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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Complex assembly, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the human Rod–Zwilch–ZW10 (RZZ) complex

The 800 kDa complex of the human Rod, Zwilch and ZW10 proteins (the RZZ complex) was reconstituted in insect cells, purified, crystallized and subjected to preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis. The spindle-assembly checkpoint (SAC) monitors kinetochore–microtubule attachment during mitosis. In metazoans, the three-subunit Rod–Zwilch–ZW10 (RZZ) complex is a crucial SAC component that interacts with additional SAC-activating and SAC-silencing components, including the Mad1–Mad2 complex and cytoplasmic dynein. The RZZ complex contains two copies of each subunit and has a predicted molecular mass of ∼800 kDa. Given the low abundance of the RZZ complex in natural sources, its recombinant reconstitution was attempted by co-expression of its subunits in insect cells. The RZZ complex was purified to homogeneity and subjected to systematic crystallization attempts. Initial crystals containing the entire RZZ complex were obtained using the sitting-drop method and were subjected to optimization to improve the diffraction resolution limit. The crystals belonged to space group P3{sub 1} (No. 144) or P3{sub 2} (No. 145), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 215.45, c = 458.7 Å, α = β = 90.0, γ = 120.0°.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Role of Complexation Strength on the Photophysical and Transport Properties of Semiconducting Charged Polymer Complexes

The high polymer fraction in complexes of conjugated and insulating polyelectrolytes offers unique opportunities for the fabrication of conductive thick films and bulk structures. The electrostatic interactions in these systems further provide a handle for controlling their structure and properties. The impact of charge-mediated complexation strength on the photophysical and electronic transport properties in blends of conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) with oppositely charged polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) was examined. Complexes were formed with varying frequency of charged repeat units, from 50 to 100%, on an anionic polythiophene-based CPE and a complimentary cationic PIL. In highly charged complexes, the intimate mixing between the CPE and the PIL reduced the structural disorder along the CPE backbone, enhancing its intrachain conjugation and interchain stacking. In weakly charged complexes (<90%), these chain planarization effects were absent and microphase separation occurred. At all charge fractions examined, the electrical conductivity of an acid-doped complex was higher than that of the unblended constituent CPE. Further, the highest electrical conductivity, near 1 S cm –1 , was found for a charge fraction of 100%. These results demonstrate the potential for designing effective polymeric conductors using electrostatic complexation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Simulating Ru L 3 -Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy with Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory: Model Complexes and Electron Localization in Mixed-Valence Metal Dimers

Ruthenium L3-edge X-ray absorption (XA) spectroscopy probes unoccupied 4d orbitals of the metal atom and is increasingly being used to investigate the local electronic structure in ground and excited electronic states of Ru complexes. The simultaneous development of computational tools for simulating Ru L3-edge spectra is crucial for interpreting the spectral features at a molecular level. This study demonstrates that time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) is a viable and predictive tool for simulating ruthenium L3-edge XA spectroscopy. We systematically investigate the effects of exchange correlation functional and implicit and explicit solvent interactions on a series of RuII and RuIII complexes in their ground and electronic excited states. The TDDFT simulations reproduce all of the experimentally observed features in Ru L3-edge XA spectra within the experimental resolution (0.4 eV). Our simulations identify ligand-specific charge transfer features in complicated Ru L3-edge spectra of [Ru(CN)6]4- and RuII polypyridyl complexes illustrating the advantage of using TDDFT in complex systems. We conclude that the B3LYP functional most accurately predicts the transition energies of charge transfer features in these systems. We use our TDDFT approach to simulate experimental Ru L3-edge XA spectra of transition metal mixed-valence dimers of the form [(NC)5MII-CN-RuIII(NH3)5] (where M = Fe or Ru) dissolved in water. Our study determines the spectral signatures of electron delocalization in Ru L3-edge XA spectra. We find that the inclusion of explicit solvent molecules is necessary for reproducing the spectral features and the experimentally determined valencies in these mixed-valence complexes. This study validates the use of TDDFT for simulating Ru 2p excitations using popular quantum chemistry codes and providing a powerful interpretive tool for equilibrium and ultrafast Ru L3-edge XA spectroscopy.

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

Insights into the Complexation of Actinides by Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic Acid from Characterization of the Americium(III) Complex

Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) is a frequently used chelator in the nuclear and medical industries, especially for the complexation of trivalent actinides. However, structural data on these complexes in the solid-state have long remained elusive. Herein, a detailed structural analysis of the presented crystal structures of [C(NH 2 ) 3 ] 4 [Nd(DTPA)] 2 · n H 2 O and [C(NH 2 ) 3 ] 4 [Am(DTPA)] 2 · n H 2 O, where [C(NH 2 ) 3 ] + is guanidinium, details the subtle differences in the Lewis acidity between a lanthanide/actinide pair of similar ionic sizes. Contractions in nitrogen–metal bond lengths between neodymium(III) and americium(III) were observed, while the metal–oxygen bonds remained relatively consistent, highlighting the marginal favorability for actinide complexation over the lanthanides with moderately soft N-donors. Spectroscopic analysis shows significant splitting of many transitions and relatively strong electronic interactions with traditionally low-intensity transitions in the americium complex, as is demonstrated in the 7 F 0 → 7 F 5 transitions. Pressure-induced spectroscopic analysis showed surprisingly little effect on the americium complex, with 5 f →5 f transitions either not shifting or marginally shifting from 2 to 3 nm at 11.93 ± 0.06 GPa─atypical of a soft, N-donor americium complex under pressure. Finally, large voids occupied by water molecules in between the complexes within the crystal structure may be responsible for the lack of pressure response in the 5 f →5 f transitions.

absorption spectroscopy↗
DOE OSTI2018

Comprehensive Experimental and Computational Spectroscopic Study of Hexacyanoferrate Complexes in Water: From Infrared to X-ray Wavelengths

We present a joint experimental and computational study of the hexacyanoferrate aqueous complexes at equilibrium in the 250 meV to 7.15 keV regime. The experiments include the vibrational spectroscopy of the cyanide ligands, the valence electronic absorption spectra and Fe 1s core hole spectra using X-ray absorption and emission techniques. These experiments are accompanied by density functional theory (DFT) based quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and spectroscopy calculations of the experiments spanning the IR to X-ray wavelengths. Our simulations, including explicit solvent effects, across this large energy window allows for a systematic comparison of vibrational, valence electronic and core-level spectra. The analysis reveals how the local solvation environment influences the geometric and electronic structure and impacts the line shape and intensity of the observed spectral features in the infrared, optical and X-ray wavelengths.

Ross, Matthew↗
DOE OSTI2014

A series of Ln-p-chlorobenzoic acid–terpyridine complexes: lanthanide contraction effects, supramolecular interactions and luminescent behavior

Fifteen new lanthanide p-chlorobenzoic acid complexes, [PrL3(terpy)(H2O)]2 (1), [LnL3(terpy)(H2O)]2 (Ln = Nd (2), Sm (3), and Eu (4)), and [LnL3(terpy)(H2O)] (Ln = Sm (3'), Eu (4'), Gd (5), Tb (6), Dy (7), Ho (8), Er (9), Tm (10), Yb (11), Lu (12), and Y (13); HL: p-chlorobenzoic acid; terpy: 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine), have been synthesized hydrothermally at varying temperatures and structurally characterized by single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. The series is comprised of binuclear molecular units (Pr–Eu) that give way to mononuclear molecular complexes (Sm–Y) as the lanthanide contraction takes effect. All fifteen complexes feature a tridentate terpyridine ligand, p-chlorobenzoic acid ligands exhibiting multiple binding modes, bidentate, bridging bidentate, and monodentate, and a bound water molecule. Binuclear complexes 1–4 are stitched together via intermolecular interactions: aromatic–aromatic interactions for 1, halogen•••halogen interactions for 2–4, to form 1D chains. Mononuclear complexes 3', 4', and 5–13 utilize supramolecular hydrogen and halogen bonding to form 2D sheets. Visible and near-IR solid state luminescence studies were performed on complexes 2, 3, 3', 4, 4', 6, 7 and 11 and the characteristic visible luminescence of Sm(III), Eu(III), Tb(III), and Dy(III) was exhibited. The near-IR spectra of the Nd(III) and Yb(III) complexes exhibit weak characteristic luminescence, showing that terpy can act as a sensitizing chromophore in these systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Quantifying the binding strength of salicylaldoxime–uranyl complexes relative to competing salicylaldoxime–transition metal ion complexes in aqueous solution: a combined experimental and computational study

Here, the design of new ligands and investigation of UO 2 2+ complexations are an essential aspect of reducing the cost of extracting uranium from seawater, improving the sorption efficiency for uranium and the selectivity for uranium over competing ions (such as the transition metal cations). The binding strengths of salicylaldoxime–UO 2 2+ complexes were quantified for the first time and compared with the binding strengths of salicylic acid–UO 2 2+ and representative amidoxime–UO 2 2+ complexes. We found that the binding strengths of salicylaldoxime–UO 2 2+ complexes are ~2–4 log β 2 units greater in magnitude than their corresponding salicylic acid–UO 2 2+ and representative amidoxime–UO 2 2+ complexes; moreover, the selectivity of salicylaldoxime towards the UO 2 2+ cation over competing Cu 2+ and Fe 3+ cations is far greater than those reported for salicylic acid and glutarimidedioxime in the literature. The higher UO 2 2+ selectivity can likely be attributed to the different coordination modes observed for salicylaldoxime–UO 2 2+ and salicylaldoxime–transition metal complexes. Density functional theory calculations indicate that salicylaldoxime can coordinate with UO 2 2+ as a dianion species formed by η 2 coordination of the aldoximate and monodentate binding of the phenolate group. In contrast, salicylaldoxime coordinates with transition metal cations as a monoanion species via a chelate formed between phenolate and the oxime N; the complexes are stabilized via hydrogen bonding interactions between the oxime OH group and phenolate. By coupling the experimentally determined thermodynamic constants and the results of theoretical computations, we are able to derive a number of ligand design principles to further improve the UO 2 2+ cation affinity, and thus further increase the selectivity of salicylaldoxime derivatives.

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

High-Resolution Tandem Mass Spectrometry-Based Analysis of Model Lignin–Iron Complexes: Novel Pipeline and Complex Structures

Understanding the chemical nature of soil organic carbon (SOC) with great potential to bind iron (Fe) minerals is critical for predicting the stability of SOC. Organic ligands of Fe are among the top candidates for SOCs able to strongly sorb on Fe minerals, but most of them are still molecularly uncharacterized. To shed insights into the chemical nature of organic ligands in soil and their fate, this study developed a protocol for identifying organic ligands using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) and metabolomic tools. The protocol was used for investigating the Fe complexes formed by model compounds of lignin-derived organic ligands, namely, caffeic acid (CA), p-coumaric acid (CMA), vanillin (VNL), and cinnamic acid (CNA). Isotopologue analysis of 54/56 Fe was used to screen out the potential UHPLC-HRMS (m/z) features for complexes formed between organic ligands and Fe, with multiple features captured for CA, CMA, VNL, and CNA when 35/37 Cl isotopologue analysis was used as supplementary evidence for the complexes with Cl. MS/MS spectra, fragment analysis, and structure prediction with SIRIUS were used to annotate the structures of mono/bidentate mono/biligand complexes. The analysis determined the structures of monodentate and bidentate complexes of FeL x Cl y (L: organic ligand, x = 1–4, y = 0–3) formed by model compounds. The protocol developed in this study can be used to identify unknown organic ligands occurring in complex environmental samples and shed light on the molecular-level processes governing the stability of the SOC.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

A complex guided spectral transform Lanczos method for studying quantum resonance states

A complex guided spectral transform Lanczos (cGSTL) algorithm is proposed to compute both bound and resonance states including energies, widths, and wavefunctions. The algorithm comprises of two layers of complex-symmetric Lanczos iterations. A short inner layer iteration produces a set of complex formally orthogonal Lanczos polynomials. They are used to span the guided spectral transform function determined by a retarded Green operator. An outer layer iteration is then carried out with the transform function to compute the eigen-pairs of the system. The guided spectral transform function is designed to have the same wavefunctions as the eigenstates of the original Hamiltonian in the spectral range of interest. Therefore, the energies and/or widths of bound or resonance states can be easily computed with their wavefunctions or by using a root-searching method from the guided spectral transform surface. The new cGSTL algorithm is applied to bound and resonance states of HO{sub 2}, and compared to previous calculations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Density functional study of the electronic structure of dye-functionalized fullerenes and their model donor-acceptor complexes containing P3HT

We study the electronic structure of C{sub 60} fullerenes functionalized with a thiophene-diketo-pyrrolopyrrole-thiophene based chromophore using density functional theory combined with large polarized basis sets. As the attached chromophore has electron donor character, the functionalization of the fullerene leads to a donor-acceptor (DA) system. We examine in detail the effect of the linker and the addition site on the electronic structure of the functionalized fullerenes. We further study the electronic structure of these DA complexes with a focus on the charge transfer excitations. Finally, we examine the interface of the functionalized fullerenes with the widely used poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) donor. Our results show that all functionalized fullerenes with an exception of the C{sub 60}-pyrrolidine [6,6], where the pyrrolidine is attached at a [6,6] site, have larger electron affinities relative to the pristine C{sub 60} fullerene. We also estimate the quasi-particle gap, lowest charge transfer excitation energy, and the exciton binding energies of the functionalized fullerene-P3MT model systems. Results show that the exciton binding energies in these model complexes are slightly smaller compared to a similarly prepared phenyl-C{sub 61}-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)-P3MT complex.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗