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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 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Prospects and challenges for nitrogen-atom transfer catalysis

Incorporation of nitrogen-based functional groups can profoundly impact the chemical and physical properties of organic small molecules. One-step conversion of C–H bonds to C–N bonds via C–H amination promises to streamline the synthesis of nitrogen-containing compounds. In pursuit of this promise, nitrogen-group transfer (NGT) from metal nitrenes (i.e., ligand supported M–NR complexes) has been the focus of intense research and development. In contrast, potentially complementary nitrogen-atom transfer (NAT) chemistry, in which a terminal metal nitride (i.e., ligand-supported M–N complex) engages with a C–H bond, is undeveloped. While the earliest examples of stoichiometric NAT chemistry were reported 25 years ago, catalytic protocols are only now beginning to emerge. Furthermore, we summarize the current state-of-the-art in NAT chemistry and discuss opportunities and challenges for the development of NAT catalysis as a platform for incorporation of nitrogen into organic small molecules. Specifically, we 1) highlight the synthetic complementarity of NGT and NAT chemistry, 2) discuss critical aspects of nitride electronic structure that dictate the philicity of supported metal atom, 3) examine the characteristic reactivity of metal nitrides towards substrate functionalization reactions, and 4) present emerging strategies and remaining obstacles to harnessing NAT for selective, catalytic nitrogenation of unfunctionalized organic small molecules.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Imaging a light-induced molecular elimination reaction with an X-ray free-electron laser

Tracking the motion of individual atoms during chemical reactions represents a severe experimental challenge, especially if several competing reaction pathways exist or if the reaction is governed by the correlated motion of more than two molecular constituents. Here we demonstrate how ultrashort X-ray pulses combined with coincident ion imaging can be used to trace molecular iodine elimination from laser-irradiated diiodomethane (CH 2 I 2 ), a reaction channel of fundamental importance but small relative yield that involves the breaking of two molecular bonds and the formation of a new one. We map bending vibrations of the bound molecule, disentangle different dissociation pathways, image the correlated motion of the iodine atoms and the methylene group leading to molecular iodine ejection, and trace the vibrational motion of the formed product. Our results provide a quantitative mechanistic picture behind previously suggested reaction mechanisms and prove that a variety of geometries are involved in the molecular bond formation.

Atomic and molecular interactions with photons↗
DOE OSTI2025

Interfacial dynamics and catalytic behavior of single Ni atom site

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have garnered significant interest due to their ability to reduce metal particles to the atomic scale, enabling finely tunable local environments and enhanced catalytic properties in terms of reactivity and selectivity. Despite this potential, their application has largely been confined to small-molecule transformations as metal-catalyzed reaction. Here, in this study, we present a diverse single-atom nickel (Ni) catalyst established via a nanoporous carbon (NPC) supported practice. This catalyst represents a breakthrough by achieving the bond formation between carbon and nitrogen and interfacial dynamics in the SAC. The present first principle-based density functional simulations establish the reaction dynamics and catalytic behaviour of such SAC. This dynamic nature comprises an exclusive nitrogen intercalated site showing excellent base effects. This base quickly tunes the interfacial atmosphere, enabling dynamic movement of adatoms into the NPC species, significantly changing the reaction path in Ni SACs due to superior steric effects. The research demonstrates that SACs can extend the capabilities of catalytic systems to include a wider range of complex reactions, offering substantial promise for the development of new, efficient synthetic methods for creating value-added molecular products.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Precise Modulation of CO 2 Sorption in Ti 8 Ce 2 –Oxo Clusters: Elucidating Lewis Acidity of the Ce Metal Sites and Structural Flexibility

Investigating the structure-property correlation in porous materials is a fundamental and consistent focus in various scientific domains, especially within sorption research. Metal oxide clusters with capping ligands, characterized by intrinsic cavities formed through specific solid-state packing, demonstrate significant potential as versatile platforms for sorption investigations due to their precisely tunable atomic structures and inherent long-range order. This study presents a series of Ti 8 Ce 2 -oxo clusters with subtle variations in coordinated linkers and explores their sorption behavior. Notably, Ti 8 Ce 2 -BA (BA denotes benzoic acid) manifests a distinctive two-step profile during CO 2 adsorption, accompanied by a hysteresis loop. This observation marks a new instance within the metal oxide cluster field. Of intrigue, the presence of unsaturated Ce(IV) sites was found to be correlated with the stepped sorption property. Moreover, the introduction of an electrophilic fluorine atom, positioned ortho or para to the benzoic acid, facilitated precise control over gate pressure and stepped sorption quantities. Advanced in-situ techniques systematically unraveled the underlying mechanism behind this unique sorption behavior. The findings elucidate that robust Lewis base-acid interactions are established between CO 2 molecules and Ce ions, consequently altering the conformation of coordinated linkers. Conversely, the F atoms primarily contribute to gate pressure variation by influencing the Lewis acidity of the Ce sites. This research advances the understanding in fabricating metal-oxo clusters with structural flexibility and provides profound insights into their host-guest interaction motifs. Furthermore, these insights hold substantial promise across diverse fields and offer valuable guidance for future adsorbent designs grounded in fundamental theories of structure-property relationships.

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

Measurements of Radical Reactivity with an Imine, (CF 3 ) 2 CNH: Rate Constants for Chlorine Atoms and Hydroxyl Radicals and the Global Warming Potential

The rate constant kOH for the reaction of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroprop-2-imine with OH radicals was measured relative to two reference compounds, CH 3 F and CH 3 CHF 2 , to be k OH = (4.2 ± 1.1) × 10 −14 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 at 295 K. This implies an atmospheric lifetime with respect to consumption by OH of 0.75 years. Reaction with Cl atoms yielded k Cl = (7.9 ± 1.7) × 10 −16 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 at 295 K, and reaction with O 3 has an upper limit of k O3 < 4 × 10 −23 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 , so that the atmospheric consumption by Cl and O 3 is negligibly slow. Absolute infrared cross sections of the imine yield a radiative efficiency of 0.34 W m −2 ppb −1 , which is corrected to 0.23 W m −2 ppb −1 for the effects of atmospheric lifetime. The imine’s corresponding 100-year global warming potential is 64 ± 19. This value is an upper limit, given that heterogenous atmospheric removal paths, such as hydrolysis in water droplets, are not included.

climate metric↗
DOE OSTI2024

Radiolytic evaluation of a new technetium redox control reagent for advanced used nuclear fuel separations

Technetium is a problematic radioisotope for used nuclear fuel (UNF) and subsequent waste management owing to its high environmental mobility and coextraction in reprocessing technologies as the pertechnetate anion (TcO 4 - ). Consequently, several strategies are under development to control the transport of this radioisotope. A proposed approach is to use diaminoguanidine (DAG) for TcO 4 - and transuranic ion redox control. Although the initial DAG molecule is ultimately consumed in the redox process, its susceptibility to radiolysis is currently unknown under envisioned UNF reprocessing conditions, which is a critical knowledge gap for evaluating its overall suitability for this role. To this end, we report the impacts of steady-state gamma irradiation on the rate of DAG radiolysis in water, aqueous 2.0 M nitric acid (HNO 3 ), and in a biphasic solvent system composed of aqueous 2.0 M HNO 3 in contact with 1.5 M N,N-di-(2-ethylhexyl)isobutyramide (DEHiBA) dissolved in n-dodecane. In addition, we report chemical kinetics for the reaction of DAG with key transients arising from electron pulse radiolysis, specifically the hydrated electron (e aq - ), hydrogen atom (H ˙ ), and hydroxyl ( ˙ OH) and nitrate (NO 3 ˙ ) radicals. The DAG molecule exhibited significant reactivity with the ˙ OH and NO 3 ˙ radicals, indicating that oxidation would be the predominant degradation pathway in radiation environments. This is consistent with its role as a reducing agent. Steady-state gamma irradiations demonstrated that DAG is readily degraded within a few hundred kilogray, the rate of which was found to increase upon going from water to HNO 3 containing solutions and solvents systems. This was attributed to a thermal reaction between DAG and the predominant HNO 3 radiolysis product, nitrous acid (HNO 2 ), k(DAG + HNO 2 ) = 5480 ± 85 M -1 s -1 . Although no evidence was found for the radiolysis of DAG altering the radiation chemistry of the contacted DEHiBA/n-dodecane phase in the investigated biphasic system, the utility of DAG as a redox control reagent will likely be limited by significant competition with its degradation by HNO 2 .

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2020

Exotic Photonic Molecules via Lennard-Jones-like Potentials

Ultracold systems offer an unprecedented level of control of interactions between atoms. An important challenge is to achieve a similar level of control of the interactions between photons. Towards this goal, we propose a realization of a novel Lennard-Jones-like potential between photons coupled to the Rydberg states via electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). This potential is achieved by tuning Rydberg states to a Förster resonance with other Rydberg states. In this work, we consider few-body problems in 1D and 2D geometries and show the existence of self-bound clusters (“molecules”) of photons. We demonstrate that for a few-body problem, the multibody interactions have a significant impact on the geometry of the molecular ground state. This leads to phenomena without counterparts in conventional systems: For example, three photons in two dimensions preferentially arrange themselves in a line configuration rather than in an equilateral-triangle configuration. Our result opens a new avenue for studies of many-body phenomena with strongly interacting photons.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fast and Accurate Machine Learning Strategy for Calculating Partial Atomic Charges in Metal–Organic Frameworks

Computational high-throughput screening using molecular simulations is a powerful tool for identifying top-performing metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for gas storage and separation applications. Accurate partial atomic charges are often required to model the electrostatic interactions between the MOF and the adsorbate, especially when the adsorption involves molecules with dipole or quadrupole moments such as water and CO 2 . Although ab initio methods can be used to calculate accurate partial atomic charges, these methods are impractical for screening large material databases because of the high computational cost. We developed a random forest machine learning model to predict the partial atomic charges in MOFs using a small yet meaningful set of features that represent both the elemental properties and the local environment of each atom. The model was trained and tested on a collection of about 320 000 density-derived electrostatic and chemical (DDEC) atomic charges calculated on a subset of the Computation-Ready Experimental Metal–Organic Framework (CoRE MOF-2019) database and separately on charge model 5 (CM5) charges. The model predicts accurate atomic charges for MOFs at a fraction of the computational cost of periodic density functional theory (DFT) and is found to be transferable to other porous molecular crystals and zeolites. In conclusion, a strong correlation is observed between the partial atomic charge and the average electronegativity difference between the central atom and its bonded neighbors.

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

Activation dynamics of a water-soluble human mu-opioid receptor

The mu-opioid receptor (MOR), a class A G protein-coupled receptor mediates opioid analgesia and remains a central target for pain therapeutics. While crystal structures of MOR exist, they provide limited insight into the receptor’s dynamic conformational landscape underlying function. Here, we engineered a thermostable water-soluble MOR variant (wsMOR) that retains native-like ligand-binding and activation dynamics. This variant enables high-yield production and detailed solution-phase structural studies that are challenging with membrane-embedded MOR, providing a valuable tool for studying receptor activation and aqueous-phase drug screening. Using a combined computational and experimental approach, we performed long-timescale all-atom molecular dynamics simulations together with neutron scattering and single-molecule FRET, revealing a structurally stable receptor with a diverse ensemble of conformations at different temporal resolutions. In the ligand-free state, wsMOR displayed high conformational flexibility, which decreased upon agonist binding, particularly in transmembrane helix 6, a hallmark of G protein-coupled receptor activation. Positive allosteric modulation and G protein binding further stabilized active-like states. These findings highlight wsMOR’s conformational plasticity across picosecond to millisecond timescales and provide a foundation for structure-guided development of next-generation opioid ligands with improved efficacy and safety.

E, Agyemang [University of Tennessee Knoxville]↗
DOE OSTI2021

Adsorption separation of heavier isotope gases in subnanometer carbon pores

Isotopes of heavier gases including carbon ( 13 C/ 14 C), nitrogen ( 13 N), and oxygen ( 18 O) are highly important because they can be substituted for naturally occurring atoms without significantly perturbing the biochemical properties of the radiolabelled parent molecules. These labelled molecules are employed in clinical radiopharmaceuticals, in studies of brain disease and as imaging probes for advanced medical imaging techniques such as positron-emission tomography (PET). Established distillation-based isotope gas separation methods have a separation factor ( S ) below 1.05 and incur very high operating costs due to high energy consumption and long processing times, highlighting the need for new separation technologies. Here, we show a rapid and highly selective adsorption-based separation of 18 O 2 from 16 O 2 with S above 60 using nanoporous adsorbents operating near the boiling point of methane (112 K), which is accessible through cryogenic liquefied-natural-gas technology. A collective-nuclear-quantum effect difference between the ordered 18 O 2 and 16 O 2 molecular assemblies confined in subnanometer pores can explain the observed equilibrium separation and is applicable to other isotopic gases.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Coupled Cluster Downfolding Methods: the effect of double commutator terms on the accuracy of ground-state energies

Downfolding coupled cluster (CC) techniques have recently been introduced into quantum chemistry as a tool for the dimensionality reduction of the many-body quantum problem. As opposed to earlier formulations in physics and chemistry based on the concept of effective Hamiltonians, the appearance of the downfolded Hamiltonians is a natural consequence of the single-reference exponential parametrization of the wave function. In this paper, we discuss the impact of higher-order terms originating in double commutators. In analogy to previous studies, we consider the case when only one- and two-body interactions are included in the downfolded Hamiltonians. We demonstrate the efficiency of the many-body expansions involving single and double commutators for the unitary extension of the downfolded Hamiltonians on the example of the beryllium atom, and bond-breaking processes in the Li2 and H2O molecules. For the H2O system, we also analyze energies obtained with downfolding procedures as functions of the active space size.

quantum computing, quantum algorithms, electronic ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Revisiting the pseudo-supercritical path method: An improved formulation for the alchemical calculation of solid–liquid coexistence

Alchemical free energy calculations via molecular dynamics have been applied to obtain thermodynamic properties related to solid–liquid equilibrium conditions, such as melting points. In recent years, the pseudo-supercritical path (PSCP) method has proved to be an important approach to melting point prediction due to its flexibility and applicability. In the present work, we propose improvements to the PSCP alchemical cycle to make it more compact and efficient through a concerted evaluation of different potential energies. The multistate Bennett acceptance ratio (MBAR) estimator was applied at all stages of the new cycle to provide greater accuracy and uniformity, which is essential concerning uncertainty calculations. In particular, for the multistate expansion stage from solid to liquid, we employed the MBAR estimator with a reduced energy function that allows affine transformations of coordinates. Free energy and mean derivative profiles were calculated at different cycle stages for argon, triazole, propenal, and the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium hexafluorophosphate. Comparisons showed a better performance of the proposed method than the original PSCP cycle for systems with higher complexity, especially the ionic liquid. Furthermore, a detailed study of the expansion stage revealed that remapping the centers of mass of the molecules or ions is preferable to remapping the coordinates of each atom, yielding better overlap between adjacent states and improving the accuracy of the methodology.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Bimolecular Chemistry in the Ultracold Regime

Advances in atomic, molecular, and optical physics techniques allowed the cooling of simple molecules down to the ultracold regime ([Formula: see text]1 mK) and opened opportunities to study chemical reactions with unprecedented levels of control. This review covers recent developments in studying bimolecular chemistry at ultralow temperatures. We begin with a brief overview of methods for producing, manipulating, and detecting ultracold molecules. We then survey experimental works that exploit the controllability of ultracold molecules to probe and modify their long-range interactions. Further combining the use of physical chemistry techniques such as mass spectrometry and ion imaging significantly improved the detection of ultracold reactions and enabled explorations of their dynamics in the short range. We discuss a series of studies on the reaction KRb + KRb → K 2 + Rb 2 initiated below 1 μK, including the direct observation of a long-lived complex, the demonstration of product rotational state control via conserved nuclear spins, and a test of the statistical model using the complete quantum state distribution of the products.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on OsF6 by Materials Project

OsF6 is beta Np structured and crystallizes in the orthorhombic Pnma space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of four osmium hexafluoride molecules. Os6+ is bonded in an octahedral geometry to six F1- atoms. All Os–F bond lengths are 1.87 Å. There are four inequivalent F1- sites. In the first F1- site, F1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Os6+ atom. In the second F1- site, F1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Os6+ atom. In the third F1- site, F1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Os6+ atom. In the fourth F1- site, F1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Os6+ atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on UF6 by Materials Project

UF6 is beta Np structured and crystallizes in the orthorhombic Pnma space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of four uranium hexafluoride molecules. U6+ is bonded in an octahedral geometry to six F1- atoms. There are five shorter (2.02 Å) and one longer (2.03 Å) U–F bond lengths. There are four inequivalent F1- sites. In the first F1- site, F1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one U6+ atom. In the second F1- site, F1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one U6+ atom. In the third F1- site, F1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one U6+ atom. In the fourth F1- site, F1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one U6+ atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on WCl6 by Materials Project

WCl6 crystallizes in the trigonal P-3m1 space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of three tungsten(vi) chloride molecules. W6+ is bonded in an octahedral geometry to six Cl1- atoms. All W–Cl bond lengths are 2.31 Å. There are two inequivalent Cl1- sites. In the first Cl1- site, Cl1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one W6+ atom. In the second Cl1- site, Cl1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one W6+ atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on SnI4 by Materials Project

SnI4 is Iron carbide-like structured and crystallizes in the cubic Pa-3 space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of eight stannic iodide molecules. Sn4+ is bonded in a tetrahedral geometry to four I1- atoms. There are one shorter (2.70 Å) and three longer (2.71 Å) Sn–I bond lengths. There are two inequivalent I1- sites. In the first I1- site, I1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Sn4+ atom. In the second I1- site, I1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Sn4+ atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on SnBr4 by Materials Project

SnBr4 is Silicon tetrafluoride-like structured and crystallizes in the monoclinic P2_1/c space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of four tin(iv) bromide molecules. Sn4+ is bonded in a tetrahedral geometry to four Br1- atoms. All Sn–Br bond lengths are 2.48 Å. There are four inequivalent Br1- sites. In the first Br1- site, Br1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Sn4+ atom. In the second Br1- site, Br1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Sn4+ atom. In the third Br1- site, Br1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Sn4+ atom. In the fourth Br1- site, Br1- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Sn4+ atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗