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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Positronium ions and molecules

Recent theoretical studies on positronium ions and molecules are discussed. A positronium ion is a three particle system consisting of two electrons in singlet spin state, and a positron. Recent studies include calculations of its binding energy, positron annihilation rate, and investigations of its doubly excited resonant states. A positronium molecule is a four body system consisting of two positrons and two electrons in an overall singlet spin state. The recent calculations of its binding energy against the dissociation into two positronium atoms, and studies of auto-detaching states in positronium molecules are discussed. These auto-dissociating states, which are believed to be part of the Rydberg series as a result of a positron attaching to a negatively charged positronium ion, Ps-, would appear as resonances in Ps-Ps scattering.

Ho, Y. K.↗
NASA NTRS1996

The Structure and Stability of B(n)H(+) Clusters

The geometries of the B(n)H(+) clusters for n=1-13 have been optimized at the B3LYP level of theory. Excluding B2H(+) all clusters are low-spin coupled. The structures appear to be related to the bare B(+)(n) clusters in two ways: 1) an H atom is added to the B(+)(n) cluster or 2) a BH is added to the B(+)(n-1) cluster. The B(+)(n)-H binding energies are computed at the B3LYP level of theory, and calibrated n using the CCSD(T) level of theory. The computed results tend to fall between the experimental best estimates and the experimental lower bounds. The B(+)(n)-H binding energies show an inverse correspondence with the B+(n-1)-B values) while the B(+)(n-1)-B and B(+)(n-1)-BH results tend to parallel each other.

Ricca, Alessandra↗
NASA NTRS1973

A theory of adhesion at a bimetallic interface - Overlap effects.

A preliminary calculation of the chemical bonding adhesive interaction between metal surfaces is provided. In this first theory the Hohenberg and Kohn formalism is used to give the bimetallic adhesive binding energy versus separation. The close-packed planes of Al, Mg, and Zn are considered. The effect of simple overlap of the metal-vacuum distributions is determined. The importance of registry between contact surfaces is ascertained. A minimum in the binding energy curve is exhibited for all combinations. The theoretical predictions agree with trends in bond strengths taken from available experimental data. An insight into the mechanisms involved in metallic transfer is given. The relationship between adhesive energies, cohesive energies, and surface energies is discussed.

Ferrante, J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Computational studies of metal-metal and metal-ligand interactions

Accurate calculations on the bond length, dipole moment, and harmonic frequency of CO are presented, using large basis sets and high levels of electron correlation. The geometric structure, force constants and binding energies of Cr(C0)6 and Cr(CO)5 are computed using large basis sets and high levels of electron correlation. The molecule 04(+) is studied, using large basis sets and high levels of electron correlation, including the CASSCF, CASSI and CASPT2 methods. Binding energies, geometries and frequencies are computed. Symmetry breaking is a particular problem for the antisymmetric stretch, which is addressed using the CASSI method. The symmetry breaking problem in 04(+) has also been studied using the Brueckner coupled cluster method. This gives results in good agreement with CASSI. A multi-region numerical integration scheme is investigated for use in Density Functional Calculations. This scheme is found to give comparable results to a widely used scheme based on the Euler-Maclaurin technique.

Barnes, Leslie A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Computational studies of metal-metal and metal-ligand interactions

Accurate calculations on the bond length, dipole moment, and harmonic frequency of CO are presented, using large basis sets and high levels of electron correlation. The geometric structure, force constants and binding energies of Cr(CO)6 and Cr(CO)5 are computed using large basis sets and high levels of electron correlation. The molecule O4(+) is studied, using large basis sets and high levels of electron correlation, including the CASSCF, CASSI,and CASPT2 methods. Binding energies, geometries and frequencies are computed. Symmetry breaking is a particular problem for the antisymmetric stretch, which is addressed using the CASSI method. The symmetry breaking problem in O4(+) has also been studied using the Brueckner coupled-cluster method. This gives results in good agreement with CASSI. A multi-region numerical integration scheme is investigated for use in Density Functional Calculations. This scheme is found to give comparable results to a widely used scheme based on the Euler-Maclaurin technique.

Barnes, Leslie A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Gas-phase chemistry in dense interstellar clouds including grain surface molecular depletion and desorption

We present time-dependent models of the chemical evolution of molecular clouds which include depletion of atoms and molecules onto grain surfaces and desorption, as well as gas-phase interactions. We have included three mechanisms to remove species from the grain mantles: thermal evaporation, cosmic-ray-induced heating, and photodesorption. A wide range of parameter space has been explored to examine the abundance of species present both on the grain mantles and in the gas phase as a function of both position in the cloud (visual extinction) and of evolutionary state (time). The dominant mechanism that removes molecules from the grain mantles is cosmic-ray desorption. At times greater than the depletion timescale, the abundances of some simple species agree with abundances observed in the cold dark cloud TMC-1. Even though cosmic-ray desorption preserves the gas-phase chemistry at late times, molecules do show significant depletions from the gas phase. Examination of the dependence of depletion as a function of density shows that when the density increases from 10(exp 3)/cc to 10(exp 5)/cc several species including HCO(+), HCN, and CN show gas-phase abundance reductions of over an order of magnitude. The CO: H2O ratio in the grain mantles for our standard model is on the order of 10:1, in reasonable agreement with observations of nonpolar CO ice features in rho Ophiuchus and Serpens. We have also examined the interdependence of CO depletion with the space density of molecular hydrogen and binding energy to the grain surface. We find that the observed depletion of CO in Taurus in inconsistent with CO bonding in an H2O rich mantle, in agreement with observations. We suggest that if interstellar grains consist of an outer layer of CO ice, then the binding energies for many species to the grain mantle may be lower than commonly used, and a significant portion of molecular material may be maintained in the gas phase.

Bergin, E. A.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Engineering a Cu‐Pd Paddle‐Wheel Metal–Organic Framework for Selective CO 2 Electroreduction

Optimizing the binding energy between the intermediate and the active site is a key factor for tuning catalytic product selectivity and activity in the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction. Copper active sites are known to reduce CO 2 to hydrocarbons and oxygenates, but suffer from poor product selectivity due to the moderate binding energies of several of the reaction intermediates. Here, we report an ion exchange strategy to construct Cu−Pd paddle wheel dimers within Cu-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), [Cu 3-x Pd x (BTC) 2 ] (BTC=benzentricarboxylate), without altering the overall MOF structural properties. Compared to the pristine Cu MOF ([Cu 3 (BTC) 2 ], HKUST-1), the Cu−Pd MOF shifts CO 2 electroreduction products from diverse chemical species to selective CO generation. In situ X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of the catalyst oxidation state and local geometry, combined with theoretical calculations, reveal that the incorporation of Pd within the Cu−Pd paddle wheel node structure of the MOF promotes adsorption of the key intermediate COOH* at the Cu site. This permits CO-selective catalytic mechanisms and thus advances our understanding of the interplay between structure and activity toward electrochemical CO 2 reduction using molecular catalysts.

CO2 electroreduction reaction↗
DOE OSTI2025

Recent advances in coupled cluster computations of open-shell atomic nuclei

In this contribution, we report on recent progress in coupled-cluster simulations of open-shell atomic nuclei using interactions consistently derived from chiral effective field theory. In particular, we compare different coupled-cluster approaches by computing binding energies and electric dipole polarizabilities in medium-mass calcium isotopes.

Marino, Francesco [Johannes Gutenberg Univ., Mainz↗
NASA NTRS1980

The role of cesium suboxides in low-work-function surface layers studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy - Ag-O-Cs

The oxidation of cesium on silver substrates has been studied using photoyield measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The occurrence of two O1s peaks in the core-level spectrum at 527.5 and 531.5-eV binding energy for cesium and oxygen exposures giving the optimum photoyield proves that two oxides of cesium exist in high-photoyield surfaces, and not Cs2O alone as previously thought. From the shape and position of the cesium peaks and the Auger parameter, the assignment of the O1s peaks at 527.5- and 531.5-eV binding energies to oxygen in Cs2O and Cs11O3, respectively, can be made. Hence the total cesium-oxygen layer is a mixed phase consisting of Cs2O + Cs11O3, approximately 20-40 A thick.

Yang, S.-J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

On the Interplay of Electronic and Lattice Screening on Exciton Binding in Two-Dimensional Lead Halide Perovskites

We use path integral Monte Carlo to study the energetics of excitons in layered, hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites in order to elucidate the relative contributions of dielectric confinement and electron–phonon coupling. While the dielectric mismatch between polar perovskite layers and nonpolar ligand layers significantly increases the exciton binding energy relative to their three-dimensional bulk crystal counterparts, formation of exciton polarons attenuates this effect. The contribution from polaron formation is found to be a nonmonotonic function of the lead halide layer thickness, which is clarified by a general variational theory. Accounting for both of these effects provides a description of exciton binding energies in good agreement with experimental measurements. By studying isolated layers and stacked layered crystals of various thicknesses, with ligands of varying polarity, we provide a systematic understanding of the excitonic behavior of this class of materials and how to engineer their photophysics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1992

Theoretical study of Cr(+) and Co(+) bound to H2 and N2

Binding energies of Co(H2)n(+) (n = 1-3) and CrN2(+) computed using the modified coupled-pair functional approach agree well with measured values. The calculations show that both H2 and N2 bond much more strongly to Co(+) than to Cr(+). Theoretical studies also show that despite the similar polarizabilities of N2 and Ar, the CrN2(+) binding energy is twice as large as that of CrAr(+) due to the charge-quadrupole contribution. Finally, the bonding of H2 and N2 with Na(+) and Mg(+) is contrasted with that for Cr(+) and Co(+).

Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Coverage, repulsion, and reactivity of hydrogen on High-Entropy alloys

Modeling hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity probability on IrPdPtRhRu(1 1 1) high-entropy alloys. Determining hydrogen coverages based on ligand effects and generalized hydrogen–hydrogen repulsion. The rate of H 2 formation is highly impacted by the level of hydrogen coverage on the catalyst surface. In search of optimal catalytic properties high-entropy alloys (HEA) are promising candidates that utilize the compositional space of multiple elements. Based on simulations of HEA model (1 1 1) surfaces with a range of hydrogen coverages, distributions of binding energies are used to construct a framework that approximates the probability that adsorbed hydrogen may lead to the formation of H 2 as a function of applied potential. By optimizing the alloy compositions for the highest activity probability at given potentials the best and most efficient catalyst candidates for HER can be identified. Treating hydrogen–hydrogen repulsion effects and binding energy separately, we find that the repulsion is larger for HEAs than for pure metals. Differing isotherm slopes in the mean adsorption and desorption energies demonstrate a possible hysteresis for hydrogen adsorption on HEAs.

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

Manipulating Excitonic Quantum Droplets in Two-Dimensional CdSe Nanoplatelets via Thickness and Core/Shell Morphology

Recently, photoexcitation of high-density 4 or 5 monolayer (ML) thick CdSe nanoplatelet films at temperatures below ~200K was observed to produce pump-intensitydependent, superlinear, progressively red-shifted light output due to amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) from polyexcitonic species, distinct from biexcitonic ASE. These polyexcitonic species comprise Coulombically bound multiexciton states, termed “quantum droplets”, that form when multiexciton binding energy exceeds thermal energy fluctuations. In this work, we investigate thinner samples as well as core/shell nanoplatelet films and find that the 3 ML sample supports quantum droplet ASE up to higher temperatures than the 4 or 5 ML whereas core/shell structures suppress this form of ASE even at very low sample temperatures despite observable biexcitonic ASE, suggesting that the reduced or repulsive Coulomb binding energy of multiple excitons suppresses quantum droplets. These findings help to add understanding of routes to harness quantum droplet optical nonlinearities.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1989

Electronic structure of BaO/W cathode surfaces

The local electronic structure of the emissive layer of barium dispenser thermionic cathodes is investigated theoretically using the relativistic scattered-wave approach. The interaction of Ba and O with W, Os, and W-Os alloy surfaces is studied with atomic clusters modeling different absorption environments representative of B- and M-type cathodes. Ba is found to be strongly oxidized, while O and the metal substrate are in a reduced chemical state. The presence of O enhances the surface dipole and Ba binding energy relative to Ba on W. Model results for W-Os alloy substrates show only relatively small changes in Ba and O for identical geometries, but very large charge redistributions inside the substrate, which are attributed to the electronegativity difference between Os and W. If Os is present in the surface layer, the charge transfer from Ba to the substrate and the Ba binding energy increase relative to W. Explanations are offered for the improved electron emission from alloy surfaces and the different emission enhancement for different alloy substrates.

Muller, Wolfgang↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hydrogen Adsorption, Reactivity, and Catalysis on Colloidal Iron Carbide Nanoparticles

Supported iron carbide particles have long served as catalysts for CO hydrogenation (the Fischer Tropsch synthesis, FTS) and continue to be attractive. Despite this, little is known about their chemistry. Reported here is a colloidal Fe x C nanoparticle (NP) model system that allows direct observation of surface hydrogen and CO, as well as quantification of the surface H. Dodecylamine-capped Fe x C NPs (DDA-Fe x C NPs) were synthesized through solution-phase carburization of Fe NPs and form stable colloids in low-polarity organic solvents. Treatment of these colloids with H 2 or D 2 produced highly hydrogenated materials, and FTIR spectra of DDA-Fe x C-D n showed that most of the D binds to carbides, with at least four distinct v(C-D) modes. The surface C-H(D) bonds were all reactive, transferring hydrogen to alkenes and other reagents in solution. Titration and ICP measurements showed a 0.17:1 ratio of added H:total Fe, or roughly. 40 H per 1.8 nm DDA-Fe x C NP. Conversely, CO was preferentially bound to surface Fe sites, with FTIR spectra showing a single broad v(CO) that shifted with CO coverage or co-adsorption of H 2 . The DDA-Fe x C NPs were active catalysts for both olefin hydrogenation and the FTS, under mild conditions and without catalyst pre-treatment. The CO hydrogenation reactions yielded a broad distribution of long-chain linear paraffins and olefins. Though quantitative comparisons with typical FTS results are not possible because of our use of sealed batch reactors and other factors, the observations of high catalytic reactivity demonstrate the relevance of this model system to iron-carbide catalysis. DFT calculations on model slab surfaces with varying iron carbide stoichiometries revealed that the thermodynamically preferred surface adsorption sites are C for H ads and Fe for CO ads . A variety of binding sites and binding energies were found for each adsorbate. We are unaware of previous studies indicating that a diverse array of C-H bonds is the primary source of reactive H on iron carbides. Experimentally, the diversity of *C-H sites was evident in reactions with H-atom donors and abstractors of different strengths, from both the reaction stoichiometries and IR spectra. The different surface–H binding energies correlate with the v(C-D) stretching frequencies. Furthermore, these insights into complex iron carbide surfaces and catalysis could assist catalyst design, and they showcase the importance of stoichiometric studies of reaction intermediates.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2026

The XPS of Azines: A Comparative Study

A detailed analysis is presented of the X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, XPS, of thin films of three Azines: Pyrazine, Pyridine and Pyrimidine. This includes not only the binding energies of the various core ionizations but also their intensities. A major focus is to compare our theoretical predictions with our measured XPS for N(1s) and C(1s) as a basis for assigning the features and for justifying the broadening parameters that must be applied to the theoretical results. The C(1s) XPS of Pyridine and Pyrimidine are significantly broadened because of unresolved XPS for their inequivalent C atoms. The extent of the binding energy, BE, shifts and the XPS intensities for the unique C atoms, which are responsible for this broadening, are obtained from the theory. The additional broadening parameters to be applied to the theory to enable comparison with measured XPS are discussed in terms of lifetime broadening, experimental resolution, and BE shifts in different layers of the thin film. A novel feature of our analysis is that it is necessary to invoke surface core level shifts to explain and to justify the broadenings needed to apply to the theoretical results to have a complete comparison with the measured XPS. The results presented have general value for extracting chemical and physical information from XPS.

Bagus, Paul↗
DOE OSTI2025

Density Functional Theory Study of Iron–Oxygen Divacancies in Magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) and Hematite (Fe 2 O 3 )

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are employed to investigate the formation energies, charge redistribution, and binding energies of iron–oxygen divacancies in magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) and hematite (Fe 2 O 3 ). For magnetite, we focus on the low-temperature phase to explore variations with local environments. Building on previous DFT calculations of the variations in formation energies for oxygen vacancies with local charge and spin order in magnetite, we extend this analysis to include octahedral iron vacancies before analyzing the iron–oxygen divacancies. We also assessed the relative stability of iron–oxygen divacancies by comparing their formation energies with those of individual vacancies. Our findings reveal a significant energetic driving force for the formation of divacancy clusters, particularly in magnetite, where divacancies in the +1 charge state exhibit formation energies comparable to those of neutral iron vacancies under oxidizing conditions. In hematite, the results indicate a strong tendency for oxygen vacancies to bind to iron vacancies. These results highlight the significance of iron–oxygen vacancy complexes in the transport properties of iron oxides, with particular relevance to diffusion mechanisms under irradiation conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Corrosion-Resistant Non-Carbon Electrocatalyst Supports for PEFCS

Insufficient durability of commercial catalysts is a persistent issue for PEFC applications.1 Herein, Pt on Nb-doped-TiO 2 is reported as a highly durable electrocatalyst on which the direct 4-electron reduction of oxygen to water is more facile compared to Pt/C. All performance metrics are reported comparing Pt/Nb-TiO2 with a 15% Pt loading, against a commercial Pt/C catalyst (46.5% Pt loading, Tanaka, K. K.). Nb-doped-TiO 2 with high surface area and high electronic conductivity was synthesized using the supercritical fluid method. Initially, the durability of the catalyst was characterized using accelerated stability tests (ASTs) involving 10,000 high potential cycles (DOE/FCCJ protocol) and the Pt/Nb-TiO 2 was found to retain 78% of its initial electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) compared to the 57.6 % retained by Pt/C. These observations were in excellent agreement with previous reports that the Pt particle size of Pt/C grew from 2nm to 8nm during the AST protocol along with severe corrosion and amorphization of the carbon surface.2, 3 TEM and XPS studies of the Pt-Nb-doped-TiO 2 catalyst showed that the Pt particle size grew from 3nm to 6nm and the Nb(IV) and Ti(III) in the support were oxidized to Nb(V) and Ti(IV) after the durability test. Thus, the improvement in Pt/Nb-TiO 2 ECSA retention was attributed to the lower extent of particle growth and lack of oxidative support loss upon oxidation as compared to Pt/C. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance was characterized by linear polarization using a rotating disk electrode (RDE). The electrochemical surface areas of Pt/Nb-TiO 2 and Pt/C were found to be 48m2·g -1 and 83m2·g -1 respectively, and the mass activity for the ORR at 0.9V vs. RHE were found to be 150 mA·mg-1Pt and 124 mA·mg-1Pt respectively. The improved mass activity on Pt/Nb-TiO 2 was attributed to strong metal support interaction (SMSI) between the Nb-TiO 2 support and the Pt catalyst based on the 625 meV decrease in the binding energy of the Pt4f x-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) peaks of Pt/Nb-TiO 2 compared to Pt/C. To quantify the impact of the SMSI, a kinetic model was applied to calculate the elementary reaction rate constants for the various steps of the ORR on both catalysts. The reaction rate constant (k1) for the direct 4-electron transfer pathway to produce H 2 O was significantly larger in Pt/Nb-TiO 2 as compared to Pt/C. Thus, the reduction in the electron binding energy as observed in the XPS was found to aid the facile filling of the higher energy 2p orbitals of O 2 thereby leading to improved 4-electron transfer kinetics and improved overall activity.

08 HYDROGEN↗