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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

AVIRIS spectra correlated with the chlorophyll concentration of a forest canopy

Imaging spectrometers have many potential applications in the environmental sciences. One of the more promising applications is that of estimating the biochemical concentrations of key foliar biochemicals in forest canopies. These estimates are based on spectroscopic theory developed in agriculture and could be used to provide the spatial inputs necessary for the modeling of forest ecosystem dynamics and productivity. Several foliar biochemicals are currently under investigation ranging from those with primary absorption features in visible to middle infrared wavelengths (e.g., water, chlorophyll) to those with secondary to tertiary absorption features in this part of the spectrum (e.g., nitrogen, lignin). The foliar chemical of interest in this paper is chlorophyll; this is a photoreceptor and catalyst for the conversion of sunlight into chemical energy and as such plays a vital role in the photochemical synthesis of carbohydrates in plants. The aim of the research reported here was to determine if the chlorophyll concentration of a forest canopy could be correlated with the reflectance spectra recorded by the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS).

Kupiec, John↗
NASA NTRS2005

Pyrolytic Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes from Sucrose on a Mesoporous Silicate

Multiwall carbon nanotubes were synthesized from sucrose by a pyrolytic technique using mesoporous MCM-41 silicate templates without transition metal catalysts. The Nanotubes were examined in the carbon/silicate composite and after dissolution of the silicate. High resolution transmission electron microscopy study of the multiwall nanotubes showed them to be 15 nm in diameter, 200 nm in length and close-ended. There was variation in crystallinity with some nanotubes showing disordered wall structures.

Abdel-Fattah, Tarek↗
NASA NTRS1991

Advanced Materials Center, Battelle

The goal of the Mixed Oxide Program is to determine the results obtained by using microgravity processing on a commercially significant catalyst - V-P-O System. The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: (1) reasons for using microgravity; (2) the synthesis process; (3) novel results of the earth based program; and (4) Dupont interests.

Bellis, Harold↗
NASA NTRS2015

Fine-Grained Targets for Laser Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes

A mechanically robust, binder-free, inexpensive target for laser synthesis of carbon nanotubes and a method for making same, comprising the steps of mixing prismatic edge natural flake graphite with a metal powder catalyst and pressing the graphite and metal powder mixture into a mold having a desired target shape.

Smith, Michael W.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Fine-Grained Targets for Laser Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes

A mechanically robust, binder-free, inexpensive target for laser synthesis of carbon nanotubes and a method for making same, comprising the steps of mixing prismatic edge natural flake graphite with a metal powder catalyst and pressing the graphite and metal powder mixture into a mold having a desired target shape.

Smith, Michael W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Abiotic synthesis of fatty acids

The formation of fatty acids by Fischer-Tropsch-type synthesis was investigated with ferric oxide, ammonium carbonate, potassium carbonate, powdered Pueblito de Allende carbonaceous chondrite, and filings from the Canyon Diablo meteorite used as catalysts. Products were separated and identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Iron oxide, Pueblito de Allende chondrite, and Canyon Diablo filings in an oxidized catalyst form yielded no fatty acids. Canyon Diablo filings heated overnight at 500 C while undergoing slow purging by deuterium produced fatty acids only when potassium carbonate was admixed; potassium carbonate alone also produced these compounds. The active catalytic combinations gave relatively high yields of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons; substantial amounts of n-alkenes were almost invariably observed when fatty acids were produced; the latter were in the range C6 to C18, with maximum yield in C9 or 10.

Leach, W. W.↗
NASA NTRS2003

A First Attempt to Simulate the Natural Formation of Meteoritic Organics

Our working hypothesis in these experiments is that meteoritic organics are a mixture of materials made both in the interstellar medium and in the solar nebula that were further processed within meteorite parent bodies to produce what we see today. The material synthesized in the pre-solar environment is currently under study in several laboratories, though to our knowledge none are investigating the changes that might occur as the result of metamorphic processes on the parent body itself. Material made in the Solar Nebula results from a Fischer-Tropsch type (FTT) synthesis as CO and H2 react on grain surfaces to make methane, as well as more complex species. The products of these reactions using natural catalysts have been well-studied and a calculation of the potential efficiency of FTT reactions in the solar nebula demonstrates that they could contribute significantly to the composition of material near 3 AU.

Gardner, Kathryn↗
NASA NTRS1972

Origin of organic matter in early solar system. VI - Catalytic synthesis of nitriles, nitrogen bases and porphyrin-like pigments.

A variety of nitrogen compounds have been synthesized by a static Fischer-Tropsch type reaction from CO, D2 and ND3, with Ni-Fe and Al2O3 catalysts. In this reaction, the gas is heated to 500-700 C for about 0.5 hr, and then cycled through lower temperatures (100-400 C) for 1-14 days. Products were analyzed by mass spectrometry in conjunction with gas chromatography and other chromatographic techniques. Compounds produced include alkyl cyanides, pyrroles, porphyrin-like compounds, guanidines, hydantoin, uracil and its derivatives, thymine, adenine, guanine, xanthine, melamine, as well as alkanes, alkenes and aromatic hydrocarbons. Such reactions may have been involved in the production of interstellar molecules, organic compounds in meteorites, and prebiotic organic matter on planets.

Hayatsu, R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Catalysis of peptide bond formation by histidyl-histidine in a fluctuating clay environment

The condensation of glycine to form oligoglycines during wet-dry fluctuations on clay surfaces was enhanced up to threefold or greater by small amounts of histidyl-histidine. In addition, higher relative yields of the longer oligomers were produced. Other specific dipeptides tested gave no enhancement, and imidazole, histidine, and N-acetylhistidine gave only slight enhancements. Histidyl-histidine apparently acts as a true catalyst (in the sense of repeatedly catalyzing the reaction), since up to 52 nmol of additional glycine were incorporated into oligoglycine for each nmol of catalyst added. This is the first known instance of a peptide or similar molecule demonstrating a catalytic turnover number greater than unity in a prebiotic oligomer synthesis reaction, and suggests that histidyl-histidine is a model for a primitive prebiotic proto-enzyme. Catalysis of peptide bond synthesis by a molecule which is itself a peptide implies that related systems may be capable of exhibiting autocatalytic growth.

White, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Organic Analysis of Catalytic Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Products and Ordinary Chondrite Meteorites by Stepwise Pyrolysis-GCMS: Organics in the Early Solar Nebula

Abiotic generation of complex organic compounds, in the early solar nebula that formed our solar system, is hypothesized by some to occur via Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis. In its simplest form, FT synthesis involves the low temperature (<300degC) catalytic reaction of hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases to form more complex hydrocarbon compounds, primarily n-alkanes, via reactive nano-particulate iron, nickel, or cobalt, for example. Industrially, this type of synthesis has been utilized in the gas-to-liquid process to convert syngas, produced from coal, natural gas, or biomass, into paraffin waxes that can be cracked to produce liquid diesel fuels. In general, the effect of increasing reaction temperature (>300degC) produces FT products that include lesser amounts of n-alkanes and greater alkene, alcohol, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds. We have begun to experimentally investigate FT synthesis in the context of abiotic generation of organic compounds in the early solar nebula. It is generally thought that the early solar nebula included abundant hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases and nano-particulate matter such as iron and metal silicates that could have catalyzed the FT reaction. The effect of FT reaction temperature, catalyst type, and experiment duration on the resulting products is being investigated. These solid organic products are analyzed by thermal-stepwise pyrolysis-GCMS and yield the types and distribution of hydrocarbon compounds released as a function of temperature. We show how the FT products vary by reaction temperature, catalyst type, and experimental duration and compare these products to organic compounds found to be indigenous to ordinary chondrite meteorites. We hypothesize that the origin of organics in some chondritic meteorites, that represent an aggregation of materials from the early solar system, may at least in part be from FT synthesis that occurred in the early solar nebula.

Locke, Darren R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Flame Synthesis Used to Create Metal-Catalyzed Carbon Nanotubes

Metal-catalyzed carbon nanotubes are highly ordered carbon structures of nanoscale dimensions. They may be thought of as hollow cylinders whose walls are formed by single atomic layers of graphite. Such cylinders may be composed of many nested, concentric atomic layers of carbon or only a single layer, the latter forming a single-walled carbon nanotube. This article reports unique results using a flame for their synthesis. Only recently were carbon nanotubes discovered within an arc discharge and recognized as fullerene derivatives. Today metal-catalyzed carbon nanotubes are of great interest for many reasons. They can be used as supports for the metal catalysts like those found in catalytic converters. Open-ended nanotubes are highly desirable because they can be filled by other elements, metals or gases, for battery and fuel cell applications. Because of their highly crystalline structure, they are significantly stronger than the commercial carbon fibers that are currently available (10 times as strong as steel but possessing one-sixth of the weight). This property makes them highly desirable for strengthening polymer and ceramic composite materials. Current methods of synthesizing carbon nanotubes include thermal pyrolysis of organometallics, laser ablation of metal targets within hydrocarbon atmospheres at high temperatures, and arc discharges. Each of these methods is costly, and it is unclear if they can be scaled for the commercial synthesis of carbon nanotubes. In contrast, flame synthesis is an economical means of bulk synthesis of a variety of aerosol materials such as carbon black. Flame synthesis of carbon nanotubes could potentially realize an economy of scale that would enable their use in common structural materials such as car-body panels. The top figure is a transmission electron micrograph of a multiwalled carbon nanotube. The image shows a cross section of the atomic structure of the nanotube. The dark lines are individual atomic layer planes of carbon, seen here in cross section. They form a nested series of concentric cylinders, much like the growth rings on a tree. This sample was obtained by the supported catalyst method, whereby the nanoscale catalysts are dispersed on a substrate providing their support. The substrate with catalyst particles was immersed within an acetylene diffusion flame to which nitrogen had been added to eliminate soot formation. Upon removal from the flame, the nanotubes were dispersed on a holder suitable for electron microscopy. Although not seen in the figure, the tube diameter reflects that of the catalyst particle.

VanderWal, Randy L.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Characterization of Catalyst Materials for Production of Aerospace Fuels

Due to environmental, economic, and security issues, there is a greater need for cleaner alternative fuels. There will undoubtedly be a shift from crude oil to non-petroleum sources as a feedstock for aviation (and other transportation) fuels. Additionally, efforts are concentrated on reducing costs coupled with fuel production from non-conventional sources. One solution to this issue is Fischer-Tropsch gas-to-liquid technology. Fischer-Tropsch processing of synthesis gas (CO/H2) produces a complex product stream of paraffins, olefins, and oxygenated compounds such as alcohols and aldehydes. The Fisher-Tropsch process can produce a cleaner diesel oil fraction with a high cetane number (typically above 70) without any sulfur or aromatic compounds. This process is most commonly catalyzed by heterogeneous (in this case, silver and platinum) catalysts composed of cobalt supported on alumina or unsupported alloyed iron powders. Physisorption, chemisorptions, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) are described to better understand the potential performance of Fischer-Tropsch cobalt on alumina catalysts promoted with silver and platinum. The overall goal is to preferentially produce C8 to C18 paraffin compounds for use as aerospace fuels. Progress towards this goal will eventually be updated and achieved by a more thorough understanding of the characterization of catalyst materials. This work was supported by NASA s Subsonic Fixed Wing and In-situ Resource Utilization projects.

DeLaRee, Ana B.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Characterization of Catalyst Materials for Production of Aerospace Fuels

Due to environmental, economic, and security issues, there is a greater need for cleaner alternative fuels. There will undoubtedly be a shift from crude oil to non-petroleum sources as a feedstock for aviation (and other transportation) fuels. Additionally, efforts are concentrated on reducing costs coupled with fuel production from non-conventional sources. One solution to this issue is Fischer-Tropsch gas-to-liquid technology. Fischer-Tropsch processing of synthesis gas (CO/H2) produces a complex product stream of paraffins, olefins, and oxygenated compounds such as alcohols and aldehydes. The Fisher-Tropsch process can produce a cleaner diesel oil fraction with a high cetane number (typically above 70) without any sulfur or aromatic compounds. This process is most commonly catalyzed by heterogeneous (in this case, silver and platinum) catalysts composed of cobalt supported on alumina or unsupported alloyed iron powders. Physisorption, chemisorptions, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) are described to better understand the potential performance of Fischer-Tropsch cobalt on alumina catalysts promoted with silver and platinum. The overall goal is to preferentially produce C8 to C18 paraffin compounds for use as aerospace fuels. Progress towards this goal will eventually be updated and achieved by a more thorough understanding of the characterization of catalyst materials. This work was supported by NASA s Subsonic Fixed Wing and In-situ Resource Utilization projects.

Best, Lauren M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

High-Throughput Processes and Structural Characterization of Single-Nanotube Based Devices for 3D Electronics

We have developed manufacturable approaches to form single, vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, where the tubes are centered precisely, and placed within a few hundred nm of 1-1.5 micron deep trenches. These wafer-scale approaches were enabled by chemically amplified resists and inductively coupled Cryo-etchers to form the 3D nanoscale architectures. The tube growth was performed using dc plasmaenhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and the materials used for the pre-fabricated 3D architectures were chemically and structurally compatible with the high temperature (700 C) PECVD synthesis of our tubes, in an ammonia and acetylene ambient. The TEM analysis of our tubes revealed graphitic basal planes inclined to the central or fiber axis, with cone angles up to 30 deg. for the particular growth conditions used. In addition, bending tests performed using a custom nanoindentor, suggest that the tubes are well adhered to the Si substrate. Tube characteristics were also engineered to some extent, by adjusting growth parameters, such as Ni catalyst thickness, pressure and plasma power during growth.

top-down fabrication↗
NASA NTRS2005

Silicon nanowire synthesis by a vapor-liquid-solid approach

Synthesis of silicon nanowires is studied by using a vapor-liquid-solid growth technique. Silicon tetrachloride reduction with hydrogen in the gas phase is used with gold serving as catalyst to facilitate growth. Only a narrow set of conditions of SiCl4 concentration and temperature yield straight nanowires. High concentrations and temperatures generally result in particulates, catalyst coverage and deactivation, and coatinglike materials.

Evaluation Studies↗
NASA NTRS2011

Synthesis of Stacked-Cup Carbon Nanotubes in a Metal Free Low Temperature System

Stacked-cup carbon nanotubes were formed by either Fischer-Tropsch type or Haber Bosch type reactions in a metal free system. Graphite particles were used as the catalyst. The samples were heated at 600 C in a gas mixture of CO 75 Torr, N2 75 Torr and H2 550 Torr for three days. Trans mission electron microscope analysis of the catalyst surface at the completion of the experiment recognized the growth of nanotubes. They were 10-50 nm in diameter and approximately 1 micrometer in length. They had a hollow channel of 5-20 nm in the center. The nanotubes may have grown on graphite surfaces by the CO disproportionation reaction and the surface tension of the carbon nucleus may have determined the diameter. Although, generally, the diameter of a carbon nanotube depends on the size of the cataly1ic particles, the diameter of the nanotubes on graphite particles was independent of the particle size and significantly confined within a narrow range compared with that produced using catalytic amorphous iron-silicate nanoparticles. Therefore, they must have an unknown formation process that is different than the generally accepted mechanism.

Kimura, Yuki↗