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At least 973 records · Page 54

Nonlinear Impact-Echo Test for Quantitative Evaluation of ASR Damage in Concrete

Nonlinear acoustic methods demonstrate high sensitivity for concrete damage evaluation. Among these methods, nonlinear resonance acoustic methods have been widely used in laboratory tests on small scale test samples. In this study, a nonlinear impact-echo (IE) method for concrete damage evaluation was introduced, in which the IE frequency shift was measured at different impact force levels. The nonlinear IE test and the nonlinear impact resonance acoustic spectroscopy (NIRAS) test share similarities in the experimental setup and analysis method. However, the nonlinear IE test excites a local thickness resonance mode of a member instead of the global resonance vibration. Therefore, the analyzed mode is unaffected by member boundary conditions and is applicable to large concrete structural members. To identify the fundamental IE frequencies, multiple impacts were applied along the members. Once the fundamental IE frequencies were determined, the effectiveness of the nonlinear IE method was evaluated by testing seven concrete beam specimens with varying levels of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) damage. In conclusion, the nonlinear IE test demonstrates high sensitivity to concrete damage and allows for quantitative assessment of the damage state of concrete without a baseline measurement.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Physicochemical properties of the Portland cement-based mortar exposed to deep seafloor conditions at a depth of 1680 m

Achieving breakthroughs in marine technologies requires the development of infrastructures submerged in deep-sea environments, whose physicochemical effects on cement-based materials considerably differ from those of shallow seas. However, very few studies focused on the cement-based materials subjected to deep-sea conditions. This work investigates the changes in the compressive strength and phase composition of the cement mortar kept on the seafloor with a depth of 1680 m for 608 d. The mortar specimens salvaged from the seafloor exhibited severe visible damages, including softened mashy structures and significantly decreased compressive strengths. The obtained X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance data revealed that the dissolution of portlandite, decalcification of calcium (alumino) silicate hydrate, and formation of brucite, magnesium (alumino) silicate hydrate, a hydrotalcite-like phase, thaumasite, and ettringite likely contributed to the disintegration of mortar, which could be further accelerated by the low temperature of the deep-sea environment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Nanolignin-based high internal phase emulsions for efficient protection of curcumin against UV degradation

As an emulsifier, lignin exhibits excellent UV resistance on drug-loaded emulsion systems for drug delivery. However, due to the structural variation and complexity of lignins from various origins, their UV shielding performance varies with the techniques for lignin extraction, which impacts properties and the protection efficiency of lignin-based HIPEs (high internal phase emulsions). In this work, lignin nanoparticles, prepared from three lignin preparations of Eucalyptus, were used in HIPEs delivery systems to protect curcumin from degradation by UV radiation. Structures of the lignin preparations were characterized using 2D HSQC (heteronuclear single-quantum coherence) NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), 31 P NMR, and GPC (gel permeation chromatography). The residual curcumin level after 36h UV exposure in the nanolignin-based HIPEs was over 72%, much higher than that (< 10% after 24 h UV exposure) in the oil phase without lignin, indicating that the nanolignin-based HIPEs with enhanced UV shielding ability protect curcumin better. Of the three lignin preparations, AL (alkali lignin), with the lowest molecular weight, highest contents of phenolic hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, and highest S/G ratio, displayed the best anti-UV radiation ability and the most uniform nanoparticle size.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Cluster mediated conversion of amorphous Al(OH) 3 to γ-AlOOH

In this work, we report a synthetic pathway by which amorphous Al(OH) 3 is converted to γ-AlOOH through hydrothermal reaction in the presence of water at temperature T = 473 K. X-ray pair distribution function measurements reveal that the initially amorphous Al(OH) 3 possesses a locally γ-Al(OH) 3 -like structure, while nanocrystalline γ-AlOOH precipitates within 1 h of continuous hydrothermal exposure. Solid state nuclear magnetic resonance measurements show that resonant features associated with four- and five-member Al clusters persist through 20 min of hydrothermal treatment, and ultraviolet (UV) spectra mark the onset of UV-induced photoluminescent features characteristic to γ-AlOOH with 10 min of exposure, indicating a coexistence region of γ-Al(OH) 3 -like and γ-AlOOH-like amorphous species. Furthermore, powder x-ray diffraction measurements of desiccated powders reveal that the conversion process takes place in distinct, power law-defined stages with initial γ-AlOOH nucleation occurring within the first 20 min, followed by a ~ 1 h period of rapid grain coarsening and the subsequent onset of Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner-like coalescence.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Annotation of DOM metabolomes with an ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry molecular formula library

Current approaches to analyzing metabolomic data often rely on matching MS/MS fragmentation data to sparse libraries or databases. This approach results in limited identification of features, often with less than 10% of the dataset being annotated. A complementary approach is to assign molecular formula to features based on accurate mass measurements, but the platforms commonly used for metabolomics do not have the needed accuracy or resolving power to do this robustly, particularly for larger molecules. Using our newly modified analysis tool, CoreMS, we generated a library of molecular formula from pooled samples analyzed with LC-21T FT-ICR MS. This library successfully annotated approximately 53.2% of features identified from the exometabolome of marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum – a nearly ten-fold increase over the 5.9% annotation rate achieved using a conventional MS/MS library matching approach. Using this FT-ICR MS library approach, we were able to differentiate differences in the exometabolome of P. tricornutum in iron replete and iron limited conditions, with 668 metabolites being differentially expressed (p < 0.05, 2 x intensity difference) under these conditions. The traditional MS/MS fragmentation-based annotation approach only annotated 61 of these metabolites, while our novel pipeline annotated 450 metabolites and revealed 12 metabolites that were significantly more abundant under low iron conditions. Our results demonstrate the utility of ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry for generating more comprehensive and confident molecular annotations.

21T-FTICR-MS, CoreMS↗

General Protocol for the Accurate Prediction of Molecular 13 C/ 1 H NMR Chemical Shifts via Machine Learning Augmented DFT

An accurate prediction of NMR chemical shifts at affordable computational cost is very important for different types of structural assignments in experimental studies. Density functional theory (DFT) and gauge-including atomic orbital (GIAO) are two of the most popular computational methods for NMR calculation, yet they often fail to resolve ambiguities in structural assignments. In this work, we present a new method that uses machine learning (ML) techniques (DFT + ML) that significantly increases the accuracy of 13 C/ 1 H NMR chemical shift prediction for a variety of organic molecules. The input of the generalizable DFT + ML model contains two critical parts: one is a vector providing insights into chemical environments, which can be evaluated without knowing the exact geometry of the molecule; the other one is the DFT-calculated isotropic shielding constant. The DFT + ML model was trained with a data set containing 476 13 C and 270 1 H experimental chemical shifts. For the DFT methods used here, the root mean square deviations (RMSDs) for the errors between predicted and experimental 13 C/ 1 H chemical shifts can be as small as 2.10/0.18 ppm, which is much lower than those from simple DFT (5.54/0.25 ppm), or DFT + linear regression (LR) (4.77/0.23 ppm) approaches. It also has a smaller maximum absolute error than two previously proposed NMR-predicting ML models. The robustness of the DFT + ML model is tested on two classes of organic molecules (TIC10 and hyacinthacines), where the correct isomers were unambiguously assigned to the experimental ones. Overall, the DFT + ML model shows promise for structural assignments in a variety of systems, including stereoisomers, that are often challenging to determine experimentally.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Design of facilitated dissociation enables timing of cytokine signalling

Protein design has focused on the design of ground states, ensuring that they are sufficiently low energy to be highly populated. Designing the kinetics and dynamics of a system requires, in addition, the design of excited states that are traversed in transitions from one low-lying state to another. This is a challenging task because such states must be sufficiently strained to be poorly populated, but not so strained that they are not populated at all, and because protein design methods have focused on generating near-ideal structures. Here we describe a general approach for designing systems that use an induced-fit power stroke to generate a structurally frustrated and strained excited state, allosterically driving protein complex dissociation. X-ray crystallography, double electron–electron resonance spectroscopy and kinetic binding measurements show that incorporating excited states enables the design of effector-induced increases in dissociation rates as high as 5,700-fold. We highlight the power of this approach by designing rapid biosensors, kinetically controlled circuits and cytokine mimics that can be dissociated from their receptors within seconds, enabling dissection of the temporal dynamics of interleukin-2 signalling.

deformation dynamics↗

Superradiance in alpha clustered mirror nuclei

Resonances in unstable quantum systems are radiating states that despite decaying overall normalization have a well-defined structure which is being balanced by outgoing radiation. Such an interplay between outgoing wave and internal quantum many-body dynamics leads to several unique effects. One of those is known as superradiance, or alignment, where due to decay or virtual coupling to the continuum the states undergo restructuring so that their wave functions align towards the decay channels thus facilitating the decay. This effect is well understood theoretically and is closely related to the fundamental properties of reaction physics. Direct observation of superradiance in open quantum many-body systems is difficult because it is hard to find identical complex quantum systems that are different only in their coupling to the continuum of reaction states describing the decay. Here we report this phenomenon in alpha cluster decays of mirror nuclei 18 O and 18 Ne.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering in warm-dense Fe compounds beyond the SASE FEL resolution limit

Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) is a widely used spectroscopic technique, providing access to the electronic structure and dynamics of atoms, molecules, and solids. However, RIXS requires a narrow bandwidth x-ray probe to achieve high spectral resolution. The challenges in delivering an energetic monochromated beam from an x-ray free electron laser (XFEL) thus limit its use in few-shot experiments, including for the study of high energy density systems. Here we demonstrate that by correlating the measurements of the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) spectrum of an XFEL with the RIXS signal, using a dynamic kernel deconvolution with a neural surrogate, we can achieve electronic structure resolutions substantially higher than those normally afforded by the bandwidth of the incoming x-ray beam. We further show how this technique allows us to discriminate between the valence structures of Fe and Fe2O3, and provides access to temperature measurements as well as M-shell binding energies estimates in warm-dense Fe compounds.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

FeS colloids – formation and mobilization pathways in natural waters

For this study, we have used synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (structure of Fe–S clusters), transmission electron microscopy (solid-phase crystallinity), Fourier-transform ion-cyclotron-resonance mass spectrometry (identity and composition of natural organic carbon compounds), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (total aqueous Fe), and the revised ferrozine method (aqueous Fe( II ) and Fe( III ) concentrations) to determine the stability and nature of colloids generated by sulfidation of ferrihydrite nanoparticles in the absence and presence of organic compounds. We observed that reductive dissolution of ferrihydrite by aqueous sulfide generates nm-scale FeS clusters. Their subsequent aggregation, which promotes settling of FeS aggregates into the solid fraction, was directly correlated with sulfide/Fe ratio. At sulfide/Fe ratios ≤0.5, FeS clusters and larger colloids remained in suspension for at least 14 days (and up to several months). At sulfide/Fe ratios >0.5, sulfidation reaction rates were rapid and FeS cluster aggregation was accelerated. Moreover, the presence of organic compounds increased the time of suspension of FeS colloids, whereas increased ionic strength inhibited the generation of FeS colloids. We present a general conceptual model to predict when and where FeS colloids can form and enhance or inhibit the mobility of contaminants and nutrients associated with them. Our study indicates that in lowsalinity fresh groundwater systems poor in sulfate (i.e. low sulfidation; lakes, floodplains, peatlands etc.), the ferrihydrite sulfidation reaction generates aqueous FeS clusters and larger colloids that remain suspended over long time periods, thus mobilizing a substantial fraction of the total aqueous Fe and S.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Wavelength dependent photochemistry of an iron dinitrogen hydride complex via multiple spectroscopies – competing ejection of axial ligands

Nitrogenase (N 2 ase) is a critical enzyme which catalyzes the reaction of N 2 → NH 3 in nature. Studies on the spectroscopy and photochemistry of trans-[Fe II (DMeOPrPE) 2 (N 2 )H][BPh 4 ] (1) and its isotopologues (2–6) provide a possible first step to evaluate the geometries and properties of the real N 2 ase–N 2 structure(s). In this article, we have used FT-IR, FT-Raman, synchrotron-based nuclear resonant vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) and DFT calculations to examine and assign the normal modes of these complexes. In addition, we have monitored their wavelength dependent photochemistry using mid-IR, near-IR, NRVS, and Mössbauer spectroscopies. Two distinct photolysis pathways are observed with mid-IR at (nominal) 4 K – (1) the cleavage of Fe–N 2 bond in UV or visible light photolyses, which presents a unipolar disappearance of the N 2 peak at 2094 cm −1 and is recombinable; (2) the ejection of trans hydrogen atom with UV irradiation, which has a pair of bipolar peaks with the disappearance of N 2 at 2094 cm −1 and the appearance of a new species at 2056 cm −1 and is non-recombinable. The latter peak is well aligned with the N 2 peak in an Fe I reference complex (7). The combination of mid IR monitored photolysis/recombination and NRVS monitored photolysis form the central evidence for the conclusions in this article. In particular, the Fe II –N 2 and Fe I –H·dissociations are in competition with each other in UV or UV-inclusive photolyses of this dinitrogen hydride complex. In addition, near-IR and Mössbauer also provide consistent evidence about Fe I . This wavelength dependent photochemical work is the first one on a reaction active N 2 ase–N 2 model complex and it also demonstrates the competition ejection between two axial ligands (H· and N 2 ). It offers valuable information for future studies on real N 2 ase–N 2 and its photolysis products.

Dong, Weibing [Liaoning Normal University (China)]↗

Zinc–hydrogen and zinc–iridium pairs in β-Ga 2 O 3

Zinc-doped monoclinic gallium oxide (β-Ga 2 O 3 :Zn) has semi-insulating properties that could make it a preferred material as a substrate for power devices. In this work, infrared and UV/Visible spectroscopy were used to investigate the defect properties of bulk β-Ga 2 O 3 :Zn crystals. As-grown crystals contain a single O-H stretching mode at 3486.7 cm -1 due to a neutral ZnH complex. A deuterium-annealed sample displays the corresponding O-D stretching mode at 2582.9 cm -1 , confirming the O-H assignment. A strong Ir 4+ electronic transition at 5147.6 cm -1 is also observed, along with sidebands attributed to ZnIr pairs. These sidebands show distinct differences compared with Mg-doped samples; most importantly, several peaks are attributed to Ir 4+ paired with a Zn on the tetrahedral Ga(I) site. Annealing under an oxygen atmosphere produced insulating material with a resistance above 1 TΩ.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The dual-electron cyclotron emission based measurement of 3D structures on DIII-D tokamak

The measurements of the locked mode and other 3D magnetohydrodynamic modes are essential for real-time control of plasma stability in future fusion reactors. Current magnetic measurements present non-negligible challenges for the application on fusion pilot plants (FPPs) due to neutron radiation and pose challenging design issues. In this paper, we discuss an alternative solution with microwave-based measurements. The dual-electron cyclotron emission (ECE) method has been developed and applied on DIII-D. The dual-ECE measurement method demonstrates clear identification of magnetic islands compared to single ECE, which is highly beneficial for locked mode feedback control on the FPPs. Toroidally separated ECE measurements provide accurate three-dimensional structure of magnetic islands and tearing modes. This technique also offers deeper physical insights into the penetration of resonant magnetic perturbations. Numerical calculations indicate that small locked modes (magnetic island width > 2 cm) can be detected using the dual-ECE measurement method in ITER plasma. This will enhance measurement capabilities for the safe operation of FPP plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Robust Fe divalent state in one-unit-cell $\mathrm{FeSe/SrTiO_3}$ thin films

The orbital occupancy, as the origin of Hund's rule coupling, provides critical information in understanding the multiorbital iron-based superconductors. The one-unit-cell (1UC) FeSe thin film on a SrTiO 3 substrate with superconductive T c above 60 K has been reported with unique electronic structures as well as orbital occupancy. In this paper, we present the x-ray absorption spectroscopy and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) study of the FeSe/STO thin films of different thicknesses. Together with the atomic multiplet simulation analysis, the FeSe/STO thin films (from 1UC to 10UC) are shown with the pure 3d6 electronic configuration which is identical to the bulk FeSe. Moreover, 1UC FeSe/STO is found to be distinctively more persistent in hosting the 3d6 configuration other than the thicker films under the oxidization process. The robustness of the 3d6 in 1UC FeSe/STO is discussed as a result of charge transfer from the substrate, as well as a mechanism to maintain the high-T c superconductivity. Additionally our research calls for a further high-resolution RIXS study of the pristine superconductive 1UC FeSe/STO thin film.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Structure-mechanical properties correlation in bulk LiPON glass produced by nitridation of metaphosphate melts

The glassy solid electrolyte Lithium phosphorous oxynitride (LiPON) has been widely researched in thin film solid state battery format due to its outstanding stability when cycled against lithium. In addition, recent reports show thin film LiPON having interesting mechanical behaviors, especially its ability to resist micro-scale cracking via densification and shear flow. Here, in the present study, we have produced bulk LiPON glasses with varying nitrogen contents by ammonolysis of LiPO 3 melts. The resulting compositions were determined to be LiPO 3-3z/2 N z , where 0 ≤ z ≤ 0.75, and the z value of 0.75 is among the highest ever reported for this series of LiPON glasses. The short-range order structures of the different resulting compositions were characterized by infrared, Raman, 31 P magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. Instrumented nano-indentation was used to measure mechanical properties. It was observed that similar to previous studies, both trigonally coordinated (N t ) and doubly bonded (N d ) N co-exist in the glasses in about the same amounts for z ≤ 0.36, the limit of N content in most previous studies. For glasses with z > 0.36, it was found that the fraction of the N t increased significantly while the fraction of N d correspondingly decreased. The incorporation of nitrogen increased both the elastic modulus and hardness of the glass by approximately a factor of 1.5 when N/P ratio reaches 0.75. At the same time, an apparent embrittlement of the glass was observed due to nitridation, which was revealed by nanoindentation with an extra sharp nanoindenter tip.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Electronic surface reconstruction of TiO 2 nanocrystals revealed by resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

The identification of lattice multiphases in TiO 2 nanocrystals is studied by high resolution transmission electron microscope and electron diffraction patterns. Based on the spectroscopic analysis using soft x-ray absorption and resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering, it is believed that the oxygen vacancies at the interface exhibit structural distortion of the TiO$^{8-}_6$ cluster around the defect site as for the multiphase lattice. We elucidate that the extra 3d electrons nearby induce the inelastic scattering features with the excitation energy dependence owing to different energy relaxation processes, a characteristic of the electron-phonon coupling or the nature of the electron-hole pair at the intermediate state. The manifold dd excitations driven by the strong interaction between Ti-3d and O-2p electrons are noticeably rich, coexisting on both Ti and O sites. Finally, this sophisticated experiment can advance the perspective of nanocomposite TiO 2 for various interactions of surface Ti 3+ in applications of future devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Multi-mode THz quantum-cascade VECSELs based on disordered metasurfaces

Quantum-cascade vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting-lasers (VECSELs) based on disordered amplifying metasurfaces are demonstrated and explored as potential broadband, multi-mode THz sources. The disorder is introduced along one spatial axis of the metasurface by pseudo-randomly varying the width of its resonant ridge antennas. Compared to a quantum-cascade (QC) VECSEL based on a uniform metasurface, the disordered structure supports much more localized transverse modes with reduced spatial overlap within the QC gain material. This localization is hypothesized to facilitate the spatial hole burning of the gain material and, therefore, enable multi-mode lasing, particularly for short cavities on the order of a few wavelengths. Several devices have been fabricated and shown to differ from uniform QC-VECSELs in a few key ways, possessing highly nonlinear light-current characteristics, angle-dependent emission spectra and broadband multi-mode lasing. At most, 17 modes are simultaneously observed, spanning 680 GHz. The number of VECSEL modes is shown to have an inverse relationship with the cavity length, which is attributed to increased diffractive losses in the open plano-plano cavity. As the cavity length is tuned, the device emits over a quasi-continuous band from 3.15 to 3.97 THz or up to 4.24 THz with a longitudinal mode hop.

Morag, Eilam [Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA↗

An In-situ and Direct Confirmation of Super-Planckian Thermal Radiation Emitted From a Metallic Photonic-Crystal at Optical Wavelengths

Planck’s law predicts the distribution of radiation energy, color and intensity, emitted from a hot object at thermal equilibrium. The Law also sets the upper limit of radiation intensity, the blackbody limit. Recent experiments reveal that micro-structured tungsten can exhibit significant deviation from the blackbody spectrum. However, whether thermal radiation with weak non-equilibrium pumping can exceed the blackbody limit in the far field remains un-answered experimentally. Here, we compare thermal radiation from a micro-cavity/tungsten photonic crystal (W-PC) and a blackbody, which are both measured from the same sample and also in-situ. We show that thermal radiation can exceed the blackbody limit by >8 times at λ=1.7 μm resonant wavelength in the far-field. Our observation is consistent with a recent calculation by Wang and John performed for a 2D W-PC filament. This finding is attributed to non-equilibrium excitation of localized surface plasmon resonances coupled to nonlinear oscillators and the propagation of the electromagnetic waves through non-linear Bloch waves of the W-PC structure. This discovery could help create super-intense narrow band thermal light sources and even an infrared emitter with a laser-like input-output characteristic.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗