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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 1,639 records · Page 91
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Methodology of Atomic Force Microscopy Visualization of Electrode–Electrolyte Interfaces

Electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) provides unprecedented insights into the microstructure of electrode–electrolyte interfaces during electrochemical reactions. However, performing EC-AFM measurements has many challenges, for example, drift, contamination, and probe degradation. We present solutions to these experimental issues through electrochemical cell design and carefully chosen experimental parameters. The possibility that the probes can react with the interface during scanning, generating false-positive electrochemical dynamics, is discussed as an example of the challenge of high-fidelity EC-AFM measurement. Here, we demonstrate this effect in highly ordered pyrolytic graphite and show that we could use electrochemical control of the AFM probe to enable high-fidelity in situ AFM visualization of solid–liquid interfaces during electrochemical reactions.

Electrochemical cells↗
DOE OSTI2016

Modeling the interface of platinum and α-quartz(001): Implications for sintering

We present a first-principles study which aims to understand the metal–support interaction of platinum nanoparticles on α-quartz(001) and, more generally, silica. The thermodynamic stability of the α-quartz(001) surface and its interface with Pt(111) are investigated as a function of temperature and partial pressure of H 2 O and O 2 . Potential defects in the α-quartz(001) surface as well as the adsorption energies of the Pt atom are also studied. This allows us to draw conclusions concerning nanoparticle shape and the resistance toward particle migration based on the interface free energies. We find that, as for the clean α-quartz(001) surface, a dry, reconstructed interface is expected at temperatures that are high but within experimentally relevant ranges. On an ideal, dry, reconstructed surface, particle migration is predicted to be a fast sintering mechanism. On real surfaces, defects may locally prevent reconstruction and act as anchoring points. Finally, the energetics of the adsorption of platinum atoms on α-quartz(001) do not support surface-mediated single-atom migration as a viable path for sintering on the investigated surfaces.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Local Environment and Interactions of Liquid and Solid Interfaces Revealed by Spectral Line Shape of Surface Selective Nonlinear Vibrational Probe

Vibrational spectral lineshape contains important detailed information of molecular vibration and reports its specific interactions and couplings to its local environment. In this work, recently developed sub-1 cm-1 high-resolution broadband sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (HR-BB-SFG-VS) was used to measure the -C≡N stretch vibration in the 4-n-octyl-4’-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) Langmuir or Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayer as a unique vibrational probe, and the spectral lineshape analysis revealed the local environment and interactions at the air/water, air/glass, air/calcium fluoride and air/-quartz interfaces for the first time. The 8CB Langmuir or LB film is uniform and the vibrational spectral lineshape of its -C≡N group has been well characterized, making it a good choice as the surface vibrational probe. Lineshape analysis of the 8CB -C≡N stretch SFG vibrational spectra suggests the coherent vibrational dynamics and the structural and dynamic inhomogeneity of the -C≡N group at each interface are uniquely different. In addition, it is also found that there are significantly different roles for water molecules in the LB films on different substrate surfaces. These results demonstrated the novel capabilities of the surface nonlinear spectroscopy in characterization and in understanding the specific structures and chemical interactions at the liquid and solid interfaces in general.

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

Ab Initio Predictions of Hexagonal Zr(B,C,N) Polymorphs for Coherent Interface Design

Density functional theory calculations are used to explore hexagonal (HX) NiAs-like polymorphs of Zr(B,C,N) and compare with corresponding Zr(B,C,N) Hagg-like face-centered cubic rocksalt (B1) phases. While all predicted compounds are mechanically stable according to the Born-Huang criteria, only HX Zr(C,N) are found dynamically stable from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and lattice dynamics calculations. HX ZrN emerges as a candidate structure with ground state energy, elastic constants, and extrinsic mechanical parameters comparable with those of B1 ZrN. Ab initio band structure and semi-classical Boltzmann transport calculations predict a metallic character and a monotonic increase in electrical conductivity with the number of valence electrons. Electronic structure calculations indicate that the HX phases gain their stability and mechanical attributes by Zr d- non-metal p hybridization and by broadening of Zr d bands. Furthermore, it is shown that the HX ZrN phase provides a low-energy coherent interface model for connecting B1 ZrN domains, with significant energetic advantage over an atomistic interface model derived from high resolution transmission electron microscopy images. The ab initio characterizations provided herein should aid the experimental identification of non-Hagg-like hard phases. Furthermore, the results can also enrich the variety of crystalline phases potentially available for designing coherent interfaces in superhard nanostructured materials and in materials with multilayer characteristics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Study of Water–Dodecane Interface in the Presence of Octanol

In this work, classical atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to investigate the structural properties of octanol at water/dodecane interface. Multiple combinations of simulation conditions and force fields were employed in order to :obtain high fidelity interfacial structure. The analysis of noncovalent interactions shows that the convergence of interfacial octanol distribution requires a simulation time scale larger than 100 ns. Finite size effect diminishes with increasing dimension of simulation box both laterally and vertically. In the largest simulated systems with vanishing finite size effect, the additive CHARMM force field shows similar interfacial aggregation behavior with the DRUDE polarizable model. Self-assembly of octanol molecules at water/oil interface is observed, expected to reduce;the free energy barrier between water phase and oil phase. This work provides an MD simulation benchmark for structural study of complex liquid/liquid interface with cosurfactant reducing interfacial tension between two immiscible phases.

Qiao, Baofu↗
DOE OSTI2018

Heavy Anionic Complex Creates a Unique Water Structure at a Soft Charged Interface

Ion hydration and interfacial water play crucial roles in numerous phenomena ranging from biological to industrial systems. Although biologically relevant (and mostly smaller) ions have been studied extensively in this context, very little experimental data exist about molecular scale behavior of heavy ions and their complexes at interfaces, especially under technologically significant conditions. It has recently been shown that PtCl 6 2- complexes adsorb at positively charged interfaces in a two-step process that cannot fit into well-known empirical trends, such as Hofmeister series (J. Phys. Chem. C, 121, 25377). Here, a combined vibrational sum frequency generation and molecular dynamics study reveals that a unique interfacial water structure is connected to this peculiar adsorption behavior. A novel sub-ensemble analysis of MD simulation results show that after adsorption, PtCl 6 2- complexes partially retain their first and second hydration spheres, and it is possible to identify three different types of water molecules around them based on their orientational structures and hydrogen bonding strengths. These results have important implications for relating interfacial water structure and hydration enthalpy to the general understanding of specific ion effects. This in turn influences interpretation of heavy metal ion distribution across and reactivity within, liquid interfaces.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Structure of the Electrical Double Layer at the Interface between an Ionic Liquid and Tungsten Oxide in Ion-Gated Transistors

The structure of electrical double layers at electrified interfaces is of utmost importance for electrochemical energy storage as well as printable, flexible, and bioelectronic devices, such as ion-gated transistors (IGTs). Here we report a study based on atomic force microscopy force–distance profiling on electrical double layers forming at the interface between the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and sol–gel films of mesoporous tungsten oxide. Here, we successfully followed, under in operando conditions, the evolution of the arrangement of the ions at the interface with the tungsten oxide films used as channel materials in IGTs. Our work sheds light on the mechanism of operation of IGTs, thus offering the possibility of optimizing their performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nonclassical Behavior in Competitive Ion Adsorption at a Charged Solid–Water Interface

Ion adsorption at solid-water interfaces is commonly described by interactions between specific surface sites and adsorbed ions in classical models. However, energetic contributions from non-site-specific ion-ion interactions have not been explored systematically. Here, we report non-classical behaviors observed during competitive adsorption between Sr 2+ and Na + /Rb + at the negatively-charged muscovite mica (001)-water interface, revealing apparent controls of adsorbed ion speciation over the interfacial reactivity. In the absence of competing cations, Sr 2+ adsorbs in approximately equivalent proportions of inner-sphere and outer-sphere complexes, whereas it adsorbs predominantly as an outer-sphere complex in the presence of Na + /Rb + . This transformation of adsorbed Sr 2+ speciation significantly decreases its adsorption strength, as indicated by ~15-fold shift in the Sr 2+ adsorption edge concentration, compared to that calculated from a classical Langmuir isotherm model developed based on site-specific interactions. Finally, these observations highlight the importance of non-site-specific interactions in controlling the energetics of chemical reactions at the charged interface.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Acetonitrile Transition Metal Interfaces from First Principles

Acetonitrile is among the most commonly used nonaqueous solvents in catalysis and electrochemistry. Here, we study its interfaces with multiple facets of the metals Ag, Cu, Pt, and Rh using density functional theory calculations; the structures reported shed new light on experimental observations and underscore the importance of solvent–solvent interactions at high coverage. We investigate the relationship of potential of zero charge (PZC) to metal work function, reporting results in agreement with experimental measurements. We develop a model to explain the effects of solvent chemisorption and orientation on the PZC to within a mean absolute deviation of 0.08–0.12 V for all facets studied. Our electrostatic field dependent phase diagram agrees with spectroscopic observations and sheds new light on electrostatic field effects. This work provides new insight into experimental observations on acetonitrile metal interfaces and provides guidance for future studies of acetonitrile and other nonaqueous solvent interfaces with transition metals.

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

Real-time Characterization of the Fine Structure and Dynamics of an Electrical Double Layer at Electrode-electrolyte Interfaces

The chemisorption of species from supporting electrolytes on electrode surfaces is ubiquitous in electrochemical systems and affects the dynamics and mechanism of various electrochemical reactions. The understanding of chemical structure and property of the resulting electrical double layer is vital but limited. In this work, we operando probed the electrochemical interface between a gold electrode surface and a common supporting electrolyte, phosphate buffer, using our newly developed in situ liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry. We surprisingly found that on the positively charged gold electrode surface sodium cations were anchored in the stern layer in a partially dehydrated form by formation of compact ion pairs with the accumulated phosphate anions. The resulting strong and dense adsorption phase was further revealed to retard the electro-oxidation reaction of ascorbate. This finding addressed one major gap in the fundamental science of electrode-electrolyte interfaces that where and how the cations reside in the double layer to impose effects on electrochemical reactions, providing insights into engineering of better electrode-electrolyte interfaces in electrochemical processes.

Zhang, Yanyan↗
DOE OSTI2023

Vibrational Probe at the Electrochemical Interface: Dependence on Plasmon Coupling and Potential of the Lineshape in Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy

Two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy of vibrational probes at an electrode surface shows promise for studying the structural dynamics at an active electrochemical interface. This interface is a complex environment where the solution structures in response to the applied potential. A strategy for achieving the necessary monolayer sensitivity is to use a plasmonically active electrode, which enhances the electromagnetic fields that produce the spectroscopic response. Here, in this study, we show how the coupling between the plasmon and the vibrations of the molecular monolayer impacts the FTIR and 2D IR spectroscopy, with an emphasis on the electrochemical potential difference spectra. We show how mixing between the vibrational and plasmonic states gives rise to the distortions that are observed in these measurements. This provides an important step toward 2D IR measurements of vibrational probes at the electrochemical interface as a tool for probing the structural dynamics in the double layer.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Acidity Constants of the Hematite-Liquid Water Interface from Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics

The interface between transition metal oxides (TMO) and liquid water plays a crucial role in environmental chemistry, catalysis, and energy science. Yet, the mechanism and energetics of chemical transformations at solvated TMO surfaces is often unclear, largely because of the difficulty to characterize the active surface species experimentally. The hematite (alpha-Fe2O3)-liquid water interface is a case in point. Here we demonstrate that ab initio molecular dynamics is a viable tool for determining the protonation states of complex interfaces. The pK a values of the oxygen-terminated (001) surface group of hematite, OH,and half-layer terminated (012) surface groups, (OH)-O-2 and (OH2)-O-1, are predicted to be (18.5 +/- 0.3), (18.9 +/- 0.6), and (10.3 +/- 0.5) pK(a) units, respectively. These are in good agreement with recent bond-valence theory based estimates, and suggest that the deprotonation of these surfaces require significantly more free energy input than previously thought.

Gittus, Oliver↗
DOE OSTI2019

Nanoscale Chemical Reaction Imaging at the Solid-Liquid Interface via TERS

Plasmon-enhanced chemical transformations at the solid-liquid interface can be imaged with high sensitivity, chemical selectivity, and nanoscale precision through tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS). We demonstrate the latter for the first time through measurements aimed at (i) locating plasmonic hotspots at the solid-liquid interface at which chemical transformations take place, (ii) monitoring the evolution from reactants to products through their distinct Raman spectra, and (iii) 2D correlation analysis of Raman time trajectories to unambiguously extract the spectral components that mark chemical transformation and to understand the correlations between the product and parent signatures. For our proof-of-principle study, we select a model plasmon-enhanced chemical process, namely, the dimerization of p-nitrothiophenol to dimercaptoazobenzene, but now, at the solid-liquid interface. Our plasmonic construct otherwise consists of chemically functionalized gold microplates in aqueous solution, which we image using a gold-coated TERS probe irradiated at 633-nm. Overall, we demonstrate chemical reaction imaging in aqueous solution via TERS for the first time, herein, at a pixel-limited lateral spatial resolution of 10 nm.

Bhattarai, Ashish↗
DOE OSTI2026

Tuning the Solvation and Solubility Properties of Molecularly Heterogeneous Nonionic Deep Eutectic Solvents via Interface Organization

Common separation techniques, such as liquid− liquid extraction, are usually used for extractions and purifications due to their industrial scalability and affordability. However, these well-established practices are hindered by low selectivity and challenges in recovering solutes and solvents. Deep eutectic solvents (DES), a fairly new type of solvent, have the potential to overcome these issues. DESs are binary mixtures whose physical properties can be tuned by selecting the appropriate precursors to facilitate and/or enhance processes such as extraction. A promising DES for selective separations is formed when lauric acid (LA) is mixed with N-methylacetamide (NMA). This LA-NMA DES has a heterogeneous microscopic structure that can solvate compounds with completely different polarities. This study explores how forming an organized structure on the mesoscale affects the solubility of nonpolar solutes in nonionic DESs. To this end, the molecular and mesoscale structures and their effect on the solubility and solvation properties are evaluated for the LA-NMA DES and two new DESs with slight chemical variations in their precursors. It is observed that the organization of the nonpolar DES domains and, consequently, of their interfaces directly relates to the solubility of nonpolar compounds. Specifically, correctly selecting the DES precursors that form organized nonpolar domains leads to an organized interface in which the nonpolar solutes are solvated, thereby increasing the solubility. Additionally, enhanced dissolution power was observed in a completely different DES with mesoscale order in its molecular structure and composed of menthol and lauric acid. The latter result further validates the proposed tunability of the DES dissolution power through organized interfaces, extending it beyond a specific DES family and opening the possibility of new extraction-tailored designer solvents.

Extraction↗
DOE OSTI2016

Adsorption, Ordering, and Local Environments of Surfactant-Encapsulated Polyoxometalate Ions Probed at the Air–Water Interface

The continued development and application of surfactant-encapsulated polyoxometalates (SEPs) relies on understanding the ordering and organization of species at their interface and how these are impacted by the various local environments to which they are exposed. In this paper, we report on the equilibrium properties of two common SEPs adsorbed to the air–water interface and probed with surface-specific vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy. These results reveal clear shifts in vibrational band positions, the magnitude of which scales with the charge of the SEP core, which is indicative of a static field effect on the surfactant coating and the associated local chemical environment. This static field also induces ordering in surrounding water molecules that is mediated by charge screening via the surface-bound surfactants. From these SFG measurements, we are able to show that Mo 132 -based SEPs are more polar than Mo 72 V 30 SEPs. Disorder in the surfactant chain packing at the highly curved SEP surfaces is attributed to large conic volumes that can be sampled without interactions with neighboring chains. Measurements of adsorption isotherms yield free energies of adsorption to the air–water interface of -46.8 ± 0.4 and -44.8 ± 1.2 kJ/mol for the Mo 132 and Mo 72 V 30 SEPs, respectively, indicating a strong propensity for the fluid surface. Finally, the influence of intermolecular interactions on the surface adsorption energies is discussed.

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

Structured Ionomer Thin Films at Water Interface: Molecular Dynamics Simulation Insight

Controlling the structure and dynamics of thin films of ionizable polymers at water interfaces is critical to their many applications. As the chemical diversity within one polymer is increased, controlling the structure and dynamics of the polymer, which is a key to their use, becomes a challenge. Here molecular dynamics simulations (MD) are used to obtain molecular insight into the structure and dynamics of thin films of one such macromolecule at the interface with water. The polymer consists of an ABCBA topology with randomly sulfonated polystyrene (C), tethered symmetrically to flexible poly(ethylene- r -propylene) blocks (B), and end-capped by a poly( t -butylstyrene) block (A). The compositions of the interfacial and bulk regions of thin films of the ABCBA polymers are followed as a function of exposure time to water. We find that interfacial rearrangements take place where buried ionic segments migrate toward the water interface. The hydrophobic blocks collapse and rearrange to minimize their exposure to water. In conclusion, the water that initially drives interfacial reengagements breaks the ionic clusters within the film, forming a dynamic hydrophilic internal network within the hydrophobic segments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Elucidating Molecular Interactions in Glycerol Adsorption at the Metal–Water Interface with Density Functional Theory

Glycerol is an extremely versatile platform molecule for chemical and fuel production, as evidenced by successful demonstrations in electrochemical and thermochemical processes, where key catalytic chemistries occur at the solid–liquid interface. Despite the remarkable progress made in enriching the first-principles-based computational tool set to reveal and characterize solvent structures in the past decade, techniques for realistic and efficient molecular-level modeling to study aqueous-phase glycerol chemistry are still far from mature. Many aqueous-phase catalytic systems are deemed too complex for routine modeling because of their highly correlated structures at the heterogeneous solid–liquid interface. This invited feature article merges recent developments in quantum mechanical solvation models and oxygenated hydrocarbon conversion chemistry by revisiting the molecular interactions of adsorbed glycerol and its dehydrogenation intermediates at the water–metal interface. Explicit participation of water through the establishment of water–adsorbate, water–water, and water–metal interactions on Pt(111) was investigated using density functional theory. In periodic models, the adsorption favors networklike structures with adsorbates as nodal points linked by coadsorbed water molecules. We also showed that these adsorption patterns actually preserve the original bond-order-based scaling relationship framework established without the consideration of solvent. This behavior can be exploited to improve computational efficiency for future analysis of catalytic polyol conversions in the aqueous-phase environment.

Shan, Nannan↗
DOE OSTI2019

Influence of Longer Range Transfer of Vapor Interface Modified Caging Constraints on the Spatially Heterogeneous Dynamics of Glass-Forming Liquids

Based on the elastically collective nonlinear Langevin equation (ECNLE) theory of bulk relaxation in glass-forming liquids, and our recent ideas of how interface-nucleated modification of caging constraints are spatially transferred into the interior of a thick film, we present a force-based theory for dynamical gradients in thick films with one vapor interface that includes collective elasticity effects. Quantitative applications to the foundational hard sphere fluid and polymer melts of diverse fragilities are presented. In this work, we predict a roughly exponential spatial variation of the total activation barrier which is nonperturbatively modified to similar to 10 particle diameters into the film. This leads, to leading order, to the prediction of a reduced alpha relaxation time gradient of a double-exponential form characterized by a nearly constant spatial decay length, in qualitative accord with simulations. The relaxation acceleration at the surface grows exponentially with increasing packing fraction or decreasing temperature. The rate of increase with cooling of the alpha time strongly weakens upon approaching the vapor interface, with the top two layers remaining liquid-like down to similar to ~80-85% of the bulk glass transition temperature. These spatially heterogeneous changes of the temperature variation of the alpha time result in a large and long-range gradient of the local glass transition temperature. An average interfacial layer thickness relevant to ensemble-averaged dielectric and other experiments is also computed. It is predicted to be rather large at the bulk glass transition temperature, decreasing roughly linearly with heating. Remarkably, to leading order the ratio of this layer-averaged interfacial relaxation time to its bulk analogue is invariant to chemistry, volume fraction, and temperature and of modest absolute magnitude. Spatially inhomogeneous power law decoupling of the alpha relaxation time from its bulk value is predicted, with an effective exponent that decays to zero with distance from the free surface in a nearly exponential manner, trends which are in qualitative accord with recent simulations. Finally, this behavior and the double-exponential alpha time gradient are related and can be viewed as consequences of an effective quasi-universal factorization of the total barrier in films into the product of its bulk-temperature-dependent value times a function solely of location in the film.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗