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At least 1,225 records · Page 68

Reaction of sulfur dioxide with modified 440C, studied by Auger electron spectroscopy and depth profiling

Auger electron spectroscopy and sputtering were used to study the interaction of SO2 with modified 440C, which is a nominally 77-wt%-Fe, 14-wt%-Cr, and 4-wt%-Mo bearing steel with C, S, Si, Ni, V, P, and Mn making up the balance. The sample was polycrystalline. Three temperatures were used: room temperature, 500 C, and 600 C. The reaction time was varied from 30 minutes to 2 hours. A surface cleaned of oxides was the starting point for each reaction. For reactions at 500 C, the major constituents Cr, O, Fe, and S were present in the surface film. At 600 C, the principal constituents of the film were Cr, O, and S with no Fe present. Therefore, a transition in film composition occurred between 500 and 600 C. Oxides were the primary constituents of the films at both temperatures. Room-temperature reactions indicated that SO2 adsorbed dissociatively, with approximately equal quantities of S and O on the surface. For the same reaction time (1 hr) and pressure, a strong temperature dependence of film thickness was observed. The film formed at 600 C was approximately seven times thicker than that formed at 500 C.

Ferrante, J.↗

The Role of Evolving Interfacial Substrate Properties on Heterogeneous Cellulose Hydrolysis Kinetics

Interfacial enzyme reactions require formation of an enzyme–substrate complex at the surface of a heterogeneous substrate, but often multiple modes of enzyme binding and types of binding sites complicate analysis of their kinetics. Excess heterogeneous substrate is often used as a justification to model the substrate as unchanging, but using the study of the enzymatic hydrolysis of insoluble cellulose as an example, we argue that reaction rates are dependent on evolving substrate interfacial properties. We hypothesize that the relative abundance of binding sites on cellulose where hydrolysis can occur (productive binding sites) and binding sites where hydrolysis cannot be initiated or is inhibited (nonproductive binding sites) contribute to rate limitations. We show that the initial total number of productive binding sites (the productive binding capacity) determines the magnitude of the initial burst phase of cellulose hydrolysis, while productive binding site depletion explains overall hydrolysis kinetics. Furthermore, we show that irreversibly bound surface enzymes contribute to the depletion of productive binding sites. Our model shows that increasing the ratio of productive to nonproductive binding sites promotes hydrolysis, while maintaining an elevated productive binding capacity throughout conversion is key to preventing hydrolysis slowdown.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Oxygen atom reaction with shuttle materials at orbital altitudes

Surfaces of materials used in the space shuttle orbiter payload bay and exposed during STS-1 through STS-3 were examined after flight. Paints and polymers, in particular Kapton used on the television camera thermal blanket, showed significant change. Generally, the change was a loss of surface gloss on the polymer with apparent aging on the paint surfaces. The Kapton surfaces showed the greatest change, and postflight analyses showed mass loss of 4.8 percent on STS-2 and 35 percent on STS-3 for most heavily affected surfaces. Strong shadow patterns were evident. The greatest mass loss was measured on surfaces which were exposed to solar radiation in conjunction with exposure in the vehicle velocity vector. A mechanism which involves the interaction of atomic oxygen with organic polymer surfaces is proposed. Atomic oxygen is the major ambient species at low orbital altitudes and presents a flux of 8 x 10 to the 14th power atoms/cu cm sec for reaction. Correlation of the expected mass loss based on ground-based oxygen atom/polymer reaction rates shows lower mass loss of the Kapton than measured. Consideration of solar heating effects on reaction rates as well as the high oxygen atom energy due to the orbiter's orbital velocity brings the predicted and measured mass loss in surprisingly good agreement. Flight sample surface morphology comparison with ground based Kapton/oxygen atom exposures provides additional support for the oxygen interaction mechanism.

Leger, L. J.↗

Pentavalent Uranium Enriched Mineral Surface under Electrochemically Controlled Reducing Environments

Redox reactions of uranium (U) in aqueous environments have important impacts on the mobility and isotopic fractionation of U in the geosphere. Pentavalent U as the cationic uranyl ion, UO 2 +, is rarely observed in naturally occurring samples because of its limited lifetime, but it may be an important intermediate state controlling the redox kinetics between hexavalent and tetravalent U. Increasing evidence has indicated that U(V) can be stabilized under laboratory conditions. Here, we showed that U(V) is the dominant species on the magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) surface under reducing conditions controlled by electrochemical methods. Cyclic voltammetry reveals coupled redox peaks corresponding to the U(VI)O 2 2+ /U(V)O 2+ one-electron redox reaction. Magnetite electrodes polarized at a series of potentials to reduce U(VI)O 2 2+ were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and Auger electron mapping. Overall, the results showed that up to twice the amount of U(V) to U(VI) was present on the magnetite surface. U(V) adopted a typical uranyl-type structure, and the U coverage on the magnetite surface increased with decreasing potentials. The formation of mixed-valence U(V)/U(VI) species on the surface of magnetite may hinder the U(V) disproportionation reaction, thereby eliminating the presence of tetravalent U. These results show that U(V) can exist over short time scales as the dominant U species on mineral surfaces under selected reducing conditions by the controlled polarization of a mineral electrode.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Chloride electrolyte enabled practical zinc metal battery with a near-unity Coulombic efficiency

Rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries are finding their niche in stationary storage applications where safety, cost, scalability and carbon footprint matter most. However, harnessing this reversible two-electron redox chemistry is plagued by major technical issues, notably hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the zinc surface, whose impacts are often not revealed under typical measurement conditions. Here we report a concentrated electrolyte design that eliminates this parasitic reaction and enables a Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.95% for Zn plating/stripping measured at a low current density of 0.2 mA cm -2 . With extra chloride salts and dimethyl carbonate in concentrated ZnCl 2 electrolyte, the hybrid electrolyte with a unique chemical environment features low Hammett acidity and facilitates the in situ formation of a dual-layered solid electrolyte interphase, protecting zinc anodes from HER and dendrite growth. Benefiting from the near-unity CE, the pouch cell with a VOPO 4 ·2H 2 O cathode sustains 500 deep cycles without swelling or leaking and delivers an energy density of 100 Wh kg -1 under practical conditions. Finally, our work represents a critical step forward in accelerating the market adoption of zinc batteries as an energy storage system with higher sustainability.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Atomic Oxygen Treatment as a Method of Recovering Smoke Damaged Paintings

Smoke damage, as a result of a fire, can be difficult to remove from some types of painting media without causing swelling, leaching or pigment movement or removal. A non-contact technique has been developed which can remove soot from the surface of a painting by use of a gently flowing gas containing atomic oxygen. The atomic oxygen chemically reacts with the soot on the surface creating gasses such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide which can be removed through the use of an exhaust system. The reaction is limited to the surface so that the process can be timed to stop when the paint layer is reached. Atomic oxygen is a primary component of the low Earth orbital environment, but can be generated on Earth through various methods. This paper will discuss the results of atomic oxygen treatment of soot exposed acrylic gesso, ink on paper, and a varnished oil painting. Reflectance measurements were used to characterize the surfaces before and after treatment.

Rutledge, Sharon K.↗

Surface Hardness Testing of Mobile Launcher 1 (ML-1) Vehicle Support Posts (VSP) Following Artemis I Launch Exposure

Following the successful launch of Artemis I on November 16th, 2022 (Fig 1), a surface hardness assessment was performed on the eight primary VSPs (Figs. 2, 3) located on the Zero Deck of the ML. This assessment was performed as part of an instrument investigation for strain gauges installed on VSP interior surfaces that had a “strange reaction”. This report does not address the VSP strain gauge investigation, but rather VSP structural integrity for future service (Artemis II, III, …). Surface hardness measurements were taken to assess the strength of the ASTM A148 steel castings to confirm thermal exposure from launch had not reannealed the VSPs. However unlikely, it is possible high temperature may have heated and tempered (reannealed) the VSPs, resulting in a change of built-in stresses. This loss in built-in stress may explain the change in off-set measured by the strain gauges. Initial hardness measurements were made at two interior surfaces of VSPs near the strain gauges and the corresponding exterior surfaces (engine hole-facing). Field hardness measurements on the exterior, engine hole surface-facing surfaces for all eight VSPs ranged from 175 to 226 HB/P, well below the minimum hardness of 302 Brinell (HB). Opposing interior surface hardness measurements near strain gauges ranged from 264 to 358 HB/P. In all cases for flight VSPs, a drop in interior-to-exterior hardness ranging from 70 to 132 HB/P was measured. Surface hardness measurements were then made on the two spare VSPs not exposed to launch temperatures for baseline comparison. These two spare VSPs had a drop in Brinell hardness from interior to exterior surfaces ranging from 3 to 17 HB/P. The large interior-to-exterior delta hardness for eight flight VSPs but not for the two spare VSPs suggests launch exposure temperatures softened the exterior surfaces, raising two questions: 1) Are the VSPs compromised for future use, and 2) How deep is the exterior surface softening effect? To address concerns of low surface hardness values at non-critical exterior surfaces, additional field surface hardness measurements were taken at high-stress locations on VSP3: Both door jams, back radius, and internal left and right radius near the base. These values came in well above the required minimum hardness (317 to 365 HB/P). For a more representative pre-launch versus post-launch surface hardness comparison, VSP Acceptance Data Packages (ADPs) were reviewed, and hardness measurements were made at the same eight original locations on VSP3 where hardness measurements were made at the foundry. To determine the degree of softening, 1/8” of material was machined away at three exterior surfaces of engine hole-facing side (Fig. 4). A significant increase in surface hardness was measured ranging from 50 to 86 HB/P. Values at these three locations were still slightly below the required minimum hardness, so an additional 1/8” material was machined away, and hardness values were retaken. At the ¼” depth, hardness values increased to 321 to 324 HB/P. These values fall above the required minimum, concluding surface hardness testing. Rationale for VSP continued use was reached with no restrictions during a Chief Engineering Review based on hardness values exceeding minimum at critical locations and subsurface locations for VSP #3.

Artemis I↗

Experimental Study of the Stability of Aircraft Fuels at Elevated Temperatures

An experimental study of fuel stability was conducted in an apparatus which simulated an aircraft gas turbine fuel system. Two fuels were tested: Jet A and Number 2 Home Heating oil. Jet A is an aircraft gas turbine fuel currently in wide use. No. 2HH was selected to represent the properties of future turbine fuels, particularly experimental Reference Broad Specification, which, under NASA sponsorship, was considered as a possible next-generation fuel. Tests were conducted with varying fuel flow rates, delivery pressures and fuel pretreatments (including preheating and deoxygenation). Simulator wall temperatures were varied between 422K and 672K at fuel flows of 0.022 to 0.22 Kg/sec. Coking rate was determined at four equally-spaced locations along the length of the simulator. Fuel samples were collected for infrared analysis. The dependence of coking rate in Jet A may be correlated with surface temperature via an activation energy of 9 to 10 kcal/mole, although the results indicate that both bulk fluid and surface temperature affect the rate of decomposition. As a consequence, flow rate, which controls bulk temperature, must also be considered. Taken together, these results suggest that the decomposition reactions are initiated on the surface and continue in the bulk fluid. The coking rate data for No. 2 HH oil are very highly temperature dependent above approximately 533K. This suggests that bulk phase reactions can become controlling in the formation of coke.

Vranos, A.↗

Discriminating the Role of Surface Hydride and Hydroxyl for Acetylene Semihydrogenation over Ceria through In Situ Neutron and Infrared Spectroscopy

Ceria has been used as a hydrogenation catalyst especially in selective alkyne hydrogenation, but the reaction mechanism regarding the role of different surface hydrogen species remains unclear. Here, we utilized in situ neutron and infrared vibration spectroscopy to show the catalytic role of cerium hydride (Ce–H) and hydroxyl (OH) groups in acetylene hydrogenation over ceria surfaces with different degree of reduction. In situ inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy (INS) proved that not only Ce–H but also surface atomic hydrogen species on the reduced ceria surface can participate in acetylene semihydrogenation. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) results implied that bridging OH groups both on the oxidized and reduced ceria are active in the selective hydrogenation of acetylene. It appears that surface Ce–H is more reactive than the coexisting OH species on the reduced ceria surface, but over-reduction of ceria also results in strongly bound species that may lead to catalyst deactivation. These spectroscopic results clearly explain the reaction mechanism including not only the surface chemistry but also the nature of the active hydrogen species for selective hydrogenation over ceria, providing insights into the design of more active and stable ceria-based catalysts for hydrogenation reactions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The Surface Chemistry of Methanol on Cu 3 Pd(111): Effects of Metal Alloying and Reaction with Hydrogen

Synchrotron-based ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) was used to study the adsorption and surface chemistry of methanol on a Cu 3 Pd(111) model surface. The composition and morphological properties of the pristine Cu 3 Pd(111) substrate were analyzed using a combination of low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and low-energy ion scattering (LEIS). The results of ion scattering showed segregation of Pd toward the surface, with a Pd/Cu ratio close to 0.5, a larger value than the ratio of 0.33 expected for a Cu 3 Pd bimetallic structure. The surface of the alloy exhibited a good LEED pattern with three-fold long-range periodicities. In STM, clusters of palladium with hexagonal arrays and Pd- Pd distances of 2.7-2.8 Å were detected. Bonding to copper perturbed the electronic properties of the atoms in the Pd clusters, shifting their 4d states toward higher binding energy with respect to the Fermi level. Further, the valence band spectrum of Cu 3 Pd(111) exhibited a line shape that was very different from those displayed by Cu(111) or Pd(111). At low pressures, the adsorption of methanol on Cu 3 Pd(111) at 300 K mainly produced CH 3 O, CO and CH x species. AP-XPS showed that most Pd atoms in the surface of the Cu 3 Pd(111) alloy interacted with the decomposition products of methanol. No significant changes were observed in the core levels of copper upon the adsorption and dissociation of methanol, suggesting that the molecule mainly interacted with Pd sites of the alloy. Reaction with hydrogen led to fast removal of CH x , C and PdC x species from Cu 3 Pd(111) at moderate (< 450 K) temperatures and prevented a CH x → C transformation. If the stability of adsorbed CH 3 O is used as a descriptor for the hydrogenation of CO 2 to methanol, Cu 3 Pd should be a much better catalyst than monometallic palladium. This may be a consequence of electronic and ensemble effects in the alloy that moderate the reactivity of Pd sites.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) of Metal and Metal Oxide Films: A Surface Science Study (Final Report)

This is the final report for this project. The long-term objective of our project is to develop a general molecular-level picture of the surface chemistry associated with ALD processes. Our central hypothesis is that the chemistry of ALD precursors can differ significantly from that seen in solution. Awareness of such differences should provide general guidelines on what to watch for when synthesizing new ALD precursors and designing and optimizing new ALD processes, especially in terms of minimizing the incorporation of impurities in the growing films and of carrying out depositions under mild pressure and temperature conditions. The main objective of our research project has been to advance the fundamental knowledge of the surface chemistry of ALD precursors needed for the design and optimization of film deposition processes. A modern surface-science approach has been implemented to both elucidate the mechanism of the reactions of the precursors on the surface and characterize the composition and morphology of the growing films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Impact of stratospheric aircraft on calculations of nitric acid trihydrate cloud surface area densities using NMC temperatures and 2D model constituent distributions

A parameterization of NAT (nitric acid trihydrate) clouds is developed for use in 2D models of the stratosphere. The parameterization uses model distributions of HNO3 and H2O to determine critical temperatures for NAT formation as a function of latitude and pressure. National Meteorological Center temperature fields are then used to determine monthly temperature frequency distributions, also as a function of latitude and pressure. The fractions of these distributions which fall below the critical temperatures for NAT formation are then used to determine the NAT cloud surface area density for each location in the model grid. By specifying heterogeneous reaction rates as functions of the surface area density, it is then possible to assess the effects of the NAT clouds on model constituent distributions. We also consider the increase in the NAT cloud formation in the presence of a fleet of stratospheric aircraft. The stratospheric aircraft NO(x) and H2O perturbations result in increased HNO3 as well as H2O. This increases the probability of NAT formation substantially, especially if it is assumed that the aircraft perturbations are confined to a corridor region.

Considine, David B.↗

The Importance of Surface Oxygen for Lithiation and Morphology Evolution during Calcination of High-Nickel NMC Cathodes

Nanoscale morphology has a direct impact on the performance of materials for electrochemical energy storage. Despite this importance, little is known about the evolution of primary particle morphology nor its effect on chemical pathways during synthesis. In this work, operando characterization is combined with atomic-scale and continuum simulations to clarify the relationship between morphology of cathode primary particles and their lithiation during calcination of LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 (NMC-811). This combined approach reveals a key role for surface oxygen adsorption in facilitating the lithiation reaction by promoting metal diffusion and oxidation, and simultaneously providing surface sites for lithium insertion. Furthermore, oxygen surface termination is shown to increase the activation energy for sintering, leading to smaller primary particle sizes at intermediate temperatures. Smaller particles provide both shorter diffusion lengths for lithium incorporation and increased surface site density for lithium insertion. These insights provide a foundation for more tailored syntheses of cathode materials with optimized performance characteristics.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Modification of LiMn 2 O 4 surfaces by controlling the Acid–Base surface chemistry of atomic layer deposition

In this combined theoretical and experimental study, we report the effects of Al precursor selection on the growth chemistry, interfacial structure, and electrochemistry of Al 2 O 3 coatings on spinel LiMn 2 O 4 (LMO) surfaces by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Five Al precursors, exhibiting a range of Lewis acid-base properties, were used to establish trends in the ALD Al 2 O 3 growth chemistry on LMO powders in comparison to redox-inactive planar silicon substrates. We show that the Lewis acid-base properties of the Al precursor ligands can be used to tune both the Mn oxidation states and the Al 2 O 3 coverage on the LMO surface. Density functional theory calculations are used to examine the reaction mechanism of each precursor on LMO surfaces, elucidating a correlation between the Lewis acidity of the ligands and the decomposition thermochemistry. In-depth X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements support these theoretical predictions and further reveal how different Al precursors modify the atomic and electronic structure near the LMO surface during ALD. While the Mn oxidation state is strongly influenced by the Lewis acidity of the precursor ligand, the surface coverage and thickness of the Al 2 O 3 coating are a more representative descriptor of the electrochemical performance measured in coin cell experiments. Finally, we show how the ligand acid-base properties of ALD precursors can be used to rationally tailor atomic layer growth mechanisms, which may enable atomic level control over the structure of functionalized interfaces for various applications related to catalysis, semiconductors, and energy storage.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Deep reaction network exploration at a heterogeneous catalytic interface

Characterizing the reaction energies and barriers of reaction networks is central to catalyst development. However, heterogeneous catalytic surfaces pose several unique challenges to automatic reaction network characterization, including large sizes and open-ended reactant sets, that make ad hoc network construction the current state-of-the-art. Here, we show how automated network exploration algorithms can be adapted to the constraints of heterogeneous systems using ethylene oligomerization on silica-supported single-site Ga 3+ as a model system. Using only graph-based rules for exploring the network and elementary constraints based on activation energy and size for identifying network terminations, a comprehensive reaction network is generated and validated against standard methods. The algorithm (re)discovers the Ga-alkyl-centered Cossee-Arlman mechanism that is hypothesized to drive major product formation while also predicting several new pathways for producing alkanes and coke precursors. These results demonstrate that automated reaction exploration algorithms are rapidly maturing towards general purpose capability for exploratory catalytic applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Solar reduction of carbon dioxide on copper-tin electrocatalysts with energy conversion efficiency near 20%

Abstract Copper catalysts modified with tin have been demonstrated to be selective for the electroreduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. However, such catalysts require the precise control of tin loading amount. Here, we develop a copper/tin-oxide catalyst with dominant tin oxide surface being formed via a spontaneous exchange reaction between sputtered tin and copper oxide. Even though the surface of this catalyst is tin-rich, it achieves an excellent performance towards carbon monoxide production in a flow cell. This contrasts with copper/tin-oxide prepared via atomic layer deposition since it yields selectivity towards carbon monoxide only on a copper-rich surface. Mechanism studies reveal that the tin sites on the tin-rich copper/tin-oxide surface achieve a suitable binding with adsorbed carbon monoxide under the presence of copper. Powered by a triple-junction solar cell, the copper/tin-oxide based electrolyzer sets a new benchmark solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency of 19.9 percent with a Faradaic efficiency of 98.9 percent towards carbon monoxide under simulated standard air mass 1.5 global illumination.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Oxidation of dissolved iron under warmer, wetter conditions on Mars: Transitions to present-day arid environments

The copious deposits of ferric-iron assemblages littering the surface of bright regions of Mars indicate that efficient oxidative weathering reactions have taken place during the evolution of the planet. Because the kinetics of atmosphere-surface (gas-solid) reactions are considerably slower than chemical weathering reactions involving an aqueous medium, most of the oxidation products now present in the martian regolith probably formed when groundwater flowed near the surface. This paper examines how chemical weathering reactions were effected by climatic variations when warm, wet environments became arid on Mars. Analogies are drawn with hydrogeochemical and weathering environments on the Australian continent where present-day oxidation of iron is occurring in acidic ground water under arid conditions.

Burns, R. G.↗

Integrating Tide‐Driven Wetland Soil Redox and Biogeochemical Interactions Into a Land Surface Model

Abstract Redox processes, aqueous and solid‐phase chemistry, and pH dynamics are key drivers of subsurface biogeochemical cycling and methanogenesis in terrestrial and wetland ecosystems but are typically not included in terrestrial carbon cycle models. These omissions may introduce errors when simulating systems where redox interactions and pH fluctuations are important, such as wetlands where saturation of soils can produce anoxic conditions and coastal systems where sulfate inputs from seawater can influence biogeochemistry. Integrating cycling of redox‐sensitive elements could therefore allow models to better represent key elements of carbon cycling and greenhouse gas production. We describe a model framework that couples the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) Land Model (ELM) with PFLOTRAN biogeochemistry, allowing geochemical processes and redox interactions to be integrated with land surface model simulations. We implemented a reaction network including aerobic decomposition, fermentation, sulfate reduction, sulfide oxidation, methanogenesis, and methanotrophy as well as pH dynamics along with iron oxide and iron sulfide mineral precipitation and dissolution. We simulated biogeochemical cycling in tidal wetlands subject to either saltwater or freshwater inputs driven by tidal hydrological dynamics. In simulations with saltwater tidal inputs, sulfate reduction led to accumulation of sulfide, higher dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations, lower dissolved organic carbon concentrations, and lower methane emissions than simulations with freshwater tidal inputs. Model simulations compared well with measured porewater concentrations and surface gas emissions from coastal wetlands in the Northeastern United States. These results demonstrate how simulating geochemical reaction networks can improve land surface model simulations of subsurface biogeochemistry and carbon cycling.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗