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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 1,513 records · Page 84
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Magneto-Optical Sensing Beyond the Shot Noise Limit

Magneto-optical sensors including spin noise spectroscopies and magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopies are now ubiquitous tools for materials characterization that can provide new understanding of spin dynamics, hyperfine interactions, spin-orbit interactions, and charge-carrier g-factors. Both interferometric and intensity-difference measurements can provide photon-shot-noise-limited sensitivity, but further improvements in sensitivity with classical resources require either increased laser power that can induce unwanted heating and electronic perturbations or increased measurement times that can obscure out-of-equilibrium dynamics and slow experimental throughput. Proof-of-principle measurements have already demonstrated quantum enhanced spin noise measurements with a squeezed readout field that are likely to be critical to the nonperturbative characterization of spin excitations in quantum materials that emerge at low temperatures. Here, a truncated nonlinear interferometric readout for low-temperature magneto-optical Kerr effect and related magneto-optical microscopies that is accessible with today's quantum optical resources is proposed. 10 nrad/$\sqrt{Hz}$ sensitivity is achievable with optical power as small as 1 µW. As a result, measurements may be performed at temperatures as low as 83 mK in commercially available dilution refrigerators. This combination of high sensitivity and low operating temperature is impossible to achieve with any classical measurement. The quantum advantage for the proposed measurements persists even in the limit of large loss and small squeezing parameters.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Large-Volume Injection and Assessment of Reference Standards for n -Alkane δD and δ 13 C Analysis via Gas Chromatography Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry

Compound-specific stable isotope analysis of hydrogen (δD) and carbon (δ 13 C) in organic compounds is a valuable tool in biogeochemical research. A key limitation of this method is the relatively large amount of sample required to achieve desirable precision. We developed a large-volume (20 μL) injection method that allows for high throughput analysis of less concentrated samples and tested it for δ 13 C and δD measurements of n-alkanes. We also conducted a comparison of reference standards and assessed several methods to normalize and correct n-alkane δD and δ13C measurements. The mean precision of the δD method based on 233 environmental n-alkane samples (two to three replications per sample) is 4.0‰ (1σ, estimated from the weighted mean of the pooled unbiased standard deviations) and 0.46‰ (1σ) for δ 13 C from 37 environmental samples (two to three replications per sample). The evaluation of reference standards shows that the use of n-alkane standards with large offsets in δD values in adjacent n-alkane chains can lead to biases in measurement correction. The large-volume injection method shows good reproducibility of δ 13 C and δD measurements of n-alkanes and reduces the required sample concentration by about 80%. We propose that for δD measurements, a reference standard set should be used in which each reference standard has a limited range of δD values and no adjacent n-alkane chains, to minimize memory effects.

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

Dredged sediments contain potentially beneficial microorganisms for agriculture and little harmful cyanobacteria

Soils worldwide are degrading, raising concerns about our ability to feed the growing global population. Soil amendments that can alleviate degradation are gaining attention. The application of sediments dredged from waterways to agricultural fields has increasing promise as a means for improving degraded soils. However, herbaceous plant species may have difficulty establishing on dredged material because of low nutrient availability, inhibitory levels of toxins, unsuitable moisture conditions and lack of microorganisms capable of ameliorating these characteristics. To counteract these issues, we sought to understand if the use of a cover crop would increase the abundance, diversity and function of beneficial soil microorganisms compared to harmful microorganisms in dredged sediments. We collected soil samples from two 100% dredged sediment plots, one where winter cereal rye (Secale cereal) was grown as a winter cover crop and one left fallow over the winter, followed by traditional corn (Zea mays) planting. We sampled both plots three times during the growing season: before cover crop application, following cover crop application but before corn planting and following final corn harvest. We then used high-throughput sequencing to identify the bacterial and fungal communities present in the samples. Our data show that cover crop application did not alter the microbial community in these plots. However, sampling time decreased species diversity and altered the composition of both fungal and bacterial communities recovered from these plots. Across both plots, microorganisms associated with carbon cycling were more abundant than those associated with harmful effects, including microcystin-producing cyanobacteria, which were an extremely small portion of the overall community. Our work suggests that dredged sediments have the potential to improve soil function through the addition of microorganisms associated with nutrient cycling, but a cover crop is not necessary to incur these benefits.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Electrolysis on a Chip with Tunable Thin Film Nanostructured PGM Electrocatalysts Generated from Self-Assembled Block Copolymer Templates

Self-assembled block copolymers are promising templates for fabricating thin film materials with tuned periodic feature sizes and geometry at the nanoscale. Here, a series of nanostructured platinum and iridium oxide electrocatalysts templated from poly(styrene)-block-poly(vinyl pyridine) (PSbPVP) block copolymers via an incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) pathway is reported. Both nanowire and nanocylinder electrocatalysts of varying feature sizes are assessed and higher catalyst loadings are achieved by the alkylation of the pyridine moieties in the PVP block prior to IWI. Electrocatalyst evaluations featuring hydrogen pump and water electrolysis demonstrations are carried out on interdigitated electrode (IDE) chips flexible with liquid supporting electrolytes and thin film polymer electrolytes. Notably, the mass activities of the nanostructured electrocatalysts from alkylated block copolymer templates are 35%–94% higher than electrocatalysts from non-alkylated block copolymer templates. Standing cylinder nanostructures lead to higher mass activities than lamellar variants despite their not having the largest surface area per unit catalyst loading demonstrating that mesostructure architectures have a profound impact on reactivity. Overall, IDE chips with model thin film electrocatalysts prepared from self-assembled block copolymers offer a high-throughput experimental method for correlating electrocatalyst nanostructure and composition to electrochemical reactivity.

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

Ingrained: An Automated Framework for Fusing Atomic-Scale Image Simulations into Experiments

To fully leverage the power of image simulation to corroborate and explain patterns and structures in atomic resolution microscopy, an initial correspondence between the simulation and experimental image must be established at the outset of further high accuracy simulations or calculations. Furthermore, if simulation is to be used in context of highly automated processes or high-throughput optimization, the process of finding this correspondence itself must be automated. In this work, "ingrained," an open-source automation framework which solves for this correspondence and fuses atomic resolution image simulations into the experimental images to which they correspond, is introduced. Here, the overall "ingrained" workflow, focusing on its application to interface structure approximations, and the development of an experimentally rationalized forward model for scanning tunneling microscopy simulation are described.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Monolayer Plasmonic Nanoframes as Large‐Area, Broadband Metasurface Absorbers

Abstract Broadband absorbers are useful ultraviolet protection, energy harvesting, sensing, and thermal imaging. The thinner these structures are, the more device‐relevant they become. However, it is difficult to synthesize ultrathin absorbers in a scalable and straightforward manner. A general and straightforward synthetic strategy for preparing ultrathin, broadband metasurface absorbers that do not rely on cumbersome lithographic steps is reported. These materials are prepared through the surface‐assembly of plasmonic octahedral nanoframes (NFs) into large‐area ordered monolayers via drop‐casting with subsequent air‐drying at room temperature. This strategy is used to produce three types of ultrathin broadband absorbers with thicknesses of ≈200 nm and different lattice symmetries (loose hexagonal, twisted hexagonal, dense hexagonal), all of which exhibit efficient light absorption (≈90%) across wavelengths ranging from 400–800 nm. Their broadband absorption is attributed to the hollow morphologies of the NFs, the incorporation of a high‐loss material (i.e., Pt), and the strong field enhancement resulting from surface assembly. The broadband absorption is found to be polarization‐independent and maintained for a wide range of incidence angles (±45°). The ability to design and fabricate broadband metasurface absorbers using this high‐throughput surface‐based assembly strategy is a significant step toward the large‐scale, rapid manufacturing of nanophotonic structures and devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Microscale Metal Additive Manufacturing by Solid‐State Impact Bonding of Shaped Thin Films

The deposition of device-grade inorganic materials is one key challenge toward the implementation of additive manufacturing (AM) in microfabrication, and to that end, a broad range of physico-chemical principles has been explored for 3D fabrication with micro- and nanoscale resolution. Yet, for metals, a process that achieves material quality rivalling that of established thin-film deposition methods, and at the same time, has the potential to combine high throughput production with a broad palette of processable materials, is still lacking. Here, the kinetic, solid-state bonding of metal thin films for the additive assembly of high-purity, high-density metals with micrometer-scale precision is introduced. Indirect laser ablation accelerates micrometer-thick gold films to hundreds of meters per second without their heating or ablation. Their subsequent impact on the substrate above a critical velocity forms a permanent, metallic bond in the solid state. Stacked layers are of high density (>99%). By defining thin-film layers with established lithographic methods prior to launch, a variable feature size (2–50 µm), arbitrary shape of bonded layers, and parallel transfer of up to 36 independent film units in a single shot, is demonstrated. Thus, the solid-state kinetic bonding principle as a viable and potentially versatile route for micro-scale AM of metals is established.

3D printing↗
DOE OSTI2025

Open‐Air Combustion Synthesis with Rapid Plasma Processing of Large‐Area Transparent Conducting Oxides

A vacuum-free, high-throughput synthesis of indium tin oxide (ITO) via Combustion Oxidation with Rapid Plasma Processing (CORP) utilizes a solution-based exothermic combustion reaction to generate the oxide with tunable control of either amorphous or crystalline phases. A subsequent open-air, forming gas plasma treatment is used to introduce oxygen vacancies and promote crystallization. Here, the evolution of the oxide structure is elucidated by extended X-ray absorption spectroscopy fine structure analysis. Using CORP, fabrication of 300 cm 2 of ITO possessing a champion sheet resistance of 38 Ω sq. −1 , visible transmission of 89%, conductivity stability for over 250 days, roughness < 2nm, and Haacke figure of merit (%T 550nm 10 /R s ) of 0.012 Ω −1 is achieved. Cost modeling of CORP demonstrates up to a 67% reduction in price for TCOs using fully continuous, in-line unit operations compared with vacuum sputtering. The work shows a path toward a low-cost, vacuum-free manufacturing method for TCOs at commercial scales.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spatial‐Uniformity–Driven Bayesian Optimization for Rapid Development of Printed Perovskite Solar Cells

Printed metal halide perovskites can enable rapid, roll-to-roll manufacturing of a broad class of optoelectronics—flexible solar cells and imagers among them—while promising cost and speed advantages over incumbent silicon. However, though current methods offer high throughput and patterning capabilities, perovskite films’ spatial heterogeneity remains a challenge for large-area devices. Here, a spatial-uniformity-driven Bayesian optimization (BO) approach is leveraged to accelerate the development of printed perovskite solar cells and improve large-area device performance. Using a BO surrogate model, a 6D design space of ink chemistry and printing physics is explored via extensive iterative experimentation (≈100) informed by an objective function capturing spatial photoluminescence (PL) variance. It is discovered that optimizing for uniformity drives rapid advances in photovoltaic performance, yielding ≈20% power conversion efficiency (PCE) for small area (0.134 cm 2 ) devices and > 16% for large area (1 cm 2 ) devices. This machine-learning approach simultaneously enables rheological comparison of ink formulations that accelerate the leveling of Saffman-Taylor artifacts and improve film uniformity. Here, this showcases uniformity-driven BO as an efficient approach for uncovering the key printing physics and mitigating spatial heterogeneity to enable device scaling beyond small cell areas.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

In situ Synchrotron X‐ray Metrology Boosted by Automated Data Analysis for Real‐time Monitoring of Cathode Calcination

Abstract Synchrotron X‐ray‐based in situ metrology is advantageous for monitoring the synthesis of battery materials, offering high throughput, high spatial and temporal resolution, and chemical sensitivity. However, the rapid generation of massive data poses a challenge to on‐site, on‐the‐fly analysis needed for real‐time process monitoring. Here, a weighted lagged cross‐correlation (WLCC) similarity approach is presented for automated data analysis, which merges with in situ synchrotron X‐ray diffraction metrology to monitor the calcination process of the archetypal nickel‐based cathode, LiNiO 2 . The WLCC approach, incorporating variables that account for peak shifts and width changes associated with structural transformations, enables rapid extraction of phase progression within 10 seconds from tens of diffraction patterns. Details are captured, from initial precursors to intermediates and the final layered LiNiO 2 , providing information for agile on‐site adjustments during experiments and complementing post hoc diffraction analysis by offering insights into early‐stage phase nucleation and growth. Expanding this data‐powered platform paves the way for real time calcination process monitoring and control, which is pivotal to quality control in battery cathode manufacturing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Codesigning Alloy Compositions of CdSe y Te 1− y Absorbers and Mg x Zn 1− x O Contacts to Increase Solar Cell Efficiency

Thin‐film solar cells such as CdTe are a major commercial photovoltaic technology, with more than 25 GW installed worldwide and levelized costs of electricity competitive with fossil fuels. Further progress may result from integrating CdSe y Te 1− y absorbers with Mg x Zn 1− x O contacts, but the device efficiency is difficult to maximize due to coupled dependence on chemical composition of both alloys. Herein, a high‐throughput approach is demonstrated to codesign chemical compositions in alloyed Mg x Zn 1− x O/CdSe y Te 1− y thin‐film solar cells, using combinatorial libraries of PV devices with orthogonal composition gradients in CdSe y Te 1− y absorbers and Mg x Zn 1− x O contacts. It is found that the solar cell performance is a strong and coupled function of both elemental compositions, with efficiency up to 17.7% ( V OC = 836 mV, fill factor = 69%, J SC = 30.6 mA cm −2 ) at atomic compositions of Mg/(Mg + Zn) ≈18% and average Se/(Se + Te) ≈4%. These performance trends among >100 devices are explained by >100 ns lifetime of photoexcited charge carriers at the Mg x Zn 1− x O/CdSe y Te 1− y interface where strong Se accumulation is also observed. This study reports the optimal compositions of the commercially relevant Mg x Zn 1− x O/CdSe y Te 1− y solar cells and demonstrates a general approach to codesigning performance of alloyed thin‐film solar cells and other optoelectronic devices.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

How Should Researchers Measure Perovskite-Based Monolithic Multijunction Solar Cells’ Performance? A Calibration Lab's Perspective

Perovskite multijunctions (PVSK MJs) have made remarkable progress with monolithic PVSK/PVSK tandems surpassing the efficiency of single-junction (1 J) PVSK cells and PVSK/Si cells reported to exceed the 30% efficiency mark. These efficiencies are reported at standard test conditions (STC), established by the photovoltaic (PV) community to facilitate comparison between devices and technologies. Herein, it is discussed why an accurate STC performance measurement for a MJ is more complicated than for a 1 J cell and the special aspects to be considered when measuring the current-voltage characteristics and the performance of PVSK-containing MJ cells are emphasized. It is discussed why a spectrally adjustable solar simulator is needed and the sequence of accurate performance measurement, namely measurement of the spectral response of each junction, adjustment of the spectrum, and appropriate protocols for measuring the power output of the device at STC, is presented. For all these, common errors and pitfalls that sometime lead to misleading interpretation of the results are presented, and the methods to evaluate the accuracy of the data when a spectrally adjustable solar simulator is not available are recommended. Finally, first step is taken toward recommending performance measurement approaches when high throughput is required as will eventually be in a production line.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Integrated Micro‐Scale Concentrating Photovoltaics: A Scalable Path Toward High‐Efficiency, Low‐Cost Solar Power

The global energy market is seeing increases in the electricity demand of a couple of percentage points annually. The photovoltaic (PV) industry is also growing rapidly every year. One of the PV technologies is concentrator photovoltaics (CPV). CPV uses high‐efficiency multijunction solar cells and optics to concentrate sunlight, thereby significantly reducing the amount of semiconductor material needed. Yet, due to the high upfont manufacturing cost of CPV, it currently does not offer a competitive price against silicon PV. With this a new branch is introduced to the industry, micro‐CPV, which can be broadly explained as the miniaturization of the solar cells and optical components. The motivation for micro‐CPV is lowering the cost by decreasing the material volume and enabling new system architectures and high‐throughput manufacturing methods, while still maintaining high electrical efficiencies, taking advantage of a lower thermal load, shorter optical paths, lower resistive losses, and lower material volumes. Herein, a comprehensive review of the technological advances is presented, key synergies between micro‐CPV and other industries sharing similar challenges are identified, exemplified by micro‐light emitting diodes display manufacturing. New assembly process development in these industries will facilitate commercial adoption of micro‐CPV with continued miniaturization while driving down the cost.

Jost, Norman↗
DOE OSTI2022

Demonstration of no catalytical activity of Fe–N–C and Nb–N–C electrocatalysts toward nitrogen reduction using in–line quantification

Ammonia (NH 3 ) production via the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is a promising method for sustainable generation of this important chemical. Efforts are ongoing in finding an efficient, stable, and selective catalyst that will enable the reaction. However, progress is hindered in the field due to lack of reproducibility, most likely a consequence of reports of false-positive results due to improper measurement control and methods. In this study, we explore the NRR activity of a promising class of single atom catalysts, transition metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) electrocatalysts. Using a state-of-the-art in-line ammonia quantification methodology, with detection limit as low as 1 ppb for ammonia, we show that single atom Nb and Fe embedded in a stable carbon and nitrogen framework do not electrochemically reduce N 2 to NH 3 . Critically, this demonstrates that our experimental setup with in-line sequential injection analysis successfully excludes ammonia contamination from the gas supply and atmospheric sources, allowing for thorough and high-throughput examination of potential NRR catalysts.

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

Phenome‐to‐genome insights for evaluating root system architecture in field studies of maize

Abstract Understanding the genetic basis of root system architecture (RSA) in crops requires innovative approaches that enable both high‐throughput and precise phenotyping in field conditions. In this study, we evaluated multiple phenotyping and analytical frameworks for quantifying RSA in mature, field‐grown maize in three field experiments. We used forward and reverse genetic approaches to evaluate >1700 maize root crowns, including a diversity panel, a biparental mapping population, and maize mutant and wild‐type alleles at two known RSA genes,DEEPER ROOTING 1(DRO1) andRootless1(Rt1). We show the utility of increasing the dimensionality of traditional two‐dimensional (2D) techniques, referred to as the “2D multi‐view” method, to improve the capture of whole root system information for mapping genetic variation influencing RSA. Comparison of univariate and multivariate genome‐wide association study (GWAS) approaches revealed that multivariate traits were effective at dissecting complex RSA phenotypes and identifying pleiotropic quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Overall, three‐dimensional (3D) root models generated from X‐ray computed tomography and digital phenotyping captured a larger proportion of RSA trait variations compared to other methods of root phenotyping, as evidenced by both genome‐wide and single‐gene analyses. Among the individual root traits, root pulling force emerged as a highly heritable estimate of RSA that identified the largest number of shared QTLs with 3D phenotypes. Our study shows that integrating complementary phenotyping technologies helps to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the genetic architecture of RSA in field‐grown maize.

Genetics & Heredity↗
DOE OSTI2024

Exploring Saccharomycotina Yeast Ecology Through an Ecological Ontology Framework

Yeasts in the subphylum Saccharomycotina are found across the globe in disparate ecosystems. A major aim of yeast research is to understand the diversity and evolution of ecological traits, such as carbon metabolic breadth, insect association, and cactophily. This includes studying aspects of ecological traits like genetic architecture or association with other phenotypic traits. Genomic resources in the Saccharomycotina have grown rapidly. Ecological data, however, are still limited for many species, especially those only known from species descriptions where usually only a limited number of strains are studied. Moreover, ecological information is recorded in natural language format limiting high throughput computational analysis. To address these limitations, we developed an ontological framework for the analysis of yeast ecology. A total of 1,088 yeast strains were added to the Ontology of Yeast Environments (OYE) and analyzed in a machine-learning framework to connect genotype to ecology. This framework is flexible and can be extended to additional isolates, species, or environmental sequencing data. Widespread adoption of OYE would greatly aid the study of macroecology in the Saccharomycotina subphylum.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multi-omics Resources for Understanding Gene Regulation in Response to ER Stress in Plants

Proteotoxic stress of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a potentially lethal condition that ensues when the biosynthetic capacity of the ER is overwhelmed. A sophisticated and largely conserved signaling, known as the unfolded protein response (UPR), is designed to monitor and alleviate ER stress. In plants, the emerging picture of gene regulation by the UPR now appears to be more complex than ever before, requiring multi-omics-enabled network-level approaches to be untangled. In the past decade, with an increasing access and decreasing costs of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and high-throughput protein–DNA interaction (PDI) screening technologies, multitudes of global molecular measurements, known as omics, have been generated and analyzed by the research community to investigate the complex gene regulation of plant UPR. In this chapter, we present a comprehensive catalog of omics resources at different molecular levels (transcriptomes, protein–DNA interactomes, and networks) along with the introduction of key concepts in experimental and computational tools in data generation and analyses. Finally, this chapter will serve as a starting point for both experimentalists and bioinformaticians to explore diverse omics datasets for their biological questions in the plant UPR, with likely applications also in other species for conserved mechanisms.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Tip-based Workflow for Sensitive IMAC-based Low Nanogram Level Phosphoproteomics

Analyzing the phosphoproteome at nanoscale poses a significant challenge, mainly due to the substantial sample loss from non-specific surface adsorption during the enrichment of low stoichiometric phosphopeptides. Here, we describe a tandem tip-based phosphoproteomics sample preparation method capable of sequential sample cleanup and enrichment without the need for additional sample transfer, thereby minimizing sample loss. Integration of this method to our recently developed SOP (Surfactant-assisted One-Pot sample preparation) and iBASIL (improved Boosting to Amplify Signal with Isobaric Labeling) approaches creates a streamlined workflow, enabling sensitive, high-throughput nanoscale phosphoproteomics measurements.

Phosphoproteome, Immobilized metal ion affinity ch↗