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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 OSTI2013

Hole mobility enhancement of Cu-deficient Cu{sub 1.75}Zn(Sn{sub 1−x}Al{sub x})Se{sub 4} bulks

Cu-deficient Cu{sub 1.75}ZnSn{sub 1−x}Al{sub x}Se{sub 4} (x=0–0.6) bulks were prepared by a liquid-phase reactive sintering method at 600 {sup °}C with soluble sintering aids of Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} and Te. Defect chemistry was studied by measuring electrical properties of Al-doped CZTSe as a function of dopant concentration. Al-CZTSe pellets at x=0.4 with electrical conductivity of 57.2 S cm{sup −1} showed the highest hole mobility of 32.5 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}. The high mobility is mainly contributed from the low atomic scattering factor of Al. The high carrier concentration and slightly changed lattice parameter of Al-CZTSe are related to the types of its defects. - Graphical abstract: The controls in electrical properties and the changes in lattice parameters of Cu-deficient Cu{sub 2}ZnSnSe{sub 4} by doping Al{sup 3+} on the Sn{sup 4+} site. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Cu-deficient Cu{sub 1.75}Zn(Sn{sub 1−x}Al{sub x})Se{sub 4} was prepared by liquid-phase sintering at 600 °C. • Sintering aids of Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} and Te were used for reactive sintering. • Al-CZTSe at x=0.4 showed the extremely high mobility of 32.5 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}. • Al-CZTSe reached large grains of 2−3 μm, while it was <1.0 μm for the undoped. • Electrical properties of Al-CZTSe pellets changed with the Al content.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Structure analysis of a Mn-doped willemite-type compound, H{sub 0.12}(Zn{sub 1.89(3)}Mn{sub 0.05(1)}□{sub 0.06})Si{sub 1.00(1)}O{sub 4}

Large single crystals of a well-known green phosphor, Mn-doped willemite (α-Zn{sub 2}SiO{sub 4})-type compound were grown from molten MnF{sub 2}/Li{sub 2}MoO{sub 4}. In this structure Mn{sup 2+} and defects partially replace Zn{sup 2+} at two independent sites, and there are no cation species in the middle of six-membered ring channels. As a consequence of 3% defective sites (□), this structure may have protons for ensuring its electrostatic neutrality. Although the position of H{sup +} could not be clearly found the present study indicates the presence of protons in the vicinity of oxygens to make relative short H⋯O bonds below 1.6 Å. Two unusual, broad IR bands about 1780 and 2360 cm{sup −1} can be explained by disordering of strongly bonded O···H groups. This compound represents a structural unit, H{sub 0.12}(Zn{sub 1.89(3)}Mn{sub 0.05(1)}□{sub 0.06})Si{sub 1.00(1)}O{sub 4}, based on X-ray single crystal diffraction, electron microprobe, and FT-IR spectroscopy. - Graphical abstract: A willemite-type compound, H{sub 0.12}(Zn{sub 1.89(3)}Mn{sub 0.05(1)}□{sub 0.06})Si{sub 1.00(1)}O{sub 4} exhibits protons near to oxygens in the skirt of four- and six-membered ring channels, as a result of defects at two crystallographically different Zn sites. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Structure properties of a 0.05 Mn-doped α-Zn{sub 2}SiO{sub 4} compound using X-ray single crystal diffraction. • Static disorder of Zn, Mn, and defects in the framework of α-Zn{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}. • Sign of strong H⋯O bonds, observed in FT-IR spectroscopy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Atomistic simulation and XAS investigation of Mn induced defects in Bi{sub 12}TiO{sub 20}

This work reports an investigation of the valence and site occupancy of Mn dopants in Bi{sub 12}TiO{sub 20} (BTO: Mn) host using X-ray Absorption (XAS) and atomistic simulation techniques based on energy minimisation. X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) at the Mn K-edges gave typical results for Mn ions with mixed valences of 3+ and 4+. Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) results indicated that Mn ions are probably substituted at Ti sites. Atomistic simulation was performed assuming the incorporation of Mn{sup 2+}, Mn{sup 3+} and Mn{sup 4+} ions at either Bi{sup 3+} or Ti{sup 4+} sites, and the results were compared to XANES and EXAFS measurements. Electrical conductivity for pure and doped samples was used to evaluate the consistency of the proposed model. - Graphical abstract: The structure of Bi{sub 12}TiO{sub 20} (BTO). Display Omitted - Highlights: • Pure and Mn-doped Bi{sub 12}TiO{sub 20} samples were studied by experimental techniques combined with atomistic simulation. • Good agreement between experimental and simulation results was obtained. • XANES results suggest a mixture of 3+ and 4+ valences for Mn, occupying the Ti4+ site in both cases. • Charge compensation by holes is most energetically favoured, explaining the enhancement observed in AC dark conductivity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Growth and luminescent properties of scintillators based on the single crystalline films of Lu{sub 3−x}Gd{sub x}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}:Ce garnet

Highlights: • Single crystalline films of Lu{sub 3−x}Gd{sub x}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} garnets at x = 0 ÷ 3.0 were grown by LPE method onto YAG substrates. • Lattice constant of Lu{sub 3−}Gd{sub x}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}:Ce film and the misfit m between films and YAG substrate changed linearly with increasing of Gd content. • Effective Gd{sup 3+}–Ce{sup 3+} energy transfer occurs in the Lu{sub 3−x}Gd{sub x}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}:Ce films. • Best scintillation light yield is observed in the Lu{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}:Ce and Lu{sub 2.4}Gd{sub 0.6}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}:Ce films. • Increase of the Gd content in x = 1.5–2.5 range results in decreasing the scintillation LY of Lu{sub 3−x}Gd{sub x}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}:Ce films. - Abstract: The work is related to the growth of scintillators based on the single crystalline films (SCF) of Ce{sup 3+} doped Lu{sub 3−}Gd{sub x}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} mixed rare-earth garnets by Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE) method. We have shown, that full set of Lu{sub 3−}Gd{sub x}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} SCFs with x values ranging from 0 to 3.0 can be successfully crystallized by the LPE method onto Y{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} (YAG) substrates from the melt-solutions based on PbO-B{sub 2}O{sub 3} flux. The absorption, X-ray excited luminescence, photoluminescence, thermoluminescence and light yield measurements, the latter under excitation by α-particles of {sup 239}Pu and {sup 241}Am radioisotopes, were applied for their characterization.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Enhancement of persistent luminescence of ZnTa{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Pr{sup 3+} by addition Li{sup +}, Na{sup +}, K{sup +} and Cs{sup +} ions

Graphical abstract: The incorporation of the alkali metals (Li, Na, K and Cs) as co-dopants in ZnTa{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Pr{sup 3+} phosphor improved the lifetime of the persistent emission by increasing the quantity of the electron trapping centres. - Highlights: • ZnTa{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Pr{sup 3+} was co-doped with Li{sup +}, Na{sup +}, K{sup +} or Cs{sup +} ions. • Phase pure samples were synthesised. • Enhancement of the persistent emission was achieved by co-doping. • Corresponding electron trapping centres were quantified by a TL reader. - Abstract: Enhancement of the persistent emission was achieved by co-doping ZnTa{sub 2}O{sub 6}:Pr{sup 3+} with Li{sup +}, Na{sup +}, K{sup +} or Cs{sup +} ions. Phase pure samples were synthesised and it was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction pattern which matches that of the standard data. Incorporation of the co-dopant ions introduced strain into the phosphor, which increased with an increase in the ionic radius of the co-dopant ion. The scanning electron microscope image shows that the particles were agglomerated, and the surface images obtained using the Time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy showed that the dopant and the co-dopant ions in the phosphor were homogeneously distributed. The persistent emission was enhanced by the co-dopant ions as shown by the lifetime values calculated from the phosphorescence decay curves, and the corresponding electron trapping centres were quantified by thermoluminescence reader.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Metal ion-mediated structure and properties of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles

Highlights: • Cu- and Zn-doped Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles were successfully obtained by a simple solvothermal method. • The sizes and morphologies of the doped Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles could be regulated by doping with divalent cations. • The doped Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles showed enhanced remanent magnetization and coercivity. • The doped Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles showed excellent catalytic activity toward thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate. • The enhanced catalytic activity could be attributed to the defect structure induced by doping with divalent cations. - Abstract: To assess the relationship between metal ion-mediated microstructures and the macro-performance, Cu- and Zn-doped α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles were prepared via a solvothermal method. The morphologies of the as-synthesized nanoparticles were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that the sizes and morphologies could be regulated by doping with divalent cations. The structures of the as-synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, indicating that Cu{sup 2+} and Zn{sup 2+} ions had diffused into the lattice of α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} matrix. The magnetization behaviors of these nanoparticles were measured to analyze the effect of doping on α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Furthermore, the catalytic activities of Cu- and Zn-doped α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles demonstrated that the high-temperature decomposition temperature of ammonium perchlorate could be lowered by 115 °C and 107 °C, respectively, compared to that of ammonium perchlorate without catalyst. The enhanced catalytic activity could be attributed to the defect structure induced by doping with divalent cations.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Synthesis and characterization of aluminophosphate glasses with unique blue emission

Highlights: • Unique blue emission from aluminophosphate glass due to the phosphorus defect. • Tune the blue emission intensity by addition of SiO{sub 2}, ZnF{sub 2}, or Li{sub 2}O to the base glass. • Study the structural defects in the glass by PALS. • Energy transfer from phosphorus defect to Mn{sup 2+} in Mn-doped aluminophosphate glass. - Abstract: The aluminophosphate glasses were prepared by the melting-quenching technique and their optical and structural properties were investigated. The 56P{sub 2}O{sub 5}-20Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} glass exhibits unique blue emission at 406 nm due to the phosphorus defect in the glass matrix. Addition of SiO{sub 2}, ZnF{sub 2}, or Li{sub 2}O to 56P{sub 2}O{sub 5}-20Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} glass matrix has different influence on formation of phosphorus defect resulting in different intensities of blue emission at 406 nm, though SiO{sub 2}, ZnF{sub 2} or Li{sub 2}O mostly enters the glass network as modifier. Structural analysis of P{sub 2}O{sub 5}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} based aluminophosphate glasses by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy indicates that values of positron lifetimes and the corresponding intensities may be connected with the sizes and number of structural defects. Under excitation of 251 nm, a broad blue emission band and a red emission band were observed in the Mn-doped 56P{sub 2}O{sub 5}-20Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-15SiO{sub 2}-10ZnF{sub 2} glass, indicating the operation of energy transfer from the phosphorus defect to octahedrally coordinated Mn in the glass host.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Effect of gamma radiation on the photocatalytic properties of Cu doped titania nanoparticles

Highlights: • Defective Cu doped TiO{sub 2} powders were prepared by sol-gel route and gamma treatment. • Nanoscale analysis show evidence of internal doping by Cu{sup 2+} in the TiO{sub 2} sublattice. • Catalyst surfaces defect sites improve significantly the photocatalytic efficiency. • (Cu{sup 2+}, V{sub O}{sup -}) cooperative effects promote the photoelectrochemical properties of TiO{sub 2}. - Abstract: The aim of this paper is to study the effect of gamma-rays on structural, physicochemical, optical and photocatalytic performance of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles doped with different concentrations of copper ranging from 0 to 6 at.%. The powders have been prepared by sol-gel technique and annealed at 400 °C. They were irradiated by gamma-rays with doses varying from 14 to 60 KGy. These investigations confirm the formation of anatase TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles and Cu{sup 2+} ion substitution for Ti{sup 4+} sites within the TiO{sub 2} structure. This study also shows that, once the TiO{sub 2} structure is saturated with copper, a metallic copper segregation is formed at the crystallite surfaces. After gamma irradiation, samples present a crystalline core and a disordered shell structure as a result of the formation of oxygen vacancies. Such oxygen vacancies at the TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal surface lead to a remarkable enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of Cu-doped TiO{sub 2} catalysts.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Sol-gel preparation and characterization of Er3+ doped TiO2 luminescent nanoparticles

Highlights: • Sol-gel derived Er{sup 3+} doped TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles for potential use in solar cells and bio imaging. • Influence of Er{sup 3+} doping into TiO{sub 2} with various Er{sup 3+} concentration on structural, optical, and luminescence properties. • Down-and up-conversion luminescence behaviour of Er{sup 3+} doped titanium dioxide. - Abstract: The present paper reports on down-and up-conversion luminescence behaviour of sol-gel derived erbium doped titanium dioxide with anatase structure. Through combined structural, optical and electron microscope analysis, effective and influence of Er{sup 3+} doping into TiO{sub 2} lattice has been demonstrated using X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and optical reflectance spectra. XRD results showed only anatase diffraction peaks of TiO{sub 2}, indicating the formation of a pure anatase phase even after Er{sup 3+} incorporation into TiO{sub 2} lattice. Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) confirmed that the synthesized TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles are polycrystalline in nature which correlated well with XRD findings. Upon excitation at 320 nm, two down-conversion contributions at 378 nm and 435 nm attributed to indirect band gap and defect-related emissions, respectively were observed from both pure and Er{sup 3+} doped TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles. On the other hand, strong green up-conversion emission centred at 544 nm ascribed to {sup 4}S{sub 3/2 }→ {sup 4}I{sub 15/2} transition of Er{sup 3+} was observed under 980 nm laser excitation for all Er{sup 3+} doped TiO{sub 2} samples. This result analysis brings insight on understanding of structural, optical and luminescence properties of Er{sup 3+} doped TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles for use in solar cells and bio imaging devices.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Formation of tetragonal gas bubble superlattice in bulk molybdenum under helium ion implantation

In this paper, we report the formation of tetragonal gas bubble superlattice in bulk molybdenum under helium ion implantation at 573 K. The transmission electron microscopy study shows that the helium bubble lattice constant measured from the in-plane d-spacing is ~4.5 nm, while it is ~3.9 nm from the out-of-plane measurement. The results of synchrotron-based small-angle x-ray scattering agree well with the transmission electron microscopy results in terms of the measurement of bubble lattice constant and bubble size. The coupling of transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron high-energy X-ray scattering provides an effective approach to study defect superlattices in irradiated materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Alloying induces directionally-dependent mobility and alters migration mechanisms of faceted grain boundaries

Faceted grain boundaries exhibit unusual segregation and migration tendencies. To gain a deeper understanding of how solute atoms interact with faceted interfacial structures during migration, this study probes the migration behavior of a faceted Σ11 boundary in Cu doped with Ag atoms. Furthermore, the solutes are found to segregate to the facet with more free volume and strongly reduce boundary velocity in one migration direction, but not the other, due to the presence of a directionally-dependent motion mechanism that can escape solute pinning and therefore speed up migration. Hence, a new mechanism of chemically-induced anisotropy in grain boundary mobility is uncovered by these simulations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Intrinsic mechanical properties and seeding effect of tobermorite synthesized in supercritical water

This publication reports for the first time the physiochemical, the intrinsic mechanical properties and the seed effect of anomalous Al-substituted 11 Å tobermorite synthesized via the innovative supercritical hydrothermal flow process at 400 °C and 25 MPa. This approach allows synthesizing highly crystalline tobermorite fibers in only 8 s, with characteristics very close to the natural tobermorite. The anomalous 11 Å tobermorite exhibits aluminosilicate chains with a high polymerisation degree and a less defective structure compared to materials produced via the conventional hydrothermal method. Furthermore, the intrinsic mechanical properties of Al-tobermorite synthesized in supercritical water are investigated for the first time by High-Pressure XRD. This Al-substituted 11 Å tobermorite is characterised by higher incompressibility along the b-axis and bulk modulus K0 in comparison with what is commonly observed for other synthetic tobermorite. The tobermorite acts as nucleation points to trigger the quick formation of the hydration product in Portland cement paste.

Calcium silicate hydrate↗
DOE OSTI2012

A Transmission Electron Microscopy Study of the Effect of Interfaces on Bubble Formation in He-Implanted Cu-Nb Multilayers

Magnetron sputtered thin films of Cu, Nb, and Cu-Nb multilayers with 2.5 and 5 nm nominal layer thickness were deposited on Si and implanted with 4He+ and 3He+ ions. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy and nuclear reaction analysis, respectively, were used to measure the 4He+ and 3He+ concentration profile with depth inside the films. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize the helium bubbles. Analysis of the contrast from helium bubbles in defocused transmission electron microscope images showed a minimum bubble diameter of 1.25 nm. While pure Cu and Nb films showed bubble contrast over the entire range of helium implantation, the multilayers exhibited bubbles only above a critical He concentration that increased almost linearly with decreasing layer thickness. The work shows that large amounts of helium can be trapped at incoherent interfaces in the form of stable, nanometer-size bubbles.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Tuning Perovskites’ Hydration-Induced Chemical Expansion with Octahedral Tilt Angles

Hydration-induced strains in proton-conducting oxides compromise chemo-mechanical stability when these materials are applied in protonic ceramic electrochemical cells. Here, to develop design principles for zero-strain materials, we systematically studied the hydration coefficients of chemical expansion (CCEs) in perovskite (Sr, Ba)(Ce, Zr, Y)O 3–x solid solutions with in situ dilatometry and thermogravimetric analysis in the range of 430–630 °C. By including and decoupling a wide range of tolerance factors and lattice parameters, we were able to identify a minimum in hydration CCEs (0–0.02) at intermediate tolerance factor values (t ≈ 0.95). Conversely, despite expectations of lower CCEs in larger unit cells, no general trend in CCE versus lattice parameter was found, and opposite trends could be seen for Sr(Ce, Zr, Y)O 3–x versus Ba(Ce, Zr, Y)O 3–x separately. In situ neutron diffraction (ND) enabled atomistic insight. Upon decreasing t, chemical strain anisotropy increased, but this trend did not match the U-shaped dependence of macroscopic CCEs on t. Instead, perovskites with intermediate t, hosting intermediate octahedral tilt angles in the nominally dry state, underwent the largest change in the B–O–B angles during hydration. Accommodating hydration through decreasing B–O–B angles is beneficial because it does not result in large lattice parameter changes. We propose an intermediate tolerance factor as a simple structural descriptor to enable near-zero hydration strains in proton-conducting perovskites.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

High Substitution Rate in TiO 2 Anatase Nanoparticles with Cationic Vacancies for Fast Lithium Storage

Doping is generally used to tune and enhance the properties of metal oxides. However, their chemical composition cannot be readily modified beyond low dopant amounts without disrupting the crystalline atomic structure. In the case of anatase TiO 2 , we introduce a new solution-based chemical route allowing the composition to be significantly modified, substituting the divalent O 2- anions by monovalent F- and OH- anions resulting in the formation of cationic Ti 4+ vacancies (square) whose concentration can be controlled by the reaction temperature. The resulting polyanionic anatase has the general composition Ti 1-x-y square x+y O 2-4(x+y) F 4x (OH) 4y , reaching vacancy concentrations of up to 22%, i.e., Ti 0.78 square 0.22 O 1.12 F 0.4 (OH) 0.48 . Solid-state F-19 NMR spectroscopy reveals that fluoride ions can accommodate up to three different environments, depending on Ti and vacancies (i.e. Ti 3 -F, Ti- 2 square 1 -F, and Ti- 1 square 2 -F), with a preferential location close to vacancies. DFT calculations further confirm the fluoride/vacancy ordering. When its characteristics were evaluated as an electrode for reversible Li-ion storage, the material shows a modified lithium reaction mechanism, which has been rationalized by the occurrence of cationic vacancies acting as additional lithium hosting sites within the anatase framework. Finally, the material shows a fast discharging/charging behavior, compared to TiO 2 , highlighting the benefits of the structural modifications and paving the way for the design of advanced electrode materials, based on a defect mediated mechanism.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Halide Photoredox Chemistry

Halide photoredox chemistry is of both practical and fundamental interest. Practical applications have largely focused on solar energy conversion with hydrogen gas, through HX splitting, and electrical power generation, in regenerative photoelectrochemical and photovoltaic cells. On a more fundamental level, halide photoredox chemistry provides a unique means to generate and characterize one electron transfer chemistry that is intimately coupled with X–X bond-breaking and -forming reactivity. Here, this review aims to deliver a background on the solution chemistry of I, Br, and Cl that enables readers to understand and utilize the most recent advances in halide photoredox chemistry research. These include reactions initiated through outer-sphere, halide-to-metal, and metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited states. Kosower’s salt, 1-methylpyridinium iodide, provides an early outer-sphere charge-transfer excited state that reports on solvent polarity. A plethora of new inner-sphere complexes based on transition and main group metal halide complexes that show promise for HX splitting are described. Long-lived charge-transfer excited states that undergo redox reactions with one or more halogen species are detailed. The review concludes with some key goals for future research that promise to direct the field of halide photoredox chemistry to even greater heights.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗