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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 937 records · Page 52
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Catalytic Deconstruction of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer and Polyethylene Mixtures via Hydroconversion: Challenges and Solutions

We explore hydrogenolysis over ruthenium supported on zirconia (Ru/ZrO 2 ) and hydrocracking over platinum (Pt) supported on zeolites as an effective end-of-life strategy for ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)–a widely used performance heat sealant in hard-to-recycle multilayer packaging. For Ru/ZrO 2 hydrogenolysis, EVA reacts slower than low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and the catalyst deactivates due to carbonaceous deposits originating from polyenes generated in situ during EVA thermal degradation. High H 2 pressures and temperatures can overcome catalyst deactivation; however, CH 4 yields are excessive due to cascade hydrogenolysis stemming from strong C=C/metal interactions. Polyene hydrogenation allows chains anchored by C=C to desorb from Ru, shifting product selectivity from CH 4 to higher-value liquids. Hydrogenolysis of mixed EVA and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), mirroring typical frozen food packaging formulations, results in comparable catalyst activity and CH 4 yield as the pure EVA resin. For Pt/zeolite hydrocracking, pure EVA and EVA:LLDPE mixtures are deconstructed to propane or light naphtha with minimal CH 4 production. Among catalysts tested, Pt/HY gives the highest liquid productivity (g C5+products /g cat ·h). Furthermore, these findings showcase the recalcitrant nature of EVA and its associated mixtures for Ru/ZrO 2 hydrogenolysis, highlighting that hydrocracking catalysts may be superior for complex packaging waste.

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

Catalytic Hydrogenation of Alkylphenols for Renewable Caprolactone

Selective hydrogenation of lignin-derived alkyl-phenol to alkyl-cyclohexanone is a key step in the synthesis of renewable caprolactone from lignin-derived monomers. Selective hydrogenation of p-cresol, a model compound for lignin-derived monomers, to 4-methyl-cyclohexanone was conducted using Pd/γ-Al 2 O 3 in a continuous three-phase flow reactor with side products of 4-methyl cyclohexanol. High conversion (85%) and selectivity (>93%) were demonstrated at ambient reaction pressure. Evaluation of the hydrogenation at different reaction parameters showed that the reaction selectivity was determined by the surface coverage of p-cresol and 4-methyl cyclohexanone. Furthermore, high selectivity to 4-methyl cyclohexanone was also attributed to the lower apparent activation barrier of p-cresol hydrogenation (67 ± 2 kJ mol –1 ) compared to that of hydrogenation 4-methyl cyclohexanone (92 ± 11 kJ mol –1 ), with a faster rate of initial hydrogenation of p-cresol relative to carbonyl hydrogenation of 4-methyl-cyclohexanone.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Preorganized Electric Field Leads to Minimal Geometrical Reorientation in the Catalytic Reaction of Ketosteroid Isomerase

Electrostatic interactions play a pivotal role in enzymatic catalysis and are increasingly modeled explicitly in computational enzyme design; nevertheless, they are challenging to measure experimentally. Using vibrational Stark effect (VSE) spectroscopy, we have measured electric fields inside the active site of the enzyme ketosteroid isomerase (KSI). These studies have shown that these fields can be unusually large, but it has been unclear to what extent they specifically stabilize the transition state (TS) relative to a ground state (GS). In the following, we use crystallography and computational modeling to show that KSI’s intrinsic electric field is nearly perfectly oriented to stabilize the geometry of its reaction’s TS. Moreover, we find that this electric field adjusts the orientation of its substrate in the ground state so that the substrate needs to only undergo minimal structural changes upon activation to its TS. This work provides evidence that the active site electric field in KSI is preorganized to facilitate catalysis and provides a template for how electrostatic preorganization can be measured in enzymatic systems.

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

Catalytic Carbodiimide Guanylation by a Nucleophilic, High Spin Iron(II) Imido Complex

Reduction of the three-coordinate iron(III) imido [Ph 2 B( t BuIm) 2 Fe=NDipp] (1) affords [Ph 2 B( t BuIm) 2 Fe=NDipp][K(18-C-6)THF 2 ] (2), a rare example of a high-spin (S = 2) iron(II) imido complex. Unusually for a late metal imido complex, the imido ligand in 2 has nucleophilic character, as demonstrated by the reaction with DippNH 2 , which establishes an equilibrium with the bis(anilido) complex [Ph 2 B( t BuIm) 2 Fe(NHDipp) 2 ][K(18-C-6)THF 2 ] (3). In an unusual transformation, formal insertion of i PrN=C=N i Pr into the Fe=N(imido) bond yields the guanidinate [Ph 2 B( t BuIm) 2 Fe( i PrN) 2 CNDipp][K(18-C-6)THF 2 ] (4). Here, reaction of 4 with excess DippNH 2 provides 3, along with the guanidine ( i PrNH) 2 C=NDipp. As suggested by these stoichiometric reactions, 2 is an efficient catalyst for the guanylation of carbodiimides, converting a wide range of aniline substrates under mild conditions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Catalytic Performance and Near-Surface X-ray Characterization of Titanium Hydride Electrodes for the Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction Reaction

The electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) on titanium introduces significant surface reconstruction and forms titanium hydride (TiH x , 0 < x ≤ 2). With ex situ grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), we demonstrated near-surface TiH2 enrichment with increasing NO3RR applied potential and duration. This quantitative relationship facilitated electrochemical treatment of Ti to form TiH 2 /Ti electrodes for use in NO3RR, thereby decoupling hydride formation from NO 3 RR performance. A wide range of NO 3 RR activity and selectivity on TiH2/Ti electrodes between -0.4 and -1.0 VRHE was observed and analyzed with density functional theory (DFT) calculations on TiH 2 (111). Finally, this work underscores the importance of relating NO 3 RR performance with near-surface electrode structure to advance catalyst design and operation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Isolation of a Cu–H Monomer Enabled by Remote Steric Substitution of a N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand: Stoichiometric Insertion and Catalytic Hydroboration of Internal Alkenes

Transient Cu–H monomers have long been invoked in the mechanisms of substrate insertion in Cu–H catalysis. Their role from Cu–H aggregates has been mostly inferred since ligands to stabilize these monomeric intermediates for systematic studies remain limited. Within the last decade, new sterically demanding N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands have led to isolable Cu–H dimers and, in some cases, spectroscopic characterization of Cu–H monomers in solution. In this work, we report an NHC ligand, IPr*R, containing para R groups of CHPh 2 and CPh 3 on the ligand periphery for the isolation of a Cu–H monomer for insertion of internal alkenes. This reactivity has not been reported for (NHC)CuH complexes despite their common application in Cu–H-catalyzed hydrofunctionalization. Changing from CHPh 2 to CPh 3 impacts the relative concentration of Cu–H monomers, rate of alkene insertion, and reaction of a trisubstituted internal alkene. Specifically, for R = CPh 3 , monomeric (IPr*CPh 3 )CuH was isolated and provided >95% monomer (10 mM in C 6 D 6 ). In contrast, for R = CHPh 2 , solutions of [(IPr*CHPh 2 )CuH] 2 are 80% dimer and 20% (IPr*CHPh 2 )CuH monomer at 25 °C based on 1 H, 13 C, and 1 H– 13 C HMBC NMR spectroscopy. Quantitative 1 H NMR kinetic studies on cyclopentene insertion into Cu–H complexes to form the corresponding Cu–cyclopentyl complexes demonstrate a strong dependence on the rate of insertion and concentration of the Cu–H monomer. Only (IPr*CPh 3 )CuH, which has a high monomer concentration, underwent regioselective insertion of a trisubstituted internal alkene, 1-methylcyclopentene, to give (IPr*CPh 3 )Cu(2-methylcyclopentyl), which has been crystallographically characterized. We also demonstrated that (IPr*CPh 3 )CuH catalyzes the hydroboration of cyclopentene and methylcyclopentene with pinacolborane.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

13 C ENDOR Characterization of the Central Carbon within the Nitrogenase Catalytic Cofactor Indicates That the CFe 6 Core Is a Stabilizing “Heart of Steel”

Substrates and inhibitors of Mo-dependent nitrogenase bind and react at Fe ions of the active-site FeMo-cofactor [7Fe–9S–C–Mo–homocitrate] contained within the MoFe protein α-subunit. The cofactor contains a CFe 6 core, a carbon centered within a trigonal prism of six Fe, whose role in catalysis is unknown. Targeted 13 C labeling of the carbon enables electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy to sensitively monitor the electronic properties of the Fe–C bonds and the spin-coupling scheme adopted by the FeMo-cofactor metal ions. Here this report compares 13 CFe 6 ENDOR measurements for (i) the wild-type protein resting state (E 0 ; α-Val 70 ) to those of (ii) α-Ile 70 , (iii) α-Ala 70 -substituted proteins; (iv) crystallographically characterized CO-inhibited “hi-CO” state; (v) E 4 (4H) Janus intermediate, activated for N 2 binding/reduction by accumulation of 4[ e– /H + ]; (vi) E 4 (2H)* state containing a doubly reduced FeMo-cofactor without Fe-bound substrates; and (vii) propargyl alcohol reduction intermediate having allyl alcohol bound as a ferracycle to FeMo-cofactor Fe6. All states examined, both S = 1/2 and 3/2 exhibited near-zero 13 C isotropic hyperfine coupling constants, $^Ca$ = [-1.3 ↔ +2.7] MHz. Density functional theory computations and natural bond orbital analysis of the Fe-C bonds show that this occurs because a (3 spin-up/3 spin-down) spin-exchange configuration of CFe 6 Fe-ion spins produces cancellation of large spin-transfers to carbon in each Fe–C bond. Previous X-ray diffraction and DFT both indicate that trigonal-prismatic geometry around carbon is maintained with high precision in all these states. The persistent structure and Fe–C bonding of the CFe 6 core indicate that it does not provide a functionally dynamic (hemilabile) “beating heart”-instead it acts as “a heart of steel”, stabilizing the structure of the FeMo-cofactor-active site during nitrogenase catalysis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ene Reactivity of an Fe=NR Bond Enables the Catalytic α-Deuteration of Nitriles and Alkynes

Herein, we report the reactions of an Fe(II) imido complex [Ph 2 B( t BuIm) 2 Fe=NDipp] – (1) with internal alkynes and isobutyronitrile, affording the Fe amido allenyl complexes [Ph 2 B( t BuIm) 2 Fe(NHDipp)((R 1 )C=C=C(R 2 )(H))] – (R 1 = Et or n Pr; R 2 = Me or Et, 2–5) and the Fe amido keteniminate complex [Ph 2 B( t BuIm) 2 Fe(NHDipp)(N=C=CMe 2 )K(THF)] n (8-K), respectively. These transformations represent the previously unknown ene-like reactivity of a metal–ligand multiple bond. Stoichiometric reactions of 2 and 8-K with DippNH 2 lead to the regeneration of 3-hexyne and isobutyronitrile, respectively, with concomitant formation of the bis(anilido) complex [Ph 2 B( t BuIm) 2 Fe(NHDipp) 2 ] – (9). These results provide the platform for 1 as an efficient catalyst for the selective α-deuteration of nitriles and alkynes by RND 2 . Furthermore, these results demonstrate a new reaction mode for metal imido complexes and suggest new avenues for using the imido ligand in catalysis.

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

Catalytic 1,3-Proton Transfer in Alkenes Enabled by Fe=NR Bond Cooperativity: A Strategy for p K a -Dictated Regioselective Transposition of C=C Double Bonds

Transition metal catalyzed alkene double bond transposition usually involves metal hydride intermediates. Despite significant advances in the design of catalysts that dictate product selectivity, control over substrate selectivity is less advanced and transition metal catalysts that selectively transpose double bonds in substrates containing multiple 1-alkene functionalities are rare. Herein, we report that the three-coordinate high spin (S = 2) Fe(II) imido complex [Ph 2 B( t BuIm) 2 Fe=NDipp][K(18-C-6)THF 2 ] (1-K(18-C-6)) catalyzes 1,3-proton transfer from 1-alkene substrates to afford 2-alkene transposition products. Mechanistic investigations involving kinetics, competition, and isotope labeling studies, supported by experimentally calibrated DFT computations, strongly support an unusual nonhydridic mechanism for alkene transposition that is enabled by the cooperative action of the iron center and basic imido ligand. As dictated by the pK a of the allylic protons, this catalyst enables the regioselective transposition of C=C double bonds in substrates containing multiple 1-alkenes. The high spin (S = 2) state of the complex allows a wide scope of functional groups to be tolerated, including those that are typical catalyst poisons, such as amines, N-heterocycles, and phosphines. Furthermore, these results demonstrate a new strategy for metal-catalyzed alkene transposition with predictable substrate regioselectivity.

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

Regulating Catalytic Properties and Thermal Stability of Pt and PtCo Intermetallic Fuel-Cell Catalysts via Strong Coupling Effects between Single-Metal Site-Rich Carbon and Pt

Developing low platinum-group-metal (PGM) catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) for heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) remains a great challenge due to the highly demanded power density and long-term durability. Here, this work explores the possible synergistic effect between single Mn site-rich carbon (Mn SA -NC) and Pt nanoparticles, aiming to improve intrinsic activity and stability of PGM catalysts. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations predicted a strong coupling effect between Pt and MnN 4 sites in the carbon support, strengthening their interactions to immobilize Pt nanoparticles during the ORR. The adjacent MnN 4 sites weaken oxygen adsorption at Pt to enhance intrinsic activity. Well-dispersed Pt (2.1 nm) and ordered L1 2 -Pt 3 Co nanoparticles (3.3 nm) were retained on the Mn SA -NC support after indispensable high-temperature annealing up to 800 °C, suggesting enhanced thermal stability. Both PGM catalysts were thoroughly studied in membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), showing compelling performance and durability. The Pt@Mn SA -NC catalyst achieved a mass activity (MA) of 0.63 A mg Pt –1 at 0.9 V iR-free and maintained 78% of its initial performance after a 30,000-cycle accelerated stress test (AST). The L1 2 -Pt 3 Co@Mn SA -NC catalyst accomplished a much higher MA of 0.91 A mg Pt –1 and a current density of 1.63 A cm –2 at 0.7 V under traditional light-duty vehicle (LDV) H 2 –air conditions (150 kPa abs and 0.10 mg Pt cm –2 ). Furthermore, the same catalyst in an HDV MEA (250 kPa abs and 0.20 mg Pt cm –2 ) delivered 1.75 A cm –2 at 0.7 V, only losing 18% performance after 90,000 cycles of the AST, demonstrating great potential to meet the DOE targets.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Modulating CO 2 Electrocatalytic Conversion to the Organics Pathway by the Catalytic Site Dimension

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to organic chemicals provides a value-added route for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we report a family of carbon-supported Sn electrocatalysts with the tin size varying from single atom, ultrasmall clusters to nanocrystallites. High single-product Faradaic efficiency (FE) and low onset potential of CO 2 conversion to acetate (FE = 90% @ –0.6 V), ethanol (FE = 92% @ –0.4 V), and formate (FE = 91% @ –0.6 V) were achieved over the catalysts of different active site dimensions. The CO 2 conversion mechanism behind these highly selective, size-modulated p-block element catalysts was elucidated by structural characterization and computational modeling, together with kinetic isotope effect investigation.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗