (IP) onto a PI ultrafiltration (UF) substrate, followed by an imidization, a chemical crosslinking, and a solvent activation process. During the IP process, m-phenylenediamine (MPD), dopamine (DA), and 1,2,4,5-benzene tetracarboxylic acyl chloride (BTAC) were respectively used as an aqueous monomer, an aqueous additive, and an organic monomer. We proved that amide bonding formed between MPD and the PI substrate during the immersion of the substrate in the aqueous MPD solution, thus providing a strong binding between the substrate and the subsequently formed skin layer of polyamide acid (PAA), which was formed due to reaction between MPD and BTAC during the IP process. DA contains amine group and could also help build a strong binding between the substrate and the skin layer during the same IP process. The subsequent imidization step converted the PAA molecules of the skin layer into PI polymers, which was quite similar to that of the substrate. The final crosslinking step crosslinked not only the inner molecules of the skin layer, and the inner molecules of the substrate, but also the interface molecules between the skin and substrate so as to form an integral composite membrane with improving solvent resistance. Finally, the fabricated OSN membranes under optimal preparation conditions exhibited an ethanol permeance of 2.03 L m -2 h -1 bar -1 with a rejection of 98% for Rhodamine B (479 Da) and exhibited an outstanding organic solvent resistance without compromising separation performance during the persistent immersion in DMF at 80 °C for two weeks, indicating a promising prospective in OSN applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Stochastic level-set variational implicit-solvent approach to solute-solvent interfacial fluctuations

Recent years have seen the initial success of a variational implicit-solvent model (VISM), implemented with a robust level-set method, in capturing efficiently different hydration states and providing quantitatively good estimation of solvation free energies of biomolecules. The level-set minimization of the VISM solvation free-energy functional of all possible solute-solvent interfaces or dielectric boundaries predicts an equilibrium biomolecular conformation that is often close to an initial guess. In this work, we develop a theory in the form of Langevin geometrical flow to incorporate solute-solvent interfacial fluctuations into the VISM. Such fluctuations are crucial to biomolecular conformational changes and binding process. We also develop a stochastic level-set method to numerically implement such a theory. We describe the interfacial fluctuation through the “normal velocity” that is the solute-solvent interfacial force, derive the corresponding stochastic level-set equation in the sense of Stratonovich so that the surface representation is independent of the choice of implicit function, and develop numerical techniques for solving such an equation and processing the numerical data. We apply our computational method to study the dewetting transition in the system of two hydrophobic plates and a hydrophobic cavity of a synthetic host molecule cucurbit[7]uril. Numerical simulations demonstrate that our approach can describe an underlying system jumping out of a local minimum of the free-energy functional and can capture dewetting transitions of hydrophobic systems. In the case of two hydrophobic plates, we find that the wavelength of interfacial fluctuations has a strong influence to the dewetting transition. In addition, we find that the estimated energy barrier of the dewetting transition scales quadratically with the inter-plate distance, agreeing well with existing studies of molecular dynamics simulations. Our work is a first step toward the inclusion of fluctuations into the VISM and understanding the impact of interfacial fluctuations on biomolecular solvation with an implicit-solvent approach.

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

Role of inner solvation sheath within salt–solvent complexes in tailoring electrode/electrolyte interphases for lithium metal batteries

Functional electrolyte is the key to stabilizing the highly reductive lithium (Li) metal anode (LMA) and high voltage cathode for long life, high energy-density rechargeable Li metal batteries (LMBs). However, fundamental knowledge of the interaction principles between reactive electrodes and electrolytes is still limited. Recently localized high-concentration electrolytes (LHCEs) are emerging as promising electrolyte design strategies for LMBs. They can also serve as an ideal platform for understanding the reactivity characteristics of the inner solvation sheath on electrode surfaces due to their unique solvation structures. Here, we study the effects of a series of LHCEs with model electrolyte solvents (carbonate, sulfone, phosphate and ether) in high voltage LMBs. Varied electrode stabilities exhibited in different LHCEs indicate the intricate synergies between the salt and the solvent on electrode surfaces. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal an intriguing general rule that the strong interactions between the salt and the solvent in the inner solvation sheath promote their intermolecular proton/charge transfer reactions, which dictates the properties of the electrode/electrolyte interphases and thus the battery performances.

Solvation sheath, salt-solvent complex, electrode/↗