Engineering topics

Jain, Avijita

Publications and source records attributed to Jain, Avijita.

8 records

DOE OSTI2014

New Light-Harvesting Materials Using Accurate and Efficient Bandgap Calculations

Electronic bandgap calculations are presented for 2400 experimentally known materials from the Materials Project database and the bandgaps, obtained with different types of functionals within density functional theory and (partial) self-consistent GW approximation, are compared for 20 randomly chosen compounds forming an unconventional set of ternary and quaternary materials. It is shown that the computationally cheap GLLB-SC potential gives results in good agreement (around 15%) with the more advanced and demanding eigenvalue-self-consistent GW. This allows for a high-throughput screening of materials for different applications where the bandgaps are used as descriptors for the efficiency of a photoelectrochemical device. Here, new light harvesting materials are proposed to be used in a one-photon photoelectrochemical device for water splitting by combining the estimation of the bandgaps with the stability analysis using Pourbaix diagrams and with the evaluation of the position of the band edges. Using this methodology, 25 candidate materials are obtained and 5 of them appear to have a realistic possibility of being used as photocatalyst in a one-photon water splitting device.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2013

Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Formate with Nickel Diphosphane Dipeptide Complexes. Effect of Ligands Modified with Amino Acids

A series of nickel bis-diphosphine complexes with dipeptides appended to the ligands were investigated for the catalytic oxidation of formate. Typical rates of ~7 s -1 were found, similar to the parent complex (~8 s -1 ), with amino acid size and positioning contributing very little to rate or operating potential. Hydroxyl functionalities did result in lower rates, which were recovered by protecting the hydroxyl group. The results suggest that the overall dielectric introduced by the dipeptides does not play an important role in catalysis, but free hydroxyl groups do influence activity suggesting contributions from intra- or intermolecular interactions. These observations are important in developing a fundamental understanding of the affect that an enzyme-like outer coordination sphere can have upon molecular catalysts. This work was funded by the US DOE Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geoscience and Biosciences Division (BRG, AJ, AMA, WJS), the US DOE Basic Energy Sciences, Physical Bioscience program (MLR). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2013

Structural characterization of the model amphipathic peptide Ac-LKKLLKLLKKLLKL-NH2 in aqueous solution and with 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol

Short-chain amphiphilic peptides are promising components in the new generation of engineered biomaterials with many potential applications. The 14-residue leucine-lysine peptide Ac-LKKLLKLLKKLLKL-NH2 (LKα) is one such amphiphilic peptide. The periodic distribution of hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acid residues in the sequence of LKα has been shown to promote α-helix formation in an ionic environment and at high peptide concentrations (> ~0.5 mM, no salt). Here, circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is used to demonstrate that LKα, in the absence of salt and at concentrations < 0.5 mM, readily adopts a helical structure in the presence of the structure stabilizing agents 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). Maximal helical character, as monitored by negative bands with double minima at 222 and 208-210 nm in the CD spectrum, was observed in 20% TFE and 10% HFIP (volume percent). The helical character suggested by the CD data was corroborated with amide to alpha proton, long range, 1HN(i) to 1Hα(i-3) NOEs characteristic of an α-helical structure. In unbuffered water in the absence of a flouronated alcohol and at low peptide concentrations, LKα was essentially unstructured in solution. These observations confirm that LKα has a predisposition to adopt a helical structure that may be maximized with minimal amounts of fluorinated alcohol. This characterization of the structural and physical properties of LKα will assist the design of future biomaterials containing amphiphilic peptides.

biomaterials↗

DOE OSTI2013

The Role of a Dipeptide Outer-Coordination Sphere on H2 -Production Catalysts: Influence on Catalytic Rates and Electron Transfer

The outer-coordination sphere of enzymes acts to fine-tune the active site reactivity and control catalytic rates, suggesting that incorporation of analogous structural elements into molecular catalysts may be necessary to achieve rates comparable to those observed in enzyme systems at low overpotentials. In this work, we evaluate the effect of an amino acid and dipeptide outer-coordination sphere on [Ni(PPh2NPh-R2)2]2+ hydrogen production catalysts. A series of 12 new complexes containing non-natural amino acids or dipeptides were prepared to test the effects of positioning, size, polarity and aromaticity on catalytic activity. The non-natural amino acid was either 3-(meta- or para-aminophenyl)propionic acid terminated as an acid, an ester or an amide. Dipeptides consisted of one of the non-natural amino acids coupled to one of four amino acid esters: alanine, serine, phenylalanine or tyrosine. All of the catalysts are active for hydrogen production, with rates averaging ~1000 s-1, 40% faster than the unmodified catalyst. Structure and polarity of the aliphatic or aromatic side chains of the C-terminal peptide do not strongly influence rates. However, the presence of an amide bond increases rates, suggesting a role for the amide in assisting catalysis. Overpotentials were lower with substituents at the N-phenyl meta position. This is consistent with slower electron transfer in the less compact, para-substituted complexes, as shown in digital simulations of catalyst cyclic voltammograms and computational modeling of the complexes. Combining the current results with insights from previous results, we propose a mechanism for the role of the amino acid and dipeptide based outer-coordination sphere in molecular hydrogen production catalysts.

amino acid catalysts↗

DOE OSTI2012

Incorporating Amino Acid Esters into Catalysts for Hydrogen Oxidation: Steric and Electronic Effects and the Role of Water as a Base

Four derivatives of a hydrogen oxidation catalyst, [Ni(P Cy 2 N Bn-R 2 ) 2 ] 2+ (Cy = cyclohexyl, Bn = benzyl, R = OMe, COOMe, CO-alanine-methyl ester, CO-phenylalanine-methyl ester), have been prepared to investigate steric and electronic effects on catalysis. Each complex was characterized spectroscopically and electrochemically, and thermodynamic data were determined. Crystal structures are also reported for the -OMe and -COOMe derivatives. All four catalysts were found to be active for H 2 oxidation. The methyl ester (R = COOMe) and amino acid ester containing complexes (R = CO-alanine-methyl ester or CO-phenylalanine-methyl ester) had rates slower (4 s –1 ) than that of the parent complex (10 s –1 ), in which R = H, which is consistent with the lower amine pK a 's and less favorable ΔG H 2 's found for these electron-withdrawing substituents. Dynamic processes for the amino acid ester containing complexes were also investigated and found not to hinder catalysis. The electron-donating methyl ether derivative (R = OMe) was prepared to compare electronic effects and has a catalytic rate similar to that of the parent complex. In the course of these studies, it was found that water could act as a weak base for H 2 oxidation, although catalytic turnover requires a higher potential and utilizes a different sequence of catalytic steps than when using a base with a higher pK a . Finally and importantly, these catalysts provide a foundation upon which larger peptides can be attached to [Ni(P Cy 2 N Bn 2 ) 2 ] 2+ hydrogen oxidation catalysts in order to more fully investigate and implement the effects of the outer coordination sphere.

amino acid catalysts↗

DOE OSTI2012

Active Hydrogenation Catalyst with a Structured, Peptide-Based Outer-Coordination Sphere

The synthesis, catalytic activity, and structural features of a rhodium-based hydrogenation catalyst containing a phosphine ligand coupled to a 14-residue peptide are reported. Both CD and NMR spectroscopy show that the peptide adopts a helical structure in 1:1:1 TFE/MeCN/H2O that is maintained when the peptide is attached to the ligand and when the ligand is attached to the metal complex. The metal complex hydrogenates aqueous solutions of 3-butenol to 1-butanol at 360 ± 50 turnovers/Rh/h at 294 K. This peptide- based catalyst represents a starting point for developing and characterizing a peptide-based outer-coordination sphere that can be used to introduce enzyme-like features into molecular catalysts. This work was funded by the US DOE Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geoscience and Biosciences Division (AJ, JCL and WJS), the Office of Science Early Career Research Program through the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (GWB, MLR and WJS). Part of the research was conducted at the W.R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a national scientific user facility sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Biolog-ical and Environmental Research (BER) program located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). PNNL is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy.

amino acid catalysts↗

DOE OSTI2012

Biologically Inspired Phosphino Platinum Complexes

Platinum complexes containing phosphino amino acid and amino acid ester ligands, built upon the PPhNR’2 platform, have been synthesized and characterized (PPhNR’2= [1,3-diaza]-5-phenyl phosphacyclohexane, R’=glycine or glycine ester). These complexes were characterized by 31P, 13C, 1H, 195Pt NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The X-ray crystal structure of one of the complexes, [PtCl2(PPhNGlyester 2)2], is also reported. These biologically inspired ligands have potential use in homogeneous catalysis, with special applications in chiral chemistry and water soluble chemistry. These complexes also provide a foundation upon which larger peptides can be attached, to allow the introduction of enzyme-like features onto small molecule catalysts. This work was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated by Battelle for the US Department of Energy.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2012

Investigating the Role of the Outer-Coordination Sphere in [Ni(PPh2NPh-R2)2]2+ Hydrogenase Mimics

A series of dipeptide nickel complexes with the general formula, [Ni(PPh2NNNA-amino acid/ester2)2](BF4)2, have been synthesized and characterized (P2N2= 1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane, amino acid/esters = glutamic acid, alanine, lysine, and aspartic acid). Each of these complexes is an efficient electrocatalyst for H2 production. The contribution of the outer-coordination sphere, specifically the impact of sterics, the ability to protonate and the pKa of amino acid side chain on the hydrogen production activity of these complexes, was investigated. The rates of all of the catalysts ranged over an order of magnitude. The amino acid containing complexes display 2-3 times higher rates of hydrogen production than the corresponding ester complexes, suggesting the significance of protonated species (side chains/backbone of amino acids) in the outer-coordination sphere. The largest had the fastest rates suggesting that catalytic activity is not hindered by sterics. However, the shapes of catalytic waves are indicative of hindered electron transfer and may suggest a competing mechanism for catalysis than that observed for the unsubstituted parent complex. These studies demonstrate the significant contribution that the outer-coordination sphere can have in tuning the catalytic activity of small molecule hydrogenase mimics.

08 HYDROGEN↗