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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 OSTI2023

Electrochemical Flow Reactor Design Allows Tunable Mass Transport Conditions for Operando Surface Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy

Abstract In situ attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR‐SEIRAS) is often used to investigate the near‐surface electrocatalytic reaction environment. However, there is a gap in directly correlating the near‐surface reaction environment with electrocatalytic reaction rates. To that end, we designed an electrochemical flow reactor for operando electrochemical ATR‐SEIRAS and demonstrate its capability with the CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). Roughened gold catalyst thin films are prepared on ATR silicon crystals as a model system to probe local species under CO 2 RR conditions in 0.1 M KHCO 3 . We measured changes in the interfacial CO 2 concentration as a function of applied potential and electrolyte flow rate in operando , allowing us to correlate the changes in reaction rates with the observed CO 2 concentration. Including the choice of the catalyst and electrolyte, coupling hydrodynamic control with ATR‐SEIRAS in this platform enables investigations of how the local microenvironment affects the activity and selectivity of electrochemical reactions.

Avilés Acosta, Jaime E.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Asteroids - Surface composition from reflection spectroscopy

Minerals partly composing the surfaces of 14 asteroids are determined by using asteroid reflectance spectra and optical properties of meteorites and other materials. Individual electronic absorption features are identified in the asteroids' spectra. The energies, relative strengths, and shapes of these features are interpreted by using laboratory and theoretical studies. Analysis of the initial 14 asteroid reflectance spectra indicates the presence of the following types of surface materials: six carbonaceous chondrite-like; two stony-iron-like (metal/silicate ratio approximately equal to 1); one iron meteorite-like; one basaltic achondrite-like; and four silicate-metal assemblages (metal/silicate ratio approximately equal to 0.25). These results support the conclusion that the asteroid belt is a source of at least some meteoritic material, and they show a relation between certain asteroids and certain classes of meteorites.

Mccord, T. B.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Method of Stamping Surface-Enhance Raman Spectroscopy for Label-Free, Multiplexed, Molecular Sensing and Imaging

The present disclosure relates the use of a stamping surface enhanced Raman scattering (S-SERS) technique with nanoporous gold disk (NPGD) plasmonic substrates to produce a label-free, multiplexed molecular sensing and imaging technique. A NPGD SERS substrate is stamped onto a surface containing one or more target molecules, followed by SERS measurement of the target molecules located between the surface and SERS substrate. The target molecules may be deposited on the surface, which may be a carrier substrate such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

Shih, Wei-Chuan↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) for Venus Atmospheric Characterization and Trace Organics Identification

The chemical composition of Venus’ clouds has attracted considerable attention since the first atmospheric probes entered the planet in the early 1980s. We know from these early studies that cloud aerosols consist of micron and submicron droplets of sulfuric acid (~85%) and water (~15%), but outstanding questions still exist regarding their trace chemical composition, especially the identity of the unknown UV absorber(s) and the possible presence of organic material (Spacek & Benner, 2021). Veritas and DaVinci will launch at the end of the decade to advance our understanding of Venus’ surface and atmosphere, however these missions are not designed to sample and analyze cloud aerosols at trace levels. Raman spectroscopy is an ideal candidate for characterizing aerosols and has a track record in studies of Earth’s atmosphere. Raman provides broad chemical screening of organic and inorganic molecules within seconds, and Raman instrumentation can be miniaturized to meet the stringent size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints of an atmospheric probe while retaining sensitivity and specificity that allow spectral fingerprinting of compounds and functional groups. Raman alone is insufficient to characterize trace constituents however, as limits of detection are typically in the 10s to 100s of ppm at best for planetary Raman spectrometers. Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), a method that utilizes nanoscale materials interacting with a sample to enhance weak Raman signals by orders of magnitude when probed by a laser, has the potential to drastically improve the sensitivity of a Raman instrument while adding little-to-no SWaP nor complexity to a scientific payload. We aim to de-risk SERS technology for rapid infusion in future planetary science missions by developing custom SERS substrates tailored towards Venus atmospheric exploration. We have developed SERS substrates consisting of nanotextured silver films and tested them on potential Venus-relevant organic compounds, with preliminary results indicating sub-ppm sensitivity. Additionally, we have planned tests to investigate durability, longevity, and other key characteristics that impact SERS substrate performance to prepare SERS technology for flight.

Venus↗
NASA NTRS2003

Material for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and SER sensors and method for preparing same

Metal-doped sol-gel materials, suitable for use as sensors for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic analysis for trace chemical detection, are produced by effecting gelation and solvent removal of a doped sol-gel under mild temperature conditions. At least in certain instances reaction and drying will desirably be effected in an oxygen-starved environment. The metal of the sol-gel material functions, when irradiated, to produce a plasmon field for interaction with molecules of an analyte in contact therewith, increasing by orders of magnitude Raman photons that are generate by excitation radiation, and the method allows matching of the metal and metal particle size to a wavelength of light (or incident radiation, e.g., laser radiation) to generate surface plasmons. The porosity of the sol-gel material dramatically increases the surface area, and thereby the amount of metal exposed for analyte interaction. The sensors provided may be in the form of glass vials, fiber optics, multi-well micro-sample plates, etc., having surface coatings of the doped sol-gel material, to provide sampling systems for use in a Raman instrument.

Farquharson, Stuart↗
NASA NTRS1972

Investigation of a possible solar-wind darkening of the lunar surface by photoelectron spectroscopy.

Detailed sequential study by photoelectron spectroscopy of the change in valence states of iron in Fe2O3, Fe3O4, FeO, and Fe foil samples, showing that chemical reduction does take place on the sample surface when argon ion bombardment occurs. These spectra give evidence that, after prolonged ion bombardment, the surface of all four samples consisted predominantly of iron in the metallic state. Argon ion sputtering of 15 silicate and oxide samples under similar experimental conditions produced surface darkening only in samples containing iron. Monitoring of the photoelectron peak of carbon during the experiment indicates that ion-bombardment darkening is not due to the buildup of hydrocarbon surface contaminants in the oil-free high-vacuum system used by the authors. On the basis of these studies, it is concluded that solar-wind bombardment should be included as one of the possible mechanisms for producing darkening of the lunar surface.

Yin, L. I.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Exploring New Diamond Surfaces with Precision Chemistry and Quantum Spectroscopy

Point defects in diamond known as color centers are a promising platform for quantum sensing. As atom-like systems, they can exhibit excellent spin coherence and can be manipulated with light. As solid-state defects, they can be produced at high densities and be incorporated into scalable devices. Diamond is a uniquely excellent host; it has a large band gap, can be synthesized with sub-ppb impurity concentrations, and can be isotopically purified to eliminate magnetic noise from nuclear spins. Specifically, the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center has been demonstrated to be a highly sensitive, non-invasive magnetic probe capable of resolving the magnetic field of a single electron spin with nanometer spatial resolution. However, the development of NV centers and other color centers in diamond as a quantum platform crucially relies on developing methods to functionalize and process diamond surfaces. Diamond is the hardest material, making polishing and processing challenging, and diamond surfaces are inert and sterically hindered, making them notoriously difficult to chemically terminate and functionalize. Our approach is to discover new surface chemistries for diamond by combining multimodal surface spectroscopy with NV-based quantum spectroscopy to carefully characterize the diamond surface. We have developed a suite of techniques for characterizing the diamond surface using rapid tools for reaction screening and detailed surface spectroscopy tools for definitive identification of the surface bonding.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1990

An Auger electron spectroscopy study of surface-preparation contaminants

There are many cleaning techniques that are presently being employed for surface preparation of materials that are subsequently exposed to ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). Unfortunately, there are virtually no comparative measurements which establish the residual contaminant level of each method. In this report, eleven different cleaning methods, ranging from only detergent cleaning to electrochemical polishing, were applied to identical samples of 347 stainless steel. Two surface conditions, a standard machined surface and a mechanically polished surface, were studied. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) within a UHV environment was then used to detect the types of contaminants and the magnitudes found on the sample surfaces. It was found that the electrochemical polishing gave the least contaminated surface of all metals studied and that mechanically polished surfaces were significantly cleaner than the as-machined surfaces for any given cleaning method. Furthermore, it was also found that the residual contaminations left by methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, and freon finishing rinses are almost the same.

Wu, D.↗