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At least 1,567 records · Page 87
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Broadband Tunable Mid-infrared Plasmon Resonances in Cadmium Oxide Nanocrystals Induced by Size-Dependent Nonstoichiometry

A central theme of nanocrystal (NC) research involves synthesis of dimension-controlled NCs and study of size-dependent scaling laws governing their optical, electrical, magnetic, and thermodynamic properties. In this paper, we describe the synthesis of monodisperse CdO NCs that exhibit high quality-factor (up to 5.5) mid-infrared (MIR) localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) and elucidate the inverse scaling relationship between carrier concentration and NC size. The LSPR wavelength is readily tunable between 2.4 and similar to 6.0 μm by controlling the size of CdO NCs. Structural and spectroscopic characterization provide strong evidence that free electrons primarily originate from self-doping due to NC surface-induced nonstoichiometry. The ability to probe and to control NC stoichiometry and intrinsic defects will pave the way toward predictive synthesis of doped NCs with desirable LSPR characteristics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Phase-Controlled Synthesis of Pd–Sn Nanocrystal Catalysts of Defined Size and Shape

Bimetallic Pd-based nanoparticles (NPs) are of interest as electrocatalysts for formic acid electrooxidation (FAEO) because of their higher initial catalytic activity and CO tolerance when compared to Pt. Intermetallic NPs (i-NPs) with specific geometric and electronic structures generally exhibit superior catalytic activity, selectivity, and durability when compared to their disordered (random alloy) counterparts; however, the colloidal synthesis of i-NPs remains a challenge. Here, a one-pot method was demonstrated as a facile route to obtain monodisperse Pd–Sn NPs with phase control, including intermetallic hexagonal Pd 3 Sn 2 (P6 3 /mmc), intermetallic orthorhombic Pd 2 Sn (Pnma), and alloy cubic Pd 3 Sn (FCC, Fm 3 ¯m) as size-controlled NPs with quasi-spherical shapes. Initial metal precursor ratios and reaction temperature were critical parameters to achieving phase control. Also, slight modifications of synthetic conditions resulted in either Pd 2 Sn nanorhombohedra or nanorods with tunable aspect ratios. A systematic evaluation of the Pd–Sn NPs for FAEO showed that most presented higher specific activities when compared to commercial Pd/C, in which Pd 2 Sn quasi-spheres and nanorhombohedra showed the highest catalytic activity for FAEO. Furthermore, these results highlight the benefits of phase-controlled Pd-based nanocatalysts with defined nanocrystal size and shape, with use of trioctylphospine (TOP) and oleic acid (OA) central to shape and size control.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Isothermal Microcalorimetry: Insight into the Impact of Crystallite Size and Agglomeration on the Lithiation of Magnetite, Fe 3 O 4

Magnetite, Fe 3 O 4 , holds significant interest as a Li-ion anode material because of its high theoretical capacity (926 mAh/g) associated with multiple electron transfers per cation center. Notably, both crystallite size and agglomeration influence ion transport. This report probes the effects of crystallite size (12 and 29 nm) and agglomeration on the reactions involved with the formation of the surface electrolyte interphase on Fe 3 O 4 . Isothermal microcalorimetry (IMC) was used here to determine the parasitic heat evolved during lithiation by considering the total heat measured, cell polarization, and entropic contributions. Interestingly, the 29 nm Fe 3 O 4 -based electrodes produced more parasitic heat than the 12 nm samples (1346 vs 1155 J/g). This observation was explored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping in conjunction with spatially resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). SEM imaging of the electrodes revealed more agglomerates for the 12 nm material, affirmed by XRF maps. Further, XAS results suggest that Li + transport is more restricted for the smaller crystallite size (12 nm) material, attributed to its greater degree of agglomeration. These results rationalize the IMC data, where agglomerates of the 12 nm material limit solid electrolyte interphase formation and parasitic heat generation during lithiation of Fe 3 O 4 .

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Unexpectedly Strong Size-Sieving Ability in Carbonized Polybenzimidazole for Membrane H 2 /CO 2 Separation

Polymers with high permeability and strong size-sieving ability are needed for H 2 /CO 2 separation at temperatures ranging from 100 to 300 °C to enable an energy-efficient precombustion CO 2 capture process. However, such polymers usually suffer from a permeability/selectivity tradeoff, that is, polymers with high permeability tend to exhibit a weak size-sieving ability and thus low selectivity. In this work, we demonstrate that carbonization of a suitable polymer precursor (i.e., polybenzimidazole or PBI) generates microcavities (leading to high H 2 permeability) and ultramicroporous channels (leading to strong size-sieving ability and thus high H 2 /CO 2 selectivity). Specifically, carbonization of PBI at 900 °C (CMS@900) doubles H 2 permeability and increases H 2 /CO 2 selectivity from 14 to 80 at 150 °C. When tested with simulated syngas-containing equimolar H 2 and CO 2 in the presence of water vapor for 120 h, CMS@900 exhibits stable H 2 permeability of ≈36 barrer and H 2 /CO 2 selectivity of ≈53 at 150 °C, above Robeson’s 2008 upper bound and demonstrating robustness against physical aging and CO 2 plasticization.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Rational Design of Bi Nanoparticles for Efficient Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction: The Elucidation of Size and Surface Condition Effects

Here we report an efficient electrochemical conversion of CO 2 to CO on surface-activated bismuth nanoparticles (NPs) in acetonitrile (MeCN) under ambient conditions, with the assistance of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([bmim][OTf]). Through the comparison between electrodeposited Bi films (Bi-ED) and different types of Bi NPs, we, for the first time, demonstrate the effects of catalyst’s size and surface condition on organic phase electrochemical CO 2 reduction. Our study reveals that the surface inhibiting layer (hydrophobic surfactants and Bi 3+ species) formed during the synthesis and purification process hinders the CO 2 reduction, leading to a 20% drop in Faradaic efficiency for CO evolution (FE CO ). Bi particle size showed a significant effect on FE CO when the surface of Bi was air-oxidized, but this effect of size on FE CO became negligible on surface-activated Bi NPs. After the surface activation (hydrazine treatment) that effectively removed the native inhibiting layer, activated 36-nm Bi NPs exhibited an almost-quantitative conversion of CO 2 to CO (96.1% FE CO ), and a mass activity for CO evolution (MA CO ) of 15.6 mA mg –1 , which is three-fold higher than the conventional Bi-ED, at ₋2.0 V (vs Ag/AgCl). Ultimately, this work elucidates the importance of the surface activation for an efficient electrochemical CO 2 conversion on metal NPs and paves the way for understanding the CO 2 electrochemical reduction mechanism in nonaqueous media.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2017

Computationally-Guided Synthetic Control over Pore Size in Isostructural Porous Organic Cages

The physical properties of 3-D porous solids are defined by their molecular geometry. Hence, precise control of pore size, pore shape, and pore connectivity are needed to tailor them for specific applications. However, for porous molecular crystals, the modification of pore size by adding pore-blocking groups can also affect crystal packing in an unpredictable way. This precludes strategies adopted for isoreticular metal-organic frameworks, where addition of a small group, such as a methyl group, does not affect the basic framework topology. Here, we narrow the pore size of a cage molecule, CC3, in a systematic way by introducing methyl groups into the cage windows. Computational crystal structure prediction was used to anticipate the packing preferences of two homochiral methylated cages, CC14-R and CC15-R, and to assess the structure-energy landscape of a CC15-R/CC3-S cocrystal, designed such that both component cages could be directed to pack with a 3-D, interconnected pore structure. The experimental gas sorption properties of these three cage systems agree well with physical properties predicted by computational energy-structure-function maps.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Ligand-Size Related Dimensionality Control in Metal Halide Perovskites

Low-dimensional organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites have triggered many fundamental research studies due to their intrinsic tunable photovoltaic properties, technologically relevant stability, and promising efficiency. However, there is limited information on how ligand size influences inherent structural and electronic properties of perovskites. In order to gain deeper understanding of ligand-size related structural and film properties, we fabricated a series of (L) 2 (MA) n-1 PbnI 3n+1 materials by introducing organic spacer ligands of n-CH 3 CH 2 NH 3 (EA), n-CH 3 (CH 2 ) 2 NH 3 (PA), and n-CH 3 (CH 2 ) 3 NH 3 (BA) into the three-dimensional (3D) methylammonium (MA) lead iodide (MAPbI 3 ) system with the same inorganic layer thickness (average $\langle$n$\rangle$ = 4). Here, we demonstrate that the increased number of carbon atoms on ligands affects compatibility of ligands with the 3D [PbI 6 ] 4– framework, leading to different structural dimensionality and crystal orientation, largely explaining different electronic properties, crystal stability, and the consequent device performance of solar cells. This work provides key missing information on how ligand size influences structural dimensionality and desirable electronic properties for future stable and efficient solar cells.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Size-controlled Intercalation to Conversion Transition in Lithiation of Transition-Metal Chalcogenides – NbSe3

Transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) can either be used as intercalation cathodes or as conversion type anodes for lithium ion batteries, for which two distinctively different lithiation reaction mechanisms govern the electrochemical performance of TMCs. However, it remains elusive that what controls the transition of lithiation mechanisms. Herein, we investigated the lithiation process of NbSe3 ribbons using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and observed a size dependent transition from intercalation to conversion reaction. The large NbSe3 ribbons can accommodate high concentration of Li+ through intercalation by relaxing its internal spacing, while lithiation of small NbSe3 ribbons proceeds readily to full conversion reaction. We find that the size dependent variation of lithiation mechanism is attributed to the Li+ diffusion in NbSe3 and the accommodation of newly formed phases, i.e., insufficient Li+ diffusion and limited space for accommodating the volume expansion induced by forming new phases in large size ribbons both impede the intercalation-to-conversion transition. These results demonstrate the inherent structural instability of NbSe3 as an intercalation cathode and fast lithiation rate as a promising conversion type anode.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2025

Size and Structural Control of Mechanoluminescent ZnS:Mn 2+ Nanocrystals for Optogenetic Neuromodulation

Mechanoluminescent materials hold immense potential for various transformative applications, from medical imaging and diagnostics to health monitoring and wearable displays. Conventionally produced as bulk powders or microparticles, they face significant size limitations for advanced applications, particularly in biological systems and microscale devices. Here, this work presents an approach to ZnS:Mn 2+ nanocrystal synthesis that involves self-assembly and subsequent calcination. In addition to effective size control within the nanoscale, this approach promotes the formation of abundant stacking faults, significantly enhancing piezoelectric and mechanoluminescent properties by increasing trap density and reducing trap depth. Unlike mechanoluminescent materials produced using conventional methods, these nanocrystals demonstrate strong mechanoluminescence without requiring UV pre-excitation, and the light emission persists even after mechanical stress is removed. These advantageous properties make them promising candidates for optogenetic neuromodulation, as they can effectively trigger electrical signals in neurons upon ultrasound stimulation both with and without UV pre-excitation. The persistent mechanoluminescence prolongs the duration of neuronal electrical activity, providing an extended temporal window for neuromodulation compared to conventional mechanoluminescent materials. This study provides a scalable method for producing efficient mechanoluminescent nanoparticles and reveals the crucial role of particle size and defect structures in determining their mechanoluminescent behavior.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Vapor-Phase Heteroatom Incorporation into Semiconductive Molecular-Scale Magic-Size Clusters

Magic-size metal chalcogenide clusters of molecular size exhibit well-defined structure and unique properties that might be further expanded with the incorporation or substitution of a second metal. Here, we report the postmodification of magic-size clusters synthesized in polymer thin films via exposure to volatile metal organic precursors commonly utilized for atomic layer deposition. Exposure of In 6 S 6 (CH 3 ) 6 clusters to dimethylcadmium results in exposure-dependent incorporation of Cd 2+ , which extends the optical absorbance of the clusters into the visible spectrum. The mechanism for Cd 2+ incorporation is consistent with Cd 2+ replacement of In 3+ that includes methyl ligand removal to maintain charge neutrality. Even for clusters embedded in a polymer matrix, ligand loss leads to sintering and transformation into larger nanoscale aggregates with zinc blende-type structure. The extent of Cd incorporation can be modulated by varying the process temperature and volatile metal organic exposure as well as the choice of volatile metal organic precursor. A computational thermodynamic analysis of heteroatom incorporation for several metals and chemistries reveals that both the stability of the substituted cluster and the favorability of reaction byproducts jointly determine the favorability of cation incorporation.

atomic layer deposition↗
DOE OSTI2012

Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy Study of the Origins of Anomalous Particle Size Distributions in Supported Metal Catalysts

In this Environmental TEM (ETEM) study of supported Pt and Pd model catalysts, individual nanoparticles were tracked during heat treatments at temperatures up to 600°C in H2, O2, and vacuum. We found anomalous growth of nanoparticles occurred during the early stages of catalyst sintering wherein some particles started to grow significantly larger than the mean, resulting in a broadening of the particle size distribution. We can rule out sample non-uniformity as a cause for the growth of these large particles, since images were recorded prior to heat treatments. The anomalous growth of these particles may help explain particle size distributions in heterogeneous catalysts which often show particles that are significantly larger than the mean, resulting in a long tail to the right. It has been suggested that particle migration and coalescence could be the likely cause for the broad size distributions. This study shows that anomalous growth of nanoparticles can occur under conditions where Ostwald ripening is the primary sintering mechanism.

anomalous growth↗
DOE OSTI2013

Hybrid and Nonhybrid Lipids Exert Common Effects on Membrane Raft Size and Morphology

Nanometer-scale domains in cholesterolrich model membranes emulate lipid rafts in cell plasma membranes (PMs). The physicochemical mechanisms that maintain a finite, small domain size are, however, not well understood. A special role has been postulated for chainasymmetric or hybrid lipids having a saturated sn-1 chain and an unsaturated sn-2 chain. Hybrid lipids generate nanodomains in some model membranes and are also abundant in the PM. It was proposed that they align in a preferred orientation at the boundary of ordered and disordered phases, lowering the interfacial energy and thus reducing domain size. We used small-angle neutron scattering and fluorescence techniques to detect nanoscopic and modulated liquid phase domains in a mixture composed entirely of nonhybrid lipids and cholesterol. Our results are indistinguishable from those obtained previously for mixtures containing hybrid lipids, conclusively showing that hybrid lipids are not required for the formation of nanoscopic liquid domains and strongly implying a common mechanism for the overall control of raft size and morphology. We discuss implications of these findings for theoretical descriptions of nanodomains.

Heberle, Frederick A↗
DOE OSTI2015

Evolution of Self-Assembled ZnTe Magic-Sized Nanoclusters

Three families of ZnTe magic-sized nanoclusters (MSNCs) were obtained exclusively using polytellurides as a tellurium precursor in a one-pot reaction by simply varying the reaction temperature and time only. Different ZnTe MSNCs exhibit different self-assembling or aggregation behavior, owing to their different structure, cluster size, and dipole-dipole interactions. The smallest family of ZnTe MSNCs (F323) does not reveal a crystalline structure and as a result assembles into lamellar triangle plates. Continuous heating of as synthesized ZnTe F323 assemblies resulted in the formation of ZnTe F398 MSNCs with wurzite structure and concomitant transformation into lamellar rectangle assemblies with the organization of nanoclusters along the < 002 > direction. Further annealing of ZnTe F398 assembled lamellar rectangles leads to full organization of MSNCs in all directions and formation of larger ZnTe F444 NCs that spontaneously form ultrathin nanowires following an oriented attachment mechanism. The key step in control over the size distribution of ZnTe ultrathin nanowires is, in fact, the growth mechanism of ZnTe F398 MSNCs; namely, the step growth mechanism enables formation of more uniform nanowires compared to those obtained by continuous growth mechanism. High yield of ZnTe nanowires is achieved as a result of the wurzite structure of F398 precursor. Transient absorption (TA) measurements show that all three families possess ultrafast dynamics of photogenerated electrons, despite their different crystalline structures.

Zhang, Jun↗
DOE OSTI2020

Large Exciton Diffusion Coefficients in Two Dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks with Different Domain Sizes Revealed by Ultrafast Exciton Dynamics

Large singlet exciton diffusion lengths are a hallmark of high performance in organic-based devices such as photovoltaics, chemical sensors, and photodetectors. In this study, exciton dynamics of a two-dimensional covalent organic framework, 2D COF-S, is investigated using ultrafast spectroscopic techniques. After photoexcitation, the COF-S exciton decays via three pathways: (1) excimer formation (4 +/- 2 ps), (2) excimer relaxation (160 +/- 40 ps), and (3) excimer decay (>3 ns). Excitation fluence-dependent transient absorption studies suggest that COF-5 has a relatively large diffusion coefficient (0.08 cm(2)/s). Furthermore, exciton-exciton annihilation processes are characterized as a function of COF-S crystallite domain size in four different samples, which reveal domain-size-dependent exciton diffusion kinetics. These results reveal that exciton diffusion in COF-S is constrained by its crystalline domain size. These insights indicate the outstanding promise of delocalized excitonic processes available in 2D COFs, which motivate their continued design and implementation into optoelectronic devices.

Flanders, Nathan C.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Functionalized Graphene via a One-Pot Reaction Enabling Exact Pore Sizes, Modifiable Pore Functionalization, and Precision Doping

Functionalizing graphene with exact pore size, specific functional groups, and precision doping poses many significant challenges. Current methods lack precision and produce random pore sizes, sites of attachment, and amounts of dopant, leading to compromised structural integrity and affecting graphene’s applications. In this work, we report a strategy for the synthesis of functionalized graphitic materials with modifiable nanometer-sized pores via a Pictet–Spengler polymerization reaction. This one-pot, four-step synthesis uses concepts based on covalent organic frameworks (COFs) synthesis to produce crystalline two-dimensional materials that were confirmed by PXRD, TEM measurements, and DFT studies. These new materials are structurally analogous to doped graphene and graphene oxide (GO) but, unlike GO, maintain their semiconductive properties when fully functionalized.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2012

Surface and Particle-Size Effects on Hydrogen Desorption from Catalyst-Doped MgH2

With their high capacity, light-metal hydrides like MgH2 remain under scrutiny as reversible H-storage materials, especially to develop control of H-desorption properties by decreasing size (ball-milling) and/or adding catalysts. By employing density functional theory and simulated annealing, we study initial H2 desorption from semi-infinite stepped rutile (110) surface and Mg31H62 nanoclusters, with(out) transition-metal catalyst dopants (Ti or Fe). While Mg31H62 structures are disordered (amorphous), the semi-infinite surfaces and nanoclusters have similar single, double, and triple H-to-metal bond configurations that yield similar H-desorption energies. Hence, there is no size effect on desorption energetics with reduction in sample size, but dopants do reduce the H-desorption energy. All desorption energies are endothermic, in contrast to a recent report.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Size- and Support-Dependent Evolution of the Oxidation State and Structure by Oxidation of Subnanometer Cobalt Clusters

Size-selected subnanometer cobalt clusters with 4, 7 and 27 cobalt atoms supported on amorphous alumina and ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) surfaces were oxidized after exposure to ambient air. Grazing incidence X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (GIXANES) and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) used to characterize the clusters revealed a strong dependency of the oxidation state and structure of the clusters on the surface. A dominant Co2+ phase was identified in all samples. However, form XANES analysis, on UNCD about 10% fraction of Co0 phase was identified for all three cluster sizes and about 30% and 12% fraction of Co3+ phase in 4, 7 and 27 atoms, respectively. In the alumina-supported clusters, the dominating Co2+ component was attributed to cobalt aluminate, indicative of a very strong binding to the support. NEXAFS showed that in addition to strong binding of the clusters to alumina, their structure in great extent follows the tetrahedral morphology of the support. The supported clusters of all three sizes were found resistant to agglomeration when exposed to reactive gases at elevated temperatures and atmospheric pressure.

Yin, Chunrong↗
DOE OSTI2014

Direct Observation of Aggregative Nanoparticle Growth: Kinetic Modeling of the Size Distribution and Growth Rate

Direct observations of solution-phase nanoparticle growth using in situ liquid transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have demonstrated the importance of “non-classical” growth mechanisms, such as aggregation and coalescence, on the growth and final morphology of nanocrystals at the atomic and single nanoparticle scales. To date, groups have quantitatively interpreted the mean growth rate of nanoparticles in terms of the Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner (LSW) model for Ostwald ripening, but less attention has been paid to modeling the corresponding particle size distribution. Here we use in situ fluid stage scanning TEM to demonstrate that silver nanoparticles grow by a length-scale dependent mechanism, where individual nanoparticles grow by monomer attachment but ensemble-scale growth is dominated by aggregation. Although our observed mean nanoparticle growth rate is consistent with the LSW model, we show that the corresponding particle size distribution is broader and more symmetric than predicted by LSW. Following direct observations of aggregation, we interpret the ensemble-scale growth using Smoluchowski kinetics and demonstrate that the Smoluchowski model quantitatively captures the mean growth rate and particle size distribution.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗