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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 1,081 records · Page 60
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Two-dimensional-lattice-confined single-molecule-like aggregates

Intermolecular distance largely determines the optoelectronic properties of organic matter. Conventional organic luminescent molecules are commonly used either as aggregates or as single molecules that are diluted in a foreigner matrix. They have garnered great research interest in recent decades for a variety of applications, including light-emitting diodes, lasers and quantum technologies, among others. However, there is still a knowledge gap on how these molecules behave between the aggregation and dilution states. Here we report an unprecedented phase of molecular aggregate that forms in a two-dimensional hybrid perovskite superlattice with a near-equilibrium distance, which we refer to as a single-molecule-like aggregate (SMA). By implementing two-dimensional superlattices, the organic emitters are held in proximity, but, surprisingly, remain electronically isolated, thereby resulting in a near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield, akin to that of single molecules. Moreover, the emitters within the perovskite superlattices demonstrate strong alignment and dense packing resembling aggregates, allowing for the observation of robust directional emission, substantially enhanced radiative recombination and efficient lasing. Molecular dynamics simulations together with single-crystal structure analysis emphasize the critical role of the internal rotational and vibrational degrees of freedom of the molecules in the two-dimensional lattice for creating the exclusive SMA phase. Furthermore, this two-dimensional superlattice unifies the paradoxical properties of single molecules and aggregates, thus offering exciting possibilities for advanced spectroscopic and photonic applications.

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

NiAl–MoO 2 S 2 Nanoparticles: Structural Evolution and Mechanistic Insights into High-Performance Selenium Oxyanion Removal across Diverse pH Conditions

Advancing sorbent materials for the selective removal of toxic oxyanions from water requires synthetic control, tunable chemistry, and an atomic-level understanding of structure–function relationships. Here, we report the synthesis and detailed characterization of NiAl–MoO 2 S 2 , a novel layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanomaterial designed for the efficient sequestration of selenium oxoanions (SeO 3 2– and SeO 4 2– ) from complex aqueous environments. The material is synthesized through a room-temperature ion-exchange process, wherein interlayer NO 3 – anions in NiAl–LDH are replaced with MoO 2 S 2 2– clusters, forming high-surface-area, flower-like nanoparticles. Comprehensive structural analysis using the synchrotron X-ray pair distribution function, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals a distinct chemical transformation of intercalated [MoO 2 S 2 ] 2– into [Mo 2 O 2 S 6 ] 2– -like clusters, generating redox-active interlayers that drive selenium capture. This tailored interfacial chemistry underpins the material’s exceptional sorption performance, achieving distribution coefficients (K d ) ≥ 10 6 mL/g and maximum capacities of 343 mg/g for SeO 4 2– and 514 mg/g for SeO 3 2– , outperforming state-of-the-art inorganic sorbents. Importantly, NiAl–MoO 2 S 2 maintains high selectivity and capacity across acidic, neutral, and alkaline pH, efficiently removing selenium from ppm to sub-10 ppb trace levels, even in the presence of competing ions typical of natural and industrial waters. The selenium uptake proceeds via reductive precipitation coupled with the oxidation of molybdenum and sulfide within the LDH framework. This study highlights the power of strategic synthetic modification and interlayer functionalization in LDHs to unlock new structural motifs and redox chemistries, offering a scalable route to advanced materials for environmental remediation.

Adsorption↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hybrid Bismuth Halide with Rich Polymorphism and Second Harmonic Generation Response

Hybrid structures have emerged as a promising class of optical materials, due to their ability to couple the robustness of inorganic and the tunability of organic compounds. However, their application in nonlinear optics (NLO) remains limited, largely due to underexplored factors that drive the formation of noncentrosymmetric structures and NLO property characterization. In this work, we explore the formation, structural and temperature polymorphism, and optical properties of the (Et 3 NH) 3 Bi 2 Br 9 composition, which crystallizes as either noncentrosymmetric or centrosymmetric polymorph. Structural analysis showed that the alignment of [Bi 2 Br 9 ] 3– units dictates the symmetry of phases, as well as the nonlinear optical properties, with the triclinic polymorph exhibiting a second harmonic generation (SHG) response both in visible and IR regions (1.29 × KH 2 PO 4 and 0.08 × AgGaS 2 ). Thermal analysis reveals polymorphic phase transitions and low melting points, making them melt-processable and ionic liquid candidates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Diffusion of oxygen in amorphous Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}, and Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5}

The self-diffusivity of oxygen in amorphous Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (a-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}), a-Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}, and a-Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} was investigated along with structural analysis in terms of pair distribution function (PDF). The low activation energy, ∼1.2 eV, for diffusion in the oxides suggests a single atomic jump of oxygen ions mediated via vacancy-like defects. However, the pre-exponential factor for a-Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} and a-Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} with lower bond energy was two orders of magnitude larger than that for a-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} with higher bond energy. PDF analyses revealed that the short-range configuration in a-Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} and a-Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} was more broadly distributed than that in a-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Due to the larger variety of atomic configurations of a-Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} and a-Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5}, these oxides have a higher activation entropy for diffusion than a-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The entropy term for diffusion associated with short-range structures was shown to be a dominant factor for diffusion in amorphous oxides.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Syntheses, structures and magnetisms of copper(II)–azido coordination compounds with p-substituted benzoates as coligands

Employing p-substituted benzoates with electron-withdrawing/electron-donating groups as coligands, four copper–azido compounds, [Cu{sub 1.5}(p-NO{sub 2}-benzoate)(N{sub 3}){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O)]{sub n} (1), [Cu(p-NO{sub 2}-benzoate)(N{sub 3})(H{sub 2}O)]{sub n} (2), [Cu(p-OH-benzoate)(N{sub 3})(H{sub 2}O)]{sub n}·nH{sub 2}O (3) and [Cu(p-CH{sub 3}-benzoate)(N{sub 3})]{sub n} (4), have been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally charactierized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Structural analysis reveals that all compounds are composed of mixed EO-azido and syn–syn carboxylato-bridged Cu-N{sub 3}/COO chains. Compound 1 features the alternating triple-bridged (μ-EO-N{sub 3})(μ-COO)(μ-H{sub 2}O) and the double-bridged (EO-N{sub 3}){sub 2} modes. Both of 2 and 3 display the triple-bridged fashion (μ-EO-N{sub 3})(μ-COO)(μ-H{sub 2}O). While 4 exhibits the double-bridged mode (μ-EO-N{sub 3})(μ-COO). Based on hydrogen-bonding interactions, Cu–N{sub 3}/COO chains in 1–3 are further connected to form 3D supramolecular frameworks. As for compound 4, there are not hydrogen-bonding interactions when the p-CH{sub 3} substituted benzoate is employed as coligand. These compounds show intrachain ferromagnetic performance and different bulk properties. Remarkably, 1 features metamagnetism from antiferromagnetism to ferrimagnetism, while 3 reveals long-range ferromagnetic ordering between Cu(II) ions. Magneto-structural correlation has been also investigated. - Graphical abstract: With p-substituted benzoates as coligands, copper–azido compounds were isolated and structrually, magnetically characterized. Magneto-structural correlation has been investigated in detail.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Local atomic order, electronic structure and electron transport properties of Cu-Zr metallic glasses

We studied atomic and electronic structures of binary Cu-Zr metallic glasses (MGs) using combined experimental and computational methods including X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, electrical resistivity, thermoelectric power (TEP) measurements, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and ab-initio calculations. The results of MD simulations and extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis indicate that atomic order of Cu-Zr MGs and can be described in terms of interpenetrating icosahedral-like clusters involving five-fold symmetry. MD configurations were used as an input for calculations of theoretical electronic density of states (DOS) functions which exhibits good agreement with the experimental X-ray absorption near-edge spectra. We found no indication of minimum of DOS at Fermi energy predicted by Mott's nearly free electron (NFE) model for glass-forming alloys. The theoretical DOS was subsequently used to test Mott's model describing the temperature variation of electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power of transition metal-based MGs. We demonstrate that the measured temperature variations of electrical resistivity and TEP remain in a contradiction with this model. On the other hand, the experimental temperature dependence of electrical resistivity can be explained by incipient localization of conduction electrons. It is shown that weak localization model works up to relatively high temperatures when localization is destroyed by phonons. Our results indicate that electron transport properties of Cu-Zr MGs are dominated by localization effects rather than by electronic structure. We suggest that NFE model fails to explain a relatively high glass-forming ability of binary Cu-Zr alloys.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Residual stress dependant anisotropic band gap of various (hkl) oriented BaI{sub 2} films

The thermally evaporated layer structured BaI{sub 2} grows in various completely preferred (hkl) film orientations with different growth parameters like film thickness, deposition rate, substrate temperature, etc. which were characterized by structural, morphological, and optical absorption measurements. Structural analysis reveals the strain in the films and the optical absorption shows a direct type band gap. The varying band gaps of these films were found to scale linearly with their strain. The elastic moduli and other constants were also calculated using Density Functional Theory (DFT) formalism implemented in WIEN2K code for converting the strain into residual stress. Films of different six (hkl) orientations show stress free anisotropic band gaps (2.48–3.43 eV) and both positive and negative pressure coefficients. The negative and positive pressure coefficients of band gap are attributed to the strain in I-I (or Ba-Ba or both) and Ba-I distances along [hkl], respectively. The calculated band gaps are also compared with those experimentally determined. The average pressure coefficient of band gap of all six orientations (−0.071 eV/GPa) found to be significantly higher than that calculated (−0.047 eV/GPa) by volumetric pressure dependence. Various these issues have been discussed with consistent arguments. The electron effective mass m{sub e}{sup *}=0.66m{sub 0} and the hole effective mass m{sub h}{sup *}=0.53m{sub 0} have been determined from the calculated band structure.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

Identification of Novel Protein Lysine Acetyltransferases in Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Posttranslational modifications, such as N ε-lysine acetylation, regulate protein function. N ε-lysine acetylation can occur either nonenzymatically or enzymatically. The nonenzymatic mechanism uses acetyl phosphate (AcP) or acetyl coenzyme A (AcCoA) as acetyl donor to modify an N ε-lysine residue of a protein. The enzymatic mechanism uses N ε-lysine acetyltransferases (KATs) to specifically transfer an acetyl group from AcCoA to N ε-lysine residues on proteins. To date, only one KAT (YfiQ, also known as Pka and PatZ) has been identified in Escherichia coli . Here, we demonstrate the existence of 4 additional E. coli KATs: RimI, YiaC, YjaB, and PhnO. In a genetic background devoid of all known acetylation mechanisms (most notably AcP and YfiQ) and one deacetylase (CobB), overexpression of these putative KATs elicited unique patterns of protein acetylation. We mutated key active site residues and found that most of them eliminated enzymatic acetylation activity. We used mass spectrometry to identify and quantify the specificity of YfiQ and the four novel KATs. Surprisingly, our analysis revealed a high degree of substrate specificity. The overlap among KAT-dependent and AcP-dependent acetylation was extremely limited, supporting the hypothesis that these two acetylation mechanisms play distinct roles in the posttranslational modification of bacterial proteins. We alos showed that these novel KATs are conserved across broad swaths of bacterial phylogeny. Lastly, we determined that one of the novel KATs (YiaC) and the known KAT (YfiQ) can negatively regulate bacterial migration. Together, these results emphasize distinct and specific nonenzymatic and enzymatic protein acetylation mechanisms present in bacteria. IMPORTANCE N ε-Lysine acetylation is one of the most abundant and important posttranslational modifications across all domains of life. One of the best-studied effects of acetylation occurs in eukaryotes, where acetylation of histone tails activates gene transcription. Although bacteria do not have true histones, N ε-lysine acetylation is prevalent; however, the role of these modifications is mostly unknown. We constructed an E. coli strain that lacked both known acetylation mechanisms to identify four new N ε-lysine acetyltransferases (RimI, YiaC, YjaB, and PhnO). We used mass spectrometry to determine the substrate specificity of these acetyltransferases. Structural analysis of selected substrate proteins revealed site-specific preferences for enzymatic acetylation that had little overlap with the preferences of the previously reported acetyl-phosphate nonenzymatic acetylation mechanism. Finally, YiaC and YfiQ appear to regulate flagellum-based motility, a phenotype critical for pathogenesis of many organisms. These acetyltransferases are highly conserved and reveal deeper and more complex roles for bacterial posttranslational modification.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Dehydration of UO 2 Cl 2 ·3H 2 O and Nd(NO 3 ) 3 ·6H 2 O with a Soft Donor Ligand and Comparison of Their Interactions through X-ray Diffraction and Theoretical Investigation [plus Supplemental Information]

Herein we investigated whether the relatively Lewis basic imidazole-2-thiones could be used to substitute water ligands bound to f-element cations and generate f-element soft donor complexes. Reactions of 1,3-diethylimidazole-2-thione (C 2 C 2 ImT) with Nd(NO 3 ) 3 ·6H 2 O and UO 2 Cl 2 ·3H 2 O led to the isolation of the anhydrous thione complexes Nd(NO 3 ) 3 (C 2 C 2 ImT) 3 and UO 2 Cl 2 (C 2 C 2 ImT) 2 , characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Differences in the strength of metal–thione interactions have been examined by means of the crystal structure analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The C 2 C 2 ImT ligands were found to be affected by both coordination and noncovalent interactions, making it impossible to deconvolute the effects of one from the other. Calculated partial atomic charges indicated greater ligand-to-metal charge transfer in the [UO 2 ] 2+ complex, indicative of a stronger interaction. The reactivity of C 2 C 2 ImT demonstrates its usefulness in the preparation of f-element soft donor complexes from readily available hydrates that could be useful intermediates for promoting the coordination and studying the effects of soft donor anions.

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

Pyridine-2,6-diyl dinitroxides as room-temperature triplet ligands

We have proposed tert-butyl 2-pyridyl nitroxide radicals as a promising paramagnetic chelating ligand, where the direct radical-metal bond leads to strong magnetic interaction. We successfully synthesized and isolated PyBN derivatives (pyridine-2,6-diyl bis(tert-butyl nitroxides)). The molecular and crystal structures of the target biradicals, MesPyBN, AntPyBN and tBuOPyBN were determined from the X-ray crystal structure analysis, which possess mesityl, 9-anthryl and tert-butoxy groups at the 5-position of the pyridine ring, respectively. The ground triplet state was characterized by means of SQUID susceptometry for each compound. On heating, the χ{sub m}T values of all the PyBN derivatives increased and reached a plateau at ca. 1.0 cm{sup 3} K mol{sup −1} at 300 K. It implies that biradicals behaved as triplet molecules even at room temperature, or 2J/k{sub B} >> 300 K. From the decay monitored in solution electron-spin resonance spectroscopy, MesPyBN was the most persistent, while tBuOPyBN was the most reactive, of the three.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

2Flux growth and characterization of Ce-substituted Nd 2 Fe 14 B single crystals [Growth and Characterization of Ce- Substituted Nd 2 Fe 14 11 B Single Crystals]

Single crystals of (Nd 1-x Ce x ) 2 Fe 14 B, some reaching ~6×8×8mm 3 in volume, are grown out of Fe-(Nd, Ce) flux. This crystal growth method allows for large (Nd 1-x Ce x ) 2 Fe 14 B single crystals to be synthesized using a simple flux growth procedure. Chemical and structural analyses of the crystals indicate that (Nd 1-x Ce x ) 2 Fe 14 B forms a solid solution until at least x=0.38 with a Vegard-like variation of the lattice constants with x. Refinements of single crystal neutron diffraction data indicate that Ce has a slight site preference (7:3) for the 4g rare earth site over the 4f site. Magnetization measurements at 300 K show only small decreases with increasing Ce content in saturation magnetization (M s ) and anisotropy field (H A ), and Curie temperature (T C ). First principles calculations are carried out to understand the effect of Ce substitution on the electronic and magnetic properties. For a multitude of applications, it is expected that the advantage of incorporating lower-cost and more abundant Ce will outweigh the small adverse effects on magnetic properties. Ce-substituted Nd 2 Fe 14 B is therefore a potential high-performance permanent magnet material with substantially reduced Nd content.

Susner, Michael A.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Stereoselective synthesis of a 4-α-glucoside of valienamine and its X-ray structure in complex with Streptomyces coelicolor GlgE1-V279S

Glycoside hydrolases (GH) are a large family of hydrolytic enzymes found in all domains of life. As such, they control a plethora of normal and pathogenic biological functions. Thus, understanding selective inhibition of GH enzymes at the atomic level can lead to the identification of new classes of therapeutics. In these studies, we identified a 4-α-glucoside of valienamine (8) as an inhibitor of Streptomyces coelicolor (Sco) GlgE1-V279S which belongs to the GH13 Carbohydrate Active EnZyme family. The results obtained from the dose–response experiments show that 8 at a concentration of 1000 µM reduced the enzyme activity of Sco GlgE1-V279S by 65%. The synthetic route to 8 and a closely related 4-α-glucoside of validamine (7) was achieved starting from readily available D-maltose. A key step in the synthesis was a chelation-controlled addition of vinylmagnesium bromide to a maltose-derived enone intermediate. X-ray structures of both 7 and 8 in complex with Sco GlgE1-V279S were solved to resolutions of 1.75 and 1.83 Å, respectively. Structural analysis revealed the valienamine derivative 8 binds the enzyme in an E 2 conformation for the cyclohexene fragment. Also, the cyclohexene fragment shows a new hydrogen-bonding contact from the pseudo-diaxial C(3)–OH to the catalytic nucleophile Asp 394 at the enzyme active site. Asp 394, in fact, forms a bidentate interaction with both the C(3)–OH and C(7)-OH of the inhibitor. In contrast, compound 7 disrupts the catalytic sidechain interaction network of Sco GlgE1-V279S via steric interactions resulting in a conformation change in Asp 394. These findings will have implications for the design other aminocarbasugar-based GH13-inhibitors and will be useful for identifying more potent and selective inhibitors.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

On the structural stability of crystalline ceria phases in undoped and acceptor-doped ceria materials under in situ reduction conditions

The reduction of pure and Sm-doped ceria in hydrogen has been studied by synchrotron-based in situ X-ray diffraction to eventually prove or disprove the presence of crystalline cerium hydride (CeH x ) phases and the succession of potential structural phase (trans)formations of reduced cerium oxide phases during heating-cooling cycles up to 1273 K. Despite a recent report on the existence of bulk and surface CeH x phases during reductive treatment of pure CeO 2 in H 2 , structural analysis by Rietveld refinement as well as additional 1 H-NMR spectroscopy did not reveal the presence of any crystalline CeH x phase. Rather, a sequence of phase transformations during the re-cooling process in H 2 has been observed. In both samples, the reduced/defective fluorite lattice undergoes at first a transformation into a bixbyite-type lattice with a formal stoichiometry Ce 0.58 3+ Ce 0.42 4+ O 1.71 and Sm 0.15 3+ Ce 0.39 3+ Ce 0.46 4+ O 1.73 , before a transformation into rhombohedral Ce 7 O 12 takes place in pure CeO 2 . This phase is clearly absent for the Sm-doped material. Finally, a triclinic Ce 11 O 20 phase appears for both materials, which can be recovered to room temperature, and on which a phase mixture of bixbyite Ce 0.66 3+ Ce 0.34 4+ O 1.67 , rh-Ce 0.60 3+ Ce 0.40 4+ O 1.70 and tri-Ce 0.48 3+ Ce 0.52 4+ O 1.76 (for pure CeO 2 ) or bixbyite Sm 0.15 3+ Ce 0.47 3+ Ce 0.38 4+ O 1.69 and tri-Sm 0.15 3+ Ce 0.31 3+ Ce 0.54 4+ O 1.77 (for Sm-doped CeO 2 ) prevails. The absence of the rhombohedral phase indicates that Sm doping leads to the stabilization of the bixbyite phase over the rhombohedral one at this particular oxygen vacancy concentration. It is worth noting that recent work proves that hydrogen is indeed incorporated within the structures during the heat treatments, but under the chosen experimental conditions it has apparently no effect on the salient structural principles during reduction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

DESI mock challenge: Halo and galaxy catalogues with the bias assignment method

We present a novel approach to the construction of mock galaxy catalogues for large-scale structure analysis based on the distribution of dark matter halos obtained with effective bias models at the field level. We aim to produce mock galaxy catalogues capable of generating accurate covariance matrices for a number of cosmological probes that are expected to be measured in current and forthcoming galaxy redshift surveys (e.g. two- and three-point statistics). The construction of the catalogues shown in this paper is part of a mock-comparison project within the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration. We use the bias assignment method ( BAM ) to model the statistics of halo distribution through a learning algorithm using a few detailed N-body simulations, and approximated gravity solvers based on Lagrangian perturbation theory. We introduce cosmic-web-dependent corrections to modelling redshift-space distortions at the N-body level – both in the halo and galaxy distributions –, as well as a multi-scale approach for accurate assignment of halo properties. Using specific models of halo occupation distributions to populate halos, we generate galaxy mocks with the expected number density and central-satellite fraction of emission-line galaxies, which are a key target of the DESI experiment. BAM generates mock catalogues with per cent accuracy in a number of summary statistics, such as the abundance, the two- and three-point statistics of halo distributions, both in real and redshift space. In particular, the mock galaxy catalogues display ~3%-10% accuracy in the multipoles of the power spectrum up to scales of k ~ 0.4 h -1 Mpc. We show that covariance matrices of two- and three-point statistics obtained with BAM display a similar structure to the reference simulation. BAM offers an efficient way to produce mock halo catalogues with accurate two- and three-point statistics and is able to generate a variety of multi-tracer catalogues with precise covariance matrices of several cosmological probes. We discuss future developments of the algorithm towards mock production in DESI and other galaxy-redshift surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Photocatalytic study on SrBi2B2O7 (SrO-Bi2O3-B2O3) transparent glass ceramics

Highlights: • SrO-Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}-B{sub 2}O{sub 3} transparent glass ceramic was fabricated via melt-quenching. • XRD and SEM revealed nucleation of SrBi{sub 2}B{sub 2}O{sub 7} nanocrystals over glass surface. • SrBi{sub 2}B{sub 2}O{sub 7} nanocrystals were found responsible for photocatalytic activity. • Rz ink test was performed to test self-cleaning ability of glass. • Digital photographic method was opted to view self-cleaning of glass. - Abstract: SrO-Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}-B{sub 2}O{sub 3} transparent glass ceramic was fabricated via conventional melt-quenching technique. Structural analysis like X-ray diffraction, Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies were performed to confirm SBBO glass ceramic formation. As-quenched glass samples exhibited X-ray diffraction peaks corresponding to SrBi{sub 2}B{sub 2}O{sub 7} which were further confirmed through Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope. UV–vis transmission spectra revealed 60%–80% transparency in 500–800 nm spectral range. Absorption study revealed direct bandgap of 2.58 eV. Resazurin (Rz) ink was used as an indicator to monitor photocatalytic activity for self-cleaning purposes. Digital photographic method was performed to examine photoreduction of Rz ink. Further, the pseudo-first order kinetics was istimated for Methylene blue (MB) degradation. Nucleation of nanoparticles of SrBi{sub 2}B{sub 2}O{sub 7} over glass surface were found responsible for photocatalytic activity. Contact angle with water droplet for SBBO glass ceramic was 63.43°. Reduced Young’s modulus (E{sub r}) and Vickers hardness (H{sub v}) were found 59.9 GPa and 5.01 GPa, respectively.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Giant magnetic anisotropy of Pb atoms in 3 d -based magnets

Electronic structure analysis is performed to study the properties of several Pb-containing 3⁢ d intermetallics. Our study reveals that binary metastable C⁢o 3 ⁢Pb and F⁡e 3 ⁢Pb intermetallic compounds exhibit very attractive intrinsic magnetic properties. We primarily focus on the magnetic anisotropic properties arising from the high spin-orbit coupling of the Pb atom. Decomposing the total anisotropy into intra- and interatomic contributions reveals a significant deviation from single-ion anisotropy model with strong symmetric anisotropic pair interactions present. Furthermore, we consider magnetic properties of ternary Pb-based 3⁢⁢ d intermetallics, which recently have been reported as stable or metastable. Giant magnetic anisotropy is found on Pb atoms in these systems. The origin of such strong anisotropy in L⁢a 18⁢ C⁢o 28 ⁢P⁢b 3 appears from two sources: spin-orbit and interelectronic Breit couplings. Additionally, the significance of Breit interaction for magnetic anisotropy in bulk systems is reported. It is expected that Breit coupling-induced anisotropy is dominating in magnetic Pb-based magnets with lower dimensionality including thin films.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

An atypical lipoteichoic acid from Clostridium perfringens elicits a broadly cross-reactive and protective immune response

Clostridium perfringens is a leading cause of food-poisoning and causes avian necrotic enteritis, posing a significant problem to both the poultry industry and human health. No effective vaccine against C. perfringens is currently available. Using an antiserum screen of mutants generated from a C. perfringens transposon-mutant library, here we identified an immunoreactive antigen that was lost in a putative glycosyltransferase mutant, suggesting that this antigen is likely a glycoconjugate. Following injection of formalin-fixed whole cells of C. perfringens HN13 (a laboratory strain) and JGS4143 (chicken isolate) intramuscularly into chickens, the HN13-derived antiserum was cross-reactive in immunoblots with all tested 32 field isolates, whereas only 5 of 32 isolates were recognized by JGS4143-derived antiserum. The immunoreactive antigens from both HN13 and JGS4143 were isolated, and structural analysis by MALDI-TOF-MS, GC-MS, and 2D NMR revealed that both were atypical lipoteichoic acids (LTAs) with poly-(β1→4)-ManNAc backbones substituted with phosphoethanolamine. However, although the ManNAc residues in JGS4143 LTA were phosphoethanolamine-modified, a few of these residues were instead modified with phosphoglycerol in the HN13 LTA. The JGS4143 LTA also had a terminal ribose and ManNAc instead of ManN in the core region, suggesting that these differences may contribute to the broadly cross-reactive response elicited by HN13. In a passive-protection chicken experiment, oral challenge with C. perfringens JGS4143 lead to 22% survival, whereas co-gavage with JGS4143 and α-HN13 antiserum resulted in 89% survival. This serum also induced bacterial killing in opsonophagocytosis assays, suggesting that HN13 LTA is an attractive target for future vaccine-development studies.

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

Design and Synthesis of Cubic K 3−2 x Ba x SbSe 4 Solid Electrolytes for K–O 2 Batteries

Developing K-ion conducting solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) plays a critical role in the safe implementation of potassium batteries. In this work, a chalcogenide-based potassium ion SSE is reported, K 3 SbSe 4 , which adopts a trigonal structure at room temperature. Single-crystal structural analysis reveals a trigonal-to-cubic phase transition at the low temperature of 50 °C, which is the lowest among similar compounds and thus provides easy access to the cubic phase. The substitution of barium for potassium in K 3 SbSe 4 leads to the creation of potassium vacancies, expansion of lattice parameters, and a transformation from a trigonal phase to a cubic phase. As a result, the maximum conductivity of K 3−2x Ba x SbSe 4 reaches around 0.1 mS cm −1 at 40 °C for K 2.2 Ba 0.4 SbSe 4 , which is over two orders of magnitude higher than that of undoped K 3 SbSe 4 . This novel SSE is successfully employed in a K–O 2 battery operating at room temperature where a polymer-laminated K 2.2 Ba 0.4 SbSe 4 pellet serves as a separator between the oxygen cathode and the potassium metal anode. Effective protection of the K metal anode against corrosion caused by O 2 is demonstrated.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗